Arthurian League

Division 2

Saturday 28th October 2023

Kick Off 10.00 Actual 10.02

Old Albanians 8 Old Chigwellians II 1, attendance 4

9’ 1-0, 15’ 2-0, 31’ 3-0, 45’ 4-0

62’ 4-1, 71’ 5-1, 74’ 6-1, 75’ 7-1, 78’ 8-1

@ The Woollam Playing Fields

Harpenden Road

St. Albans

AL3 6BZ

No Admission or Programme.

Having completed a visit to all the regular home venues for teams in this league last Saturday, it was nice to see this ‘one off’ match moved from their normal 3G pitch at Beaumont School, to the sports ground of St. Albans School, here at The Woollam Playing Fields. I had seen St. Albans Centurions R.L.F.C. play on the main rugby ground at the Old Albanian Sports Club back in 2006, a 6-10 defeat to Bramley in National League 3, but although they share the same entrance, the two complexes are actually separate. The school playing fields are to the north of the two, having its own car park and changing rooms. Typically, numerous pitches, hosting football, cricket and rugby and artificial tennis courts and hockey pitch as well, with today’s game played on ‘Football Pitch 1’, which was absolutely immaculate.

As far as league positions go, this was bottom versus second bottom, although Old Albanians only occupy bottom spot due to a points deduction, although they’d only be third bottom without incurring the penalty! The match wasn’t as one sided as the scoreline suggests, although Chigwellians did collapse late on. It was 4-0 at halftime, despite Albanians having had a player sin binned when it was 2-0. Just after the hour Chigwellians pulled a goal back to make it 4-1, but Albanians soon added another to go 5-1 up. A sin bin for Chigwellians followed immediately and Albanians ran in three goals in the next seven minutes to round off a resounding win.

Above : Chigwellians clip one past the ‘keeper to pull it back to 4-1.