Portugal

Primeira Liga

Friday 17th February 2023

Kick Off 20.15 Actual 20.16

Gil Vicente 1 F.C. Vizela 1, attendance 3,212

55’ 1-0

86’ 1-1

@ Estadio Cidade de Barcelos

Rua de Raizes

Vila Boa

4750-282 Barcelos

€20 Admission

No Programme.

Today signalled my return to flying, following my cardiac arrest back in July. We were on the 09.35 easyJet flight out of London Gatwick, bound for Porto, on what was a planned weekend of Iberian football. As expected, the flight was late (51 minutes), but we only had a 34 mile drive north to Barcelos for our first game, so no problem, even though it took almost an hour to collect our hire car due to it being unexpectedly busy. We headed to the ground first, where it was a glorious 22 degrees. Tickets were duly sorted and we were soon checked in at our hotel, which was a little over twenty minutes walk back for the match later on.

Gil Vicente, who are named after the Portuguese playwright, will celebrate their centenary next year. They’re not one of the ‘big boys’ of Portuguese football, but they have won 2 Segunda League titles (1999 and 2011) and were runners-up in the Taça da Liga in 2012, having lost 2-1 to Benfica in the final. They have been playing at the 12,046 capacity Estadio Cidade de Barcelos, which belongs to the local municipality, since the 2004/05 season, having previously been based at the Estadio Adelino Ribeiro Novo, which now hosts their youth team matches.

Tonight’s game was 14th versus 10th in the league table. It has to be said, it wasn’t the greatest of games, with the second half a vast improvement on the first, although that is hardly surprising. Apart from the hosts hitting the crossbar with a curling shot just before the half hour mark, it was pretty sterile stuff. The halftime pep talk certainly changed things. Within three minutes of the restart Gil Vicente were awarded a penalty, but a poorly hit effort was easily saved. It only took another seven minutes for them to break the deadlock though, when a cross from the right was knocked down and a deflected shot gave the ‘keeper no chance. They almost doubled their lead when a 30 yard free kick went narrowly wide, but they paid the price for not killing off the game with a second goal, when Vizela deservedly levelled four minutes from time, when a free kick was played across the box and finished at the far post, much to the delight of the 250 or so away fans housed at that end. There was still time for Gil Vicente to have a man red carded as we headed into stoppage time, but both teams appeared to have already settled for a point by this stage.

Central Midlands League

Premier Division North

Saturday 11th February 2023

Kick Off 14.00 Actual 14.02

Dearne & District 3 Dinnington Town 0, attendance 115

13’ 1-0

58’ 2-0

82’ 3-0

@ Kingsmark Way

Goldthorpe

S63 9GW

£3 Admission

Programme available online only.

With Dearne & District rumoured to be leaving this ground at the end of the season, it was high on my list of ‘need to visit soon’ grounds. On paper it looked like a reasonable choice of game too, as 3rd hosted 4th in the league table, although it never really lived up to expectations.

Dearne had an early effort disallowed for offside, before breaking the deadlock after thirteen minutes, firing into the bottom corner from 20 yards. Little of note happened in the remainder of the half, until Dinnington had a man sin binned minutes before the break. The second goal arrived just before the hour mark, when a cross from the right was missed by a defender and finished with a stooping header from 6 yards. A minute later, the Dinnington No.9, having only returned from his sin bin a few minutes earlier, was then sent off. This was immediately followed by another Dinnington player being sin binned for a comment said to the Referee, so the visitors were now down to nine players briefly. It was a surprise that it took Dearne until eight minutes from time to add a third goal, after a long ball that should have been gathered easily by the ‘keeper, somehow wasn’t and it left an easy finish for a striker following in.

The win sees Dearne leapfrog Thorne Colliery into second place in the table, although the title looks well beyond them, as despite having two games in hand on the unbeaten leaders Retford United, they still trail them by 17 points.

Essex Olympian League

Premier Division

Wednesday 8th February 2023

Kick Off 20.15 Actual 20.21

Old Southendian 1 Catholic United 2, attendance 108

11’ 0-1

14’ 0-2

77’ 1-2

@ Garon Park, 3G Pitch

Eastern Avenue

Southend-on-Sea

SS2 4FA

No Admission or Programme.

I had visited Old Southendian back on 26th October 2019, when they beat Canning Town 2-1 in an Essex Olympian League Premier Division match in front of 27 spectators. That game was played on a grass pitch that runs parallel to the 3G cage (it was partly constructed during that visit, so I knew that there would definitely be no overlap) which they now use for their home games.

It is a standard cage set up, with spectator access along two thirds of one side. The match was 2nd (P16 Pts 25) v 3rd (P11 Pts 24) in the league table, both some way behind unbeaten leaders Hutton, who already have 40 points (Won 13 Drawn 1) and attracted an excellent crowd.

The visitors were two goals up inside fifteen minutes. They opened the scoring after scrambling in from close range following a corner from the right, before a cracking 25 yarder doubled their lead just three minutes later. Old Southendian never really looked like getting back in it, but they did pull one back with thirteen minutes left, which made for an interesting finish to the game, but the visitors were deserving winners. They now move up to second in the table, still 13 points adrift of the leaders, but they do have two games in hand.

Bedfordshire County League

Premier Division

Saturday 4th February 2023

Kick Off 14.30 Actual 14.33

Riseley Sports 3 Caldecote 1, attendance 27

15’ 1-0

33’ 1-1

61’ 2-1

85’ 3-1

@ Riseley Playing Field

Gold Street

Riseley

MK44 1EG

No Admission

Programme available online only.

It was good to finally get back to doing a new ground visit where there was a grass pitch. I hadn’t done a non-3G ground since visiting Wake Green Amateur back on January 2nd, a run of 11 successive caged grounds, although I did do a re-visit at Haywards Heath Town during that run, which does have a proper pitch, but even that was 4 weeks ago.

I was limited somewhat by having done an earlier kick off in St. Albans, but I was still here half an hour before kick off, helped by the fact that this league reverted to their more ‘normal’ 14.30 kick offs today, as we edge towards the lighter nights. The game was a mid table clash, as 10th hosted 9th (out of 16). It was good to see two teams going all out for the three points, rather than just trying to avoid losing and it was an excellent game to watch as a neutral.

Riseley opened the scoring after fifteen minutes, firing in at the near post after a lucky ricochet fell perfectly for their striker. Caldecote levelled just after the half hour mark, when a quickly taken free kick caught the home defence napping and the striker finished coolly in a one on one with the ‘keeper. Riseley went back in front just after the hour, when a cross from the right was finished at the far post with a cushioned finish into the far corner. Caldecote came close to levelling, when a shot hit the post, but bounced right across the face of the goal, but Riseley made the game safe when they added a third goal five minutes from time, when a challenge just outside the box ended with the ball being deflected high over the ‘keeper.

Arthurian League

Division 3

Saturday 4th February 2023

Kick Off 11.00 Actual 11.14

Old Albanians 0 Old Merchant Taylors 2, attendance 4

54’ 0-1

75’ 0-2

@ Beaumont School, 3G Pitch

Austen Way

St. Albans

AL4 0XB

No Admission or Programme.

This was 2nd v 4th in the league table, with both teams fighting it out for the second promotion place behind leaders Old Ardinians, who currently sit eight points clear of today’s hosts, with two games in hand and with a 100% winning record so far, they look odds on for the title.

The standard was far higher than you’d expect at this level. Both teams were very impressive and it became obvious early on that it could go either way. Merchant Taylors broke the deadlock nine minutes into the second half, heading in at the far post from a cross wide on the right. They only made the game safe with fifteen minutes left, poking in from close range after the ‘keeper fumbled a cross.

This is a standard 3G cage set up, with spectator access being around a third of one side, spanning either side of the halfway line. As far as I’m aware, this now completes visits to all the current venues being used in the Arthurian League this season.

Fazeley Charity Cup

Semi-Final

Tuesday 31st January 2023

Kick Off 19.45 Actual 19.44

Sutton United 3 Coton Green 2, attendance 252

11’ 1-0

24’ 1-1

77’ 2-1

85’ 3-1

88’ 3-2

@ Coleshill Road Stadium

Coleshill Road

Sutton Coldfield

B75 7BA

No Admission

£1.50 Programme 16 pages.

Having been thwarted by a gridlocked M25 and surrounding areas on Boxing Day, it was a case of second time lucky in making it here tonight. Sutton United have moved into their new 3G facility this season. Although it has just the standard kit stand at present, it is unlike most of these new cage venues, as you can actually access all four sides to watch the game!

They only came up from Division 3 of the Midland League at the start of this season, but look like their stay at this level will be a brief one, as they currently sit top of the table, ten points clear of second placed Cadbury Athletic, albeit having played two more games. They’ve managed 14 wins and 3 draws from their opening nineteen matches, scoring 76 goals in the process. Coton Green would be a tougher test though, as they currently sit seventh in the division above, having only lost seven of their twenty six league matches so far.

It was a decent game, as you’d expect from a semi-final. At this level, clubs are still interested in reaching cup finals, unlike those higher up the food chain. It only took Sutton eleven minutes to go in front, when a 25 yarder dipped over the ‘keeper into the far corner. They also hit the post and saw another effort go narrowly wide, before Coton Green levelled the score after twenty four minutes, when a header from a corner was deflected past the ‘keeper. Sutton made it 2-1 with thirteen minutes left, heading in a left wing cross at the near post. They looked to have made it safe, when an angled shot into the far corner made it 3-1 as we entered the last five minutes, but Coton Green made for a nervous finish for the hosts when they headed in to make it 3-2 and pushed hard in stoppage time for an equaliser, but despite a sustained period of pressure, couldn’t quite pull it off.

Brighton, Worthing & District League

Saturday 28th January 2023

Kick Off 14.00 Actual 14.02

Boys Brigade Old Boys 0 Ovingdean 2, attendance 19

10’ 0-1

82’ 0-2

@ Brighton Blues R.U.F.C. 3G Pitch

Waterhall Road

Brighton

BN1 8YR

No Admission or Programme.

I hadn’t intended doing this match today, especially on a day without rain or frost. I had been to Ashurst United, league leaders of West Sussex League Division 3 South, but when the ground was deserted 40 minutes before kick off, it was obvious the game wouldn’t be taking place. A real shame, as it was 7 degrees and there was even the odd patch of blue sky. The pitch looked in good nick too. An hour after the game should have finished it appeared on F.A. Full Time that a home win was awarded. I assume Plaistow couldn’t be bothered to raise a side?

I certainly hadn’t expected a problem seeing a game on grass today, but did have two 3G backups nearby and in just under twenty minutes I arrived on the northern fringes of Brighton, where 2nd in the table hosted 1st in the Brighton, Worthing & District League. The 3G pitch is to the right as you enter the car park, then beyond this, running parallel, is the floodlit grass pitch of Brighton Blues R.U.F.C. which has the clubhouse on the far side. Despite there being no designated spectator area inside the cage, there was no problem watching from inside the fence. There is a good 6 yards between touchline and fence at the sides and even more room at the goal ends, due to the in-goal area for when the pitch is used for rugby.

Boys Brigade Old Boys knew nothing short of a win would be enough for them today. Even then, it would take a collapse of Devon Loch proportions to prevent Ovingdean from winning the league now. When the visitors went ahead after just ten minutes, smashing one in from 12 yards, when a corner wasn’t cleared, it looked like it might be another easy afternoon for the visitors, much like last week when I saw them stroll to a 4-0 victory against Clarendon Athletic, but BBOB were much tougher opponents and really made a game of it. The action ebbed and flowed throughout a very open first half. BBOB hit the crossbar with a 30 yarder, saw their ‘keeper tip one over the bar and then hit the crossbar again with a 25 yarder, and we had still only played seventeen minutes!

Things settled down a bit from here. The longer the game went on, the more it looked like the visitors would hang on to their lead and they finally added a second goal eight minutes from time, dispossessing the full back as he tried to break clear and finishing powerfully past the ‘keeper at the near post. The game finished on a sour note, with both teams having a man red carded after a clash in stoppage time. The Ovingdean player receiving his for the foul, whilst the recipient from BBOB retaliated with a kick to the head that Conor McGregor would be proud of in the U.F.C. The player was bandaged up, but may have required stitches, according to the discussions taking place afterwards. It was a shame that it finished this way, as it had been an excellent game until this point.

Third in the table Queens Head Raiders are the only team who can stop Ovingdean from taking the title now. They can get a maximum of 43 points if they win their last six games, which would be just three more points than Ovingdean already have (still 4 to play), never mind a goal difference of 35 to make up!

Ovingdean are the only club I haven’t visited in this league now. I think I’ll save them though, just incase they are promoted to the Sussex County League next season. They would certainly be good enough, but it may not be their plan. I look forward to visiting whatever happens.

Football League Youth Alliance

South Eastern Conference

Group C

Wednesday 25th January 2023

Kick Off 13.30 Actual 13.42

Milton Keynes Dons U18 0 Southend United U18 2, attendance 37

44’ 0-1

72’ 0-2

@ Fairfields Sports Hub, 3G Pitch

Apollo Avenue

Fairfields

Milton Keynes

MK11 4BA

No Admission or Programme.

MK Dons normally place their Youth Alliance games at Woughton on the Green, where I had seen them lose 0-1 to Aston Villa in an F.A. Premier Academy League match back on 19th November 2004, but with the pitches there being unfit, this game was switched to the fairly new Fairfields Sports Hub, where there are a number of grass pitches, as well as the 3G cage that hosted today’s game. A typical set up, with spectator access along the majority of one side, with the dugouts opposite.

Despite turning up later than expected, causing the late start, Southend were soon into their stride. Both teams created chances, but it was the visitors who managed to convert two of theirs. The first came in the last minute of the first half, when a defensive mix up resulted in an easy opener. They made the game safe with eighteen minutes left, following in after the ‘keeper had saved the initial effort.

Brighton, Worthing & District League

Saturday 21st January 2023

Kick Off 14.00 Actual 13.59

Ovingdean 4 Clarendon Athletic 0, attendance 8

6’ 1-0

23’ 2-0

62’ 3-0

75’ 4-0

@ Portslade Sports Centre, 3G Pitch

Chalky Road

Portslade

BN41 2WS

No Admission or Programme.

Ovingdean normally play at Longhill Sports Centre in Ovingdean itself (which I have yet to visit), but with the grass pitch there being unfit, today’s match was moved to the 3G pitch here in Portslade. Spectator access is along one side, bar the usual sections of higher fencing and a storage unit at the far end.

Ovingdean have been almost unstoppable in the league this season, winning all bar one of their 12 games so far, the only blemish being a 1-1 draw at home to second placed Boys Brigade Old Boys, who along with Queens Head Raiders in third, are the only two challengers for the title, but in truth, the title has already been won.

Clarendon Athletic came into this 5th in the league table, so I was expecting Ovingdean to be tested. They weren’t. It was all over once the first goal went in after just six minutes and it was then a case of how many more goals would there be. Midway through the half it was 2-0, tapping in at the far post, after a cross was headed back across the six yard box. It was nearly three, but a shot from a tight angle hit the near post. Clarendon only threatened once, hitting the outside of the post with a free kick from 25 yards just before the break.

The second half was much the same. It was 3-0 just after the hour mark, poking the ball past the ‘keeper after holding off two defenders. Clarendon came close when they hit the post for a second time, from an almost identical free kick effort to the one in the first half, but never looked like getting back into it. The fourth goal came fifteen minutes from time, chipping over the ‘keeper into the far corner.

So, Ovingdean edge ever so closer to the title. Next up they visit second in the table Boys Brigade Old Boys next Saturday. If the weather is still poor, I may even go to that one, as they play on a 3G pitch at Brighton Blues Rugby Club.

League positions after today…

Ovingdean 37 points (GD +56) with 5 games left, followed by Boys Brigade Old Boys with 23 points (GD +23) with six games left and Queens Head Raiders on 22 points (GD +22) with seven to play.

Combined Midland Police League

North Division

Thursday 19th January 2023

Kick Off 19.15 Actual 19.27

Leicestershire Police 4 Derbyshire Police 1, attendance 14

6’ 1-0

11’ 2-0

32’ 3-0

45’ 4-0

60’ 4-1

@ Hinckley R.U.F.C. 3G Pitch

Leicester Road

Hinckley

LE10 3DR

No Admission or Programme.

This was originally scheduled to be played at Lutterworth Town F.C. but with the pitch there being unplayable, it was switched to the 3G cage here at Hinckley Rugby Club. The cage is as bad as it gets : no spectator area and two wires across the pitch to divide the area for small sided games. The number of times the ball hit the wire must have been into double figures well before halftime, cutting out quite a few attacks for both teams. At least there was no problem standing inside the cage to watch, which was a relief to the ground hoppers present, who made up half the crowd!

Leicestershire Police are the current champions and cruised to a comfortable victory as they began their defence of the trophy. They were 2-0 up after just eleven minutes and when it became 3-0 just after thirty two minutes, it was game over. A goal in the dying seconds of the half saw them increase their lead to 4-0 and there was no way back for the visitors, although they did score the only goal of the second half, heading in from close range as we hit the hour mark.

This is the third ground I have seen a match at within yards of each other. There is even a fourth pitch that was used by Downes Sports in the Leicestershire Senior League, although I never saw a match there.

Above : The various grounds/pitches.

1. 5.12.90 Hinckley Town 3 Dudley Town 2, att.132 Southern League Midland Division.
2. 1.1.08 Hinckley United 0 Nuneaton Borough 0, att.1,593 National League North
3. Tonight’s match, whilst X is the former ground of Downes Sports.