Berks & Bucks F.A.
Charles Twelftree Trophy 2nd Round
Saturday 10th October 2026
Kick Off 14.00 Actual 14.02
Cholsey United 2 F.C. Bracknell 2 (4-5 pens), attendance 23
18’ 0-1
24’ 0-2
52’ 1-2
65’ 2-2
@ Cholsey Recreation Ground
Station Road
Cholsey
OX10 9PT
No Admission or Programme.
This match pitted Oxfordshire Senior League Premier Division with East Berks League Premier Division, in a county cup competition for teams in or below the Regional Feeder Leagues. Cholsey Recreation Ground is very basic and not the best of grounds for me to have completed this division at. It’s just a single pitch, roped along part of one side. Car parking is at the entrance, off Station Road, with a brick built community building in front, which although housing toilets, remained closed throughout. The changing rooms are round to the left, with the pitch to the rear, running lengthways away from here, with tennis courts flanking the left touchline and Cholsey Skatepark the other….skateboarding is certainly of more interest to the local kids here, rather than the local football club, if you’re judging by the numbers taking part, including a couple who looked to be in their fifties!
Anyway, on to the football. Bracknell were ahead after eight minutes, chasing down a long ball over the top, just beating the ‘keeper to it, then squaring the ball for an easy tap in. After twenty minutes they had a goal ruled out for offside, but did double their lead four minutes later, when a corner was headed clear but crossed back into the box where a striker headed in as the ‘keeper failed to punch clear. On the half hour mark Cholsey lost their ‘keeper to injury and he was replaced by their right back, who, to be honest, looked better than the previous incumbent!
Seven minutes into the second half Cholsey got back in the game, when a diagonal shot from the left was saved, but followed in on the rebound. Midway through the half they levelled it up at 2-2, when a diagonal free kick from wide on the right was met with a stooping header at the far post. Bracknell thought they’d won it when they scored again with a minute left, but with the ball on it’s way in, a player in front of the shooter decided to help it on it’s way and was flagged offside.
For the second successive Saturday, my game was to be decided by penalties. Cholsey went first, but saw their first kick saved. Bracknell scored their first, but sent their second one over the crossbar and with all the others scored, we were level at 4-4 going into sudden death. Cholsey then saw their next one saved, but so did Bracknell, brilliantly stopped low near the foot of the post by the stand in ‘keeper. Cholsey then blazed another over the crossbar, before Bracknell netted again to win it.
It was only 63 miles to Cholsey, via M3 and a very congested Bracknell, before taking the M4 then heading north through Pangbourne. SatNav chose a more cross country route coming back, via Henley-on-Thames, before picking up the M4 just west of Maidenhead. The two routes were only a mile different, with the only hold up coming back being the usual M25 crawl approaching the M3 intersection.
