Essex & Suffolk Border League

Division 1

Saturday 19th December 2020

Kick Off 14.00 Actual 14.04

Silver End United 1 Hedinghams United 0, attendance 57

43’ 1-0

@ Rear of Village Hall

Broadway

Silver End

CM8 3RQ

No Admission or Programme.

With our area being moved up from Tier 2, and in toTier 3, (from this morning) which were the toughest restrictions of what the Government believe will slow the increase in COVID-19 infections, it meant I had a more limited choice of matches today.

I plumped for what was 3rd versus 14th in the league table. Silver End are newly promoted into the Essex & Suffolk Border League this season. They were in the Mid-Essex League last season, where they were top of the Premier Division, undefeated after 12 matches (10 wins, 2 draws), when the season was brought to an end as the pandemic hit. I am not sure why they have by-passed Divisions 3 and 4, but they are certainly looking worthy of their place in Division 1.

The pitch was soft in places, which was not surprising after the heavy overnight rain, and it could do with the grass being cut. It certainly didn’t help either side, although it didn’t stop both teams creating plenty of chances. Silver End were guilty of wasting the vast majority of them, but at least they managed to convert what turned out to be the winning goal a couple of minutes before halftime. It must have been at least the fourth time a striker was played through with a clear run on goal, but this time the chance was finished with a left footed shot past the ‘keeper. The second goal never came, which meant the visitors were always in with a chance of nicking a point, but the hosts hung on to take all three points, which sees them move up to second place in the table.

Driving home I heard the news that our stay in Tier 3 was only lasting 24 hours and from midnight we would be heading to a newly made up Tier 4. The Government are stumbling along from day to day and seem more clueless with each move they make. If this virus is spreading as fast as they claim, then surely the entire country needs to be in Tier 4, or even a full lockdown if that’s what it takes, although the attempts so far show neither seem to work.

Whatever happens, my football spectating has come to a close as far as 2020 goes. It has been my lowest number of grounds I have visited in a calendar year since 1991. With two shutdowns, which meant five months (Apr-July, plus Nov) where I never got to see a game at all, I have only managed 90 newly visited grounds, spread across England, Wales, Northern Ireland, France, Belgium, The Netherlands, Spain and Portugal.

There is a saying “it can’t get any worse”. Unfortunately, with this Government, it certainly can. Let’s hope they finally make a decision that leads us back to something more ‘normal’ next year….