Essex & Suffolk Border League

Division 1

Saturday 30th August 2025

Kick Off 15.00 Actual 15.03

Clacton Regent 6 Prettygate 5, attendance 27

8’ 0-1 (pen)

11’ 1-1 (pen)

21’ 1-2

30’ 2-2

33’ 3-2

36’ 4-2

39’ 4-3

66’ 4-4

79’ 5-4

85’ 6-4

89’ 6-5 (pen)

@ Clacton Leisure Centre

Vista Road

Clacton-on-Sea

CO15 6DB

No Admission or Programme.

As with Dovercourt, I’d had a prompt reply from the home club confirming kick off time and venue. The game was indeed at Clacton Leisure Centre, but not on the 3G pitch that I assumed it would be on, but on ‘the grass pitch next to the school’ according to the text. It was a thirty minute drive from Dovercourt, arriving here nine minutes before the scheduled kick off, although it kicked off three minutes late, so ample time in the end. There’s a large car park and toilets are available inside the main building. The changing rooms are in the next building, whilst the pitch is through a gate to the right, where there’s a single pitch, running lengthways away from the buildings, with a number of picnic tables dotted around the perimeter.

The pitch was well grassed, but rock hard and in desperate need of some rain. Despite this, the game turned out to be a real cracker. After eleven minutes it was already 1-1, both teams scoring from penalties and it was one of those games that looked liked producing goals with every attack. Prettygate went 1-2 up, but by the half hour mark Regent had levelled at 2-2. Two more in the next six minutes, both down to ‘keeper errors, saw them lead 4-2, but within minutes Prettygate were back in it, heading in from a free kick to see an end to end first half finish 4-3. Midway through the second half the visitors made it 4-4, when a diagonal free kick was finished with a diving header at the far post. With eleven minutes left Regent were back in front, courtesy of a deflected shot that totally wrong footed the ‘keeper. With five minutes left they made it 6-4, with another close range finish and looked to have the game sewn up, but a last minute penalty for Prettygate made for a nervy couple of minutes stoppage time, but Regent held on for the win and with it second place in the league table.

Essex & Suffolk Border League

Division 1

Saturday 30th August 2025

Kick Off 12.30 Actual 12.31

Dovercourt Rovers 3 Gosfield United 3, attendance 18

22’ 1-0

35’ 1-1 (pen)

40’ 1-2

76’ 2-2

84’ 2-3

85’ 3-3

@ Harwich & Dovercourt High School, 3G Pitch

Hall Lane

Dovercourt

CO12 3TG

No Admission or Programme.

I only noticed the change of kick off at about midnight, so an early text message to the home club this morning, with an instant reply, confirmed that both kick off time and venue stated on F.A. Full Time were correct. The reason for the switch was that the council had failed to get their normal home venue at Low Road Playing Fields ready for use in time and the early start was due to there already being a 3 o’clock kick off scheduled here today. I’d left early, so was surprised to queue at the Dartford Crossing for over a mile. Perhaps everyone was making the most of the current toll prices, which will be increased again from Monday. Anyway, I arrived at the ground about an hour before kick off, grabbing the last space in the car park, although street parking was plentiful. It’s a standard cage set up, hidden behind the buildings, with spectator access along three quarters of the near side. There are toilets available, but that’s it as far as facilities go.

The match was 10th versus 2nd in the league table. There was little of note happened until Dovercourt broke the deadlock midway through the first half, when a break down the right finished with an easy side foot finish at the far post. Ten minutes before halftime Gosfield hit the crossbar and from the rebound there was a foul, resulting in a penalty, which levelled the scores. Five minutes later a long throw in wasn’t dealt with and the ball was crossed back in for a shot on the turn to give Gosfield a 1-2 halftime lead. Dovercourt made it 2-2 as we entered the last quarter of an hour, when a ball over the top was smashed past the ‘keeper at the near post. With five minutes left Gosfield went back in front, with a 25 yarder that went straight over the ‘keeper, but their lead only lasted a minute and after a cross from the left came back off the far post, the rebound was put into the bottom corner to make it 3-3.

I could have done without the six minutes of added time in the first half, then another three in the second, but as everyone had stayed out on the pitch at halftime, we were still finished for 14.18. My intended second game was half an hour’s drive from here, so no real need to panic too much…..

Cambridgeshire County League

Senior B Division

Wednesday 27th August 2025

Kick Off 18.15 On Time!

Fordham 2 Stretham 1, attendance 73

27’ 1-0

70’ 2-0

90’ 2-1

@ Fordham Recreation Ground

Church Street

Fordham

CB7 5NJ

No Admission or Programme.

This was the opening fixture of the season for these two. Fordham finished tenth in this division last season, whilst Stretham have been promoted, having finished runner up in Division 1B last season. There wasn’t much between them tonight, with both teams putting in a decent performance, despite the rock hard pitch. The only goal of the first half went to Fordham after twenty seven minutes, when a cross from the right was finished with a cushioned volley at the far post. They doubled their lead with twenty minutes left, when a quick break down the left saw a shot hit the far post, but it was followed in from close range. Stretham pulled a goal back in the last minute, when a high ball into the box was volleyed into the bottom corner.

Home to Fordham is the recreation ground in the centre of the village. There’s also bowling and cricket here, with the football having its own changing room building. The pitch is right in the far corner when looking from the car park. It’s roped along each side and there’s a small covered stand on the far side, painted in the club colours of red and black. Apart from a twenty minute delay queuing at the Dartford Crossing, it was a trouble free journey north. No problems whatsoever on the return, which took under two hours.

Peterborough & District League

Premier Division

Tuesday 26th August 2025

Kick Off 18.30 On Time!

Eye Rangers 0 Netherton United 2, attendance 63

13’ 0-1

67’ 0-2

@ Lindisfarne Recreation Ground

Lindisfarne Road

Eye

PE6 7XH

No Admission or Programme.

Tonight’s game was 12th versus 2nd in the league table, with Eye Rangers picking up one win and one draw from their opening four games, whilst Netherton United had a 100% winning record from their first four games and needed at least a draw here tonight to leapfrog Moulton Harrox at the top of the table, with this being their game in hand on the leaders. It was a decent game, considering the very dry and poor quality pitch. The visitors were ahead after thirteen minutes, when a cross from the left was finished with an easy tap in at the far post. Despite them dominating for long periods, they were unable to add to their early goal and it remained 0-1 at halftime. They went close to grabbing a second goal early in the second half, when a defender scuffed a clearance that bounced twice on the top of the crossbar, before going out for a corner, but did manage to double their lead midway through the half, when a cross from out wide was finished with a cushioned volley, that the ‘keeper got a hand to, but couldn’t keep out. As the game wore on, chances became more frequent, but they were unable to add to their tally.

Home to Eye Rangers is Lindisfarne Recreation Ground. As you enter off Lindisfarne Road there’s a car park to the right, with the changing rooms/toilets to the left. The pitch is ahead, running widthways. It’s railed on the near side and on about half the far side, where there’s also a pair of dugouts. Rather oddly, the rail is set back from the touchline about ten yards on each side.

My journey up to Cambridgeshire, just east of Peterborough, saw me taken via Dartford Crossing, where I lost around fifteen minutes in queuing traffic from near the M2, then via M11 and A1. Coming back was via A1 and M25 past Heathrow, which was about 45 minutes quicker and through the M25 problem areas before the closures began.

Midland League

Division 2

Monday 25th August 2025

Kick Off 15.00 Actual 15.01

Cadbury Athletic 7 Coventry Alvis 0, attendance 171

11’ 1-0

14’ 2-0

27’ 3-0

42’ 4-0

50’ 5-0

77’ 6-0

80’ 7-0

@ Birmingham Moseley R.U.F.C.

Billesley Common

Yardley Wood Road

Billesley

Birmingham

B13 0HN

£5 Admission

£2 Programme available, didn’t bother buying.

Cadbury Athletic’s own ground, in Bourneville, which I’d seen a game at way back in 1993, doesn’t meet the grading requirements for the level they now play at, so they’ve now signed a ground share agreement to play at Birmingham Moseley R.U.F.C. who play in the third tier of the national rugby competitions. Even better, they have use of the stadium itself, rather than some random outside pitch. It was opened in 2005 and has spectator access on all four sides and a very impressive large seated stand, which was useful today, not to shelter from rain, but a very warm sun. There’s ample parking here and both bar and tea bar were open well before kick off. As you’d expect for a Bank Holiday game, on a ground that’s only recently been hosting football, it attracted plenty of ‘hoppers.

The match was 2nd versus 12th (out of 16) in the league table. As a contest it was over well before halftime. Cadbury were ahead after just eleven minutes, following in a half blocked cross from close range and they doubled their lead just three minutes later, when a corner saw a shot on the turn find the bottom corner. A minute later they saw another effort hit the crossbar, but goal number three arrived just before the half hour, poking in from close range after a corner wasn’t cleared and just before halftime they added a fourth goal, breaking down the right and crossing for a near post tap in. The goal of the game came five minutes into the second half, with a lob over the ‘keeper from the angle of the 18 yard box, to make it 5-0, before two goals in quick succession saw them round off a resounding 7-0 win with ten minutes left.

Unusually, especially with it being a Bank Holiday, traffic was very light heading north. Just a four minute delay on the M25 between the M4 and M40 junctions and around five minutes lost around High Wycombe on the M40 heading home.

Welsh F.A. Cup

2nd Qualifying Round

Saturday 23rd August 2025

Kick Off 14.00 Actual 13.58

Glynneath Town 2 Margam Youth Centre 1, attendance 137

8’ 1-0

13’ 2-0

28’ 2-1

@ Glynneath R.U.F.C.

Abernant Park

New Street

Glynneath

SA11 5BD

£5 Admission

No Programme.

I’d already seen Glynneath Town play a home game, back in September 2023, when they lost 2-5 to Afan United in an F.A. Wales Amateur Trophy match, which was played at their normal home ground at the Welfare Park. The attraction of today’s game was that it was being played at the ground of Glynneath R.U.F.C. They’d played here in the last round too, but I was in Scotland at the time, so I certainly wasn’t going to miss out this time. It was only half an hours drive from my hotel, having stopped overnight following last night’s game in Carmarthenshire.

Abernant Park is a cracking ground. There’s a decent seated stand, with the pitch railed on three sides and floodlit. The bar was open and a tea bar operated from a window on the outside of the building. As with most grounds in the valleys, there’s the usual scenic backdrop too. You might even spot a celebrity. Last time I was here, a statue was unveiled in the town of Max Boyce, a singer/comedian from the 1970’s who’s a former president of the rugby club and lives in the house next to the entrance of the ground. Today, I exchanged nods with the man himself, as he was coming out of his house, as I headed back to my car, having taken a few pre match photos of the ground.

The match was Neath & District League Premier Division (Tier 5) versus South Wales Premier League Division 1 West (Tier 6). A diagonal free kick into the box, which wasn’t dealt with by the ‘keeper, was headed in from close range to give Glynneath the lead after just eight minutes. Five minutes later they made it 2-0, when a ball cut back from the left was finished high into the roof of the net from eight yards. Glynneath also saw a 25 yard free kick hit the crossbar, before Margam pulled a goal back after twenty eight minutes, when a free kick was fumbled by the ‘keeper and followed in from close range. Just after the hour mark Margam were down to ten men, having a man sent off for picking up a second yellow card and three minutes later, they were down to nine, when another player received his second yellow card of the match. Oddly, it was the nine men that looked the more likely to get the next goal, having a point blank effort blocked, then heading narrowly wide from the resulting corner and seeing another close range shot saved by the ‘keeper with five minutes left. Glynneath always looked dangerous on the break, but the final pass always let them down and I think they’d have been quite relieved when they heard the final whistle, having endured six minutes of stoppage time, where it was frantic end to end stuff.

SatNav brought me home via the A465 Heads of the Valleys road to Merthyr Tydfil, which is finally fully open, after years of roadworks upgrading it to dual carriageway. Back to Merthyr in no time at all and a clear A470 down to the M4 and no delays whatsoever saw me back home for seven o’clock.

Krislyn Summer Cup Final

Friday 22nd August 2025

Kick Off 18.15 On Time!

Pontlliw 2 Killay 1, attendance 96

2’ 1-0

7’ 2-0

74’ 2-1

@ Loughor Rovers A.F.C.

The Lodge

Alexandra Road

Gorseinon

SA4 4PE

£2 Admission

No Programme.

The Krislyn Summer Cup is contested by eight teams, split into two groups of four, with the top two from each group then advancing to the semi finals. These two qualified from the same group, with Pontlliw then beating cup final hosts Loughor Rovers in their semi and Killay edging out Kingsbridge Colts in theirs. The Lodge ground is at the rear of New Lodge Gorseinon Independent Social Club (which was open throughout), off Alexandra Road, heading west out of Gorseinon towards Loughor. There’s plenty of car parking at the rear of the building, with the pitch running widthways as you enter. A cut away shipping container, with a few ‘school chairs’, acts as a stand, whilst there’s also overhang on the changing room building, giving additional cover. Most of the stand side was roped off, as was the far side, which also has a permanent rail running the width of the centre circle. The left hand goal end was out of bounds, with the pitch sloping up towards the other goal end, which had raised viewing from a grass bank.

Pontlliw got off to a flyer. They were ahead after just two minutes, when a long ball over the top was finished left footed into the far corner. Five minutes later they added a second, this time with a 20 yarder into the bottom corner. Sadly, from a neutral point of view, it was pretty much game over from here. Killay did pull a goal back with sixteen minutes left, with a free kick from just outside the centre circle catching the Pontlliw ‘keeper out and it went in off the underside off the crossbar. They never really looked like grabbing an equaliser, despite having an extra man for what turned out to be seven minutes of added time at the end of the ninety, after Pontlliw had a man sin binned right at the end of regulation time.

I was glad to be doing an overnight stop afterwards, as the journey down to Carmarthenshire was horrendous, due to the Bank Holiday weekend getaway. Having left home at 11 o’clock, I certainly didn’t envisage only arriving at the ground 40 minutes before kick off.

Northamptonshire Combination League

Premier Division

Wednesday 20th August 2025

Kick Off 18.30 Actual 18.33

Medbourne 3 Stewarts & Lloyds Corby 2, attendance 68

59’ 1-0

75’ 1-1 (pen)

78’ 2-1

87’ 3-1

90’ 3-2

@ Medbourne Sports Club

Hallaton Road

Medbourne

LE16 8DR

No Admission or Programme.

Medbourne Sports Club is actually in Leicestershire, despite the club playing in a Northamptonshire league, being some seven miles northeast of Market Harborough. It’s a large multi sport set up that also hosts cricket and tennis. Behind the north goal end is a small car park and the clubhouse/changing rooms, where both bar and tea bar were open, with the pitch running lengthways away from here, parallel to Hallaton Road, which side has a couple of perspex dugouts for the substitutes and a third for spectator use, with hard standing running along this side. The pitch is roped off on all bar the far end, with the cricket pitch overlapping the left hand touchline, with the pitch sloping down towards this side.

Medbourne had finished fifth in this division last season, whilst S&L Corby are newly promoted from Division 1. Both had won their opening games on Saturday and there was little between them tonight, right down to their kit choice! The opening goal didn’t come until just before the hour mark, when a 25 yard free kick, that the ‘keeper should really have saved, saw Medbourne take the lead. With fifteen minutes left S&L equalised with a penalty, but were behind again just three minutes later, when a corner from the left was headed in powerfully from six yards. A diagonal free kick, which was headed back across the box, before another header sent it into the far top corner, saw Medbourne make the points safe with three minutes left. S&L did pull a goal back in the last minute, heading in a right wing cross at the far post, but too late to avoid the defeat.

Apart from the usual M25 queue between the M4 and M40, it was a totally trouble free journey north. The return was also relatively smooth. Apart from two lanes being shut on the M1 around J9-J8, there were no other delays. According to the overhead signs, which began on the M1, the M25 was closed from J11 to J10. It wasn’t, it was just more incompetence from the Highways Agency, once again giving out false information.

Newport & District League

Premier X Division

Tuesday 19th August 2025

Kick Off 18.30 On Time!

Afon Valley 0 Spencer Boys Club 14, attendance 44

13’ 0-1, 16’ 0-2, 27’ 0-3, 39’ 0-4

47’ 0-5, 66’ 0-6, 72’ 0-7, 76’ 0-8, 78’ 0-9, 81’ 0-10, 83’ 0-11, 84’ 0-12, 86’ 0-13, 90’ 0-14

@ Tredegar Park Recreation Ground

Cardiff Road

Maes-Glas

NP20 3AQ

No Admission or Programme.

This wasn’t my intended match tonight. I arrived at my first choice game at Llanyrafon just after five o’clock, but found out about ten minutes later that the game had been postponed. Apparently, it was some problem to do with the away team Mill Street Dynamo. The home club never replied on Twitter about the game and it was still showing on the Cymru App as being on a couple of hours later, but is now shown as an awarded 5-0 home win. Anyway, I headed off to Tredegar Park Recreation Ground, about fifteen minutes drive south west, for another game in the same division.

The ground is to the west of Newport, sandwiched between the A48 and the M4. It’s nothing more than a pitch in a huge park. Parking is immediately inside the entrance, where there’s a brick built changing room building. The pitch is a good 400-500 yards away, beyond mini golf, a skatepark and some tennis courts, with one goal end backing onto a concrete path that runs through the complex and the other end having a cricket pitch with an artificial wicket.

Afon Valley are a newly formed club and on this evidence, may not last too long. This was the opening league game for both clubs and Spencer were relentless, even though they had the game won by halftime, when they were already four goals to the good. The Afon ‘keeper went off injured during the halftime interval and was replaced by an outfield player. At 0-7 the hosts went down to ten men, due to injuries and Spencer totally overwhelmed them, running in another seven goals in the last fourteen minutes. Star of the show for Spencer was Nihad Yousif, who scored a double hattrick and had three assists, with Liam Smith also grabbing a hattrick. From a neutral point of view, it wasn’t a great watch. Afon Valley, to their credit, didn’t give up, but at no time can I recall them even troubling the Spencer ‘keeper.

The journey down to Wales was trouble free. The same can’t be said of the return. The M4 was closed between J13 and J12 and the diversion via Basingstoke wasn’t helped by a section of single lane roadworks on the M3, before the usual M25 closure between J11 and J10 and then a speed restriction from J9 to J8 due to ‘the report of pedestrians’.

North Wales Coast West League

Premier Division

Saturday 16th August 2025

Kick Off 14.30 Actual 14.32

C.P.D. Mynydd Llandegai 0 Cemaes Bay 3, attendance 60

8’ 0-1

25’ 0-2

88’ 0-3

@ Penrhiw

Neuadd Goffa

Mynydd Llandegai

LL57 4LQ

£3 Admission

No Programme.

After stopping overnight in Rhyl, it was an easy drive of around 50 minutes east, to the ground of Mynydd Llandegai (also spelled as ‘Llandygai’ on road signs and on one of the signs at the entrance of the ground). There can’t be too many grounds in Wales that are higher above sea level than this one. It was pretty much uphill all the way from the A5/A55 intersection. It’s certainly one to do in good weather and to say it’s scenic, is not really doing it justice. The ground is fully railed, with a pair of dugouts on the far side. The entrance side has a seated stand and the changing room building, which also housed the tea bar. There was very limited parking, but no problem using the lane outside, which rather surprisingly, had a regular bus service passing, both before and during the match.

The match was 12th versus 10th in the league table. Mynydd Llandegai are currently playing at their highest level ever, but Cemaes Bay have played in the top tier of Welsh football and they were in the League of Wales when I made the trip to Ynys Mon back in December 1995, when they lost 2-4 versus Caernarfon Town in a League Cup group match. Mynydd Llandegai hit the crossbar in the opening 30 seconds of the match, but fell behind after just eight minutes, when a cross from the right wasn’t cleared and was finished with a low shot onto the bottom corner of the net. It was 0-2 after twenty five minutes, when a corner was headed back across the six yard box and headed in unmarked at the far post. The first drinks break of the afternoon was taken before the re-start and the visitors still held their two goal lead by the time the next break was taken midway through the second half. Cemaes Bay saw a shot come back off the inside of the far post with eighteen minutes left, but finally grabbed a third goal in the dying minutes, with an angled shot that went in off the underside of the crossbar.

The game finished at 16.25, but a clear run back, with no roadworks, meant home just after nine.