British Universities & Colleges Sport

South Eastern Conference Cup

Quarter Final

Wednesday 15th February 2017

Kick Off 13.30 Actual 13.47

Buckingham New University 3 St. Mary’s University 1,  attendance 24

10′ 1-0

57′ 2-0

76′ 2-1

90′ 3-1

@ The Rye

Bassetsbury Lane

High Wycombe

HP11 1QX

No admission or programme.

This one fitted in well with my intended evening match and would mean I wouldn’t have to touch the M25 after the game either.

The game was played on the second pitch on the left as you enter the complex off the road. Another game took place on the first pitch as you enter. With it being open to the elements, it was lucky that we only had to contend with light drizzle to start with, which turned to light rain, but this had stopped early into the second half.

BNU looked well in control and coasting, but they were hanging on at the end, clinching it with a breakaway goal with the last effort of the match.

Anglian Combination

Premier Division

Tuesday 14th February 2017

Kick Off 19.30 Actual 19.31

Mulbarton Wanderers 1 Norwich C.E.Y.M.S. 0,  attendance 31

67′ 1-0

@ Mulberry Park

The Common

NR14 8AE

£2 Admission

No programme.

This was at least my fifth attempt at getting a game here, spread over about 15 years, following four aborted attempts when the game has been called off after setting off for the match. As is normally the case with clubs who have so few games scheduled midweek, when they are re-arranged it is normally for the last week of March, or later, and as all ground hoppers know, floodlit grounds are not even on the radar once the early kick offs arrive for clubs without floodlights.

Of course, most of the attempts were for the club that previously played here, Mulbarton Town. They disappeared, and after a while a new club was formed, taking the name Wanderers. They started in the bottom division of the Anglian Combination and a rapid rise soon saw them back in the leagues top division.

Programmes are normally issued for games. Indeed, copies were available from Saturday’s game, free of charge, to any of the hoppers present who wanted one. It looked like a decent effort, but if it isn’t for the actual match I am at, then I don’t bother taking one.

The game was poor and didn’t really have the feel of a local derby, with the visitors being based about three miles away. We were lucky to get a goal at all and even that was a scrappy affair, forced in from close range.

Mid Sussex League

Premier Division

Saturday 11th February 2017

Kick Off 14.00 Actual 14.02

Smallfield 3 Copthorne 2,  attendance 15

26′ 1-0

38′ 1-1

64′ 1-2

65′ 2-2

90′ 3-2

@ Smallfield Cricket Club

Plough Road

RH6 9JL

No admission or programme.

So, my first game since moving back to England. In fact, we had only landed back at London Heathrow airport at 07.30 this morning, with a further 45 minutes sat on the plane waiting for a gate to become available due to the plane currently parked  there having to be de-iced. It seemed hard to believe that just 12 hours earlier (not counting the 6 hour time difference) we had been picked up at our hotel in Dallas where it was a beautiful sunny day and very close to 26 degrees !

A fair bit of running around, trying to sort out a few of the basics that just have to be done when you move back home, meant it was soon 1330. I had only got a couple of games in mind for today, this being one of them. Confirmation that the game was going ahead, as far as he knew, was done with a quick phone call to the away team’s Secretary, and by 1352 I was pulling into the car park and pleased to see corner flags and nets up and both teams warming up. It was bitterly cold, just 2 degrees, according to the temperature gauge in the car and it was snowing, albeit quite lightly. The walk from the changing rooms/clubhouse to the pitch was across the cricket field, where water came over my shoes at nearly every step. Thankfully, the actual playing area for the football was fine, but had the two different sports pitches been in opposite positions, then I doubt this would have been on.

At halftime, five of the crowd had pints in the clubhouse, with another couple nipping to the pub across the road from the ground. Two returned for the second half and finished their drinks pitchside !

Texas Premier Soccer League

Saturday 19th November 2016

Kick off 16.00 Actual 16.06

Central Texas Lobos 1 Twin Cities F.C. 1,  attendance 60

85′ 1-0

90′ + 1, 1-1

@ Gregg-Clarke Park

1300, West Center Street

Kyle, TX 78640

No admission or programme.

Lobos are a very well organised club. They have an excellent Facebook page, bang up to date, and even sell club scarves, which seemed popular. They are the only club I have visited in this league that have a refreshment stand, which is set back about 50 yards from the pitch in a building that also houses the toilets.

The first thing you notice is the odd looking goal frames, which no one seemed to know the reason for their appearance. Apparently the ‘soccer’ goals were only put in on Thursday afternoon due to the American Football posts being set in concrete which caused quite a bit of work to get them out of the ground.

I was convinced this would end 0-0, although it wouldn’t have been due to a lack of chances. Lobos will be the less happy of the two teams, having gone ahead so late in the game and I can only assume the stoppage time equaliser for the visitors had something to do with the mass brawl that took place seconds after the final whistle ?

North Texas Premier Soccer Association

Division 4 (Fall Season)

Play Off Semi Final

Sunday 13th November 2016

Kick off 14.00 Actual 14.09

Lone Star Republic 3 F.C. Knights 1,  attendance 22

45′ + 3, 0-1

53′ 1-1

60′ 2-1

73′ 3-1

@ Premier Park, Pitch 4

11115, Elam Road

Balch Springs, TX 75180

No admission or programme.

Once again the semi final pitted 1st v 4th from the league table. LSR certainly made things difficult for themselves, having a man sent off after 23 minutes and then conceding in stoppage time at the end of the first half, but in the end they turned it around and the result was never in doubt once they went in front.

This game completed seeing a match on all seven pitches here at Premier Park.

North Texas Premier Soccer Association

Division 2 (Fall Season)

Play Off Semi Final

Sunday 13th November 2016

Kick off 11.00 Actual 11.09

Young Guns 3 Goodfriend United 1,  attendance 13

18′ 0-1

50′ 1-1

72′ 2-1

90′ 3-1

@ Premier Park, Pitch 7

11115, Elam Road

Balch Springs, TX 75180

No admission or programme.

Today, I had the opportunity to see games on the only 2 pitches I hadn’t yet done at Premier Park. This was 1st v 4th from the final league table, going the way of the top seed, gaining revenge for a 2-3 defeat that I saw them suffer a month ago for their only defeat of the season.

Texas Premier Soccer League

Saturday 12th November 2016

Kick off 19.00 Actual 19.01

F.C. Knights Killeen 2 Twin Cities F.C. 4,  attendance 26

20′ 0-1

25′ 0-2

29′ 0-3

49′ 0-4

63′ 1-4

76′ 2-4

@ Summit Soccer Complex

401, North Amy Lane

Harker Heights, TX 76548

No admission or programme.

It had been an easy 44 mile drive north from Georgetown and was less than 10 miles off route back to Dallas. Plenty of time to go to the ground to make sure the game was on, getting there just as the away team were arriving. I then headed off for something to eat.

Knights are new to the league, having been formed by the coach of now defunct Temple United from last season, hence the move south to Harker Heights. Twin Cities, who are top of the league, were coasting it until Knights got their first goal and despite conceding a second, were never likely to throw it away and even missed a penalty two minutes from the end which would have given them a greater winning margin.

Texas Premier Soccer League

Saturday 12th November 2016

Kick off 15.00 Actual 15.03

Austin Real Cuauhtemoc F.C.  1 Central Texas Lobos 1,  attendance 42

76′ 0-1

85′ 1-1

@ Georgetown Recreation Center

1003, North Austin Avenue

Georgetown, TX 78626

No admission or programme.

This was a late venue change in a match I was doing anyway. The 3pm kick off also meant a double opportunity. Thankfully, Lobos have a very good Facebook page, so I had no problem turning up at the correct place. It pitched the current champions against a league newcomer pushing for a place in the end of season play offs. ARC had a man sent off a minute before going behind, whilst the visitors conceded the equaliser just three minutes after they were also reduced to 10 men.

National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I

The Summit League Conference

Saturday 5th November2016

Kick Off 19.00 Actual 19.03

Oral Roberts University Golden Eagles 1 University Nebraska Omaha Mavericks 3,  attendance 601

14′ 0-1

38′ 0-2

56′ 0-3

89′ 1-3 (pen)

@ Case Soccer Complex

7777, South Lewis Avenue

Tulsa, OK 74171

No Admission

Team Sheet free, double sided.

It was a 100 mile drive north east from Shawnee, the majority along the I-44, part of which is a toll road. Having clocked up 270 miles so far today, it was nice to know it would only be 248 miles home from here.

The visitors were very impressive, cementing their second place in the conference table in what was the final game before the end of season play offs. A minute into the second half play stopped, and after a short discussion a yellow card was issued to the Oral Roberts Coach. Apparently, they had started the second half with 12 players. Surely it was the Referee who was at fault, as he should have counted the number of players on each team before the restart ?

National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III

American Southwest Conference

Saturday 29th October 2016

Kick off 18.30 Actual 18.34

East Texas Baptist University Tigers 1 Hardin-Simmons University Cowboys 3,  attendance 137

36′ 0-1

53′ 0-2

68′ 1-2

78′ 1-3

@ Cornish Field

Van Zandt Avenue

Marshall, TX 75670

No admission

Programme free, 4 pages, covers Friday/Saturday matches.