Oxfordshire Senior League

Premier Division

Saturday 18th September 2021

Kick Off 14.30 Actual 14.29

Summertown Stars 6 Marston Saints 2, attendance 63

2’ 1-0

34’ 2-0

36’ 3-0

62’ 3-1

64’ 4-1

70’ 5-1

85’ 5-2 (pen)

87’ 6-2

@ Northway Community Centre

45 Dora Carr Close

Headington

Oxford

OX3 9RF

No Admission or Programme.

Thankfully, I had already been to the second ground on the organised ground hop. I have nothing against Freeland F.C., having enjoyed my visit there, and always feel a bit sorry for whichever club draws the short straw and has to play the Saturday afternoon match on such events, as they invariably attract the fewest spectators. It certainly didn’t help them that they had issued programmes in the past for Oxfordshire F.A. Senior Cup matches, attracting those who have to have a piece of paper to count the match and they had only just dropped down to the Witney and District League from the higher level Oxfordshire Senior League this season. The final nail in the coffin was the fact that various other matches could be reached and still give time to get to Hanborough for the 17.00 kick off, where the ‘hop would be rounding off the day.

I opted for the match at Summertown Stars, as I could comfortably make it to Hanborough in 25 minutes from there. One ‘hopper tried to give me a bum steer by claiming that Oxford Irish Athletic F.C. had tweeted this morning that they were playing at Northway this afternoon, so Summertown can’t be playing there, (I won’t name the former resident of Oxford now residing near a shopping outlet village off Junction 9 of the M40), but it was a blatant lie. The club hadn’t tweeted for 3 days! I knew it wasn’t true,( I already knew that OIA weren’t even playing at home today) and Summertown had already confirmed they were indeed playing there. Are some people that stupid that they think others are incapable of checking things for themselves. Obviously some are! Even if the evening match was brought forward at short notice, which has been done before on Groundhop U.K. events, I would still get there.

The ground here was much better than I was expecting and was quite pleasant considering the area it is in. Unusually, the visitors had a shorter distance to travel to the suburb of Headington than the hosts did, for this East Oxford derby. Summertown had started the season with a 6-2 home win and a 4-5 away defeat, whilst Marston had lost their only match played so far 0-6.

It was unlikely that this game would fail to produce a goal, at least judging by the previous score lines and within two minutes the opener duly arrived for the hosts, when a cross from the right was swept in from 6 yards. The second goal came after 34 minutes, although it looked well offside, then two minutes later a penalty made it 3-0, the home No.9 completing his hat trick from the spot.

Marston reduced the arrears when a shot on the turn from close range made it 3-1, but the three goal cushion was restored a couple of minutes later, before a cross from the right was put in at the far post to make it 5-1 with twenty minutes left. Five minutes from time Marston pulled it back to 5-2 with a penalty, but a quick response from Summertown saw a 25 yarder loop over the ‘keeper to make it 6-2.

It could be a long season for Marston, if they can’t tighten up at the back, but if it’s goals you’re after, then Summertown are the team to watch. Their three matches have now produced 25 goals.

Witney & District League

Division 2

Saturday 18th September 2021

Kick Off 11.00 Actual 10.59

Cassington Rangers 0 Ducklington 0, attendance 133 (official)

@ Cassington Recreation Ground

Elms Road

Cassington

OX29 4DR

£4 Admission, including programme, whether you wanted it or not.(I never want or will buy a programme at any event organised by Groundhop U.K)

If there was anything good that came out of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was the fact that it brought a halt to the organised ground hops, but it was only a matter of time before they returned. I’m old enough to remember when ‘hops were all about the clubs, back in the days when Mike Amos (North East) and Phil Hiscox (South West) ran absolutely superb weekends, the like of which we haven’t seen since. On the plus side, the low level of the leagues that are staging the events these days, means it usually gives me an opportunity to pick up a few new grounds. The standard of football can’t drop much lower than this and it certainly puts things into perspective when you are charged £4 for the privilege, at grounds that would never charge admission for any other game. It’s even more ridiculous when you consider that it is just £10 to watch Premier League Brentford at their new ground, when they host Oldham Athletic on Tuesday night in the League Cup.

It was also rare on an organised event for programmes to run out, but there is always a risk of that happening when people are forced into buying one, whether they want it or not. Mine was deposited in the nearest bin, but I was surprised by the number of people who hadn’t got one. Allegedly, one programme less hopper even paid £5 for a copy! The mind boggles.

Anyway, on to the match. The standard of football was abysmal. Despite the lack of skill, the game produced endless goalmouth chances. Ducklington even hit the post and crossbar, but the breakthrough never came. Quite how it remained goalless is a mystery.

Gwent Premier League

Division 2

Wednesday 15th September 2021

Kick Off 18.00. On Time !

Llanhilleth Athletic 5 Trinant 0, attendance 62

45’ 1-0 (pen)

69’ 2-0

71’ 3-0

77’ 4-0

87’ 5-0

@ Brynithel R.U.F.C.

Dai Jayne Recreation Ground

Mount Pleasant Court

Brynithel

NP13 2GZ

No Admission or Programme.

Tonight’s match was bringing down the curtain on the midweek early kick offs, with the end of March feeling a long way off, before we next get an opportunity for clubs without floodlights to play games on weekdays. The Gwent Premier League had near enough a full programme of matches, spread across it’s three divisions, of which six of the games were at grounds I hadn’t yet visited. Of course, the options are narrowed down by who else is going, as they may not need the same grounds as me. There is also the ‘programme problem’, where some hoppers won’t attend a game without one and finally who can, or are able, to get to the designated meeting point. In the end, neither of my two regular passengers were interested, but somehow I was still heading to Wales with a full car.

I had been to a Llanhilleth home game before, when I saw them lose 2-7 to A.C. Pontymister back on 7th April 2010 in a Gwent County League Division 2 match. In those days they played at Llanhilleth Park, but this season they have moved to the next village up the valley and are now playing at Brynithel rugby ground. The club had been quick to reply via Twitter that the game was indeed here and also that it was an 18.00 kick off, so this was number one choice tonight.

The two sides were evenly matched during the opening half hour, but Llanhilleth started to gain the upper hand and it just seemed a matter of when, and not if, they would break the deadlock. The breakthrough finally came in the final minute of the first half, when the home No.11 J. Thompson cut inside and was fouled inside the box and the resultant penalty was dispatched to make it 1-0.

Having ‘won’ the penalty, the No.11 had an easy tap in from 6 yards to put the hosts 2-0 up on sixty nine minutes and two minutes later he sent an unstoppable shot into the far corner to make it 3-0 and the points were safe. Trinant never looked like getting back into it and it was no surprise to see Llanhilleth add a couple more goals for a resounding 5-0 win, which sees them go third in the table, level on points with second placed Cromwell. Llanhilleth visit league leaders Cwmffrwdoer Sports Club on Saturday, hoping to cut the 8 point gap at the top. As for Trinant, they will hope I’m not at any of their other matches this season, as I’ve seen them twice so far, seeing them lose 0-7 and 0-5, so not exactly a good luck charm!

Full credit must go to both teams and the Referee tonight. They were all there well before kick off and we started dead on time. A quick turnaround at halftime meant the game was all over by 19.36, so no problem whatsoever with lack of light. It was also good news for heading home. Despite the overhead signs on the M4 motorway showing it was closed between J12 and J11, it wasn’t and having dropped my passengers off near J11 of the M25, I was home for 22.30.

Western League

Division 1

Tuesday 14th September 2021

Kick Off 19.45 Actual 19.44

Gillingham Town 1 Wells City 1, attendance 97 (official)

43’ 1-0

74’ 1-1

@ Woodwater Lane

off Harding’s Lane

Gillingham

SP8 4WL

£5 Admission

£2 Programme, 20 pages.

Gillingham Town moved to their new ground back in 2018. With their old ground in Harding’s Lane (visited 24th September 2005, for a 6–0 win versus Poole Borough in the Dorset Premier League), which you pass a couple of hundred yards up the road, having floodlights, it seemed logical that they would eventually get floodlights at the new ground as well, so I thought I’d wait to tick it off for a midweek match. I didn’t think it would take them this long, but tonight was finally their first floodlit match at their new home. It attracted their biggest home crowd of the season so far, beating the previous best by 30, aided by 15-20 ground hoppers in attendance.

The match itself wasn’t great and was certainly nothing like the quality that the Western League matches produced when I visited many of the grounds in my early years of ground hopping. Then again, having lost the likes of Tiverton Town, Taunton Town, Clevedon Town, Mangotsfield United etc, then perhaps it’s not surprising. Wells created, but wasted, enough chances to win half a dozen matches. Gillingham didn’t create much at all, but a cracking free kick saw them take the lead just before halftime. Wells finally converted a chance with sixteen minutes left, when a scramble in the box finished with a shot fired high into the roof of the net.

The old ground in Harding’s Lane is still pretty much as it was when Gillingham moved out back in 2018, as seen in the photo below.

Spartan South Midlands League

Division 2

Monday 13th September 2021

Kick Off 19.30 Actual 19.31

M.K. College Football Academy 3 Berkhamsted Raiders 0, attendance 128

1’ 1-0

36’ 2-0

59’ 3-0

@ Sport Central, 3G Pitch

Elder Gate

Milton Keynes

MK9 1EN

No Admission

Programme available to pre order via Twitter.

Well, if ever there was a case of being at a match purely for the sake of ticking off the ground, then this was it. These sort of cages should not be allowed to be used by clubs at this level for playing competitive matches. There is no spectator access allowed inside the cage, which the club had tweeted was due to health and safety requirements, meaning the record crowd of 128 had to watch through the mesh fencing. Although that isn’t quite true, as Tony Incenzo (talkSPORT) was excluded from the ban and was allowed to watch from inside the fence, which judging by the comments, certainly didn’t endear him to many of the ground hoppers in attendance!

As for the game, hard to comment. The night was more about the social side, than football. Apart from gaining a ‘tick’, and having a good natter, it was a waste of time coming really.

Essex & Suffolk Border League

Division 1

Saturday 11th September 2021

Kick Off 15.00 Actual 14.58

Tiptree Jobserve 1 Belle Vue Social Club 2, attendance 36

43’ 0-1 (pen)

66’ 1-1

77’ 1-2

@ Colchester United F.C. Florence Park Training Ground, Pitch 5

Grange Road

Tiptree

CO5 0UH

No Admission or Programme.

I had been to a game here before, when I saw Colchester United U23’s lose 0-3 to Leeds United in a Professional Development League match, back on 3rd May 2017. The game that day was played on Pitch 1, which is right next to the building, but Tiptree Jobserve always play on Pitch 5, which runs widthways in front of you as you enter the complex. It is an awful ground and is basically a 3G cage, but with a grass pitch. There are even blue markings of small size pitches and the spare goals are kept on the inside of the rail, blocking the view of the pitch and also placed in a dangerous position, as they are too near the touch line and there are a couple of exposed edges that could really do a player some serious damage if they ran into them. I am glad I came here as part of a double, rather than waste a day on it as a one off.

The game itself looked to be decent, at least on paper, as it was 4th versus 3rd in the league table, but it wasn’t. It was a terrible game, not helped by the constant whinging and moaning from Belle Vue. They are a really horrible team to watch and it’s disappointing that I haven’t visited their ground yet, as it’s certainly not something to look forward to!

The first half was really poor and it looked like it would end goalless, but Belle Vue scored from the penalty spot two minutes before the break to go in 0-1 up. Tiptree levelled things up midway through the second half, when a cross from the left was flicked past the ‘keeper at the near post. Belle Vue won it with a cracking goal thirteen minutes from time, when a ball was played back and hit first time into the box, where their No.9 scored with a diving header from six yards that went in off the underside of the crossbar.

The win sees Belle Vue rise to second in the table, having now won five out of five matches. It is a pity they can’t just stick to the football, as they are obviously a good side. Sadly, this was by far the least enjoyable ground visit this season.

Essex & Suffolk Border League

Division 2

Saturday 11th September 2021

Kick Off 12.30 Actual 12.31

Kelvedon Social 2 Tiptree Jobserve Reserves 4, attendance 18

14’ 1-0

15’ 1-1

45’ + 1, 1-2 (pen)

53’ 2-2

80’ 2-3

90’ + 1, 2-4

@ Kelvedon Recreation Ground

The Chase

Kelvedon

CO5 9AB

No Admission or Programme.

My original plan for today had been to do a treble in the Cheltenham League, but that was reduced to a double, when the 16.15 kick off at Pittville United was showing as postponed on Friday. However, when this match was reversed (no one seemed quite sure why it wasn’t being played at Tiptree), it threw up a more preferable double for me, so I headed to Essex instead.

The match was 11th versus 9th in the league table and what it lacked in skill, was certainly made up for with effort and commitment. It was good entertainment throughout. Kelvedon volleyed in from a corner after fourteen minutes to go 1-0 up, but a fumble by the ‘keeper was followed in to level it up within a minute. Tiptree led 1-2 at the break following a stoppage time penalty.

The second half was set up nicely eight minutes in, when a cross from wide on the left eluded the ‘keeper and sailed into the top corner of the net to make it 2-2. Both sides went close on a number of occasions before Tiptree went 2-3 ahead with ten minutes left, when a defence splitting pass was neatly lifted over the ‘keeper from 12 yards. A fourth goal, following a save that saw the rebound smashed into the net, made the points safe for the visitors in stoppage time.

I had forty minutes to get to a second game, but chose to visit a ground less than ten minutes drive from here…..

Cheltenham League

Division 1 South

Thursday 9th September 2021

Kick Off 18.15 Actual 18.18

Whaddon United 5 Southside Star 0, attendance 16

11’ 1-0

49’ 2-0

60’ 3-0

79’ 4-0

85’ 5-0

@ Whaddon Recreation Ground

Whaddon Road

Cheltenham

GL52 5NE

No Admission or Programme.

Whaddon Recreation Ground, which is across the road from the ground of Cheltenham Town F.C., has hosted a number of clubs over the years. As well as Whaddon United (their Reserves play at nearby Clyde Crescent Recreation Ground) it is also home to Division 3 club Newton.

Tonight’s match was between two clubs who’d had contrasting results from their opening matches. Whaddon United had beaten F.C. Lakeside Reserves 6-2 at home, whilst Southside Star had lost 0-5 at home to Leckhampton Rovers, which suggested this might be a comfortable home wim and it certainly turned out to be just that.

Whaddon totally dominated the first half, but only managed a single goal to show for it. Southside Star did have three good chances, that came in a five minute spell late in the half, but were unable to make any of them count. An early second half goal saw Whaddon go 2-0 up and the visitors had no answer to a constant wave of attack after attack. It was a surprise that it was only 5-0 in the end, but Southside Star battled well and it would have been harsh if they had taken a really big thrashing.

The game kicked off three minutes late and there were frequent showers throughout the match. During the heaviest rain that fell in the first half, it went so dark we thought the game might not finish, but thankfully the full ninety minutes were completed, even if it was pitch black when the game finished at 19.53.

Sheffield & Hallamshire County Senior League

Premier Division

Wednesday 8th September 2021

Kick Off 18.00 Actual 18.12

Houghton Main 2 Swinton Athletic 4, attendance 62

43’ 0-1

52’ 0-2

54’ 0-3

62’ 0-4

78’ 1-4 (pen)

90’ 2-4

@ Houghton Main Sports & Social Club

Middlecliffe Lane

Middlecliffe

S72 0HN

No Admission or Programme.

So, for the second successive night, I was visiting a ground in the Sheffield & Hallamshire County Senior League. As with last night, this is a very nice ground for Step 7 football, with a seated stand and the pitch railed off on three sides (only the cricket pitch side not having a barrier), but this had a more cared for feel, helped by the fact that the grass around the perimeter had been cut.

Houghton Main had opened the season with a 4-1 defeat away at Penistone Church Reserves, whilst Swinton Athletic had won 7-0 at Jubilee Sports, maintaining a 100% winning run stretching back to April 2019 (last defeat was 4-1 away at Wombwell Main on 24th April) although it isn’t as good as it sounds, as they’ve only actually played nine league matches in that time due to COVID-19 disruptions!

The first half was absolutely turgid, but when Swinton broke the deadlock just before halftime, it kicked the game into life. The second half saw the visitors score three times in the opening seventeen minutes, to go 0-4 up, and the game was won. Houghton Main reduced the arrears with a late penalty and added another goal with the last kick of the match to make it 2-4. The score line flattered them and it was only because Swinton eased off that they got anything from the game at all.

Despite the match kicking off twelve minutes late, the 3 match officials still went back to the changing rooms at halftime (on the far side of the cricket pitch), whilst both teams remained on the pitch. The game ended at 19.51 and the light was beginning to fade quite rapidly.