Peterborough & District League

Division 2

Saturday 28th July 2018

Kick Off 10.45 Actual 10.47

Whaplode Drove 1 Rippingale & Folkingham 3,  attendance 227

34’ 1-0

50’ 1-1

73’ 1-2

76’ 1-3 (pen)

@ Parsons Lane

Whaplode Drove

PE12 0GB

£4 Admission

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

So, the first competitive games of the season for me in England, taking in the first 3 matches today of this years United Counties League/Peterborough & District League Groundhop, well, the Peterborough League ones, as I have already seen matches at the four grounds that are to be visited in the United Counties League.

This is one of the hops not run by the league themselves, so I always make a point of ‘paying on the gate’, ensuring that the admission cost (matches at this level are normally free) goes to the club. After all, it is supposed to be about helping them raise much needed funds and I can’t see why leagues and clubs can’t/won’t set things up themselves, therefore maximising their profits.

I was surprised how poor the standard of football was in this league, after the rubbish I witnessed last year, but, although the first half today was dire, the second half was a vast improvement. Playing competitive matches in July doesn’t really do the players any favours at all, but at least the weather is more favourable for spectators, with the majority of the grounds being nothing more than roped off pitches.

Below photo : The visitors make it 1-3 from the penalty spot.

Pre Season Friendly

Tuesday 24th July 2018

Kick Off 19.30 Actual 19.36

Marlow United 3 Thatcham Town U18 1,  attendance 31

1’ 1-0

7’ 2-0

50’ 2-1 (pen)

63’ 3-1

@ Cox Green Leisure Centre, 3G Pitch

Highfield Lane

Cox Green

Maidenhead

SL6 3AX

No Admission or Programme.

Marlow United, of the Thames Valley Premier League Premier Division, started at a blistering pace and it looked like this would be a total mismatch. Thatcham then settled into it and it turned out to be a decent contest in the end.

Pre Season Friendly

Saturday 21st July 2018

Kick Off 15.00 Actual 15.04

Sutton Common Rovers 2 Arundel 1,  attendance 25

53’ 1-0

59’ 2-0

75’ 2-1

@ Roundshaw Playing Field

Hannibal Way

Wallington

Croydon

CR0 4RW

No Admission or Programme.

This was a rare opportunity to see a match at the ground which hosts the youth teams of SCR. It was also good to see a game played on grass, which actually didn’t look too bad considering the lack of rain in the last two months.

This was played in a very competitive way and was certainly not lacking in commitment. It was very even throughout, which is perhaps to be expected from two teams at Step 5, as Combined Counties League Premier Division took on Southern Combination League Premier Division.

Pre Season Friendly

Saturday 14th July 2018

Kick Off 14.30 Actual 14.37

Thame United 3 Brackley Town Saints 0,  attendance 25

13’ 1-0

61’ 2-0

79’ 3-0

@ Waddesdon Church of England School, 3G Pitch

School Lane

Waddesdon

HP18 0LQ

No Admission or Programme.

Thame are in the Southern League South East Division, whilst Brackley Town Saints are in the Hellenic League Premier Division. There are many people who won’t watch pre season friendlies, saying they are nothing more than glorified training sessions. Watching this, it would hard to make a case otherwise. Unbelievably, it was played as a 3 x 35 minute match, apparently at the request of the coaches, according to the Referee.

Pre Season Friendly

Saturday 14th July 2018

Kick Off 11.00 Actual 11.03

Berkhamsted Raiders C.F.C 1 Tring Athletic 2,  attendance 27

16’ 0-1

56’ 0-2 (pen)

60’ 1-2

@ The Hemel Hempstead School, 3G Pitch

Heath Lane (vehicle access via Anchor Lane)

Hemel Hempstead

HP1 1TX

No Admission or Programme.

These two are both in the Spartan South Midlands League, Raiders in Division 2 and Tring in the Premier Division. It was a reasonable game, but both sets of forwards need to improve on their shooting.

Pre Season Friendly

Thursday 12th July 2018

Kick Off 19.00 Actual 19.05

Sandridge Rovers 3 Codicote 3,  attendance 16

31’ 1-0

69’ 2-0 (pen)

75’ 2-1

81’ 3-1

84’ 3-2

86’ 3-3

@ Redbourn Leisure Centre

75 Dunstable Road

Redbourn

St. Albans

AL3 7PP

No Admission or Programme.

This was Herts Senior County League Premier Division versus Spartan South Midlands League Division 1. What started off as a slow burner turned out to be a reasonable game in the end. The only downside of the night was that it was played as 3 x 30 minutes.

Steve Adamson Trophy

Tuesday 10th July 2018

Kick Off 19.30. On Time !

Scarborough & District League XI 0 Scarborough Athletic 6,  attendance 187

6’ 0-1

15’ 0-2

31’ 0-3

43’ 0-4

57’ 0-5

84’ 0-6

@ Scarborough R.U.F.C.

Silver Royd

Scalby Road

Scalby

Scarborough

YO13 ONL

£6 Admission

£2 Programme, 16 pages.

This match is an annual curtain raiser, where the Scarborough & District League Representative Team entertain Scarborough Athletic, with the game staged at the impressive home of Scarborough Rugby Union Club. Pickering Town and Bridlington Town will also face the League Rep side here during the next nine days.

Scarborough Athletic were far stronger, which was no great surprise, as they have just been promoted into the Northern Premier League, Premier Division and they fielded their strongest team tonight.

The crowd must have been disappointing for the organisers though, as the same fixture last season pulled in 422 spectators, more than double the 187 present tonight. That game was played on a Saturday, which probably helped, but there the alternative attraction tonight of the France v Belgium World Cup Semi Final being shown live on television, which would have also kept a few away.

Even with a pretty much traffic free journey, it was still a 5 hour drive each way, but definitely worth it to pick up a ground that only hosts football for these early pre season matches.

Pre Season Friendly

Saturday 7th July 2018

Kick Off 11.00 Actual 11.05

Loxwood 5 Cowfold 3,  attendance 28

18’ 1-0

25’ 2-0

55’ 3-0

67’ 4-0

75’ 4-1

77’ 5-1

87’ 5-2

89’ 5-3

@ Broadfield 3G Training Pitch & Pavilion 

Coachman’s Road

Crawley

RH11 9RX

No Admission or Programme.

This was Southern Combination League Premier Division versus Division 2 of the same league. The match was a morning kick off in order not to clash with the England v Sweden World Cup Quarter Final borefest at 3pm. Considering the 30 degree heat, both teams put in a reasonable performance (Loxwood and Cowfold, not the rubbish served up on television).

Pre Season Friendly

Friday 6th July 2018

Kick Off 18.30. On Time !

Southwold Town 0 Ipswich Town U18 2,  attendance 230

85’ 0-1

87’ 0-2

@ The Common

York Road

Southwold

IP18 6TB

No Admission

£2 Programme, 16 pages.

This fixture has now become the traditional season opener for these two. Southwold finished third in the Lowestoft & District League last season, but will begin the new season with a step up, where they will play in the Suffolk & Ipswich League Division 2.

Ipswich U18 are coached by former England International Kieron Dyer, who apparently made a cameo appearance in last seasons match and had also named himself in the squad for tonight, despite being 39 years old, although he didn’t play.

Southwold gave a good account of themselves, whilst Ipswich were absolutely dreadful and the two late goals flattered them.

Pre Season Friendly

Thursday 5th July 2018

Kick Off 19.00 Actual 19.12

Bishops Waltham Dynamos 2 Downton 3,  attendance 12

5’ 1-0

21’ 1-1

29’ 2-1

40’ 2-2 (pen)

52’ 2-3

@ Swanmore College, 3G Pitch

New Road

Swanmore

SO32 2RB

No Admission or Programme.

Dynamos finished third in the Southampton League last season, whilst Downton are in Wessex League Division 1. There wasn’t a lot between these two and at 2-3 down, Dynamos hit the post three times as they pushed for an equaliser.