Belgium

West Vlaanderen Provincial 1

Saturday 6th April 2019

Kick Off 20.30. On Time !

K.S.K. Oostnieuwkerke 1 K.V.C. Deerlijk Sport 1, attendance 172

32’ 0-1

74’ 1-1

@ Cockstraat 24

Oostnieuwkerke

8840 Staden

€7 Admission

Team Sheet/Newsletter, free.

When the trip was originally planned, the middle game of the day was to be a 17.30 kick off, but as the fourth passenger had already been to the ground in question, we did the 18.00 kick off at Beveren-Leie instead. The distance between both choices were around the same from Oostnieuwkerke, but obviously having half an hour less time to cover the distance might be a bit tight, especially as the SatNav was saying it would take 31 minutes to drive it. As it turned out, I dropped the other three at the end of the driveway leading up to the ground, then managed to find a parking space about 150 yards up the road, and I was still in the ground seven minutes before the kick off. Easy!

Oostnieuwkerke were crowned champions last weekend, despite losing 1-3 at home to third placed Racing Club Lauwe, as second in the league table V.K. Dadizele also lost at home. Deerlijk meanwhile, came into this in 13th place in the table, which is fourth bottom, and there is still a chance of them being relegated at the end of the season.

Deerlijk deservedly took the lead with a header over the ‘keeper following a long ball into the box. They looked to be holding firm, but Oostnieuwkerke managed to scramble in an equaliser with sixteen minutes left. The last quarter of an hour was end to end, as both teams pushed for the winner. Just as we went into added time, Oostnieuwkerke were awarded a penalty. It looked like all the hard work would be wasted for the visitors, but their ‘keeper saved the spot kick, diving to his right. Seconds later the final whistle went.

So, Deerlijk go into the final game of the season leading the two teams below them by three points, whilst bottom of the table K.F.C. Meulebeke are already down. Oostnieuwkerke can look forward to playing in the Belgian League next season. As for us, it was an easy drive back to The Tunnel for our scheduled 01.18 return crossing. It left two minutes late and managed to lose a further nine minutes on the journey across!

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Belgium

West Vlaanderen Provincial 2B

Saturday 6th April 2019

Kick Off 18.00 Actual 18.01

K.S.K. Beveren-Leie 1 V.V. Tielt 1, attendance 83

27’ 0-1

39’ 1-1

@ Leenriestraat

8791 Beveren (Leie)

€5 Admission

Team Sheet, free.

It was only ten miles between the two matches and it took about seventeen minutes drive time. On arrival there seemed to be some sort of confusion, as the gateman charged us all the OAP rate, which for two of the party, no problem, but I can’t see how the other two of us could possibly look that age. Or do we ? Anyway, it was only €1 cheaper, so it wasn’t going to make much difference either way.

The match was 5th versus 8th in the league table, but it wasn’t the best of games. Tielt took the lead with a looping header over the ‘keeper from a free kick, before a 20 yard screamer levelled it up for the hosts. The nearest either side came to winning it in the second half, was when a Beveren-Leie striker had a shot that hit the left hand post, flew across the goal, then hit the right hand post before the ball was cleared.

At least with the game finishing just before 19.50, it meant we were on schedule to make our third match of the day with about ten minutes to spare………

Belgium

West Vlaanderen Provincial 4C

Saturday 6th April 2019

Kick Off 15.00. On Time !

K. Zonnekloppers Dentergem 4 V.C. Ons Genot Stasegem 1, attendance 119

39’ 1-0

67’ 2-0

72’ 3-0

84’ 4-0

89’ 4-1

@ Meulebekesteenweg 18B

8720 Dentergem

€4 Admission

Team Sheet, free.

We were booked on the 09.50 Tunnel from Folkestone, heading for Belgium and what we hoped would be a treble in the West Vlaanderen Provincial League. A lot of clubs had moved their matches to today, in order to avoid a clash with the Ronde van Vlaanderen (Tour Of Flanders) cycle race, which is of far more interest to the locals than the local football clubs will ever be. Despite being very busy, due to the start of the build up to the Easter Holidays, the trains were running on time, although ours did leave two minutes late.

The match was 2nd versus 11th in the league table. Despite dominating the match, Dentergem were struggling to break the visitors down and were not helped by a very dry and bumpy pitch. Stasegem actually had the best two chances of the first half, but the hosts broke the deadlock just before halftime and a two goal burst midway through the second half saw the game won. They added a fourth goal, six minutes from time, before Stasegem nicked a late consolation.

Bristol Premier Combination League

Premier Division

Thursday 4th April 2019

Kick Off 18.00 Actual 18.01

Seymour United 2 Cribbs Reserves 6, attendance 25

1’ 0-1

15’ 1-1

19’ 1-2

20’ 1-3

41’ 1-4

48’ 1-5

85’ 2-5

86’ 2-6

@ Coronation Park

Park Road

Cadbury Heath

BS30 8EP

No Admission or Programme.

This was ninth in the league table versus first. Cribbs were far too good, especially their Number 6 Daniel Burgan, who scored five of their goals, three of which were real quality finishes. Cribbs had a man sent off in stoppage time at the end of the first half, but it wasn’t noticeable that they were a man short during the second half. Seymour also had a man sent off twelve minutes from the end, but were immediately awarded a penalty after the game restarted, but it was saved. It wouldn’t have made much difference, as they were 1-5 down at the time. The win leaves Cribbs 13 points clear at the top of the table, although second placed Sea Mills Park do have 3 games in hand.

Hampshire Premier League

Senior Division

Wednesday 3rd April 2019

Kick Off 18.15. On Time !

Athletico Romsey 1 Bush Hill 11, attendance 24

19’ 0-1

29’ 0-2

32’ 0-3

36’ 0-4

41’ 0-5

45’ 0-6

48’ 0-7

52’ 0-8

67’ 0-9

73’ 1-9

77’ 1-10

78’ 1-11

@ Hatches Farm Sports Ground

Romsey Road

West Wellow

SO51 6EB

No Admission or Programme.

This ground has hosted Hampshire Premier League matches in the past, when it was home to Wellow, but I never made it here to see them play. Athletico Romsey had been trying to get this game called off, saying that they were struggling to get a team out for the 18.00 scheduled start, but agreed to play it when the league moved the game back by fifteen minutes to an 18.15 kick off. I feared the worst when I arrived at 17.05 to find the ground deserted and the gate to the car park padlocked. At 17.21 Bush Hill arrived, then over the course of the next half hour the home players arrived in dribs and drabs.

With it being a particularly gloomy night and the fact that it was now raining, the Referee decided to play 2 x 40 minute halves, despite kicking off on time. The rain got heavier as the game went on, but finally stopped with about ten minutes left. With a quick turnaround at halftime, which lasted just about three minutes, the game was done and dusted by 19.39, where the light was still reasonable, but it might not have been if they had tried to get the extra ten minutes in.

Athletico are bottom of the league table, having taken some real thrashings, including an 11-1 hammering against Bush Hill in the reverse fixture. To be fair to them, they never gave up and made Bush Hill work really hard for all their goals and arguably they scored the goal of the match with a thunderbolt of a free kick that gave the ‘keeper no chance.

This win puts Bush Hill (4 games to play) top of the table, ahead of Paulsgrove on goal difference. Paulsgrove only have one match left, at home to Bush Hill, but even if they win that, it probably wouldn’t be enough to take the title. Infinity (5 games to play) are the real challengers, as they are in third place, six points behind, but with a game in hand. They have a goal difference worse by 24, but do have to play Athletico at home yet. If both teams keep winning it sets it up nicely for the last game of the season…….Bush Hill v Infinity.

Banbury District & Lord Jersey F.A.

Banbury Charity Cup 2nd Round

Tuesday 2nd April 2019

Kick Off 18.15 Actual 18.16

Bodicote Sports 3 Chasewell Park 3 (5-4 pens), attendance 20

38’ 1-0

44’ 1-1 (pen)

51’ 1-2

64’ 1-3

80’ 2-3 (pen)

81’ 3-3

@ Kingsfield

White Post Road

Bodicote

OX15 4AA

No Admission or Programme.

This was my first match of ‘silly season’, but the weather certainly didn’t feel much like we were heading towards the end of the season. It rained and hailed for a good half an hour leading up to kick off and there was also a spell of rain during the second half that also saw the temperature drop.

These two teams are in the Premier Division of this league, currently 4th versus 2nd in the table. There was plenty of effort, but not always a great deal of skill on show, but it was certainly entertaining. It looked like the visitors had done enough to win it when they took a 1-3 lead, but Bodicote scored two goals in two minutes to level it up at 3-3.

Despite only kicking off a minute late and having a short halftime, it was beginning to get a bit gloomy towards the end and the Referee blew his whistle for full time a couple of minutes early, mindful that there was still a penalty shoot out required to decide the tie. Chasewell Park went first and duly missed. The following 9 kicks were all converted, to give Bodicote a 5-4 win.

East of Scotland League

Conference A

Sunday 31st March 2019

Kick Off 12.30 Actual 12.32

Peebles Rovers 1 Newtongrange Star 3, attendance 288

13’ 0-1

41’ 0-2

72’ 1-2

79’ 1-3

@ Whitestone Park

Innerleithen Road

Peebles

EH45 8BA

£5 Admission

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

At last, we finally got round to the ground that made the trip worthwhile. Whitestone Park hosted Scottish Football League matches from 1923 until 1926 when Peebles Rovers had their brief stint as a member of the Scottish League and it also recorded its record attendance around that time, where according to reports, there have twice been crowds of 1,500 for Scottish F.A. Cup matches there. It is a far cry from the 50 or so that watch them these days and even with the Groundhop UK fanfare in town, they still drew less than 300 and that figure will include a number who chose to enter the park by a different entrance in order to avoid the fiver admission price!

Peebles are 10th (4th bottom) in the league table and never looked liked beating fourth placed Newtongrange. The pitch didn’t help, being more suited to rugby union, which is probably the main sport here in the Scottish Borders, rather than football. Star never looked like losing it once they were 0-2 up and they still looked in control when Peebles pulled a goal back, but the two goal lead was soon restored.

At least with this being the final game of this years Scottish Groundhop, it meant we were already heading in the right direction for home, although the road back to the motorway is quite slow, but we did have a relatively trouble free journey. With a first drop off in Uxbridge, then on to Slough, where I collected my car, it was back via Staines to drop off the last member of our party, before I arrived home at 22.45…… By not buying the programmes, which were nearly all rubbish by all accounts, and paying for matches on the day, which is always cheaper than an advanced ticket, it meant the trip (split 4 ways for fuel and hotel) cost me £140 less than if I had travelled on the official coach from London……….

East of Scotland League

Conference C

Saturday 30th March 2019

Kick Off 20.00. On Time !

Linlithgow Rose 3 Jeanfield Swifts 2, attendance 530

7’ 0-1

16’ 1-1

39’ 2-1

46’ 2-2

64’ 3-2 (pen)

@ Prestonfield

Braehead Road

Linlithgow

EH49 6HF

£6 Admission

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

So, onto the fourth match of a long day and another ground that I had already visited. I came here back on 29th May 2004 when I saw Linlithgow lose 1-2 to Tayport in a Scottish Junior F.A. East Region Super League match. The match that day had a far bigger crowd than tonight, whether you believe the 618 figure claimed by Groundhop UK on their twitter, or the 530 crowd announced by the club over the tannoy.

At least I remembered this ground, well, the impressive main stand anyway, unlike my revisit at Camelon this morning. The match was second versus third in the league table and was far and away the best match of the five games so far on this weekends ‘hop, with a really good contest between two evenly matched teams. It was a shame it didn’t finish as a draw, because Jeanfield did enough to have got something out of the game.

Today has been something of an endurance test, especially with two of the matches being revisits, and it is a shame that cramming in a fourth match means the games blur into each other a bit and it would be much better if just three matches were scheduled instead. It would be nice to have a little more time to relax between matches.

East of Scotland League

Conference C

Saturday 30th March 2019

Kick Off 17.15 Actual 17.16

Blackburn United 4 Preston Athletic 1, attendance 328

3’ 1-0 (pen)

6’ 2-0

65’ 3-0

78’ 3-1

83’ 4-1

@ New Murrayfield Park

Ash Grove

Blackburn

EH47 7LL

£6 Admission

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

Back on 11th October 2003 I attended the noon kick off between Blackburn United and Clydebank in a Scottish Junior F.A. Cup 1st Round match, which finished 1-1 (doubled with Pumpherston Juniors 4 Fraserburgh United 2, in the same competition, at 3 o’clock). The ground used that day runs parallel to New Murrayfield Park and is behind the trees that run behind the stand on the halfway line, which is the same stand from the old ground, having been dismantled and rebuilt next door.

If Dunipace won the award for being the biggest rip off club of the weekend, then Blackburn would easily take the prize for being the best value for money and they showed you can still make a good profit without fleecing your customers, even if it is the only time you are ever going to see them. The chicken curry with rice, at just £2 per portion, was well received by all those that managed to get some before it unsurprisingly sold out.

The match got off to a lightning start, with Blackburn 2-0 up in the first six minutes and Preston never really recovered, in what was a bit of a shock result.

There was a discrepancy with the crowd figure. Groundhop UK were claiming it was 372, but the club announced over the tannoy that it was actually only 328.

East Of Scotland League

Conference C

Saturday 30th March 2019

Kick Off 14.15 Actual 14.16

Inverkeithing Hillfield Swifts 2 Heriot Watt University 4, attendance 301

27’ 0-1

32’ 0-2

58’ 0-3

71’ 1-3

73’ 2-3

82’ 2-4 (pen)

@ Ballast Bank

Preston Crescent

Inverkeithing

KY11 1DS

£5 Admission

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

I wasn’t expecting much here, as I knew it was nothing more than a railed pitch inside an old cinder running track. However, on a sunny day, the lack of any cover would not be a problem. There was also the view of the Forth Road/Rail Bridges, although as it was only the tops that were visible, unless you knew what they were, they could easily go unnoticed. At least this would be a new ground for me, following the two revisits of last night and this morning.

This is the debut season for Inverkeithing at this level and they have found it difficult, coming into this third bottom in the league table. Heriot Watt were far superior, racing into a comfortable 0-3 lead and Inverkeithing only came into it once they had a man red carded, but having a further two players sent off towards the end of the match meant a comeback didn’t look on. However, they certainly made it interesting when they scored twice in three minutes to pull it back to 2-3, but the students wrapped it up when they scored their fourth goal from the penalty spot.

With two games down and a further two still to go today, it was south over the Forth for the next instalment.