Belgium

Luxembourg Provincial 2A

Saturday 11th November 2017

Kick Off 20.00 Actual 20.04

R.Jeunesse Freylangeoise 5 R. Etoile Sportive Aubange 1,  attendance 58

22’ 1-0

32’ 2-0

41’ 2-1

71’ 3-1

83’ 4-1

90’ + 2, 5-1

@ Chemin Du Jungenbusch

6700 Arlon

€5 Admission

No Programme.

Despite having rained for most of the day, it did eventually stop around 5pm. The pitch here was no problem at all, even though there were a couple of very small puddles in one corner. Freylange are top of the league table, having won 9 and drawn 1, of their opening ten matches before tonight and look a good bet to make an immediate return back up to Provincial 1, having been relegated last season. Aubange, who were 10th, put up a good fight and were far better than the score line suggests and were easily the better side for large spells of the middle part of the match.

Germany

Oberliga Rheinland-Pfalz/Saar

Saturday 11th November 2017

Kick Off 14.30 Actual 14.35

S.V. Saar 05 Saarbrucken 1 F.S.V. Viktoria Jagersburg 3,  attendance 112

10’ 0-1 (pen)

17’ 1-1

72’ 1-2

75’ 1-3

@ Stadion Kieselhumes, 3G Pitch

Am Kieselhumes

66121 Saarbrucken

€7 Admission

Programme, free, 32 pages.

As we had booked this trip some time ahead, we were not sure what options we would have for our Saturday afternoon fix. Only one fixture came up in Belgium, but I had already been there. The National League fixtures for Luxembourg offered us nothing at all, so it was a choice between heading north into The Netherlands, or the far easier option, considering where we were based on Friday evening, of nipping across in to Germany.

I am certainly not a great fan of German football, as I find the football very boring and have enjoyed very few of the games I have attended here. Also, on too many occasions, I have arrived at the very impressive stadium, only to find that the game is being played on a feature less synthetic pitch elsewhere in the complex. Sadly, this was another one to add to the list. The main stadium has a large seated stand and a full length open terrace opposite, whilst the 3G is just a pitch with a couple of raised steps along one side and no facilities whatsoever.

The excuse for not using the main stadium was that it had rained all morning, but the pitch was certainly not soft when walking on it. It is remarkable that a country of such standing, in football terms, can just switch games to a back pitch at level 5. I can’t imagine it would happen at a Football Conference match in England, although, I suppose, the game would be called off at the drop of a hat here, where at least you still get to see the match in Germany. Then again, it would be hard to imagine any club in the Conference only getting 112 spectators !

Saar are bottom of the league, whilst the visitors are eighth. It was a poor first half, but reasonable second. Saar had enough chances to win this, but Jagersburg scored with their first two decent chances of the second half, and that was game over.

From here, it was around 1 hour 20 minutes drive to our overnight stop, back in Arlon, Belgium, then another 5 miles to our evening match.

Belgium

Luxembourg Provincial 3E

Friday 10th November 2017

Kick Off 20.30 Actual 20.29

R. Sporting Club Rendeux 1 F.C. Petit-Han 4,  attendance 53

15’ 0-1

48’ 0-2

55’ 0-3

61’ 1-3

90’ 1-4

@ Rue De Hotton 64A

6987 Rendeux

€5 Admission

No Programme.

This was game 1 of a long weekend that would take in matches in Belgium and Germany. The only minor problem tonight was that the first choice match for the driver was a ground that I had already visited, so I was being dropped here, whilst the others continued to their match. At least the rain that had been falling for most of the afternoon had stopped, so it was a dry walk of fifteen minutes to the ground from our hotel.

It was 8th v 4th in the league table, with Petit-Han dominating throughout, the win lifting them to second in the table, at least until the other weekend fixtures were completed. Rendeux finished the match with ten men, when their captain was dismissed in stoppage time, for a ‘last man’ foul.

British Universities & Colleges Sports

South Eastern 4D

Wednesday 8th November 2017

Kick Off 14.00 Actual 14.01

Goldsmiths University London 4 Anglia Ruskin University 4th (Chelmsford) 2,  attendance 1

17’ 1-0

23’ 1-1

46’ 1-2

83’ 2-2

90’ + 1, 3-2

90’ + 7, 4-2

@ Loring Hall Sports Ground

Water Lane

Sidcup

DA14 5EJ

No Admission or Programme.

Well, it had to happen one day. For the first time ever, I was the only spectator !

The match was bottom v second bottom in the league table, with neither side having won a match yet. The visitors are part of Anglia Ruskin University (Cambridge), who are listed as having the 1st, 2nd and 3rd teams. Rather oddly, the two teams run from the campus in Chelmsford are listed as the 4th and 5th teams, when in reality they are the 1st and 2nd teams, as all other Universities in the BUCS leagues are listed by their location, rather than which establishment they are governed by.

Anyway, as for the match, it was very entertaining considering the level. Ruskin took the lead early in the second half, then for some reason decided to try and hold what they had. They nearly managed it, but totally lost it when they conceded the equaliser with seven minutes left. There were a few scuffles and then when Goldsmiths took the lead in stoppage time, all hell broke loose. There were at least 4 fights, Ruskin had a man sent off for punching the Goldsmiths Coach and somehow the Referee managed to get the game going again and played a further eight minutes of added time, in which Goldsmiths added a fourth goal. At the final whistle there was more fighting as a number of the away team attacked the Goldsmiths Coach once more, but he managed to run to the changing rooms in an effort to calm the situation and avoid any further attacks, leaving the Referee and Ruskin Coach to try and sort it all out.

Leicestershire Senior League

League Cup 2nd Round

Tuesday 7th November 2017

Kick Off 19.30 Actual 19.29

Caterpillar 0 Anstey Town 2,  attendance 18

40’ 0-1

60’ 0-2

@ Caterpillar Sports & Social Club

Peckleton Lane

Desford

LE9 9JU

No Admission or Programme.

I never visited Caterpillar during their first spell in the Leicestershire Senior League, as they unexpectedly dropped out of the league at the end of the season. After a few years playing in the North Leicestershire League, they are now back in senior football.

The club had tweeted that the game was definitely on and club officials couldn’t recall a game being off due to waterlogging, which was good news, as it rained most of the day and only stopped a few minutes into the second half, but the pitch stood up to it without any problems.

Both these teams are in Division 1 of the L.S.L. (3rd v 13th) so the result was rather unexpected, but totally deserved. Caterpillar created very little, whilst the visitors could have added a couple more goals to the two that won it for them.

Staffordshire County Senior League

Division 1

Monday 6th November 2017

Kick Off 19.30 Actual 19.34

Keele University 4 Walsall Phoenix Reserves 1,  attendance 28

28’ 1-0

39’ 2-0

60’ 3-0

79’ 3-1

89’ 4-1

@ Keele University Sports Centre, 3G Pitch

Keele University

ST5 5BD

No Admission or Programme.

I had seen a game at Keele University before (Port Vale 1 Stoke City 1, in a Midland Youth Alliance match on 10th October 1992) but that was played on a grass pitch, in a different part of the University Campus. On a Saturday, Keele play their matches on a railed off grass pitch inside an athletics track, which is behind one end of the 3G cage, running the opposite way, so this was a good opportunity to do a game on the less frequently used synthetic pitch. It was not a ‘normal’ caged pitch as there was a small seated stand and also proper dugouts on the opposite side.

It took a while for Keele to make the breakthrough, but once they edged in front it was a comfortable win.

Belgium

National League

Division 2 Amateurs V.F.V. A

Sunday 5th November 2017

Kick Off 14.30  On Time.

K.Sint-Eloois-Winkel Sport 3 V.K. Westhoek 1,  attendance 273

32’ 1-0

44’ 2-0

67’ 3-0 (pen)

79’ 3-1 (pen)

@ Ter Schuerenpark

Vlaschaardlaan 89

8880 Ledegem

€10 Admission (although no one in the pay box at 13.20 so not charged)

Team Sheet, free.

This was the second nearest Belgian League Ground for me from home, being just 150 miles drive each way. It was 7th v 5th, the visitors being quite local,  a merged club of K.V.K. Ieper and B.S. Poperinge, playing at the home of the former.

It was a bit of a slow burner and Westhoek only seemed to be interested when it was too late to do anything about it. Winkel certainly deserved the win and have stopped places with the visitors in the league table following this win.

We were booked on the 19.20 return, but were offered an earlier service at 19.06 when we arrived at check in. However, once through to the loading area, it became apparent that there was no 19.06 train and we actually failed to leave until 19.28 ! One day Eurotunnel might get the hang of running to a timetable, but after 20 years of practice they are far from achieving this.

Southern Combination League

Division 2

Saturday 4th November 2017

Kick Off 14.00 Actual 13.58

Jarvis Brook 1 Upper Beeding 0,  attendance 26

38’ 1-0

@ Limekiln Playing Fields

Palesgate Lane

Crowborough

TN6 3HG

No Admission or Programme.

I had visited this venue previously, back on 5th May 2008, when I saw Jarvis Brook 1 Old Varndeanians 1, in a Mid Sussex League, Premier Division match. That day, the match was played on the nearest of two pitches that are behind the hedge that runs behind the goal at the bottom end of the current ground.

The club have now railed off the pitch next to the clubhouse, which is far better situated, but does have a slope from end to end and the pitch drops away towards the side where the dugouts are. The club tweeted that the pitch had passed an inspection just after 11 o’clock, following early morning rain, and with no further rain forecast, it was game on.

It was a very tight game, perhaps expected, being 2nd v 5th in the league table, but the result could have gone either way. The team attacking down the slope were always on top, with the hosts managing to nick it with a cracking shot into the top corner from just inside the 18 yard box.

Belgium

Liege Provincial 2A

Wednesday 1st November 2017

Kick Off 17.30 Actual 17.34

R. Entente Hesbignonne Braives 5 R. Couthuin Sports 1,  attendance 153

10’ 1-0

12’ 2-0

21’ 3-0

24’ 3-1

29’ 4-1

52’ 5-1

@ Rue de Brivioulle

4260 Braives

No Admission * or Programme.

This fixture was a late change from the standard afternoon kick off time. We only spotted it on Tuesday afternoon and a quick look at the map told us it would give us a nice easy double. It was less than 50 minutes drive from Warsage and a diversion of less than 10 miles off our route home, so perfect.

*There is no pay gate at the entrance, but when grounds are like this, they normally come round during the match to collect the admission money, but I never saw this happen.

Braives are top of the league, having won 9 of their first 10 league games before tonight, whilst Couthuin were 8th. The game was over as a contest after 20 minutes, although the visitors did score the goal of the game, a 25 yard overhead kick following a challenge with the ‘keeper just outside the box.

It was a long day out, but worth it to get two games in. We had left on the 07.50 from Folkestone and having had a good run back to Calais, managed to get the 22.19 return, rather than the 22.50 we were booked on. Unfortunately, the M20 was closed on the way home, meaning a large portion of the gained time was lost with a diversion through Maidstone Town Centre.

Belgium

Liege Provincial 1

Wednesday 1st November 2017

Kick Off 14.30 Actual 14.32

F.C. Warsage 0 Union Clubs Espagnols Liège 3,  attendance 121

31’ 0-1

57’ 0-2

64’ 0-3

@ Stade Roger Claessen

Rue Thier Saive (entrance via Crucifix Bouillon)

4608 Dalhem

€6 Admission

No Programme.

Today was All Saints Day, which meant that some provinces of Belgium would be scheduling fixtures. Even better, they would be afternoon kick offs.

It was 14th v 9th in the league table, with both these clubs being promoted into Provincial 1 for this season. From the off, there only looked like being one winner here, which is how it turned out. Warsage only looked like scoring when it was 0-3, but their good spell never lasted long enough to give them hope of an unexpected comeback.

The ground is named after Roger Claessen, who was born in Warsage and voted the all time greatest player ever to represent R. Standard Liège, in a poll of their supporters. The pitch here has a huge end to end slope and is lacking in any cover if it rains. On the right, when approaching the ground entrance, there is a railed off 3G pitch, with floodlights, but perhaps more crucially, a small section of covered terrace. It wouldn’t be a great surprise if Warsage move their first team fixtures onto this pitch at some time in the future.