Herts Senior County League

Division 1

Tuesday 12th August 2025

Kick Off 18.45 Actual 18.49

Oxhey 1 Ware United 2, attendance 37

58’ 1-0 (pen)

79’ 1-1

88’ 1-2

@ Ware Youth F.C.

Trinity Playing Fields

Fanhams Hall Road

Ware

SG12 7NN

No Admission or Programme.

With neither regular home venues of the two clubs being available to host the game tonight, it was played at Ware Youth F.C. There’s a decent sized car park, to the left as you enter off the roundabout in Fanhams Hall Road, with the clubhouse/changing room building to the right. Tonight’s game was played on a pitch in the far left hand corner from the entrance and was roped on all four sides. In the right hand corner there’s a pitch with a couple of brick dugouts, but this is now set up for 9 a side games, rather than being a full size pitch.

The match was a slow burner and certainly wasn’t lacking in commitment from either team, even if chances were at a premium. The closest we came in the first half to a goal, was a free kick from Ware that hit the crossbar. Just before the hour mark a penalty saw Oxhey go in front and it looked like that might have been enough to take all three points, but Ware drew level with eleven minutes left, when a cross from the right managed to evade everyone in the box, going in off the far post, possibly aided by a deflection. With two minutes left they grabbed a winner, when another cross from the right was swept in at the far post.

Midland League

Division 3

Monday 11th August 2025

Kick Off 19.00 On Time!

Solihull Academy 2 A.F.C. Balsall 1, attendance 104

71’ 1-0

81’ 1-1 (pen)

84’ 2-1

@ Tudor Grange Academy Solihull, 3G Pitch

Dingle Lane

Solihull

B91 3PD

£5 Admission

No Programme.

This was 7th versus 3rd in the league table, Solihull Academy having taken four points from their opening three games, whilst Balsall were undefeated, with two wins and a draw from their three. There wasn’t much between the two teams. The best chance of the first half saw Solihull hit the post just before the half hour mark and it remained scoreless at halftime. Solihull broke the deadlock with nineteen minutes left, when a diagonal shot from the right hand side of the box looped into the far corner. Balsall drew level with a penalty with nine minutes left, but it only took Solihull three minutes to go back in front, cutting in from the left, before hitting a 25 yarder into the top corner, that the ‘keeper got his fingertips to, but couldn’t keep out.

Home to Solihull Academy is Tudor Grange Academy Solihull. It’s a standard cage set up, with spectator access along three quarters of one side, although parts of this have high fencing, so not ideal, especially with a three figure crowd, that included a couple of dozen ‘hoppers. Good to see a tea bar operating from a table just inside the cage entrance, which is unusual at this level….as was the £5 admission charge. I wouldn’t think there’s that many other clubs in the country charging that amount at Step 8?

Central Wales League

Southern Division

Saturday 9th August 2025

Kick Off 14.30 On Time!

Bont 2 Ffostrasol Wanderers 3, attendance 36 (official 50)

19’ 0-1

36’ 0-2

39’ 0-3

78’ 1-3

85’ 2-3

@ Pantyfedwen Park

B4340

Pontrhydfendigaid

SY25 6BB

£3 Admission

No Programme.

With a favourable weather forecast, where despite looking threatening at times, did remain dry throughout, I decided to head into Mid Wales, to visit the only ground I still needed in the Central Wales League, that of Bont, in the village of Pontrhydfendigaid, in Ceredigion. Coming from the east, you are fine until you get to Rhayader, where you then reach the Cambrian Mountains, with the most direct route from there being via a B road, straight through the Elan Valley. It’s certainly scenic, but littered with cattle grids and numerous sections of single track road, with the last 22 miles taking around 50 minutes to drive. At least when you enter the village, the ground is right in front of you. There’s a small car park, with the changing rooms/tea bar/toilets behind the near goal. The pitch is railed on three sides (just the far end not), with a pair of dugouts on the left hand side and a small stand opposite, painted in the club colours, which has two rows of bench seating.

The match was between two teams who’d started their league season’s with a win from their opening game and Ffostrasol will look to go one better than last season, when they finished second to champions Knighton Town, who’ve since been promoted. The first half went very much the way of the visitors, as they comfortably raced into a three goal lead. They opened the scoring after a diagonal cross from the left was headed up onto the air by a defender, dropping to a Ffostrasol player who volleyed in from close range. Another close range volley saw them double their lead after thirty six minutes, after a corner from the left had been headed on at the near post and their third followed soon after, once again from the left, when a free kick evaded the entire defence and was swept in unmarked at the far post. Ffostrasol saw a long range effort tipped onto the crossbar on the hour mark, but rarely looked like adding any further goals. With twelve minutes left Bont pulled a goal back, cutting in from the right before hitting a left footed shot into the top corner from the edge of the D. They then made it 2-3 as we entered the last five minutes, when a diagonal ball into the box was finished with a shot on the turn into the far corner, but despite mounting pressure in the remaining time, were unable to force an equaliser.

Gloucestershire Northern Senior League

Reg Davis Memorial Cup

1st Round

Wednesday 6th August 2025

Kick Off 18.30 Actual 18.31

Barnwood United 4 Winchcombe Town 3, attendance 43

21’ 0-1

40’ 0-2

44’ 1-2

46’ 1-3

56’ 2-3

89’ 3-3

90’ 4-3

@ Coopers Edge Sports Hub

Bowthorpe Drive

Brockworth

GL3 4FS

No Admission or Programme.

I’d seen Barnwood United play at their previous home ground at Wall’s Sports & Social Club back in 2019, but that has now been sold off and they’ve moved to the Coopers Edge Sports Hub in Brockworth. When the name Sports Hub is used in non league football, it usually means a complex containing one or more 3G pitches. No such thing here though. It’s a two pitch grass set up, found at the end of a new housing estate, where there’s a brick built changing room building and small car park. The main pitch is on a plateau, with the near goal end backing on to Bowthorpe Drive and is enclosed by trees/shrubs.

The match was between two teams in Division 2 of the league and a game that was in the balance right up to the final whistle. Winchcombe opened the scoring with a free kick from the halfway line, aided by the bounce of the very dry pitch, as it landed inside the box and just beat the ‘keeper, who got his fingertips to it, but couldn’t get enough of a touch to prevent it going in. He was at fault for the second goal too, five minutes before halftime, fumbling a corner at the near post and the ball was smashed in from close range. Barnwood got back into it right on halftime, when a diagonal free kick was squeezed in at the far post.

The comeback was short lived, as Winchcombe restored their two goal lead a minute into the second half, when a ball over the top saw the ‘keeper totally fluff the clearance and the ball was tapped into the empty net. They nearly added a fourth minutes later, but headed against the crossbar, with the goal gaping, before a far post header, from a diagonal free kick, saw Barnwood pull it back to 2-3 just before the hour mark. Winchcombe should have really sewn the game up, but were made to pay for missed chances when Barnwood grabbed an equaliser with a minute left, when a free kick from the right was headed in from six yards. A minute later they grabbed the winner, when a through ball was touched past a defender, before being finished high into the near top corner. Winchcombe nearly took the tie to penalties, when a header crashed off the crossbar six minutes into stoppage time, but Barnwood survived and they now host Wickwar Wanderers in the next round.

Faringdon Thursday Memorial Cup

1st Round

Tuesday 5th August 2025

Kick Off 18.30 On Time!

Hailey 3 North Leigh Reserves 1, attendance 37

31’ 0-1

43’ 1-1

65’ 2-1

73’ 3-1

@ The Recreation Ground

Middletown

Hailey

OX29 9TA

No Admission or Programme.

Tonight’s game was Witney & District League Premier Division versus Oxfordshire Senior League Premier Division, two teams just four miles apart. The ground here in Hailey, adjacent to the village hall, is just an open pitch, enclosed by trees/bushes, with a small car park behind the goal end nearest the entrance and a changing room building in the near right hand corner.

North Leigh Reserves were the better team in the early stages and deservedly opened the scoring just after the half hour mark, when a cross in from the left was knocked down and finished with a first time shot into the bottom corner. Two minutes before halftime Hailey drew level, when a free kick from just outside the box went straight through the wall and right on halftime they almost went in front, but a finger tip save saw the ball turned round the post. Twenty minutes into the second half Hailey went in front, with an angled shot through the ‘keeper’s legs that found the far corner and they rounded off the scoring with seventeen minutes left, when a ball over the top was finished with a first time shot that the ‘keeper should really have kept out. The win now sees Hailey visit Letcombe in the quarter finals.

A surprisingly quiet M25 in both directions, losing under ten minutes on the outbound journey and totally trouble free on the return.

Above : Hailey’s No.10 (in green) smashes in their second goal.

F.A. Wales Amateur Trophy

1st Qualifying Round

Saturday 2nd August 2025

Kick Off 14.00 Actual 13.59

Burry Port 0 Pontardawe Town 6, attendance 55

5’ 0-1

30’ 0-2

37’ 0-3

47’ 0-4

63’ 0-5

80’ 0-6

@ Woodbrook Lane

Heol Y Bardd

Burry Port

SA16 0NN

£3 Admission, including 8 page Programme.

Today I made the long trip down to West Wales, for a game at a ground that has hosted Welsh League football in the past, when it was home to Porth Tywyn Suburbs for a ten year stint during the mid 1990’s, before they resigned during the 2003/04 season. There is a changing room building at the entrance, which also has a tea bar. The pitch is fully railed, with a full length of advert boards on the far side and a pair of perspex dugouts on the near side, where grass banking gives an elevated view. Although the pitch was well grassed, it was very dry and in need of some rain. Car parking is limited to the surrounding streets, no more than a couple of minutes away.

Burry Port are in the Carmarthenshire League Premier Division (Tier 5) whilst Pontardawe Town are in Ardal League South West (Tier 3). As expected, it turned out to be a comfortable win for the visitors and was a little disappointing from a neutral point of view, with the hosts never really looking like scoring. It didn’t help that Pontardawe only took five minutes to go in front, lobbing the ‘keeper from wide on the right. A corner from the right was headed back across the box and volleyed in from close range to make it 0-2 after half an hour and it was 0-3 seven minutes later, following in from close range after an initial save by the ‘keeper. An easy tap in a couple of minutes into the second half made it 0-4, before the fifth goal came just after the hour mark. They had another ruled out for offside, before a tap in at the far post saw them make it 0-6, with their sixth different scorer and they even had another effort hit the crossbar late on.

Football League Cup

Preliminary Round

Tuesday 29th July 2025

Kick Off 19.30 On Time!

Barnet 2 Newport County 2 (2-4 pens), attendance 1,789

31’ 0-1 Antwi

42’ 0-2 Reindorf

90’ + 7, 1-2 Galvin

90’ + 9, 2-2 Browne

@ The Hive Stadium

Camrose Avenue

Edgware

HA8 6AG

£13 Admission

No Programme (saw a few Team Sheets).

Having completed ‘the 92’ back in 1990 (joined the 92 Club, but now a lapsed member) I always liked to keep up to date by re-visiting clubs that I’d already visited during their non-league days, just to see how the grounds have changed in the subsequent years. I never got here during their recent stint in the Football League, so thought tonight was as good a time as any to put that right. I’d actually made my first visit here in November 2013, on a midweek trip via Eurotunnel, when living in Brussels, for a 0-0 draw versus Welling United (att.1,172) in a National League game. At least I only had to drive 43 miles tonight, which still took close on two hours, despite the M25 being relatively quiet. Street parking was readily available, less than 10 minutes walk from the stadium and I purchased my ticket for a surprisingly cheap £13 (unlike the £12 cheeseburger and coke inside, which was very poor and tasted bland) from the ticket office at the corner of the stadium as you enter the complex. It’s still a three sided ground, with the near goal end just backing on to the car park. I chose to sit in The Legends Stand, being two rows from the back, right on the halfway line, where the view was excellent. The away section was in the stand behind the goal to the left, with around 250 present, in the end block adjoining our stand.

It was a decent game, with Barnet totally dominating possession, but not able to take advantage of it. Newport opened the scoring just after the half hour mark, when Antwi volleyed in from the angle of the 18 yard box, beating the ‘keeper high into the near top corner of the net and they doubled their lead three minutes before halftime, when Reindorf cut in from the left, weaving between two defenders, then bending a shot into the top corner. Barnet looked to have run out of ideas and quite a few of their fans had already left, when seven minutes into stoppage time they pulled a goal back, when a diagonal cross from the right was swept in at the far post by Galvin. Unbelievably, two minutes later, with what was the last action of the match, they grabbed an equaliser, when Kanu cut inside from the left, beat his man and crossed to the far post where Browne headed in.

So, it was straight to penalties. Newport went first, but their first effort was saved. Barnet scored their first two, but hit the post with the third and saw the fourth saved, leaving Newport to win it with all their next four being scored. Their reward is a first round home tie with Millwall.

West of Scotland League

Division 3

Saturday 26th July 2025

Kick Off 14.00 Actual 14.03

Girvan 0 Kello Rovers 0, attendance 110

@ Hamilton Park

Vicarton Street

Girvan

KA26 9HF

£6 Admission

No Programme.

I rounded off the trip to Scotland with a game on the coast of South Ayrshire. Girvan played in the South of Scotland League up until 2004 and as full members of the Scottish F.A. entered the qualifying rounds of the Scottish F.A. Cup. They then switched to the Scottish Junior F.A. and the West of Scotland League, but were one of a select few clubs to retain their place in the national cup competition. Hamilton Park certainly doesn’t disappoint. There’s a stand, with bench seating, on the right hand side as you look from the entrance/car park, with the club room and tea bar (hot and cold food/drinks) just beyond. The pitch, which was absolutely immaculate, is railed off and surrounded by a cinder track. Grass banking runs around the far side, where there’s a couple of modern dugouts and there’s even a memorial garden, commemorating the war dead, set against the wall running along the perimeter. The ground is also floodlit, which looks to be a relatively new addition. If all that’s not enough, you’ve got the scenery, as well as the occasional train to spot too, with Girvan Station being just behind the stand.

Unfortunately, the game was a let down. Apart from the last five minutes, when it was frantic end to end stuff, there was little of note happened. There was plenty of effort and it was fully committed, but it was as if they’d been told the two goal areas were out of bounds. If they were still playing now they wouldn’t have scored. On this showing, neither of these two will be challenging at the top end of the table and it was probably a better point for Kello, having just been promoted, than it was for Girvan, but I may be wrong…..

So, that rounds off another successful trip north of the border. I managed to get 16 new ground visits, seeing 70 goals and just the one nil-nil, as well as a bonus speedway meeting at Glasgow Tigers. The seven hour slog back south was on schedule, until getting back to the M25, where it was shut at J10, but wasn’t shown on the overhead signs or picked up by the SatNav, which added half an hour to the journey.

And the war memorial…..

Friendly

Thursday 24th July 2025

Kick Off 19.30 Actual 19.26

Meldrum United 1 Banchory St. Ternan 1, attendance 78

48’ 0-1

79’ 1-1

@ Oldmeldrum Pleasure Park

Park Lane

Oldmeldrum

AB51 0DH

No Admission or Programme.

Tonight’s game was Aberdeenshire Amateur F.A. versus North of Scotland League Championship. The ground here in Oldmeldrum is just an open pitch, which has a fair end to end slope and to a lesser extent side to side one. There’s a changing room block next to the small car park and a building on the right hand side of the pitch that has an overhang, providing cover, although not needed tonight, as it remained dry throughout.

I’d seen Meldrum on Sunday, when they thrashed Kemnay Amateurs 10-0 in the Marnoch Shield 3rd/4th place play off at St. Marnans and was very impressed. Tonight was a much sterner test though, with Banchory being a step up in opposition to what they faced at the weekend. The first half remained goalless, despite chances at both ends. It only took three minutes of the second half for the visitors to make the breakthrough though, when a one two on the edge of the box was finished emphatically from 12 yards. With eleven minutes left Meldrum grabbed an equaliser, when a quick break down the left saw the ball crossed in and as a defender failed to clear, the ball was controlled first time and smashed low past the ‘keeper into the corner of the net.

Another excellent game and certainly not played in the same restrictive manner that clubs in England adopt during their pre-season games. With the game having kicked off four minutes early and a halftime break of just seven minutes, where everyone stayed out on the pitch, we were done and dusted for 21.03.

Friendly

Wednesday 23rd July 2025

Kick Off 19.45 Actual 19.46

East End 0 Stonehaven 3, attendance 60

4’ 0-1

31’ 0-2 (pen)

73’ 0-3

@ Dyce 3G Pitch

Riverview Drive

Dyce

AB21 7NF

No Admission or Programme.

This was a bit of an unusual one, as both teams are in the North of Scotland League Premiership and are due to play each other again in ten days time, in the opening league fixture of the season. It was played at Dyce 3G Pitch, which is tucked away behind Asda and Dyce Academy. The changing room building is actually accessed from Asda car park and the majority seemed to have parked here. It’s a standard cage set up, but does have spectator access along the whole of one side.

An early goal for Stonehaven set the tone, when a cross from the right was finished with a downward header at the near post. They doubled their lead with a penalty just after the half hour mark and rounded off the scoring with seventeen minutes left, curling a shot into the far corner from the angle of the 18 yard box. East End were very poor going forward and the nearest they came to scoring was when a 25 yard free kick clipped the top of the crossbar with five minutes left.