Staffordshire County Senior League

League Challenge Cup 2nd Round

Wednesday 4th October 2017

Kick Off 19.30 Actual 19.31

Leek C.S.O.B. 4 Ashbourne 2,  attendance 24

25’ 1-0

42’ 2-0

60’ 3-0

63’ 3-1

86’ 4-1

88’ 4-2

@ Pointon Park

Felthouse Lane

Cheddleton

ST13 7BP

No Admission or programme.

Until they made the move to Pointon Park, Leek C.S.O.B. (County School Old Boys) played their home matches at Harrison Park, home of Leek Town. It was as long ago as 12th February 1992, when I saw them lose 1-3 to Stafford M.S.H.D. there in a Staffordshire Senior League match.

Leek were always in control of this, but they seemed to be unable to kill the visitors off, even though they won by a two goal margin. Thankfully, the rain arrived an hour later than forecast, and became steadier as the game went on, but the immaculate pitch stood up to it without a problem.

F.A. Cup 3rd Qualifying Round Replay

Tuesday 3rd October 2017

Kick Off 19.45 Actual 19.46

F.C. United of Manchester 1 Stockport County 0,  attendance 1,688

48’ 1-0

@ Broadhurst Park

310 Lightbowne Road

Moston

Manchester

M40 0FJ

£10 Admission

£1.50 Programme, 16 pages.

I was not looking forward to visiting this ground as I am certainly not a fan of anything to do with Manchester United. In fact, apart from going to Old Trafford, this is probably the least appealing place I could think of ever visiting. I had even contemplated never coming at all, or perhaps seeing a neutral match here, so as not to have to ‘suffer’ the experience. In the end, I gave in. At least all my admission money wouldn’t be going towards the club, as being a cup tie, both Stockport and the F.A. would take a cut. Even the programme was cheaper than normal, as it was a smaller issue due to the short notice of producing it.

Once you get past the red, white and black colours of the club and the constant ‘United’ and ‘anti-City ‘songs, from a club formed due to their so called dislike of all things ‘Glazer and Sky’, It is not too bad……not something I would relish again, but at least it is out of the way now and it completes visits to all the grounds at Step 2.

On Saturday, Stockport led 3-0, but somehow let it slip, with the game ending 3-3, giving United a second successive home replay in the F.A. Cup, having beaten Handsworth Parramore in the last round. This game looked to be swinging towards County again when United had a man sent off after 24 minutes and even more so when they received another red card five minutes before the break. Surely United couldn’t hold out for 50 minutes and a further half an hour of extra time, to take their chances in a penalty shoot out, with two players short.

Three minutes into the second half a speculative cross hit the crossbar and the follow up shot was awkwardly tipped over by the ‘keeper. The corner kick was headed down from near the penalty spot and the centre forward flicked the ball into the net from a yard out. Despite being under the cosh, a combination of luck and dogged determination meant they somehow kept the ball out of their goal and hung on for a very unlikely win. They now travel to A.F.C. Telford United in the next round.

Hellenic League

Division 2 East

Saturday 30th September 2017

Kick Off 15.00. On Time

Stokenchurch 3 Long Crendon 1,  attendance 27

23′ 1-0

27′ 2-0

48′ 3-0

86′ 3-1

@ Loop Burrow

Park Lane

Stokenchurch

HP14 3TQ

No admission or programme.

I took the opportunity to visit Stokenchurch for a fixture versus a fellow first team, something that is not easy in the Hellenic League as the lower divisions are crammed with reserve and development teams. In fact, they won’t host another first team until December.

Today was 8th v 5th, although it was only the third league match of the season for the hosts. Long Crendon, who are new into the league this season, had played four games before today. If the visitors had put as much effort in to playing, as they did to moaning constantly at the Referee, then this might have been a more even contest.

Arthurian League

Premier Division

Saturday 30th September 2017

Kick Off 11.00 Actual 11.13

Kings College Wimbledon Old Boys 1 Old Wykehamists 0,  attendance 5

41′ 1-0

@ Southfields Academy, 3G Pitch

333 Merton Road

Wandsworth

SW18 5JU

No admission or programme.

I started off today at a ground I had visited previously on 11th February 2012, when I saw Old Hamptonians 3 Dorking 4, in a Southern Combination Cup match. Today’s game was nowhere near as entertaining. Very few chances and Kings missed a chance to double their lead when they had a penalty saved just before the hour mark.

Independant Schools F.A. Cup 1st Round

Thursday 28th September 2017

Kick Off 14.30 Actual 14.32

A.C.S. Hillingdon 1 Bury Grammar School 1 (AET) 2-4 pens,  attendance 23

34′ 0-1

56′ 1-1

@ Iver Fields Sports Ground

Billet Lane

Iver Heath

SL0 0LT

No Admission

Team Sheet, free.

This was a dreadful game and neither team really deserved to win. A.C.S. (American Community School) missed their first two penalties in the shootout and there was no way back, as Bury scored their first four kicks to win it and they now entertain Harrodian School in the next round.

Spartan South Midlands League

League Challenge Trophy 2nd Round

Wednesday 27th September 2017

Kick Off 19.45 Actual 19.53

Park View 1 Cockfosters 3,  attendance 36

11′ 0-1

26′ 0-2

70′ 1-2

78′ 1-3

@ New River Stadium

New River Sports Centre

White Hart Lane

Wood Green

N22 5QW

No Admission

£2 Programme, 16 pages, 1 blank.

This is yet another stadium that I have previously visited to watch rugby league. On 29th June 2003, I saw London Skolars 6 Workington Town 52, attendance 324, in National League 2. The only change of note since then is that the grass pitch is now a 3G surface, which was probably a good thing tonight as it poured with rain for most of the match, although Park View did have their first home midweek game this season postponed due to a waterlogged pitch, so perhaps not.

Park View have started well in their first season in the Spartan South Midlands League, Division 2, and are unbeaten, winning five of their first six matches, which sees them second in the table. Cockfosters are two divisions higher, so were always favourites to win this.

Another match that kicked off late for no apparent reason, other than the incompetence of the match officials to get started on time and the game didn’t finish until 21.43.

Central Midlands League

Floodlit Cup 1st Round

Tuesday 26th September 2017

Kick Off 19.45  On Time !

Clay Cross Town 7 Askern 2,  attendance 53

15′ 1-0

17′ 2-0

19′ 3-0

22′ 3-1

31′ 4-1

43′ 5-1

48′ 6-1

72′ 6-2

84′ 7-2

@ Mill Lane

Clay Cross

S45 9QF

£3 Admission

£1 Programme, 20 pages.

These two are in CML North, being 2nd v 6th in the league table. Clay Cross have won all five of their opening league fixtures, including a 10-1 thrashing of Askern on the opening day of the season, so this result probably wasn’t too much of a surprise. It should really have been double figures before halftime as Clay Cross were just too quick for Askern to cope with and the woodwork came to their aid three times as well. In all competitions, Clay Cross have now scored 30 goals at home already.

Belgium

National League

Division 3 Amateurs A.C.F.F. ‘B’

Sunday 24th September 2017

Kick Off 15.00 Actual 14.59

R.S.C. Habay-La-Neuve 2 R. Entente Bertrigeoise 0,  attendance 280

19′ 1-0

34′ 2-0

@ Stade E. Mathieu 

Rue Des Carosses

6720 Habay

€8 Admission

No Programme.

Division 3 Amateurs is actually level 5 of the Belgian League. Unusually, the province of Luxembourg has four clubs competing in this division this season, as normally, whoever wins Provincial 1 from here swaps places with the bottom club from the league, which is invariably the champions of the previous season of Luxembourg Provincial 1. These two are joined by R.R.C. Mormont, who broke the mould by serving last season, and R.R.C. Longlier and there are actually two further league clubs from the province, as  R. Excelsior Virton play at level 3 and R. Entente Durbuy at level 4.

Despite only being a few weeks into the season, this was already a relegation battle. Habay, who are competing in the Belgian League for the first time in their history, were second bottom in the league table, without a point, whilst Bertrix were fourth bottom, with 4 points. The game was not great, between two very average teams, although at least Habay are off the mark now.

Horrendous traffic jams on the E411 motorway meant we missed our check in for the 21.50 return on The Tunnel, but problems with trains running late meant we managed to get on the 22.20 instead, although this didn’t leave until 22.46.

At least with this ground now done, all the remaining Belgian League grounds I now have left to visit are less than 300 miles from home !

Midland League

Division 3

Saturday 23rd September 2017

Kick Off 15.00 Actual 15.02

A.F.C. Solihull 2 Central Ajax 2,  attendance 23

33′ 0-1

75′ 1-1 (pen)

84′ 2-1

89′ 2-2

@ Tudor Grange Leisure Centre

Blossomfield Road

Solihull

B91 1NB

No admission or programme*

*Apparently there was a programme done for the game, but the person who does it had left it in his porch at home. At least it makes a change from the usual excuse that the printer broke down/the man who does it is on holiday etc, etc.

There can’t be too many grounds better than this for the level of football it hosts. Today’s game was 15th (second bottom) v 4th. Solihull played really well and it was a shame they couldn’t hold out for the win, but at least this point has lifted them one place up the league table. After the last minute equaliser, there were a couple of punches thrown during the goal celebration, which resulted in a red card for each team.

Northern League

Division 1

Wednesday 20th September 2017

Kick Off 19.45 Actual 19.47

Stockton Town 0 Marske United 3,  attendance 415

10′ 0-1

66′ 0-2

71′ 0-3

@ Bishopton Road West

Stockton-on-Tees

TS19 0QD

£6 Admission

£1 Programme, 16 pages.

I had visited Bishopton Road West to watch Stockton Town when they were members of the Wearside League ( 12th March 2011, 1-2 v Darlington Cleveland Bridge, attendance 20) when they played on a grass pitch about 300-400 yards from the clubhouse. The clubhouse is still in use, but they have now moved to a 3G pitch in another part of the complex. When entering the car park, the new ground is in the near left hand corner, whilst their old pitch, which is still used by youth teams, was through a gate in the far right hand corner of the car park.

Stockton have been a club very much on the rise since my last visit. They won the Wearside League for four consecutive seasons from 2012/13 through to 2015/16, then won Northern League Division 2 following their promotion. Two Wearside League Cups, two Monkwearmouth Charity Cups and the Shipowners Cup were also won during this period.

This season has seen them struggle a bit, losing their first eight matches of the season, but they have got off the mark by winning their last two league fixtures, which currently sees them sitting 19th in the league table (fourth bottom), whilst the visitors were fifth coming into this game. The early goal by Marske settled them down and the victory was very comfortable.

The ground is awful, sadly the case for so many of these ‘functional’ stadiums that are now replacing those that had some individual character. There are too many areas around the pitch where spectators cannot stand and far too many poor sight lines, especially with the number of spare sets of goal frames leaning inside the pitch barrier.

Apparently, tonight set a new record crowd for a Stockton Town league match, although they did better it with an even more impressive 432 for an F.A. Vase tie. The ground, in its current lay out, would not offer great viewing if crowds increase much more on this, although with the team now struggling a bit, the increased numbers may also level off.

Even with a good run, it was still 02.15 when I got home, but at least the Northern League is completed once more.