Saturday 15th July 2017
Kick Off 11.00 Actual 11.01
Andover Town 4 Downton 1, attendance 48
@ Sparsholt College
Westley Lane
Sparsholt
Winchester
SO21 2NF
No admission or programme.
This game, between two teams from the Wessex League, never looked like producing a goal, but after Andover (Premier Division, with Downtown in Division 1) scored after 52 minutes the game opened up and it was 3-1 just eight minutes later. The final goal came five minutes from time.
Wednesday 12th July 2017
Kick Off 19.30 Actual 19.44
Dover Athletic Academy 7 Chipstead 0, attendance 36
@ The Abbey Sports Centre, 3G Pitch
The Abbey School
London Road
Faversham
ME13 8RZ
No admission or programme.
Chipstead finished last season in third place in Division 1 West of the Kent County League. They simply had no answer to the pace of the Dover strikers and were 6-0 down at the break. It was a case of damage limitation in the second half, where they held out until the 82nd minute, but never looked like scoring one themselves.
Tuesday 11th July 2017
Kick Off 19.15 Actual 19.09
Redhill 4 Farleigh Rovers 2, attendance 12
@ Coulsdon Sixth Form College
Placehouse Lane
Coulsdon
CR5 1YA
No admission or programme.
A decent match between these two Combined Counties League teams. A slightly earlier than advertised kick off, but a sensible decision as the game was played in constant rain that got heavier as the game went on and the light was fading towards the end.
Farleigh ahead three minutes in, and despite being pegged back, they edged in front again just before the break to go in 1-2 up. Redhill converted a penalty ten minutes into the second half, before goals on 70 and 82 minutes gave them the win.
Saturday 8th July 2017
Kick Off 13.00 Actual 12.58
Millbridge 0 St. Blazey 3, attendance 30
@ Devenport High School for Boys, 3G Pitch
Paradise Road
Plymouth
PL1 5QP
No admission or programme.
This is the normal home venue of Millbridge, who play in the Premier Division of the Plymouth & West Devon League. The visitors play one step higher, in Division 1 West of the South West Peninsula League.
St. Blazey opened the scoring after 15 minutes, before adding two penalties on 69 and 79 minutes. Millbridge struck the bar twice when it was 0-2.
National League 1
Sunday 25th June 2017
Kick Off 14.30 Actual 14.33
North Wales Crusaders 36 South Wales Ironmen 12, attendance 462
@ Queensway Stadium
Queensway
Wrexham
LL13 8UH
£10 Admission
£2.50 Programme, 30 pages.
This was pretty dire and what you would expect from 4th bottom v 2nd bottom. Ironmen were surprisingly ahead 0-6, pegged back to 6-6, but went in at halftime 6-12 up. In the second half they were absolutely rubbish and never looked remotely like adding any further points.
Queensway Stadium is about as bad a venue you could possibly visit as a spectator. Perhaps that is a factor in why they get such poor crowds, as despite what they claim, the attendance was little more than 300. Both sections of seats are at least 50 yards from the pitch and viewing is also across three jumping pits as well as the running track. There is a small section of open seating on the far side, but they are no longer usable !
I had previously been here for football, on January 28th 2006, when I saw Queens Park 1 Ruthin Town 0 in the Cymru Alliance.
Saturday 24th June 2017
Kick Off 12.00 Actual 12.11
A.F.C. Aldermaston 0 Woodley United 5, attendance 22
@ Everest Community Academy, 3G Pitch
Oxford Way
Sherborne St. John
Basingstoke
RG24 9UP
No admission or programme.
This was played at a neutral venue, which is quite common for many early pre-season games these days. Sadly, another trait that is becoming all too regular, is the habit of playing the game as three thirty minute periods, rather than the proper two forty five minute halves.
As for the game, it was very good. Both teams are from the Hellenic League, the visitors one division higher than the hosts. Goals on 3, 21, 30, 59 and 71 minutes saw the higher level side win comfortably.
National Championship
Wednesday 21st June 2017
Kick Off 20.00. On Time !
Oldham 16 Dewsbury Rams 20, attendance 575
@ Stalybridge Celtic F.C.
Bower Fold
Mottram Road
Stalybridge
SK15 2RT
£15 Admission
£2.50 Programme* From original game that was postponed on 5th March, with a new wrap around cover. Didn’t bother buying something three and a half months out of date !
Bower Fold has been home to Stalybridge Celtic F.C. since 1909 and hosted games in the Football League for two seasons when Celtic were members of the newly formed Third Division North in 1921. I had previously been here to watch football (Stalybridge Celtic 1 Tranmere Rovers 0, Pre Season Friendly) on 11th August 1990, but the ground has undergone a complete transformation since then, including replacing the old wooden main stand. Current capacity is 6,500, of which 1,200 is seated. There was a ‘one off’ Rugby League Challenge Cup tie played here in the 90’s, but it didn’t host rugby league regularly until Oldham moved here in 2016. This now takes the number of venues I have seen Oldham play home matches at to eight, following Watersheddings, Hyde United FC, Oldham Athletic FC, Ashton United FC, Blackpool FC, Whitebank Stadium and Manchester Regional Athletics Arena.
This was 9th v 11th and a vital must win game for both teams. Oldham led 6-0, were pegged back to 6-6, then went in front again to go in at halftime 12-6 up. Dewsbury levelled at 12-12, before two penalties had Oldham back in front at 16-12. In stoppage time, which was mainly due to an Oldham player injury, Dewsbury converted a try under the posts to nick it, before adding a penalty on the final hooter to seal the win.
National League 1
Sunday 18th June 2017
Kick Off 15.00 Actual 15.02
York City Knights 16 Whitehaven 18, attendance 1,084
@ York City F.C.
Bootham Crescent
York
YO30 7AQ
£15 Admission
£2 Programme, 16 pages.
Bootham Crescent is due to become housing, with a move to the brand new Community Stadium rumoured to take place some time next year, although I am not too sure just how far the new stadium has been developed, if at all, so it may survive a little longer. It has been home to York City F.C. since 1932 and the York City Knights since 2016, after they lost their own ground, Huntington Stadium, a couple of years earlier.
Capacity here is 8,256, which is some way short of the record attendance for the ground, when 28,123 witnessed York City versus Huddersfield Town, in an F.A. Cup match in 1938.
I had visited Bootham Crescent previously, for York City 1 Torquay United 1, in a Division 4 match, on 4th November 1989 (attendance 2,496) and had been to the Knights former home, Huntington Stadium, on 17th November 1991, where I saw Ryedale-York 6 Sheffield Eagles 13, in a Regal Trophy 1st Round match.
Today was 4th v 3rd, and was in the balance right to the final minute. York went up 4-0, but Whitehaven edged in front to lead 4-6 at the break. Two converted tries looked to have sealed it for the visitors as they went 4-18 up, but York converted two of their own tries, the first as good as you would see at any level, to pull it back to 16-18. In stoppage time, York missed three penalties, all from inside the Whitehaven half, and all within the width of the posts, which could have seen them get a deserved draw.
National Conference League
RFL Conference Challenge Trophy
Saturday 17th June 2017
Kick Off 14.30 Actual 14.33
East Leeds 18 Leigh East 14, attendance 86
@ Easy Road
Leeds
LS9 8QS
£2 Admission
Team Sheet, free.
These two are both in the NCL Division 2, with the league positions being 1st v 9th. This was a much improved performance by the visitors, as the league match here had finished 36-6.
Leeds went ahead 6-0, but Leigh levelled it up at 6-6 at halftime. Two converted tries put Leeds back ahead at 18-6, but Leigh came back with two tries of their own, but crucially, neither were converted.
League 1
Sunday 11th June 2017
Kick Off 15.00 Actual 15.01
Doncaster 24 Barrow Raiders 24, attendance 563
@ Keepmoat Athletics Stadium
Stadium Way
Lakeside
Doncaster
DN4 5JW
£15 Admission
£2 Programme, 36 pages.
Team Sheet, free.
This was 4th v 2nd, although both dropped a place following this draw. Barrow went 0-10 ahead, reduced to 6-10, but they were further ahead, 6-16 at the break. When they stretched their lead to 12-24, it looked all over, but Doncaster went over for two tries, missing one conversion, to pull it back to 22-24 with a minute left, or so we thought. Fifteen minutes into stoppage time Doncaster kicked a penalty to level it up.
With Keepmoat Stadium undergoing pitch work, it meant this game, plus the next home one, are being played on the Athletics Stadium next door, and another game being played at Featherstone Rovers.
This is the fourth home venue I have now seen Doncaster play on, following Tattersfield (10.1.93), Belle Vue (14.5.00) and Keepmoat Stadium (11.2.07). Oddly, I have seen Doncaster play seven times now, with three of the games finishing as draws. Apart from today, I saw them draw two away games, both 10-10, versus Trafford Borough (2.12.90) and Keighley Cougars (13.10.91).
