Cheltenham League

Division 1 North

Thursday 2nd September 2021

Kick Off 18.15 Actual 18.13

Prestbury Rovers 2 Bishop’s Cleeve Reserves 2, attendance 21

5’ 1-0

73’ 2-0

76’ 2-1

78’ 2-2

@ Prestbury Playing Fields

New Barn Close

Prestbury

GL52 3LP

No Admission or Programme.

Having already planned to come here, it was disappointing to see that the match was off according to The Football Traveller magazine. However, the F.A. Full Time website was still listing the fixture, so a text to the very helpful Prestbury Rovers secretary was required and he confirmed that the game was indeed on. Not sure where TFT got the wrong information from, but it shows it can’t be trusted and confirmation of matches from more reliable sources is a safer bet.

Prestbury took an early lead, but failed to add any further goals during an even first half. When they went 2-0 up with seventeen minutes left it looked like the game was safe, but three minutes later an own goal gave BCR hope, and within a couple of minutes they had levelled it up at 2-2. A decent night’s entertainment and glad we checked that the game was still on!

Stroud & District League

Division 1

Wednesday 1st September 2021

Kick Off 18.15 Actual 18.17

Wickwar Wanderers 2 Kingswood 3, attendance 55

20’ 0-1

25’ 1-1

40’ 1-2

41’ 1-3

73’ 2-3

@ King George V Playing Field

The Downs Road

Wickwar

GL12 8NE

No Admission or Programme.

Wickwar had managed a win and a defeat from their opening two games, whilst ex-Gloucestershire County League club and league leaders Kingswood had won three from three, scoring 15 goals and conceding just 1 in the process.

It was Kingswood who went ahead on twenty minutes, with a superb strike into the top corner from 25 yards, that gave the ‘keeper no chance. Within five minutes Wickwar were level, when a striker cut in from the left and fired in a shot off the inside of the far post. Five minutes before halftime Kingswood went 1-2 up when a free kick wasn’t cleared and the ball was smashed in from 12 yards and a minute later it was 1-3, with the ball lobbed in from near the touch line. The first half was as good as anything I’ve seen this season and was such a contrast to last night’s match.

The second half was never going to be as good as the first, but it didn’t fall far short. Wickwar did pull it back to 2-3, with a good finish from a defence splitting pass and they were unlucky not to get a point from the game as they were well on top for the last quarter of an hour. The final whistle came as a huge relief to Kingswood, but they held on to maintain their 100% winning start to the season.

Trowbridge & District League

Division 1

Tuesday 31st August 2021

Kick Off 18.15 Actual 18.14

Semington Magpies 1 Freshford United 0, attendance 28

59’ 1-0

@ Little Marsh Playing Field

Cross Roads

Little Marsh

BA14 6JE

No Admission or Programme.

Living in the South East means there are very few non floodlit matches played at the start of the season, but there are plenty of options if you head westwards. This was the first game I had ever watched in the Trowbridge & District League, with Division 1 being the top tier.

I don’t know what was more disappointing, the fact that the Magpies didn’t play in black and white, or just how poor a standard the football was. It was dreadful, which perhaps shouldn’t be a surprise given that the two teams had only one win between them from their opening nine matches. It didn’t help that the pitch was far too wide (70 yards) for this level of football. Unbelievably, the game somehow managed to produce a goal, which was a lob over the ‘keeper from the corner of the 18 yard box. One goal was always going to be enough to win the game.

It was certainly not the greatest match to mark my 5,555th ground visit.

Somerset County League

Division 1

Monday 30th August 2021

Kick Off 15.00 Actual 15.02

A.F.C. Brislington 0 Wrington Redhill 0, attendance 27

@ Brislington Juniors F.C. (U.B.H.T. Ground)

Ironmould Lane

Brislington

BS4 5RS

No Admission or Programme.

The days of double opportunities on Bank Holidays are a thing of the past. In fact, I only had four possible new grounds today. Halwill or Farway United (Devon & Exeter League Div 1 and Div 4 respectively), A.F.C. Coventry Rangers (Midland League Div 3), but they are apparently getting floodlights, so I will keep that back for a midweek visit, or the game here at A.F.C. Brislington. This was the highest level, so the choice was nice and easy.

A.F.C. Brislington had lost their first four games, but were only fourth from bottom in the league table, as there were three teams who were in the same boat, but with inferior goal differences. It was easy to see how they find themselves in this position as they had no attacking threat where it really mattered and just never looked like scoring, even though they created plenty of chances. Wrington were little better, which was surprising for a team third in the league, but they did hit the post and had a goal ruled out for a handball in the dying minutes of the first half. The second half was much of the same, meaning my run of 82 games without a 0-0 was brought to an end.

Mid Sussex League

Championship Division

Saturday 28th August 2021

Kick Off 14.00 Actual 14.06

Sovereign Saints 3 Ashurst Wood 1, attendance 34

8’ 1-0

43’ 2-0 (pen)

52’ 2-1

90’ + 3, 3-1

@ Shinewater Lane

Langney

Eastbourne

BN23 8DQ

No Admission or Programme.

This ground was home to Shinewater Association for the eleven seasons they spent in the Sussex County League, but they were unable to obtain planning permission for floodlights and the ground suffered constant vandalism (hardly surprising seeing the less than salubrious housing estate on one side of the ground and some of the local youths at the game), which resulted in them upping sticks and merging with Eastbourne United for the start of the 2003/04 season, becoming known as Eastbourne United Association.

Today’s match was 3rd versus 1st in the league table, both teams having won their opening two matches. There was a bit of concern that we might be struggling for a Referee, but he eventually turned up sixteen minutes before kick off, although his late arrival caused the game to start six minutes late. Sovereign Saints took an early lead, but the game never really sparked into life. As halftime approached Ashurst Wood conceded a penalty, when their ‘keeper took down a player who was clear, then during the usual pushing and shoving that followed, he put his hand in a players face and was duly sent off. The penalty was dispatched past the stand in ‘keeper and the 2-0 halftime lead looked like it was game over.

The ten men scored early in the second half to make it 2-1 and it was certainly not over and the game really opened up. They dominated from here and created enough chances to turn the game round and were well worth at least a draw. Sovereign Saints were desperately hanging on, relying on quick breaks to try and relieve the pressure. They had a chance to tie things up, when they were awarded a second penalty with eight minutes left, but this was well saved, before they finally killed the game off when they made it 3-1 in stoppage time.

Somerset County League

Division 3

Friday 27th August 2021

Kick Off 18.30 Actual 18.31

St. George Easton-in-Gordano 5 Nailsea United Reserves 1, attendance 54

2’ 1-0

6’ 2-0

35’ 3-0

56’ 4-0

60’ 4-1

78’ 5-1

@ Court Hay

Priory Road

Easton-in-Gordano

BS20 0PA

No Admission or Programme.

If you thought the only thing to see in Easton-in-Gordano was the motorway service station, then you’d be wrong. It is also home to Somerset County League team St. George Easton-in-Gordano, who play at a picturesque ground next to St. George’s Church, within earshot of the M5.

SGEIG came into this with a win and two defeats from their opening three matches, whilst Nailsea had only played two, losing them both 0-1. Within six minutes of kick off the hosts were already 2-0 up and by halftime they led 3-0. There was no way back for the visitors once it became 4-0 and despite them pulling a goal back, it was SGEIG who scored next, wrapping up a resounding 5-1 win.

The usual Friday traffic, compounded by the Bank Holiday weekend, meant the journey to the West Country took 3 hours 35 minutes, but with no M4 closures for a change, or roadworks on the M3 or M25, the drive back took just 2 hours 15 minutes.

Friendly

Thursday 26th August 2021

Kick Off 19.20 Actual 19.18

Guildford United 2 Holland Sports 1, attendance 12

33’ 1-0

52’ 1-1 (pen)

69’ 2-1

@ Kings Community Sports Hub, 3G Pitch

Park Barn Drive

Guildford

GU2 8EN

No Admission or Programme.

When it comes to watching games in 3G cages, I have no qualms about ticking them off for friendlies, rather than competitive matches, as they never really feel like ‘proper’ games anyway, especially when, like here, there are red, yellow and blue markings on the pitch for other uses as well.

These two are both in Step 7 of the pyramid, Guildford United in the Surrey Premier County League (previously known as the Surrey Elite Intermediate League), with this being their home ground, whilst Holland Sports are in the Mid Sussex League Premier Division.

It was a very good match up and keenly contested throughout. Guildford led 1-0 at the break, courtesy of a shot across the ‘keeper into the far corner of the net, with Holland levelling from the penalty spot early in the second half. The winner came when a long ball was nicked past the on rushing ‘keeper, before the striker steadied himself and smashed the ball past a defender on the line. The only downside was the constant moaning at the Referee by the Guildford players for the entire game. I was surprised it only led to them having one player sin binned, the Referee finally losing patience five minutes before halftime.

Cambridgeshire County League

Senior B Division

Wednesday 25th August 2021

Kick Off 18.15. On Time !

Houghton & Wyton 3 Hardwick 6, attendance 48

21’ 1-0

41’ 1-1

50’ 1-2

51’ 1-3

59’ 1-4

67’ 1-5

70’ 2-5

80’ 3-5

85’ 3-6

@ Houghton Playing Field

St. Ives Road

Houghton

PE28 2BJ

No Admission or Programme.

For the second successive night we ended up doing our second choice match. We had intended going to Dearne & District in the Central Midlands League, but they didn’t bother replying to a question on Twitter, (well, actually they did, but not until halfway through the first half of our match!) regarding whether or not they were issuing a programme (sadly yet another indication of how poor this league has become), so we headed here instead and it turned out to be an excellent choice.

The first half was a case of Houghton & Wyton not allowing Hardwick to settle and having edged in front, it really gave them something to hold on to. When Hardwick levelled it up at 1-1 just before halftime it set the second half up nicely. The team talk must have been quite something, as the visitors were transformed after the break. They scored three times before the hour mark and could easily have doubled this. They soon made it 1-5, before Houghton & Wyton pulled back a couple of goals. Hardwick then rounded off the scoring to make it 3-6. They were well worth the win and they now sit top of the league table, having won all three of their matches played.

Somerset County League

Division 3

Tuesday 24th August 2021

Kick Off 18.30 Actual 18.28

Cam Valley 9 Bishop Sutton Reserves 3, attendance 53

11’ 1-0

13’ 2-0

27’ 3-0

28’ 4-0

33’ 4-1

37’ 5-1

45’ 6-1

49’ 7-1

70’ 7-2 (pen)

72’ 8-2

87’ 8-3

90’ 9-3

@ Cam Valley Sports Club

Bristol Road

Paulton

BS39 7NX

No Admission or Programme.

Cam Valley are new in the Somerset County League this season, having come up from the Mid-Somerset League Premier Division, where they topped the table before COVID-19 brought the season to a halt. This match wasn’t even first choice tonight, but having seen my intended game in Leicestershire was postponed, it was a case of finding an alternative. I was then offered a lift to Somerset, with Congresbury being their intended destination (that finished 1-0) , but as I had already been there, way back in 1999, we settled on Cam Valley and what a good choice it was!

Although it is too early to read anything into league positions, this was 2nd versus 3rd in the table. I would be surprised if Bishop Sutton Reserves are in the top three at the seasons end. Cam Valley should be challenging for promotion though. They have certainly adapted well to their step up to the County League. It was one of those games where it looked like there would be a goal from every attack, with the hosts the more deadly in front of goal.

It was 6-1 by halftime and when Cam Valley scored again, just minutes into the second half, it looked like double figures were on the cards. Bishop Sutton Reserves did stem the tide somewhat and they wasted a couple of very good chances that could have made the score far more respectable. When they scored a late goal to make it 8-3, I thought It might be a ‘new score’ for me (it wasn’t, my records show I’d seen this three times already), but from a free kick Cam Valley went 9-3 up with the last kick of the match. This was definitely a score line I hadn’t seen before. Not often that happens, especially after 46 years of watching football.

Essex Olympian League

Premier Division

Saturday 21st August 2021

Kick Off 14.00 Actual 13.59

Basildon Town 5 Leigh Ramblers 0, attendance 60

24’ 1-0

30’ 2-0

40’ 3-0

56’ 4-0

65’ 5-0

@ Basildon Sport & Leisure Club

Gardiners Way

off Gardiners Lane South

Basildon

SS14 3AP

No Admission or Programme.

I never got round to visiting this ground before Basildon Town made the move this season to ground share at nearby Basildon United (they were at home in the F.A. Cup today, hence Town playing here), a ground that meets the necessary grading to obtain Step 6 football, which is the aim of the club.

The first half was a good contest, despite Basildon going in 3-0 up at the break. When it became 4-0 early in the second half, it was game over. Another goal was added, but the game deteriorated badly. The last twenty five minutes just dragged on and it was a relief when the final whistle went. Basildon looked a good side and did what they had to, cruising to an easy three points and they top the league table having won their opening two matches.