Belgium

West Vlaanderen Provincial 1

Sunday 25th March 2018

Kick Off 15.00 Actual 15.01

Sterk Vlug Dapper Kortemark 1 K.F.C. Varsenare 1,  attendance 86

31’ 1-0

57’ 1-1 (pen)

@ Ichtegemstraat 2D

8610 Kortemark

€6 Admission

Team Sheet, free.

This was 6th versus 15th (2nd bottom) in the league table, but it was hard to tell which way round this was, as Varsenare were the better side for long periods, perhaps helped by a bobbly pitch that probably evened things out a bit.

For the first time in ages The Tunnel was behaving itself. We were booked on the 10.20 outbound, but having checked in at 09.05, we made it onto the 09.36 (which left 3 minutes late). With it only being an hour and a quarter drive back from Kortemark, we thought we might have a fair bit of hanging around for our booked return at 19.50, which was the first train back at the time of booking the trip. As we expected, there were a couple of extra trains that had been slotted into the schedule, so we actually got the 19.30 (left 1 minute early).

Below photo : Varsenare equalise from the penalty spot.

Herts Senior County League

Division 1

Saturday 24th March 2018

Kick Off 15.00 Actual 15.03

Bengeo Trinity 1 Hatfield Social 1,  attendance 18

30’ 1-0

75’ 1-1

@ Boundary Drive

Bengeo

Hertford

SG14 3JG

No Admission or Programme.

Even with long queues of traffic northbound on the A10, I was still here half an hour before kick off, catching the last 20 minutes of the reserve match that was taking place on the pitch before the first team game. Bengeo never seem to play any midweek games at home, preferring to play the fixtures at the opposition ground for some reason, so it was a ground that would have to be visited on a Saturday and today was the perfect opportunity to double it up with my earlier match.

The pitch here has a massive side to side slope, but it didn’t stop this from being a really good contest. Bengeo are struggling in the league, being third from bottom in the table, with visitors Hatfield being mid table.

The opening goal, from the hosts, was scrambled in, but the equaliser was smashed in from the edge of the 18 yard box, striking the right hand post and ending up high in the top corner of the opposite side of the goal.

Arthurian League

Premier Division

Saturday 24th March 2018

Kick Off 12.00 Actual 12.02

Old Chigwellians 0 Old Carthusians 1,  attendance 10

40’ 0-1

@ Old Chigwellians Club

Roding Lane

Chigwell

IG7 6BE

No Admission or Programme.

This was 7th versus 6th in the league table, but champions Old Carthusians have games in hand over every club above them and it looks like it will be between them and Old Foresters for the title this season, with neither side having lost a match yet.

Carthusians were lucky to get all three points today and are now 11 points behind Foresters, but with three games in hand. The two meet at Carthusians in a couple of weeks time.

United Counties League

Premier Division

Thursday 22nd March 2018

Kick Off 19.45 Actual 19.49

Leicester Nirvana 0 Oadby Town 1,  attendance 80

4’ 0-1

@ De Montfort University

Beaumont Park Sports Ground, 3G Pitch

Bennion Road

Beaumont Leys

Leicester

LE4 1DE

£5 Admission

£1 Programme, 24 pages (from original match postponed on 26th December, new date on cover and up to date league table inside)

Having completed the United Counties League last night at Oakham United, tonight saw another ground hosting a match in this league, although this was just a ‘one off’, being used to help Leicester Nirvana catch up on their backlog of fixtures, caused by their Hamilton Park home suffering from poor drainage, which has meant they have suffered many postponements over the last couple of months.

Despite being eleventh in the league table coming into this match, Nirvana could still win the league, due to having at least 5 games in hand on the clubs above them, whilst they had 9 games in hand over table toppers Yaxley, trailing them by 26 points. As it turned out, second from bottom Oadby won it with a goal scored from a free kick in the opening minutes, with Nirvana never really looking like turning it round.

United Counties League

Division 1

Wednesday 21st March 2018

Kick Off 19.45 Actual 19.46

Oakham United 1 Burton Park Wanderers 1,  attendance 28

47’ 1-0

86’ 1-1 (pen)

@ Lonsdale Meadow

Main Road (B640)

Barleythorpe

LE15 7EE

£5 Admission

Team Sheet, free.

I had been a bit concerned about whether I would make a visit to the county of Rutland whilst Oakham United were still playing at Step 6, but needn’t have worried. Apparently, the club have been told that there will be no relegation from Division 1 of the United Counties League at the end of the season, which is good news for them, as they have struggled all season and are just a point above bottom club Stewart & Lloyds Corby, who they beat at home on Saturday. They haven’t been helped by a 3 point deduction, although they have no chance of catching any of the clubs above them even with those points. It doesn’t help when they are on their fourth Manager so far this season either.

With it being 19th versus 15th (out of 20) in the league table, I wasn’t expecting a very big crowd, but thought there would be more there than a pathetic 28. I was also surprised that a club at this level didn’t bother to do a match programme, as there must have been one done for the original scheduled Saturday fixture, but with such poor crowds it isn’t worth them bothering. They did give out a list of the teams, but there were no numbers, so not a lot of point.

Oakham battled well and having opened the scoring with a well taken volley early in the second half, they must have been gutted to concede a late equaliser from what looked a harshly awarded penalty, thus preventing them from picking up back to back wins.

Tonights ground visit completed the United Counties League for me once again and now takes the grounds required to complete everything down to Step 6 in England to four…….Penn & Tylers Green, Bristol Telephones, Helston Athletic and Sticker.

Wessex League

Division 1

Tuesday 13th March 2018

Kick Off 19.45 Actual 19.46

Alton 2 Hythe & Dibden 1,  attendance 68

10’ 0-1

22’ 1-1

62’ 2-1

@ Anstey Park Enclosure

Anstey Lane

Alton

GU34 2NB

£5 Admission

£1.50 Programme, 20 pages, including voucher for tea/coffee worth £1.

I had visited Bass Sports Ground, former home of Alton Town back on 28th August 1999 (2-1 v A.F.C. Aldermaston, Hampshire League, Premier Division). When the club moved to the new ground, here in Anstey Park, they dropped ‘Town’ from their name.

The match tonight was 8th versus 14th in the league table. Hythe did enough to deserve at least a draw from this.

Tonights visit was something of a milestone for me as it was the  5,000th ground I have now seen a match on. It also completes all the Wessex League grounds for me, leaving just five clubs at Step 6 to go…………Oakham United, Penn & Tylers Green, Bristol Telephones, Helston Athletic and Sticker.

Belgium

Hainaut Provincial 1

Sunday 11th March 2018

Kick Off 15.00 Actual 15.02

Pont-A-Celles Buzet 1 R.F.C. Rapid Symphorinois 2,  attendance 107

13’ 0-1

22’ 1-1

86’ 1-2

@ Rue Norte Dame De Grace

6230 Pont-A-Celles

€6 Admission

Team Sheet, free.

With the driver once again heading for a ground I had already visited (R.F.C. Rhisnois in Namur Provincial 1) it was another split car of passengers. Two of us opted for what was the game of the day in Hainaut Provincial 1. This was third versus fifth in the league table, with the visitors (40 points) being three points behind the hosts (43 points, with this being seven points off top place), but with a game in hand.

The game started off at a great pace and was excellent viewing for the first 32 minutes, by which time it was 1-1. Sadly, as a neutral, the game was spoiled when Buzet had a man red carded for a last man foul, resulting in them having to try and close the game out for an hour. They almost succeeded, but a far post header won it for Rapid with just four minutes left.

We were collected at our agreed meeting point less than half an hour after the final whistle and back at The Tunnel without any problems. This time, the passport checks seemed okay, but the trains were running half an hour late. We had also left nine minutes late on our outbound journey.

Middlesex County League

Premier Division

Saturday 10th March 2018

Kick Off 14.30 Actual 14.29

Indian Gymkhana Club 2 Brentham 1,  attendance 20

43’ 1-0

45’ + 2, 1-1

52’ 2-1

@ Indian Gymkhana Sports Club

Thornbury Avenue

Isleworth

TW7 4NQ

No Admission

Programme, free, 8 pages.*

I arrived from my earlier match about twenty minutes before this was due to start, which was *too late to get one of the handful of programmes that had been produced. The Gymkhana Secretary told me they only do a few as no one is really interested in having one.

Anyway, onto the more important matter, the actual match. Gymkhana came into this in seventh place in the league table, whilst the visitors were in second place, seven points behind British Airways, but with two matches in hand. Gymkhana fully deserved the win and should really have won it more comfortably than by the single goal.

Arthurian League

Premier Division

Saturday 10th March 2018

Kick Off 12.00 Actual 12.02

Old Marlburians 0 Old Chigwellians 5,  attendance 2

7’ 0-1

29’ 0-2

52’ 0-3

62’ 0-4

65’ 0-5

@ Lincoln Field, 3G Pitch

across Chertsey Road from Whitton Sports Centre

Percy Road

Twickenham

TW2 6JW

No Admission or Programme.

The pitch here is accessed from a footbridge that crosses over the A316 dual carriageway. It is part of Whitton Sports Centre, but the pitch has its own changing rooms, situated behind the goal nearest the footbridge.

The match itself was 10th (bottom) v 7th and the result was never in doubt once the second goal went in.

Belgium

West Vlaanderen Provincial 4A

Friday 9th March 2018

Kick Off 20.30 Actual 20.32

White Star Bulskamp 1 K.S.V. Veurne ‘B’ 3,  attendance 66

12’ 0-1

22’ 0-2

64’ 0-3

75’ 1-3

@ Cobergher Sportpark

Bulskampstraat 37A

8630 Bulskamp

€5 Admission

Team Sheet, free.

This was a bit of a surprise result, as it was sixth versus sixteenth in the league table. Veurne were always in control and were well worth the win. Despite light rain falling for most of the match, the pitch stood up well and looked no worse at the end than it had at kick off.

With Bulskamp only being a few miles over the border from France it is only 43 minutes drive back to The Tunnel. We made our check in for the 23.37 crossing with a few minutes to spare. There is currently a trial system in operation to try and improve getting from check-in to UK Border Control, but once again the whole thing is a complete farce, due to the incompetence of the Brits. We only made the train with 7 minutes to spare, and that was for a crossing with very few cars. It doesn’t matter what system they use, if they don’t ever open more than two lanes at the passport check, then they will never process people efficiently.

As it turned out, the train then left three minutes late and lost a further ten minutes on the crossing.