Gloucestershire Northern Senior League

Reg Davis Memorial Cup

Quarter Final

Wednesday 16th August 2017

Kick Off 18.30. On Time !

Charlton Rovers 1 F.C. Barometrics 0,  attendance 35

79′ 1-0

@ Balcarras School Sports Centre

Balcarras Road

off East End Road

Charlton Kings

GL53 8QF

No admission or programme.

It was a bit of a mystery how it took so long for us to see a goal as this could quite easily have been 5-5. A couple of clearances off the line and both teams had efforts that hit the woodwork. Charlton will be playing three times in four days, as they have a cup final on Friday, followed by a league fixture on Saturday, which is ridiculous at this early stage of the season. They now meet Welland in the Semi-final of this competition.

Cambridgeshire County League

Premier Division

Tuesday 15th August 2017

Kick Off 18.15 Actual 18.21

Hemingfords United 1 Brampton 3,  attendance 58

7′ 1-0

8′ 1-1

22′ 1-2

40′ 1-3

@ Peace Memorial Playing Field

Manor Road

Hemingford Grey

PE28 9BX

No admission or programme.

This wasn’t my intended game for tonight. I had originally turned up at Sawtry, of the Peterborough & District League. On arrival at 17.45 all the players were there, but the gate to the ground was locked. Five minutes later someone arrived with a key and it was all systems go, or so I thought. It soon became apparent that there were no goal nets or corner flags on the main pitch, but even worse, it was not even marked out. I enquired what was happening and was told they were going to have a look at a pitch at the far end of the field to see if it was in good enough condition to play the game on (it must have been as the result was 1-3), but I didn’t bother hanging around and headed off to a match in a far better run league.

It was a 13 minute drive via the A1 and A14 to my alternative match, in a league which rarely disappoints, for what was the season opener for these two teams. It was a cracking first half and Brampton strolled to victory once they got their third goal.

Somerset County League

Premier Division

Saturday 12th August 2017

Kick Off 15.00 Actual 15.02

Clutton 2 Shirehampton 2,  attendance 35

25′ 0-1

62′ 1-1 (pen)

83′ 2-1

86′ 2-2

@ Warwick Fields

Upper Bristol Road (behind Warwick Arms PH)

Clutton

BS39 5TA

£2 Admission, including programme, 8 pages.

This wasn’t my intended destination today. I was actually heading into Wales to watch A.F.C. Llwydcoed, but despite my SatNav saying I would arrive there 90 minutes before kick off when I left home, traffic was getting worse by the minute. By the time I reached Junction 17 of the M4, the arrival time was now estimated at just 20 minutes before kick off, so I put Plan B into action, rather than continue on, which would cut my options down if the predicted delays still ahead worsened.

Clutton had won Division 1 East last season, whilst Shirehampton had finished second in the Premier Division. I thought the visitors were the better of two very good teams and having had a man sent off for the foul that resulted in the penalty equaliser for Clutton, they did well to get a draw having fallen behind to a controversial goal. The Referee had blown his whistle for a penalty, following a handball, but as the ball dropped in the box it was smashed into the roof of the net. He then changed his mind and awarded the goal instead, which, quite rightly, didn’t go down too well with the visitors.

Gloucestershire Northern Senior League

Reg Davis Memorial Cup

2nd Round

Wednesday 9th August 2017

Kick Off 18.30 Actual 18.34

Welland 2 Whaddon United 1,  attendance 20

76′ 1-0

89′ 1-1

90′ + 2, 2-1

@ The Hill Community Centre

Milestone Road

Tunnel Hill

Upton upon Severn

WR8 0EN

No admission or programme.

Welland were only promoted into the GNSL from the Cheltenham League a couple of weeks ago, replacing Southside Star who dropped out. It has meant a move from their village home due to the pitch there not meeting the minimum dimensions for the step up and even the pitch here at their new home required an increase of 10 yards in length. The move here means they share the ground with Upton Town of the Cheltenham League.

Both sides were very evenly matched and it looked like a certain 0-0, especially after the visitors had a well struck penalty saved on 38 minutes. Welland finally broke the deadlock with a quarter of an hour to go, but a last minute equaliser looked to be sending the match to penalties (no extra time in this competition) before he hosts conjured up a winner in stoppage time to take their place in next weeks Quarter Finals.

Stratford-Upon-Avon Alliance League

Statford Hospital Cup

2nd Round

Tuesday 8th August 2017

Kick Off 18.30 Actual 18.24

F.C. Wickhamford 1 Shipston Excelsior Reserves 2,  attendance 30

6′ 0-1

15′ 1-1

68′ 1-2

@ Wickhamford Sports Club

Sally Close

Wickhamford

WR11 7RX

No admission or programme.

The visitors were well worth the win and could have won more comfortably had the Referee not changed his mind after first awarding them a penalty, before re-considering and instead giving a free kick on the edge of the box, which was not converted. Minutes later he disallowed a goal for offside, which from our position looked to be the wrong decision. Wickhamford ended the match a man short following a red card for a bad tackle on 81 minutes.

Central Midlands League

South Division

Saturday 5th August 2017

Kick Off 15.00 Actual 15.04

Hilton Harriers 5 Teversal Reserves 1,  attendance 56

21′ 0-1

45′ 1-1

55′ 2-1

68′ 3-1

73′ 4-1

77′ 5-1

@ The Mease Pavilion

The Mease

Hilton

DE65 5LS

No Admission

£2 Programme, 12 pages.

This was the first match Hilton Harriers have played in their new league, having moved from the Staffordshire County Senior League this season. They were being outplayed in all areas, but as soon as they equalised, the Teversal players seemed to drop their heads and it became pretty much one way traffic in the second half and the visitors were lucky to only concede five. Hilton also blasted a late penalty over the bar.

Belgium

West Vlaanderen Provincial Cup

Group B

Wednesday 2nd August 2017

Kick Off 19.00 Actual 19.02

K.V.C.S.V. Oostkamp 1 K. Zwevegem Sport 3,  attendance 57

7′ 0-1

51′ 1-1

53′ 1-2

90′ 1-3

@ Albrecht Rodenbachstraat

Domein ‘De Valkaart’

8020 Oostkamp

No admission*

Team Sheet, free.

This was Provincial 1 versus Provincial 2 and all very low key. The pay box at the ground entrance remained closed throughout and it was a bit of a surprise that no one came round to collect any money during the match, which can often be the case when there is a lower than normal crowd (there was a much bigger crowd for the youth match that was played on the same pitch beforehand). Anyway, it saved us €8, which was the advertised price on the gate.

Zwevegem were the better side throughout and always looked in control, despite only sealing the win in the last minute.

The Tunnel was once again suffering with high volumes of traffic on the way out, resulting in a 30 minute delay, They still hadn’t sorted things by the time we returned at 2200 (only 1 hour 9 minutes drive from Oostkamp) for our booked 2250 return, which meant a re-timed schedule and so we made it onto an earlier train which was running late, departing at 2225. This meant very little waiting time in Calais and back home for 2310 !

Pre Season Friendly

Tuesday 1st August 2017

Kick Off 19.30 Actual 19.49

Kings Hill 2 Kent Football United 2,  attendance 9

29′ 1-0

39′ 1-1

57′ 2-1

83′ 2-2

@ Kings Hill Sports Park, 3G Pitch

200 Beacons Avenue

Kings Hill

ME19 4QP

No admission or programme.

Kings Hill play in the Kent County League Division 1 Central and East. The visitors play two levels higher, in Southern Counties East League Division 1. Kings Hill don’t start their competitive fixtures for another three weeks, with KFU playing their opening league match this weekend, so it was a surprise that they had to come from behind twice, considering they should be more or less up to full fitness with their season opener just days away.

Peterborough & District League

Premier Division

Sunday 30th July 2017

Kick Off 14.00  Actual 14.02

Leverington Sports 2 Peterborough I.C.A. Sports 0,  attendance 304

52′ 1-0

90′ 2-0

@ Leverington Sports & Social Club

Church Road

Leverington

PE13 5DE

£4 Admission, including programme, 8 pages.

Another trip to The Fens, today’s game being just outside Wisbech. Sadly, another really poor match and the lack of quality in the three games watched in this league over the weekend do not reflect at all well on the league, especially as two of the matches were in the top division.

Peterborough & District League

Division 2

Saturday 29th July 2017

Kick Off 16.30 Actual 16.34

Spalding Town 2 Wisbech St. Mary Saints 1,   attendance 240

18′ 1-0

40′ 1-1

90′ 2-1

@ Pinchbeck United F.C.

Knight Street

Pinchbeck

PE11 3RB

??? Admission

£1 Programme (didn’t bother)

So, just six miles from the last game and on to the ground of Pinchbeck United, last seasons Peterborough & District League Premier Division champions. This very basic recreation ground would never meet the ground grading for the Step 6 United Counties League, which Pinchbeck have been promoted into, so they have moved to groundshare with Spalding United, which in turn, has enabled Spalding Town to move in here.

No idea how much the admission was here, as no one was interested in taking money, so the admission was as if it was any other league match……nothing !

With this being two levels lower than the last game, I wasn’t expecting much quality……and wasn’t disappointed….it was rubbish.