South Wales Alliance League

Division 2

Sunday 27th August 2017

Kick Off 14.00 Actual 14.03

Cwmbach Royal Stars S.C. 0 Tynte Rovers 1,   attendance 267

2′ 0-1

@ Cwmbach Recreation Ground

Cwmbach Road/Blaenant-y-Groes Road

Cwmbach

CF44 0DY

£3 Admission

£1 Programme (didn’t bother as I won’t buy programmes on ground hops organised by Groundhop UK).

Another nice easy journey of 2.8 miles to the second game of the day. Another dull match, but at least it was nice and sunny and again very scenic.

At the end of this game, the majority of the crowd headed north for the final hop game of the day at Brecon Corinthians. I had visited them back in 1994, when they were in the top division of the Welsh League, so didn’t bother with an extra 50 miles round trip just to see another game.

South Wales Alliance League

Division 1

Sunday 27th August 2017

Kick Off 11.00 Actual 10.58

Penrhiwceiber Constitutional Athletic 0 F.C. Cwmaman 2,  attendance 292

41′ 0-1

47′ 0-2

@ Pentwyn Field

Rheola Street

Penrhiwceiber

CF45 3TE

£3 Admission

£1 Programme (didn’t bother as I won’t buy programmes on ground hops organised by Groundhop UK).

A game with very little between the two teams, won by goals either side of halftime, the second being a superbly struck free kick.

The ground is more or less next door to that of Welsh League side Penrhiwceiber Rangers. The railed off pitch at the ground immediately beyond Rangers ground is where the players get changed, with another two railed pitches being further along a rough dirt track. The nearest of these two is used by Cons.

South Wales Alliance League

Premier Division

Saturday 26th August 2017

Kick Off 18.45 Actual 18.32

Ynyshir Albions 2 Ton & Gelli B.C. 1,  attendance 260

7′ 1-0

11′ 2-0

41′ 2-1

@ Ynyshir Oval

Church Terrace

Ynyshir

CF39 0ET

£ 3 Admission

£1 Programme (didn’t bother as I won’t buy programmes on ground hops organised by Groundhop UK).

This was the furthest distance between grounds for today. Even this was only 4.1 miles, making a total of just 7.8 miles driving between all four matches. It is hard to believe that even the most inept ground hopper couldn’t manage to negotiate this without having their hands held for them, but the fact that 2 coach loads couldn’t, is astonishing !

Once again, a pretty average match, especially in the visitors case. If Ynyshir had converted a penalty just before the break, it may have made for a better second half.

The original kick off time of 18.45 was rumoured to have been brought forward to 18.30, after seeing how the light had faded the night before at Cwm Welfare, which had started at 18.30.

One thing that today tells me, is that 4 games in a day is too many. All the games just blend in to one as the day drags on, which may also be the reason for thinking the games are no that good to watch.

South Wales Alliance League

Division 2

Saturday 26th August 2017

Kick Off 16.00 Actual 15.58

Penrhiwfer 0 Blaenrhondda 2,  attendance 225

40′ 0-1

74′ 0-2

@ Queen Elizabeth II Community Field

Dinas Isaf West

Penrhiwfer

CF40 1XX

£3 Admission

£1 Programme (didn’t bother as I won’t buy programmes on ground hops organised by Groundhop UK).

Another easy drive, this ground being just 2.5 miles from the previous one. Both these clubs have played in the Welsh League in the past, but this is not the same ground that was used during the seasons when Penrhiwfer were members. That ground was replaced by the school at the far end of their new home, although it does house the changing rooms for the new ground.

Sadly, yet another dull match, probably the worst one of the weekend so far. It may have been a different story if the hosts hadn’t missed a penalty just before the hour mark.

South Wales Alliance League

Division 1

Saturday 26th August 2017

Kick Off 13.15 Actual 13.16

Tonyrefail B.G.C. 2 Cefn Cribwr B.C. 3,  attendance 283

5′ 0-1

31′ 0-2

68′ 1-2 (pen)

77′ 1-3

87′ 2-3

@ Tyn-y Bryn Park

Waunrhydd Road

Tonyrefail

CF39 8EW

£3 Admission

£1 Programme (didn’t bother as I won’t buy programmes on ground hops organised by Groundhop UK).

Below : match ticket

It was just 1.2 miles drive to the second match of the day. The changing rooms for the ground are at Tonyrefail Leisure Centre, but the pitch is some 400-500 yards walk across the park at the furthest point away from the building that it could be. The visitors were always in control and despite there being five goals, this wasn’t very good.

South Wales Alliance League

Division 1

Saturday 26th August 2017

Kick Off 10.45 Actual 10.47

Trebanog 4 Garw S.G.B.C. 0,   attendance 265

3′ 1-0

11′ 2-0

53′ 3-0

58′ 4-0

@ The Colliseum

Trebanog Road

Trebanog

CF39 9DT

£3 Admission

£1 Programme, (didn’t bother as I won’t buy programmes on ground hops organised by Groundhop UK).

This was the first of four scheduled games today. The first 15 minutes of each half were good, but the rest of the game was very average.

South Wales Alliance League

Premier Division

Friday 25th August 2017

Kick Off 18.30 Actual 18.29

Cwm Welfare 2 Cardiff Corinthians 3,  attendance 233

6′ 0-1

24′ 1-1

56′ 1-2 (pen)

90′ +2, 1-3

90′ +5, 2-3

@ Mount Pleasant Park

Brynhyfryd

Beddau

CF38 2AT

£3 Admission

£1 Programme (didn’t bother as I won’t  buy programmes on groundhops organised by Groundhop UK).

This match was the first of this years South Wales Groundhop, with another 10 matches to follow over the next three days. On arrival, it is easy to see which is the top sport in this area, as the ground of Beddau R.U.F.C. next door is far more impressive than that of the football club.

Both these teams have played in the Welsh League in the past, Cwm only being relegated at the end of last season. The hosts certainly had enough chances to get something out of this, but, if you don’t take them………

Thames Valley Premier League

Premier Division

Wednesday 23rd August 2017

Kick Off 18.00 Actual 18.03

Marlow United 5 Wokingham & Emmbrook Reserves 1,  attendance 37

2′ 1-0

60′ 1-1

73′ 2-1

76′ 3-1

80′ 4-1

89′ 5-1

@ Loudwater Sports Club

Derehams Lane

Loudwater

High Wycombe

HP10 9RH

No admission or programme.

Marlow United are unable to use their home ground due to the pitch being levelled. Work is due for completion at the end of the year, so they are using the ground here in Loudwater instead.

This was pretty one sided and quite a surprise that Marlow failed to add to their early goal. The equaliser woke them up and once they went back in front, with a goal that looked offside, they ran out easy winners in the end. Once again a very prompt start, which is usually the case in this league, despite having to battle the rush hour traffic and both teams were on the pitch warming up a good twenty minutes before kick off.

Somerset County League

Premier Division

Tuesday 22nd August 2017

Kick Off 18.30 Actual 18.33

Stockwood Wanderers 1 Shirehampton 1,  attendance 40

30′ 0-1

90′ 1-1

@ Stockwood Lane

Stockwood

Bristol

BS14 8SJ

No admission or programme.

These two remain mid table after this one. The Referee struggled to control the game at times and the visitors had a man sent off after 55 minutes for a foul, before going down to 9 men immediately following the Stockwood equaliser when their No.10 called the Referee a cheat.

The ground is right next door to Western League side Bristol Telephones and also fellow Somerset County League team Cutters Friday (were also at home tonight) who have a railed off pitch right behind the Telephone ground. There can’t be much more than 50 yards separating all 3 pitches.

Anglian Combination League

Division 5 North

Saturday 19th August 2017

Kick Off 16.00 Actual 15.59

Thorpe Village 2 Norwich Eagles 5,  attendance 23

21′ 1-0

25′ 1-1

35′ 1-2

48′ 1-3

72′ 2-3

87′ 2-4

88′ 2-5

@ Thorpe Recreation Ground

The Morse Pavilion

Laundry Lane

Thorpe St. Andrew

NR7 0XQ

No admission or programme.

A comfortable eighteen minute drive from the first game. Thorpe Recreation Ground is a large expanse of grass with numerous pitches. When entering from the car park, to the left is the clubhouse/changing room block, with the pitch running widthways, of St. Andrews (game still in progress between St.Andrews and Long Stratton in the Premier Division, which had kicked off at 14.30) whilst in the near right hand corner of the complex, separated by a number of mini pitches, is The Morse Pavilion, home of Thorpe Village, where the pitch runs lengthways away from the building. This is also home to fellow Division 5 North team Dussindale Rovers, who had also been at home today, hence our match kicking off later.

Thorpe Village were relegated from Division 4 last season, whilst Norwich Eagles have been promoted into the Anglian Combination from the Norwich & District League. Despite opening the scoring and getting the goal of the match with a superb volley to pull the score back to 2-3, Thorpe were never going to win this. Eagles should have scored at least a dozen with striker Ebus Onuchukwu being the most wasteful, even if he did score four goals !

Both today’s grounds had a tea bar and the lady doing the duties here informed us (3 other hoppers did the same double) that she has been doing the job for 64 years !