Bully Bully Bully

Bulwell Town 2-4 Phoenix Sports & Social

Saturday 11th October 2008

Central Midlands League Premier Division

Goosedale Sports Club

I have finally got time to write up my notes from this game a mere three days after the event - not bad for me but this time I have a good reason. I along with my better half attended the wedding of my best man Paul and his now wife Helena at Rowton Castle in Shropshire on the Sunday. I'll admit I have not attended many weddings (only five previously including my own) and the venue they chose was very impressive to say the least as as I am writing this at 4.30pm they will be on their way to Bali for their honeymoon. Anyway back to the football...

There were two reasons in choosing a game (and this one in particular) on Saturday: 1) the wife went to the cinema with her sister and mother and 2) a chance to meet up with Rob Hornby again for the first time since April, which happened to be the day before I started my current job. As with most drives into Nottingham and it's suburbs it was an easy and uneventful one, taking just under an hour to get to the Goosedale Sports Club just outside the northern edge of Bestwood Village. The site plays host (along with football) cricket and hockey with the latter being floodlit. The social club is ahead of you as you enter the complex with the football pitch on your left immediately as you enter. There is no cover for spectators so either go along on a dry day or take a brolly!!!

Bulwell Town were founded in 2001 as an under-age team and this is their first season playing open age football with the reason being of keeping the team together. Despite being the middle of October this is their first home game of the season. Their opponents today, Phoenix Sports & Social come from the Brinsworth area of Rotherham and are currently in their second season in the Central Midlands League. At the start of play both teams had only recorded one win and scored three goals each - not a good prospect for a high scoring game! Alas thankfully this was proved wrong.

A fairly even first half occurred with the sides sharing for goals. First to strike were the home side when their number 7 scored a cracking free kick on 18 minutes. Two minutes later and it was all square when the visiting number 10 headed home from another free kick. Phoenix then went in front on 29 minutes - can't tell you who scored and also can't remember anything about the goal. Doh! On the stroke of half time Bulwell were given a chance to equalise when they were awarded a penalty and their number 9 duly made it 2-2. The second half saw the visitors experience tell as they had the better of the proceedings scoring two further goals and also had two chances cleared off the line. The first goal to make it 3-2 came on the hour mark when their number 10 volleyed home after a cross from the right hand side, and they made the game safe fourteen minutes later when their number ? scored direct from a free kick. The game became a bit niggly and threatened to boil over on a couple of occasions but thankfully it did not generate more than a few yellow cards and Phoenix ran out comfortable winners in the end. A crowd of around 38 saw the game with, I would guess at least half being groundhoppers.

Google maps driving time / distance: 54 minutes & 39.2 miles

Wonderful Witney?

Witney United 1-0 Hook Norton

Tuesday 30th September 2008

Hellenic League Premier Division

Marriotts Stadium

The Hellenic League is one of these leagues that I seldom frequent with only five clubs visited in ten years of watching non-league football. Of the five clubs there have been contrasting fortunes:

Yate Town - now playing in the Southern League
Slimbridge - dropped down to the Gloucestershire Northern Senior League, now playing in the Gloucestershire County League
Shortwood United - still playing in the Hellenic League Premier Division
Chipping Norton Town - folded
Old Woodstock Town - promoted to the Premier Division and groundsharing @ Abingdon Town.

The day saw me leave Leicester around lunch time and make my way to Cheltenham to visit a friend who I hadn't seen since December last year. The journey I took was uneventful skirting round Coventry, Warwick, Stratford and Evesham before reaching my destination in the west of the town. After catching up we made or way to Witney and arrived in the town at around 6pm. I had made a plan to get some ale (one that can only be bought in branches of Tesco or Threshers in Oxfordshire and Berkshire) but found that a local branch of the latter shut early due to staff shortages. Not to be deterred we had lunch in one of the local hostileries before heading to the ground around 7pm. The Marriotts Stadium is on the west of the town on Downs Way and on entering the car park you are met with the main stand in front you which also houses the changing rooms, bar and catering facilities. Entrance was £5 with a further £1 for an excellent programme. Just as we entered the ground we were asked if wanted to have a look in the club shop and from which a badge was purchased for £3 while the remainder of time before kick-off was spent chatting to the chap that runs it. The ground also has standing cover on two other sides - behind the goal on the left hand side and opposite the main stand.

Before the start of play Witney occupied 4th place on 18 points with nine games played while Hook Norton were 1 point and 1 place below them so a close game seemed to be the order of the day. What followed was a very entertaining game with chances aplenty created and missed from both sides with Witney being particularly guilty. I must add that good goalkeeping from the visiting keeper helped keep the game goalless at half time. The second half continued with Witney playing some excellent football but as in the first half creating and missing chances. The deadlock game on 77 minutes when Gary Wickens headed home for Witney United from a right wing cross - my run of games without a nil-nil continues. (Easter Monday 2006 and 81 games). Witney could and should have had a couple of more goals in the final ten minutes but as with the rest of the game poor finishing was the order of the day.

Final score: 1-0

A game, venue and club I enjoyed visiting. We were back in Cheltenham for around 10.20pm ready for the Champions League highlights. The following morning saw me set of for home at around 8am, taking the scenic route home through the western Cotswolds heading north towards Broadway and then Stratford, before getting home around 10am.

http://www.witneyunited.co.uk/

http://www.hooky.springalldesign.com/

Google maps driving time / distance:

(direct from home) 76.3 miles / 1 hour 47 minutes

(via Cheltenham) 118 miles / 2 hours 23 minutes