Central League

East Division

Tuesday 28th November 2017

Kick Off 13.00 Actual 12.58

Rotherham United Reserves 3 York City Reserves 1,  attendance 46

17’ 1-0

35’ 2-0

53’ 2-1

82’ 3-1

@ Roundwood Training Ground

Green Lane

Rawmarsh

S62 6LA

No Admission

Team Sheet, 20p.

Rotherham had been playing their Reserves matches on the main pitch at Parkgate F.C. which I had visited on 11th October 1994. They have now developed two pitches of their own, which are down below the main pitch here, and have now enclosed the area, which also means that the new development also has its own entrance, albeit from the same car park.

This was not a bad game, as far as reserve matches go. Rotherham were well on top in the first half, but York dominated the second and were a bit unlucky to not get a draw in the end.

With the game over at around 2.50pm, it meant I had more time than I really needed, to head south for my second match of the day.

Southern Combination League

Division 2

Saturday 25th November 2017

Kick Off 14.00 Actual 14.04

Alfold 3 Upper Beeding 0,  attendance 34

41’ 1-0

66’ 2-0

77’ 3-0

@ The Recreation Ground (Alfold Sports Council & Social Club)

Dunsfold Road

Alfold Crossways

GU6 8JB

No Admission

£1 Programme, 16 pages.

This was the last of the three clubs that play in this division that needed tidying up, as I had done matches on different pitches in the complexes  on previous visits. I came here for a pre-season friendly, when they were in the West Sussex League, on 30th July 2011, with the game that day taking place on a parallel pitch, behind the hedge that runs along the side where the dugouts are situated on the main pitch. There was no permanent barrier in place back then on the main pitch.

It was 8th v 5th in the league table, but after this comfortable win for Alfold, their positions are now reversed. It was very squelchy walking to the pitch, but the playing area stood up well, helped no doubt by a cool wind, with a bit of warmth from the sun, which only dropped behind the hills towards the end of the match, and was most welcome as the pitch is rather exposed.

Belgium

National League

Division 1 Amateurs

Friday 24th November 2017

Kick Off 20.00 Actual 20.03

F.C. Verbroedering Dender Eendracht Hekelgem 0 K.F.C. Dessel Sport 1,  attendance 425

13’ 0-1

@ Van Roystadion

Stadionlaan 5

9470 Denderleeuw

€12 Admission

Team Sheet, free.

F.C.V. Dender E.H. were a merger of K.F.C. Denderleeuw Eendracht Hekelgem and Verbroedering Denderhoutem at the end of the 2004/05 season. The Van Roystadion was opened in 1997, known in those days as Florent Beeckman Stadion, which is still the name above the gates at the entrance to the ground. It was renovated in 2007 and has a current capacity of 6,429, with the open terrace behind the goal at the entrance end of the ground being unused.

Tonight’s match was 13th v 2nd in the league table and was a match more deserving of the single goal that won it for the visitors. It started raining an hour and a half before kick off, then poured down for the entire match, which saw both teams emerge for the second half in clean kit, with Dender actually changing to their away colours.

U.K. Passport control did their best to make everyone miss their departure slots on the return leg, having taken them 31 minutes to process the dozen cars in front of us, but we got on the 00.45 with two minutes to spare, although it left 5 minutes late anyway.

Belgium

National League

Division 3 Amateurs V.F.V. B

Sunday 19th November 2017

Kick Off 14.30 Actual 14.31

Sporting Kampenhout 0 Eendracht Termien 2,  attendance 198

8’ 0-1

68’ 0-2

@ Sportcentrum De Zeype

Zeypestraat 26A

1910 Kampenhout

€10 Admission (including token for 1 free drink)

Team Sheet, free.

Sporting Kampenhout are a merger of S.K. Kampenhout and S.K. Kampelaar, with this being their first season under the new name. I had already visited S.K. Kampelaar, pre-merger, at their Votvinkenstraat ground, for a Belgian Cup 1st Round match, when they were in Brabant Provincial 2, seeing them lose 0-2 versus R.R.C. Waterloo, on 26th July 2014.

Today was 11th v 7th in the league table and was never really much of a contest once Termien went in front. It should have been a much bigger winning margin than the two goals, considering the balance of play, and it is quite easy to see why Kampenhout have now lost 5 consecutive league matches.

The driver today was heading for V.K. Linden, but I had been there, so went for the option of being dropped off at Kampenhout, as did the other two passengers. We were picked up around twenty five minutes after the match, so back at The Tunnel  before 19.00. Once again it was total chaos, this time the excuse being that U.K Border Control had had a total power failure, which had caused huge backlogs. We managed to get a crossing that left at 20.15, which we assume was the 19.50 running late.

Southern Combination League

Division 2

Saturday 18th November 2017

Kick Off 14.00 Actual 14.06

Montpelier Villa 4 Clymping 3,  attendance 2

19’ 1-0

32’ 2-0

42’ 3-0

47’ 3-1

54’ 3-2 (pen)

76’ 3-3

79’ 4-3 (pen)

@ Falmer Sports Complex at Sussex University

off Ridge Road

Falmer

BN1 9PJ

No Admission or Programme.

Back in 1997 I saw Brighton & Hove Albion play a Youth Alliance game at Sussex University. I only found out this season that Montpelier Villa play their matches on a pitch that is in a separate part of the complex to the one I visited, so I would need another trip to the South Coast.

Today seemed a good day to visit, as it was 3rd bottom v 2nd bottom in the league table, and a game that both teams would fancy their chances of picking up a rare win. It turned out to be the right choice as this was a really entertaining match. I can’t remember if I have ever been to a game on a Saturday where there was only one other spectator present, which is a poor turn out for this level of football.

All three of the Montpelier goals in the first half were headers, two of them from corners, plus they hit the post and crossbar and looked to have sewn it up by halftime. Clymping then came out all guns blazing after the break and deservedly levelled it, only to be beaten by a penalty just a few minutes after the equaliser. They then had a man sent off in stoppage time, but still had a great chance of nicking a point with the last effort of the match, which came seven minutes into added time. The game eventually finished at 15.59.

Independent Schools F.A. Cup 3rd Round

Thursday 16th November 2017

Kick Off 14.00 Actual 14.02

Wellington College 2 Bradfield College 3 (AET),  attendance 81

67’ 1-0

77’ 1-1

81’ 1-2

100’ 1-3

100’ + 1, 2-3

@ Duke’s Ride

Crowthorne

Berkshire

RG45 7PT

No Admission or Programme.

This was a very tight game which Wellington should really have won, but they were unable to hold out, despite going ahead with just 13 minutes of normal time left. They then managed to concede a goal in the first minute of extra time, before having a man sent off halfway through the second period. Having conceded again in the last minute, they did get a consolation goal with the last effort of the match.

Independent Schools F.A. Cup 3rd Round

Wednesday 15th November 2017

Kick Off 13.00 Actual 12.59

Whitgift School 4 Leeds Grammar School 1,  attendance 25

13’ 1-0

32’ 2-0

37’ 3-0

40’ 4-0

79’ 4-1

@ Nottingham Road

Haling Park

South Croydon

CR2 6YT

No Admission or Programme.

The first half was probably the best I have ever seen in this competition. Superb passing, movement off the ball and quality finishing from Whitgift meant this was all over by halftime. Leeds didn’t play badly, but simply had no answer to a very strong home team.

Isthmian League

South Division

Tuesday 14th November 2017

Kick Off 19.45 Actual 19.48

Walton Casuals 1 Greenwich Borough 1,  attendance 89

70’ 1-0 (pen)

90’ 1-1

@ Elmbridge Sports Hub

Waterside Drive

Walton-on-Thames

KT12 2JP

£10 Admission

£2 Programme, 32 pages.

Casuals used to play in a different part of the complex. The old ground, which I visited 14th March 2000 (1-1 v Bedfont, Combined Counties League) is now covered by an athletics track, which is behind the main stand here at the new stadium. In between leaving the old ground, then moving in here a few weeks into the season, they played their home games at Cobham F.C. The new council owned facility is shared with Walton & Hersham, who have recently vacated their old ground at Stompond Lane.

Casuals, who are ninth in the league table, were so on top for most of this match, that it was hard to believe the visitors are in third place. Greenwich did very little, but their equalising goal was a quality finish after the striker beat two players before slotting the ball into the far corner of the net.

This visit completed the grounds in the South Division, The Isthmian League overall, and also Step 4.

Isthmian League

North Division

Monday 13th November 2017

Kick Off 19.45 Actual 19.50

Aveley 0 Barking 1,  attendance 241

54’ 0-1

@ Parkside

Park Lane

South Ockendon

Aveley

RM15 4PX

£10 Admission

£2 Programme, 24 pages.

Team Sheet, free.

I had visited the former home of Aveley, Mill Field, back on 7th September 1997 ( 1-2 versus Epsom & Ewell, Isthmian League Division 3) which was a Sunday morning fixture, which was due to the Saturday being the funeral of Princess Diana, and most sport closed down that day. Following the 11.30am kick off, I see from my records,that at 3pm I went on to visit the new ground of Crawley Town (0-0 versus Halesowen Town, Southern League Premier Division).

The new ground here is very impressive, having cover on all four sides and, unlike so many new builds, it has been completed in one go, rather than making additions if, and when, required. Sadly, the team here are rubbish and are left third from bottom of the league table with this result. Barking were marginally better and must normally be better than this as they occupy 9th place in the table.

This once again completes visits to all the grounds in this division of the Isthmian League.

Belgium

Liege Provincial 1

Sunday 12th November 2017

Kick Off 14.30  Actual 14.31

Union Clubs Espagnols Liege 2 F.C. 1912 Raeren-Eynatten 0,  attendance 108

57’ 1-0

75’ 2-0

@ Plaine Des Manoeuvres

Rue De Herve, 132

4030 Grivegnee

€7 Admission

No Programme.

Heading north from our overnight base in Arlon, along the E25, which took us through the high areas of The Ardennes and on towards Liege, we did question whether our intended match would survive the weather as snow had fallen overnight, but thankfully, as we dropped down, the fields returned to their natural green and there was no problem with the pitch when we arrived in Grivegnee, to the south east of Liege.

Our match today was 2nd v 3rd in the league table and two teams who we had seen win away matches in the last few weeks. The visitors had the better chances, but having failed to take them, the home side nicked it with two goals somewhat against the run of play and the win now takes them top of the league.

The journey back to The Tunnel was horrendous, with torrential rain and high winds, along with heavy spray on the motorway, meaning we missed the check in for our 19.50 booking by a few minutes. Not a problem though, as we were scheduled on the next train at 20.20. Unfortunately, this was then re-timed to 20.36, eventually leaving ten minutes late, at 20.46. The poor service is now becoming a regular thing and it isn’t helped when the trains are then running at full capacity, but with most of the toilets out of order. One near us was still in use, but the flush was broken…..it is times like this that I am glad to have no sense of smell !