North Bucks & District League

Intermediate Division

Tuesday 4th September 2018

Kick Off 18.30. On Time !

Marsh Gibbon 3 Twyford United 1,  attendance 31

4’ 1-0

7’ 1-1

40’ 2-1

76’ 3-1

@ Marsh Gibbon Recreation Ground

Edgcott Road

Marsh Gibbon

OX27 0AT

No Admission or Programme.

Despite the visitors being less than three miles away, they struggled with their players getting to the ground for kick off. Although the match kicked off at the scheduled time, it meant there was no way of getting the full match in, so it was played as 2 x 40 minute halves and even then it was pretty gloomy when it finished at 19.55.

Twyford actually played the first three minutes with ten men, but soon had the full compliment, as well as a substitute. Within seconds of being up to full strength they went behind, but scored a good equaliser a few minutes later. Marsh Gibbon scored a header on the stroke of halftime to go in 2-1 up. The second half was poor. Twyford had a great chance to level the scores, but a good save by the home ‘keeper was followed by a quick break which resulted in the final goal of the night from the corner of the box.

The win leaves Marsh Gibbon top of the table with four wins from four matches. Twyford have three points from their opening three games.

Bedfordshire County League

Division 2

Monday 3rd September 2018

Kick Off 18.15 Actual 18.23

Black Swan (Luton) 4 Houghton Athletic 2,  attendance 14

5’ 1-0

11’ 1-1

16’ 2-1 (pen)

22’ 3-1

71’ 3-2

75’ 4-2 (pen)

@ Icknield Way

Luton

LU3 2JR

No Admission or Programme.

With no access to the changing rooms it meant both teams got changed at the side of the pitch. The Referee only arrived about 10 minutes before the scheduled kick off, but he was already changed, although the match still kicked off eight minutes late.

Black Swan looked a good footballing side, whilst Houghton were the more physical. The hosts were always in control and were well worth their two goal winning margin. Even with a five minute halftime it was getting very gloomy when we finished at 20.01.

Suffolk & Ipswich League

Senior Division

Saturday 1st September 2018

Kick Off 14.30 Actual 14.31

Trimley Red Devils 3 Bramford United 2,  attendance 34

29’ 0-1

43’ 1-1

53’ 1-2

57’ 2-2

61’ 3-2

@ Stennetts Close

Trimley St. Mary

IP11 0TZ

No Admission

Programme, for donations, 12 pages.

11th versus 10th, Red Devils having been promoted this season. Bramford  were the better team and deserved to get at least a draw from the match. Trimley spent most of the second half time wasting and players continually going down with ‘cramp’, resulting in seven minutes stoppage time. Not a nice team to watch.

North Bucks & District League

Intermediate Division

Thursday 30th August 2018

Kick Off 18.30 Actual 18.31

Buckingham United 6 Brackley Sports 0,  attendance 22

22’ 1-0

60’ 2-0

62’ 3-0

72’ 4-0

85’ 5-0

88’ 6-0

@ Lace Hill Sports & Community Centre

Catchpin Street

Buckingham

MK18 7RR

No Admission or Programme.

These two had very contrasting fortunes last season. Buckingham United finished second in Division 1 and were promoted, whilst Brackley Sports finished bottom of the Premier Division, winning just one of their twenty two matches.

Buckingham won their opening match this season, but Brackley had lost their opening two games, conceding six goals in both. This was very even at 1-0, with the second goal always going to be the important one. When it went to Buckingham, it was game over and they should have finished with quite a few more than the six goals they did manage.

Thames Valley Premier League

Premier Division

Wednesday 29th August 2018

Kick Off 18.00 Actual 17.59

Richings Park 0 Marlow United 4,  attendance 18

8’ 0-1 (pen)

27’ 0-2

38’ 0-3

78’ 0-4 (pen)

@ Richings Park Sports Club

34A Wellesley Avenue

Richings Park

SL0 9BN

No Admission or Programme.

Richings Park won Division 1 last season, but have found it hard going in the higher division. They came into this having lost their opening three matches, failing to score a goal, whilst Marlow United had opened up with a 4-1 home win.

An early penalty for the visitors, followed by a very dominant first half, saw them lead 0-3 at the break. Their only goal from numerous chances in the second half was a late penalty. They then had a man sent off in stoppage time, for a second yellow card, but his first booking should really have been a straight red for his follow through on the home ‘keeper when it was only 0-1.

For the second successive Wednesday in this league, both teams were at the ground nice and early and warming up at 17.20. It is amazing how many teams round these parts manage to kick off late, even when they have floodlights and don’t start until 19.45 !

Below photo : Marlow United wrap it up with a late penalty.

Cambridgeshire County League

Premier Division

Tuesday 28th August 2018

Kick Off 18.15 Actual 18.18

Cherry Hinton 1 West Wratting 2,  attendance 78

41’ 1-0

70’ 1-1

90’+3, 1-2

@ Cherry Hinton Recreation Ground

High Street

Cherry Hinton

CB1 9HZ

No Admission (collection box came round) or Programme.

I had originally planned to go somewhere nearer home tonight, but a phone call to Southcott Village R.A. of the North Bucks & District League, around 5 minutes before I was due to leave, paid dividends as the match had been reversed to Wing Village, where I had already visited. A quick alternative was required and a look at twitter confirmed that Cherry Hinton was on, so it was off to Cambridgeshire instead. Due to a closure of the M25, near to the M11, my SatNav took me via Heathrow, rather than Dartford, which although slightly further, it meant getting there pretty much trouble free.

On arrival, the first problem is finding somewhere to park as there is no car park at the ground and plenty of double yellow lines in the imeadiate vicinity. The playing surface here is superb, although it is a little unusual to see the pitch markings done in light blue rather than white.

As for the match, West Wratting are the reigning champions, having won the league by a massive 14 points over second placed Great Shelford, losing just two matches in the process. This season they had already lost two out of their three matches coming into tonight’s game, whilst Cherry Hinton have had a good start and are fourth in the league table.

Cherries were good value for their 1-0 lead at the interval, with Wratting looking very ordinary. The second half was a complete turnaround. Once the visitors equalised, there was only going to be one winner, although it took a stoppage time goal to seal the points, when their 48 goal top scorer of last season shot through the ‘keepers legs with the last kick of the match, with the Referee imeadiatly blowing the full time whistle. If only all matches were as good as this.

South Wales Alliance League

Division 1

Monday 27th August 2018

Kick Off 17.00 Actual 17.04

A.F.C. Whitchurch 1 Cardiff Corinthians 3,  attendance 312

50’ 0-1

66’ 1-1 (pen)

75’ 1-2 (pen)

82’ 1-3 (pen)

@ Whitchurch Hospital

Park Road

Whitchurch

Cardiff

CF14 7XB

No Admission

Programme available, but I won’t buy one at any event organised by Groundhop UK.

So, the final match of the organised ‘Hop weekend and the biggest attendance, although the home club couldn’t be bothered to charge any admission, which means they missed out on a huge amount of money. The only people who will have paid are those that bought an advance ticket through the organisers !

Another pretty average match, although it was quite unusual to see three penalties scored in one game.

With the M4 and M25 being trouble free, it meant after dropping off my passengers in Slough, I was in the house for 9.30pm. There’s one thing for sure……I won’t be watching a match in Wales tomorrow night !

South Wales Alliance League

Premier Division

Monday 27th August 2018

Kick Off 14.00 Actual 14.02

Caerphilly Athletic 7 Cwm Welfare 0,  attendance 252

30’ 1-0

44’ 2-0

49’ 3-0

50’ 4-0

56’ 5-0

73’ 6-0

76’ 7-0

@ Morgan Jones Park

Nantgarw Road

Caerphilly

CF83 3FD

£3 Admission

Programme available, but I won’t buy one at any event organised by Groundhop UK.

There is not a lot to say about this one. Cwm were absolutely rubbish and having been a pretty even contest for the first half hour, the game rapidly went downhill as the visitors just gave up trying.

At least the ground is in a nice setting and only 5 minutes walk from Caerphilly Castle, but with this being a tourist area, it meant that those arriving by car were struggling for parking, especially once the roads by the entrance to the park were full up.

Taff Ely & Rhymney Valley League

Premier Division

Monday 27th August 2018

Kick Off 11.00 Actual 11.01

Rhydyfelin 2 Ynysybwl 4,  attendance 229

4’ 1-0 (pen)

40’ 1-1

45’ 1-2

51’ 1-3

56’ 1-4

72’ 2-4

@ The Dog Track Ground

Fairfield Lane

Hawthorn

Pontypridd

CF37 5LN

£3 Admission

Programme available, but I won’t buy one at any event organised by Groundhop UK.

So, for the fourth day running, it was a trip across The Bridge into Wales. In fact it was the fifth time in eight days over here, but at least the driving had been shared.

This was my debut in this league, much like the majority I expect, although unless this league is included on a future ‘Hop, then those incapable of doing anything for themselves will probably never return, but we certainly will, especially if this match is anything to judge by.

This was easily the best ground (there used to be a dog track here in the past, hence the name) I had visited over the Bank Holiday weekend. It was also the best organised club, especially on the refreshment side of things and they also have a great clubhouse, displaying loads of football memorabilia in the way of shirts, scarves, pennants and old match tickets.

As for the match, simply no contest. This was superb. Ynysybwl had a player red carded less than five minutes in for handball, with the penalty duly dispatched, before having a second player dismissed for the same offence on 37 minutes, but this is where the game was turned on it’s head. The penalty was missed, hitting the post, before the 9 men took control. By halftime they had turned it round to lead 1-2, then unbelievably they added another couple of real quality goals in the first eleven minutes of the second half to take control. It was now a case of could they hang on ? Hang on they did and although Rhdyfelin pulled one goal back, the 9 men hung on for what looked an impossible win just seconds before the home team stepped up to take their second penalty !

South Wales Alliance League

Division 2

Sunday 26th August 2018

Kick Off 11.00 Actual 10.54

Vale United 7 STM Sports Old Boys 1,  attendance 165

13’ 1-0

33’ 2-0

35’ 3-0

47’ 3-1 (pen)

74’ 4-1

82’ 5-1

85’ 6-1

90’ 7-1

@ Corntown Road

Corntown

CF35 5BA

£3 Admission

Programme available, but I won’t buy one on any event organised by Groundhop UK.

Originally, I hadn’t planned to visit this ground today. In fact, I hadn’t intended to go to Wales at all today as I had visited two of the three matches on offer at today’s Hop and I didn’t think it was worth an overnight stop for one match. Porthcawl Town had been done during their Welsh League day’s, whilst Llangeinor had already been on a Groundhop back in 2003, It is rather odd that grounds are being re-visited, especially when Groundhop UK have apparently ‘finished’ with the South Wales Alliance League now, when Cardiff  Cosmopolitan, St. Albans and today’s visitors STM Sports Old Boys have not hosted a match and Llanrumney United are also now on a different pitch, albeit within the same complex as their old one.

Anyway, just before 8pm last night I was offered a lift to the match. The poor weather forecast meant the planned cricket trip for the driver was cancelled and the football at Vale United would be the destination for him instead.

The weather was indeed awful. It rained for the entire match, which meant quite a few didn’t bother watching at pitch side. Then again, the football is of little interest to a fair number of hoppers, so not being able to see the whole pitch would not concern them one bit !

Vale were by far the better team. I don’t think league newcomers STM could have had too many complaints if they had lost by double figures, such was the dominance of the hosts. Despite the rain, the pitch stood up well, although the two six yard areas were starting to show quite a few puddles.