weekend 28/29th March

Three more football games and a game of basketball were attended during the last weekend of the month. Firstly I picked up a friend of mine at Nuneaton station at midday and I ticked off the two JDW outlets in the town, the Felix Holt and the William White and had lunch in the latter. To be honest they were two of the scruffiest and shabbiest JDW's that I have been in. Anyway this gave us enough time for us to get to our game of football that afternoon. 

Dunlop 0-0 Coundon Court Old Boys

Coventry Alliance Premier Division

Dunlop Sports & Social Club, Burnaby Street, Coventry

It took us no more than half an hour to get to Coventry and the Dunlop Sports & Social Club is located in the northern suburbs of the city, making it very easy to reach from junction 3 of the M6 motorway. This was my first game in the Coventry Alliance this season and as it turned out my first 0-0 score of the season as well. 

The Sports & Social Club is a tidy affair with it being home to two bowling greens, two full size rugby pitches, one half size and one full size football pitch and a cricket pitch as well. There is a large social club on site with parking on the access road. There is nothing pitch side at the football pitch, though there is a bit of hard standing along the far side. 

The game had a 0-0 feel about it early on with both sides struggling to adapt to the blustery wind that blew across the pitch for the whole ninety minutes. To be fair to the teams it wasn't a bad game as they tried their best and they did create a few chances though neither goal keeper was really tested.

Admission / programme: none

Attendance: 25

With the game finishing around 4pm this gave us plenty of time to get home before heading out again. 

36 photos taken mainly during the first half can be viewed in the slideshow below:

Leicester Riders 106-86 Plymouth Raiders

British Basketball League

Sir David Wallace Arena, Loughborough University

The tickets had been booked seven weeks in advance for what would be my sixth and final regular season game of the 2014/15 campaign. Also coming along for their first ever basketball game would be my friend Colin, my dad Paul and my brother Gary and his three boys - William, Oliver and Harry. 

The Riders are one of the best basketball teams in the country and while they are waiting for a new arena to be built in Leicester itself, they are playing their home games at Loughborough University. 

Both teams got out of the blocks quickly and very few shots were missed in a high scoring first quarter with the Riders up 31-23. The second saw only six points less being scored as the Riders increased their lead by three points to ten at the half 56-46. The third saw Plymouth cut into the lead and at one point had it down to just a single point. The Riders rallied to lead 76-69 at the end of the third. The final ten minutes were pretty much a formality as the hosts hit another thirty points and conceded just seventeen to win the game by a twenty point margin.

Tyler Bernadini was awarded the MVP with twenty six points and six rebounds. Neil Watson who leads the BBL in assists added another fourteen to his total and averages over ten a game.  

Admission: £11

Programme: £2

Sunday 29th March

With having very little on I offered to take Colin back home to Cheltenham, though this act of kindness was so I could take in two more games of football. I did however forget that the clocks went forward and it meant an early start from Leicester. As expected the traffic was very light all the way down and the journey took less than ninety minutes. Having dropped Colin at a nearby supermarket I headed south to the village of Frocester, and arrived with a couple of minutes before the 10.30am kick off.

Frocester United 3-3 AFC Cheltenham

Gloucester & District Sunday League Division 1

St. Peter's Field, Peter's Road, Frocester, Gloucestershire

On a nice day this would have been a lovely setting to watch a game of football with the sports ground being located immediately behind the parish church. Instead the game was played in strong winds and at times driving rain. Luckily there were a line of trees at the far end which gave me some shelter and saved me from a soaking.

The game wasn't too bad considering the conditions. Frocester sit in mid-table with nothing really to play while their visitors are chasing promotion. Frocester took the lead on ten minutes with a controversial goal. The lead lasted around twenty minutes before a goal keeping error gifted the visitors an equaliser on thirty one minutes. Just five minutes had lapsed before the home #10 drilled a low shot past the AFC keeper to restore his sides lead. They could not hold on to it as with a minute remaining in the half the visitors drew level for a second time. Just after the hour mark and Cheltenham took the lead for the first time during the game, and going into the final stages the looked to have all three points, but a minute into stoppage time Frocester were awarded a free kick. This resulting kick caused confusion in the AFC defence and the ball was headed in by the AFC #5 past his own keeper which have the home side a point.

Admission / programme: none

Attendance: 4

After the game enough time was had to allow me to get something to eat before my second game of the day.

Tredworth Tigers 2-3 Slimbridge Reserves

Stroud Charity Cup Section B Semi Final

The Spa, Spa Road, Gloucester

The Spa is located in the centre of Gloucester and is also home to a local cricket club. There is a small car park and a two storey building which houses the changing rooms and bar. Both of these two teams, like all teams that compete in the various sections of the Stroud Charity Cup are Saturday clubs, and both compete in division 2 of the Stroud & District League with just one place seperating them in the league table. 

Tredworth hit the ground running and opened the scoring inside sixty seconds, and by twenty four minutes were two up. They thought they had scored a third before half time but this was ruled out by the referee. The tie was turned on its ahead in the second half as the visitors scored three goals in the space of ten minutes - 50, 51 and 60. They should have put the game to bed in the latter stages but missed a couple of sitters. Tredworth should have made them pay as they were awarded a penalty kick in stoppage time, but the resulting kick was well saved by the Slimbridge keeper. 

With games being played on Sundays I will be heading south to watch more games in this competition in the not to distant future.

Admission / programme: none

Attendance: around 30

43 photos taken during the game can be viewed in the slideshow below:

pre-Christmas cracker

BRINKLOW 4-3 MAHAL

Saturday 15th December 2012

Birmingham FA Saturday Vase 3rd Round

Barr Lane, Brinklow, Warwickshire

Shock horror...a proper report on the blog today!!!

Originally when looking at possible fixtures today I intended to go and watch Ashby Ivanhoe v FC GNG in the Leicestershire Senior League. Ashby moved into a new ground in the summer and this would re-complete the league again, but Ashby have a rearranged county cup tie @ Ellistown so this will have to wait until 2013. With now at a loose end and no real restrictions I was then on the look out for another fixture. After trawling through various league websites a tie in the Birmingham Vase (BV) competition between two teams from different leagues caught my attention.

Brinklow is a village a civil parish in the Rugby district of Warwickshire and is located on the Fosse Way, the Roman road that runs from Lincoln to Exeter. In 2001 it had a population of just over one thousand inhabitants.

Brinklow Football Club are members of the Coventry Alliance and compete in the premier division. This season they have nine out of ten league games and sit in second place, three points behind leaders Woodlands WMC but they have three games in hand. Their two ties in this seasons BV have resulted in away victories at Leamington Hibernian (5-0) and Barnt Green Spartak (2-0) respectively. Opponents Mahal play their home games at the Hadley Stadium in Smethwick and compete in division one of the West Midlands (Regional) League. They currently sit in fifth place having won nine of their fifteen league games. Their only tie in the BV saw them beat Midland Combination side Northfield Town 4-3 after extra time.

The drive down to Brinklow took me around thirty minutes, and with a bit of time on my side pulled into the local chippy and paid £3.50 for sausage, chips and a can of coke. The playing fields are set behind Broad Street which is the main road through the village. There is a small car park though, as expected no spectator facilities. 

The game though was a cracker with the Coventry Alliance side progressing to the quarter finals at the expense of their West Midlands (Regional) League opponents. The first ten minutes looked like the home side would steamroller Mahal, but went behind just before the half hour mark. Two goals in the last five minutes of the half saw Brinklow go in at the internval 2-1 up. 

Two minutes into the second half and Mahal were awarded a penalty but the resulting kick was well saved by the Brinklow keeper. A few minutes later and the home side were themselves awarded a penalty - personally I didn't think it was one, but anyhow no mistake was made from the spot and it was 3-1. Five minutes later and after was appeared to be a case of "handbags" the referee sent off one player from each side. With my view impeded by the opposition on the sideline I had no idea what it was for. Going into the final twenty minutes and Brinklow made it 4-1 to all intents and purpose book their place in the next round. Mahal though never gave up and added a second with nine minutes remaining. Their third and final goal came too late with it being two minutes into stoppage time. 

Admission / programme: none

Attendance: 32

websites etc:

Brinklow - official - twitter - facebook

Mahal - official

Coventry Alliance - mitoo

37 match photos can be viewed in the slideshow below:

End of season

WITHERLEY UNITED 1-3 WOODLANDS WMC
Thursday 20th May 2010
Coventry Alliance Premier Division
Church Road

This is to be my final game of the 2009/10 season and a decision made only about two days ago at that. I seldom have the chance to take in mid-week games due to work but, having booked the night off from work due to my wedding anniversary tomorrow (Friday 21st) I took this opportunity. For the first time since November my dad agreed to come with me and picked me up at 5pm to make the thirty odd minute drive down the A47 and A5 to Witherley.

The following information on the village is taken from Wikipedia:

“Witherley is a village and civil parish in the Hinckley and Bosworth district of Leicestershire, England. It is in the far north-west of Leicestershire. The Warwickshire/Leicestershire border runs along the parish boundary, along the River Anker to the west and the A5 to the south, with Witherley village close by the town of Atherstone and the village of Mancetter. One of its notable features is the church of St Peter, noted for its very tall steeple, "52 yards (48 m)”. The village school is located next to the church - Witherley C of E primary school. In most circumstances, children attending the school later transfer to Market Bosworth High School when of age.

Proximity to the county border meant that parliamentary troops from the Warwickshire garrisons made several visits to Witherley and Atterton during the Civil War. A list of claims for losses and "free quarter" to the Warwickshire county committee in June, 1646 includes a claim for free quarter for a hundred men and horse under the command of Captain Levell and Captain Astewe from Colonel Purefoy's regiment of the Coventry garrison, estimated to be worth £9. Mr Lloyd, the rector, charged Captain Ottway's lieutenant for four horses and mares worth £13.6.8, and for three heifers worth £7.10. In 1650 this same Robert Lloyd was “sequestered” and forced to pay a fine in 1650 as a ‘malignant’ or for neglecting his duties (it is not certain exactly which as few details of his offences are provided).

William King claimed that Captain Flower's men had taken a horse worth 5s and John King claimed for a saddle worth 8s taken by Captain Flower's lieutenant and asked for £2 for quartering about forty soldiers from Coventry. The Astley garrison also plundered the villages, leading to a claim for forced requisitioning including the "carriage of a load of hay from Hartshill Leaz to Astley House" worth £1, and the carriage of 14 loads of hay worth £2.6.8. Francis Orton claimed he was taken prisoner by Lieutenant Hunt of Astley about Michaelmas, 1643 and forced to pay £1.13.4 for his release. The constable of the parish claimed 12s 9d for provender. John Mason senior wanted compensation for his gelding, worth £2.10 taken by Lieutenant Hunt to Astley and William King for a mare worth £2.13.4. (Exchequer accounts, SP 28/161)

The civil parish includes Atterton.”

The club play their games on Church Road in the middle of the village and is a typical village recreation ground affair. The pitch is roped off along the two touchlines and they have their own clubhouse on the site. Next to the pitch is the Blue Lion public house where we were before and after the game having a drink and something to it. I have never been to a game in the Coventry Alliance before and was unsure of the standard that would be on show. My verdict was that is off a decent level and is no worse than anything in the Notts Senior or lower division of the Leicestershire Senior League. The game is one that visitors Woodlands should have won more comfortably than they actually did as they dominated the first half but only had two goals to show for their dominance. The opening goal came on five minutes when following a mistake in the home defence, the ball was played across the box and was slotted home from twelve yards out. Woodlands continued to press and deservedly make it 2-0 on 32 minutes, when following a cross from the right, the ball was volleyed home from a few yards out. Despite being outplayed the home side should have gone in only a goal down after the referee and linesman failed to spot the ball going under bar from a header. The second half was not as entertaining as the first but Witherley got a goal back midway through when the centre forward rounded the visiting keeper and rolled the ball into an empty net. Woodlands sowed the game up right at the death when they hit Witherley on the counter attack to give the scoreline a deserved look.