A season review (The Last Ever Post)

As I have done ever since I started All Roads Lead Somewhere a brief review of my football watching season will end the proceedings, though this time it will not be a case of "back in July" but thank you and goodnight.


Number of games seen: 59
Number of goals seen: 234
Average number of goals per game: 3.97
Highest number of goals in a game: 11 (Gretton v Welford Victoria)
Number of new venues visited: 39


New teams this season (in league order):


Alliance Football League (Sun): Advance Couriers, Fosse City, Sparta Moshdock
Central Midlands League: Belper United, Clifton, Pinxton
Football / Premier League: Arsenal, Dagenham & Redbridge, Tottenham Hotspur
Grantham & District League: Buckminster United
Hellenic League: Brimscombe & Thrupp
Leicester Sunday League: A.F.C. Sporting Charnwood*, Goscote Spartans, I.Q.R.A.
Leicestershire Senior League: Sileby Saints
Midlands Regional Alliance: Derby Rolls Royce Leisure, Willington
North Leicestershire League: Asfordby Village, Belton Villa, Ferrari, Genesis, Greenhill Y.C.
Northants Combination: Gretton, Roade, Spratton
Northern Premier League: Ossett Town
Peterborough & District League: Castor & Ailsworth, Eye Sports, Ketton, Kings Cliffe United, Netherton United, Oundle Town, Pinchbeck United


* - summer competition. Normally play in the Charnwood Sunday League

Best Game: Sparta Moshdock v Premier Sports Travel (Alliance Football League). A superb advert for Sunday football with Sparta racing into a two goal lead inside ten minutes, only for Premier to peg them back and win it 3-2. 


Worst Game: New York Red Bulls v Paris St. Germain (Emirates Cup) - simply boring.


Best team in relation to level: A tough one as I was especially impressed by three teams I saw this season, but in the end went for Loughborough Students Under-21's  Saw them twice during the season and would happily watch them every week. The way they play the game and their attitude was first class. The other two teams in contention were Allenton United and Greenhill YC.


Worst team in relation to level: Alconbury. Totally outclassed at Pinchbeck United and could have easily conceded more than ten goals.


Favourite ground (professional): Emirates Stadium. Only a choice of three but easily the best stadium I have ever visited. Period.


Favourite ground (non-league): withheld. Most of my new venues have been very basic that have had little or no facilities.


Most picturesque setting: The Meadow (Brimscombe & Thrupp). Views of the southern Cotswolds either side of the ground make this ground a very pleasant place to watch football, especially on a nice sunny day.


Most friendliest club: Spratton (Northants Combination)


Best pitch (non-league): Woodlands Sports & Conference Centre (Castor & Ailsworth FC).


Best programme: Emirates Cup. Did not get many programmes apart from Oadby Town ones, but the one for the Emirates Cup was top quality even though it did cost £5.


Worst programme: Toss up between Blaby & Whetstone Athletic and Ossett Town. Two poor efforts that were not worth their selling price of £1 and £2 respectively.


Best goal: Michael Clarke (Warboys Town @ Ketton). A superb forty yard half volley that sailed over the Ketton goal keeper.


This season has also seen some photos of mine published in a few local newspapers and a monthly publication:


Syston Town News 
October 2011 - photo and report (Greenhill v Victoria) on page 27
May 2012 - photo (Syston Midland Railway) on page 24


Rugby Advertiser
15th December 2011 - two photos (Rugby Town Juniors U-21's) on page 82


Rutland Mercury
20th January 2012 - photo (Eye Sports v Oakham United) on page 117


Rutland Times
19th January 2012 - photo (Eye Sports v Oakham United) on page 34


At the time of writing further photos have been sent to both the Syston Town News and Rutland Mercury. 


And that is it. A final thank you to all the readers, whether regular or one time only over the last five years. I will be back watching football in July taking my camera with me to as many games as possible - details will be on my twitter feed @allroads1

The last games

With the season coming to end yesterday (May 19th) below are photo slideshows of the final four games of the season:


1) Saturday 12th May 2012
Ketton 6-1 Warboys Town
(Peterborough & District League Division 1)


2) Sunday 13th May 2012
AFC Sporting Charnwood 3-1 E.M.R.
(Leicester Sunday League Summer Competition)


3) Tuesday 15th May 2012
Kings Cliffe United 2-1 Moulton Harrox
(Peterborough & District League Premier Division)


4) Saturday 19th May 2012
Netherton United 4-1 Uppingham Town
(Peterborough & District League Premier Division)

Bank holiday weekend games...

Two games over the weekend. Ground and match photos below from:


1) Pinchbeck United 10-0 Alconbury
Peterborough & District League Premier Division


2) Wigston Car Breakers 0-2 Syston Midland Railway
Leicester Sunday League Premier Cup Final 
(@ Hinckley United FC)