Completing the UCL

OLNEY TOWN 3-2 OADBY TOWN
Saturday 4th May 2013
United Counties League Division 1
East Street, Olney, Buckinghamshire

As the title of the post says, visiting Olney Town Football Club's East Street ground will mean that I have seen a game of football at every one of the current 39 grounds in the United Counties League (UCL). 

The full list in chronological order is as follows:

1) 24/08/97 The Dovecote
Shepshed Dynamo v Wisbech Town (2-2) Southern League Midland Division

2) 17/01/98 Wigston Road
Oadby Town v Tooting & Mitcham United (2-2 aet) FA Vase 4th Round

3) 07/02/98 Lincoln Road
Mirrlees Blackstone v Desborough Town (1-1) United Counties League Premier Division

4) 18/04/98 Waterworks Field
Desborough Town v Long Buckby (1-3) United Counties League Premier Division

5) 23/01/99 Farley Way
Quorn v Oadby Town (1-4) Leicestershire Senior League Premier Division

6) 16/02/99 Abbey Lawn
Bourne Town v Spalding United (0-5) United Counties League Premier Division

7) 23/03/99 Kingsthorpe Mill
Northampton Spencer v Ford Sports Daventry (1-1) United Counties League Premier Division

8) 05/04/99 Compton Park
Cogenhoe United v Wellingborough Town (2-0) United Counties League Premier Division

9) 05/04/99 Kiln Park
Raunds Town v Baldock Town (1-1) Southern League Southern Division

10) 29/09/99 Bird's Close
Bugbrooke St. Michaels 1-2 Ford Sports Daventry (1-2) United Counties League Premier Division

11) 27/12/99 Sergeant's Lawn
Rothwell Corinthians v Cottingham (0-6) United Counties League Division 1

12) 24/04/00 Fernie Fields
Northampton Vanaid v Wellingborough Whitworths (2-2) United Counties League Division 1

13) 01/05/00 The Hillgrounds
Kempston Rovers v Bourne Town (3-0) United Counties League Premier Division

14) 14/10/00 Sir Halley Stewart Field
Spalding United v Wisbech Town (1-1) Southern League Eastern Division

15) 19/05/01 Dickens Road
Harrowby United v Northampton O.N. Chenecks (3-4) United Counties League Division 1

16) 17/09/02 Recreation Ground
Stewarts & Lloyds Corby v Holbeach United (2-0) United Counties League Premier Division

17) 23/07/03 Station Road
Long Buckby v Cottingham (1-3) Pre-season Friendly

18) 20/12/03 Leading Drove
Yaxley v Raunds Town (6-3) United Counties League Premier Division

19) 08/05/04 Outgang Road
Deeping Rangers v Northampton Spencer (2-5) United Counties League Premier Division

20) 26/03/05 London Road
Wellingborough Whitworths v Irchester United (1-0) United Counties League Division 1

21) 24/09/05 Carters Park
Holbeach United v Newport Pagnell Town (Aban) United Counties League Premier Division

22) 08/10/05 Billing Road Sports Ground
Northampton O.N. Chenecks v Irchester United (2-1) United Counties League Division 1

23) 08/10/05 Jubilee Park
Huntingdon Town v Rothwell Corinthians (3-1) United Counties League Division 1

24) 24/12/05 Alfred Street
Irchester United v Blisworth (0-0) United Counties League Division 1

25) 26/12/05 The Hollow
Potton United v Stotfold (1-0) United Counties League Premier Division

26) 17/04/06 Chestnut Avenue
Peterborough Northern Star v Sleaford Town (1-2) United Counties League Division 1

27) 07/10/06 Weston Park
Wootton Blue Cross v Stotfold (5-0) United Counties League Premier Division

28) 04/11/06 Chancery Lane
Thrapston Town v Daventry Town (2-2) United Counties League Division 1

29) 27/03/07 The Dog & Duck Ground
Wellingborough Town 2004 v St. Neots Town (1-0) United Counties League Premier Division

30) 21/04/07 Latimer Park
Burton Park Wanderers v Olney Town (1-1) United Counties League Division 1

31) 05/05/07 Hayden Road
Rushden Rangers v Moulton (4-3) Northants Combination Premier Division

32) 10/11/07 Willen Road
Newport Pagnell Town v Yaxley (2-0) United Counties League Premier Division

33) 15/03/08 Westwood Road
St. Ives Town v Stotfold (0-1) United Counties League Premier Division

34) 15/09/09 Eslaforde Park
Sleaford Town v Matlock Town (1-2) FA Cup 1st Qualifying Round Replay

35) 23/10/10 Tattershall Road
Boston Town v St. Neots Town (0-5) United Counties League Premier Division

36) 12/02/11 Bowden's Park
Harborough Town v Bourne Town (2-1) United Counties League Division 1

37) 08/12/12 Alfred Hall Memorial Ground
Eynesbury Rovers v Oadby Town (0-1) United Counties League Division 1

38) 06/04/13 The Irish Centre
Buckingham Town v Oadby Town (0-3) United Counties League Division 1 

About Olney Town FC
The club were formed in 1903 and until they joined the United Counties League (UCL) in 1964, they fluctuated between the North Bucks League and the South East Northants League (which became known as the Rushden & District League). Since joining the UCL the club have spent the majority of their time in division 1, with their ground preventing them from making progress.

The ground is located on East Street to the north of the town centre and is, in a nutshell a recreation ground. The club have floodlights installed and there is a small stand and a clubhouse on site, but the pitch itself is only roped off.

The town itself
I found the town to be very pleasant place and one in which would have liked to have spent more time looking round. It has a population of around 6,000 inhabitants and is in north-east Buckinghamshire, close to the borders with Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire. 

More information on the town can be viewed on the wikipedia page: Olney

I went down to Olney with my dad who picked me up around noon and we headed south on the M1 to junction 14. From there it was a short drive north along the A509 to Olney itself. After managing to find a parking space very close to the market place, we went into the Bull Inn for some lunch and a pint. Before heading to the ground we had a brief look around the town, particularly the area around the church.

The game
It was one in which Oadby started off like a team in third place and were on the offensive right from the start. After creating a few chances, Jake Duffy opened the scoring after putting the ball past the oncoming keeper. A minute or two later and it became two nil through Levi Ramsey. The second half was a different story altogether as Oadby played like a team in the bottom three - in fact it was the worst forty five minutes that I have seen them play this season. With mid-table Olney only having pride to play for, they turned this game on its head and deservedly came away with all three points.

Admission: by donation - gave £3.50
Programme: £1.50 - vastly overpriced
Attendance: 63 (head count)

With new teams reportedly joining the UCL for next season it looks like my completing of the league will be shortlived.

37 ground and match photos can be viewed in the slideshow below:


18 photos taken of the town itself can be viewed in the following slideshow: