Italy

Serie A

Sunday 4th June 2023

Kick Off 21.00 Actual 21.02

Atalanta Bergamasca Calcio 5 Associazione Calcio Monza 2, attendance 19,389

12’ 1-0

45’ + 1, 2-0

51’ 2-1

74’ 3-1

78’ 4-1

81’ 4-2

90’ + 2, 5-2

@ Gewiss Stadium

Viale Giulio Cesare 18

24124 Bergamo

€40 Admission + €2.20 booking fee, Print at Home Ticket

2 different Programmes available, both free. A 36 page full colour Magazine and a 40 page Newspaper.

My first trip to see football in Italy was back in November 1994, when I flew out on a day trip to see A.C. Milan draw 1-1 with Internazionale in the Milan derby, played at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, more commonly known as the San Siro, which is actually the area of Milan it is in, rather than the name of the stadium. Further trips to Italy saw a 2-1 win for Lazio versus Internazionale (Dec 2003), followed by Torino v Empoli (at the now demolished Stadio delle Alpi (Apr 2005) and the following day Novarra v A.C. Pisa. A month later a trip to Florence resulted in my third consecutive 0-0 draw in Italy, when Fiorentina hosted Atalanta. The lack of goals and what always seemed to be problems sorting out tickets in advance, meant I had pretty much given up with football trips to Italy.

However, a wedding invitation to a ceremony to be held near Milan, meant there was a possibility of perhaps combining the trip to fit in a football match as well. Being late in the season didn’t throw up too many opportunities though. Not knowing exactly what time the wedding reception would finish, meant both Cremonese and Parma would not be possible on the Saturday evening, due to ticket sales ending on the night before the match. This removed the option of making a late decision to head there. Luckily though, there was still a chance to get a game in on the Sunday, in nearby Bergamo. It was only 1 hour 8 minutes by train and cost just €5.80 single….not a return, but more of that later. These days obtaining tickets for games in Italy is far less problematic. All done online and the club website confirmed tickets were available for general sale and that a foreign passport was okay for use as identification. It would also help to confirm we weren’t from Monza!

The Gewiss Stadium is part way through modernisation, with just the Curva Sud now looking out of place compared to the rest of the ground, although they could do with extending the roof along the side, as we got absolutely soaked during the second half, which isn’t great when you are charged €40 for the pleasure! Capacity here is 21,300 and the club were advertising the match as a sell out (I think Monza had sold all bar 145 of their allocation) although there were empty seats dotted about and the official attendance certainly didn’t suggest this.

This was the last match of the season. Monza were safe in tenth place and had nothing to play for. Atalanta, on the other hand, started the day 5th in the table on 61 points. They were in a three way fight with Roma (60 pts) and Juventus (59 pts) to see which two would get the Europa League places and who would end up in the Europa Conference League. All three games involving them would start simultaneously…or at least that was the plan. The game here started a couple of minutes late as the Referee had to wait for the smoke to clear the pitch after flares left thick clouds of smoke swirling across the pitch as we were about to kick off. Security are red hot on stopping you take bottles of water into the ground and there is no way you are allowed to keep the top on any drink purchased once inside, but it seems you can take in as many flares as you like, as well as 4-5 foot long flag poles, which of course, could never be used as a weapon….

As expected, it was a great atmosphere. The home fans in the lower sections of seating behind the goal at the north end of the ground boycotted the opening five minutes or so, not happy in how they perceived they were being treated, but soon filtered into their seats. The noise certainly went up a notch or two as they joined the party. Dutch striker Teun Koopmeiners headed Atalanta in front after twelve minutes and he made it 2-0 in stoppage time at the end of the first half, following in after an initial save by the ‘keeper. A cracking 20 yarder into the top corner saw Monza pull it back to 2-1 early in the second half, but their hopes of getting anything from the match were dealt a blow, when their Brazilian player Marlon received a red card in the seventieth minute, just 60 seconds after coming on as a substitute! Hojlund (assisted by Koopmeiners) made it 3-1, before Koopmeiners completed his hattrick with twelve minutes left to put the hosts 4-1 up. Monza immediately got one back to make it 4-2, before Atalanta added a fifth goal in the second, of what turned out to be ten minutes of stoppage time, rounding off the scoring. So Atalanta had scored the same amount of goals tonight as my previous five games here in Italy had produced in total!

The win saw Atalanta finish fifth and wins for Roma and Juventus meant we finished the night as we started, as far as European qualification went. The 21.00 kick off meant that the last train back to Milan would be long gone, so we had pre-booked a car to pick us up near the ground at 23.15, rather than mess about getting back to Bergamo Airport, from where a shuttle bus runs to Milan Central Station at very regular intervals throughout the night. Another taxi would then have been required from there. No change out of €100, but back in our Milan hotel before midnight, so certainly the correct decision.

Cardiff Combination League

Sam Cornish Cup Final

Saturday 27th May 2023

Kick Off 14.30 On Time!

Grange Allstars 3 Radyr Rangers 1, attendance 79

27’ 1-0

45’ + 2, 2-0

48’ 2-1

90’ + 9, 3-1 (pen)

@ Llanishen High School, 3G Pitch

Heol Hir

Llanishen

Cardiff

CF14 5YL

£1 Admission, including Programme, 4 pages.

This final was played at Llanishen High School 3G pitch, a venue that also hosts the games of Llanishen Rugby Union Club, hence the rugby posts behind the goals. Viewing is along the whole of the near side, where there is also a small kit stand, although standing room only. It was certainly useful today, but not for sheltering from the rain, but the blistering sun, as temperatures hovered around 22-23 degrees throughout.

These two play in Division 1 (the middle of three divisions) of the Cardiff Combination and it was 4th versus 2nd as far as final league placings went. They were evenly matched throughout, although Allstars (how the club spell their name, rather than All Stars as suggested on the programme) could have been out of sight before halftime, had they not wasted the better of the chances produced. A follow in to a shot parried by the ‘keeper saw them break the deadlock and their lead was doubled in stoppage time, when a through ball was coolly taken wide of the ‘keeper and rolled in from a tight angle. When Radyr pulled it back to 2-1 a few minutes into the second half, poking in at the far post following a corner that wasn’t cleared, it kept the game interesting. Three minutes into stoppage time Radyr saw a header come back off the crossbar, but Grange finally killed the game off nine minutes into stoppage time, when they scored from a penalty, which had seen Radyr reduced to ten men following a second yellow card for the foul.

The usual nightmare Bank Holiday traffic meant an arduous four hour drive to Cardiff, where the ‘live traffic’ was certainly earning its keep on the SatNav, diverting off the M4 on various A and B roads before Bristol, then again around Newport. The return journey took 90 minutes less!

South Wales Alliance League

Division 2

Wednesday 24th May 2023

Kick Off 18.30 On Time!

Fairwater 0 Cogan Coronation 0, attendance 70

@ Poplar Park

Poplar Road

Fairwater

Cardiff

CF5 3PS

No Admission or Programme.

This was 10th versus 5th in the league table, with nothing on the game for either side. It was played with full commitment from both teams, but just never looked like producing a goal. In fact, there wasn’t a genuine attempt on goal in the entire ninety minutes.

The ground is in a public park. It has a fully railed pitch and a pair of brick built dugouts. The changing rooms are through the hedge, adjacent to the bowling green and tennis courts.

Midlands Regional Alliance

Division 1

Monday 22nd May 2023

Kick Off 18.45 On Time!

Markeaton 0 Inter Belper 3, attendance 49

3’ 0-1

9’ 0-2

23’ 0-3

@ Alvaston Park

Meadow Lane

Alvaston

Derby

DE24 8QQ

No Admission or Programme.

It was good to still have a game with something on it, at least as far as the visitors go, with 9th hosting 3rd in the league table. Inter Belper trail leaders Hilton Harriers by 4 points (+ 38 GD) and second placed Bakewell Town Development by three (+39 GD) and have two games in hand on both. The top two still have to play each other again yet, so the title is very much a three horse race.

Inter Belper went in front after just three minutes, finishing from close range. Six minutes later it was 0-2, this time breaking down the left before a pass across the box was easily put away. Midway through the half it was 0-3 and game over, when a corner wasn’t cleared and was finally forced in at the third attempt. Markeaton did hit the crossbar early in the second half and had a volley tipped round the post late on, but the visitors were well worth the win.

The win sees Inter Belper move up to second in the table and perhaps more crucially their goal difference is now + 40, which could be the deciding factor in who takes the title come the end of the season.

The ground is in a huge park. Tonight’s game was played on a pitch in the area south east of the lake, the furthest of the two pitches there, the one beyond the artificial cricket wicket. Typically for a council set up the markings were barely visible. The pitch had been freshly mowed, but the cuttings hadn’t been removed!

Above : Now that’s what you call a proper grassroots crossbar!

Northamptonshire Combination League

Division 1

Saturday 20th May 2023

Kick Off 14.30 Actual 14.29

Finedon Volta 1 Medbourne 2, attendance 180

36’ 1-0 (pen)

61’ 1-1

90’ + 2, 1-2

@ Finedon Recreation Ground

Wellingborough Road

Finedon

NN9 5JT

No Admission or Programme.

This was the perfect end to the season, with 2nd hosting 3rd in the league table. Whoever won would be champions. A draw would see the title go to current leaders Higham Town. Or, at least that was the case until some time this morning (after I had looked at the league table on the F.A. Full Time website) when it was decided by the league to award Higham Town 3 points from a game they had lost 2-1 away at Corby Siam back on May 6th (why did it take 2 weeks to sort this ?) which subsequently gave them the title. Nobody here seemed to know how many clubs get promoted from this division, so I’m not sure if the game actually had anything on it or not, or whether both clubs had already been promoted, regardless of the outcome. It certainly doesn’t give a glowing impression of the league. Mickey Mouse comes to mind……

Anyway, both teams appeared to be going for it. It certainly seemed to matter to them, even if the league itself comes across as a shambles. At least there were 3 match officials, so whoever came out on top would do so fairly, rather than be aided by some dodgy ‘offside’ call that is far too often the case when ‘club linesmen’ are involved!

The game was very keenly fought, although there weren’t many goal scoring opportunities. Finedon led 1-0 through a penalty, scored nine minutes before halftime. Medbourne levelled just after the hour mark, finishing left footed from just outside the 18 yard box. Two minutes into stoppage time Medbourne scored the winner, when a long range shot seemed to deceive the ‘keeper, sailing over his head, before going in off the underside of the crossbar. There was still time for Finedon to have a man sent off and despite a further eight minutes played after the goal, there was to be no way back for the hosts.

It was a very impressive crowd for this level. The number of ‘hoppers present was in the mid-teens and it certainly helped that the Reserves had a game following on from the main event.

Herts Senior County League

Premier Division

Tuesday 16th May 2023

Kick Off 18.45 Actual 18.50

Hinton 0 Chipperfield Corinthians 1, attendance 49

52’ 0-1

@ Hadley Wood Sports Trust

Barnet Lane

Barnet

EN5 2DN

No Admission

£2 Programme, 4 pages. (Sold copy to someone who’d missed out)

With Hinton’s normal home venue unavailable due to sharing with cricket, this game was moved to the railed off grass pitch at Hadley Wood Sports Trust, a venue I had previously visited in July 2018, when I saw Hadley lose 0-3 to Redbridge, in a friendly that was played on the adjacent 3G pitch.

I’m not sure if it was the lure of a programme that attracted about 20 ‘hoppers for this one, or the fact that the game had something on it for both teams. It was the last game of the season for Chipperfield. They were second in the table, two points behind leaders Bush Hill Rangers, who still have two games to play, as well as having a better goal difference, so nothing short of a win would be enough for Chipperfield, and even then, they would still be unlikely to win it. Hinton needed the points for a different reason. They are currently in the relegation zone, but could still avoid the drop if they win one of their last two games, starting with tonight.

It was a very tight game and Hinton really made Chipperfield work for the three points. In fact, on the evidence of tonight’s performance, it was hard to believe that Hinton were struggling near the foot of the table.There were plenty of chances at both ends, but only one was converted. It was enough to win it for the visitors and came seven minutes into the second half, when a ball in from the wing went straight across the face of the goal, before being put in at the far post.

Due to their superior goal difference over Hoddesdon Town Reserves, who are one point above them, having completed their games, a draw at home to Buntingford Town on Thursday will see Hinton survive the drop.

West Sussex League

Division 2 North

Monday 15th May 2023

Kick Off 18.00 Actual 18.13

Horsham Baptists & Ambassadors 4 Barns Green Reserves 5, attendance 33

2’ 1-0

29’ 1-1

33’ 1-2

42’ 1-3

49’ 2-3

63’ 3-3

69’ 3-4

84’ 3-5

90’ + 3, 4-5

@ Bennetts Field Recreation Ground

Higgins Way

Brighton Road

Horsham

RH13 5DE

No Admission or Programme.

This was 3rd versus 7th in the league table and was the final game of the season for both clubs. It was a simply must win game for Horsham Baptists & Ambassadors, as only the top two get promoted and they trailed second in the table Capel Reserves by a point, and had a worse goal difference. Capel Reserves have the advantage of not playing their last game until Thursday, although as it is at home to unbeaten league champions Holbrook Olympic, then it certainly wouldn’t be easy for them.

I had been a bit concerned as to whether Barns Green would actually turn up for this (such is the poor reputation of this league) as they are comfortably going to finish mid table, whatever the result, but turn up they did and they even had four substitutes!

All seemed to be going to plan for Horsham Baptists when they opened the scoring just two minutes in and it was pretty much one way traffic in the opening exchanges. A break down the right, which saw a square ball finished from 15 yards, levelled the scores just before the half hour mark and two more long range efforts saw Barns Green go 1-3 up minutes before halftime. Shortly after the hour mark Baptists had got it back to 3-3. It just seemed a matter of time until they went on to get a winner, but Barns Green went back in front six minutes later and when a long range shot was scrambled in, following a fumble by the ‘keeper, to make it 3-5 with six minutes left, it was game over. A late stoppage time goal did pull it back to 4-5, but it was far too late to affect the outcome.

Somerset County League

Division 2

Saturday 13th May 2023

Kick Off 15.00 Actual 15.05

Cutters Friday 3 Chew Magna 1, attendance 62

17’ 0-1

55’ 1-1 (pen)

84’ 2-1 (pen)

90’ + 2, 3-1

@ Cutters Ground

Stockwood Lane

Bristol

BS14 0QE

No Admission or Programme.

Today saw a visit to Stockwood, in South East Bristol and a visit that would complete all four divisions of the Somerset County League grounds for the first time. There are two pitches here. The nearest one to the changing rooms is fully railed, but the camber is extreme, to say the least, with blind spots in the corners. The other pitch, which is the main one, runs parallel, but is only railed on three sides. It was the last of what must be three of the closest grounds you’ll find anywhere. No more than a few yards between the three! I had seen Bristol Telephones play a Western League match (February 2019) on the ground that runs end on to today’s pitch, separated by a fence, whilst on the other side of the trees that run along the far side, I have seen Stockwood Wanderers play a Somerset County League Premier Division match (August 2017).

It was even better that the game had something riding on it, at both ends of the league table, with 5th hosting 11th. We were down to the last game of the season for all involved, with the final promotion place between Peasedown Miners Welfare (47 pts, +10 GD), Imperial (45 pts, +17 GD) and Cutters Friday (45 pts, +10 GD). Meanwhile, at the other end of the table, it would be either Bishops Lydeard Reserves (21 pts, -25 GD) or Chew Magna (22 pts, -19 GD) that would finish third bottom and be relegated. Cutters knew they had to win, whatever happened, then hope other results went their way. Chew Magna only needed to match what Bishops Lydeard Reserves did and were certainly helped by the fact that they were hosting Peasedown MW.

Chew Magna got off to a great start, going ahead after seventeen minutes through a 25 yard free kick into the top corner. Cutters Friday were very poor and created very little. The game never really flowed, not helped by a two minute water break midway through the half (same thing in the second half) despite it only being around 18 or 19 degrees! According to the Referee ‘a few have been requesting it’.

Anyway, a penalty, awarded for a foul, saw Cutters draw level ten minutes into the second half and another spot kick, this time for a handball, saw them go 2-1 up with six minutes left. The visitors had a man sin binned at this point and that ended their chance of getting anything from the game. Cutters added a third goal in injury time to round off the scoring.

In the end the victory wasn’t enough for Cutters, as Peasedown MW won 4-2 at Bishops Lydeard Reserves, to take the final promotion place. However, this result meant Chew Magna stayed up, so at least they could take something from the day, despite suffering a defeat.

Above : Note the stand and floodlights of Bristol Telephones F.C. behind the fence. Meanwhile, Stockwood Wanderers play the other side of the trees!

Herts Senior County League

Division 4

Thursday 11th May 2023

Kick Off 18.45 On Time!

Global A.F.C. 0 Letchworth Garden City Eagles U21 4, attendance 17

55’ 0-1

66’ 0-2

69’ 0-3

80’ 0-4 (pen)

@ Morris Playing Fields

White Horse Lane

London Colney

AL2 1JR

No Admission or Programme.

The Herts Senior County League hasn’t got the best reputation, especially as you drop down the divisions, as far as games not taking place towards the end of the season goes. Or even midweek matches that are played with 2 x 35 minute halves! Global had failed to play four of their home games during the season, as well as scratching from two away games, and they were on Saturdays! I didn’t have high expectations that this would go ahead, but Letchworth had tweeted about the game, including venue and actually replied on Twitter to confirm that as far as they were concerned , it was game on.

I left home early, to give myself the best chance of negotiating the nightmare of the M25 between J10 and J16, which was slow, but constantly moving. Subsequently I arrived far too early. An hour and a half before kick off! However, within fifteen minutes, the entire away team were here, kitted out in club tracksuits. The home players arrived in dribs and drabs over the course of the next half hour. It looked like we’d got a game!

Global looked a bit of a rag bag outfit. They played in white shirts, but there were six outfield players in black shorts and four in red. They had red socks, all bar one, who wore black. We later had a substitute in navy blue shorts and during the second half, one player even wore a shirt with no number on the back! So typical of this league.

The match itself had nothing riding on it, as far as promotion or relegation matters went, as 10th hosted 6th, but it was a decent contest, between two evenly matched sides. It was certainly not played as an end of season ‘nothing’ match. It took until ten minutes into the second half for Letchworth to break the deadlock, cutting in from the left, before firing a shot into the far corner from the angle of the 18 yard box. A left footed shot from the edge of the box, followed by a one on one finish saw them go 0-3 up, before a late penalty rounded off the scoring.

The game started in pleasant sunshine, which soon turned to rain. It finally let up about ten minutes before the end of the match. The consensus amongst the four ‘hoppers present was that the Referee blew for full time about five minutes early, but the game was done and dusted by then.

Perry Street & District League

Premier Division

Wednesday 10th May 2023

Kick Off 18.30 Actual 18.29

Barrington 2 Misterton 3, attendance 36

2’ 0-1

8’ 0-2

40’ 0-3

53’ 1-3

79’ 2-3

@ Shelway Lane

Barrington

TA19 0JJ

No Admission

£1 Programme, 8 pages.

This was 9th versus 3rd in the league table and was the last game of the season for both clubs. Barrington would finish the season in this position whatever the result, but Misterton could still be caught by South Petherton, six points adrift, but with two games in hand, as well as the better goal difference of the two.

Misterton got off to a great start, going 0-2 up after just eight minutes. They had chances to increase their lead, but their third goal only arrived five minutes before halftime. It looked to be all over, but an early second half goal gave Barrington hope and they created far more chances than they had in the first half. When they made it 2-3 with eleven minutes left, they looked like they might get something out of the game, but Misterton held out to take the three points.

Every so often you come across some really cracking grounds for the level of football you’re at. This was certainly one of them.

Above : Misterton make it 0-3 just before halftime.