Spratton

SPRATTON 2-4 JAMES KING BLISWORTH
Saturday 31st December 2011
Northants Combination Division 1
Smith Street, NN6 8HW

After a two week break from watching football for Christmas I am in Northamptonshire for my final game of 2011. With Oadby Town not playing until Monday, good friend Kevin Zupp agreed to come with me and I picked him up from his house in Kibworth at lunch time for the forty minute drive south. The drive was very straightforward taking the A6 to Market Harborough before heading onto the A508 to Northampton. We turned off the A508 at Brixworth and headed westwards to Spratton itself,  with Smith Street being on the northern edge of the village. 

Spratton is a small village and civil parish in the Daventry district of Northamptonshire and according to the 2001 census had a population of 1,099 inhabitants. It is located on the A5199 (previously A50) that runs between Leicester (25 miles to the north) and Northampton (7 1/2 miles to the south).

If going by their club badge Spratton Football Club were formed in 1890. There is very little information on the club on the internet, and the only details that I have come across are on the archive section of the Northants Combination website. Their records go back as far as the 1953/54 season and Spratton finished in 5th position in the premier division. It is only from 1973 (apart from the 1990/91 season) that they have a full set of league tables. Apart from three seasons between 1988 and 1991 the club have spent the past thirty eight years in either the premier division or division. The club have been crowned premier division champions on two occassions in 1984/85 and 1986/87.

Last ten years in the Northants Combination:

SEASON	COMPETITION	PL	WON	DRW	LST	FOR	AGA	PTS	POS
2001/02	NHC-1	26	8	7	11	48	56	31	8TH
2002/03	NHC-1	26	7	9	10	42	45	30	8TH
2003/04	NHC-1	26	12	7	7	47	48	43	5TH
2004/05	NHC-1	28	11	6	11	46	46	39	7TH
2005/06	NHC-1	28	12	5	11	58	63	41	6TH
2006/07	NHC-1	28	7	7	14	46	63	28	13TH
2007/08	NHC-1	26	6	2	18	43	69	20	12TH
2008/09	NHC-1	24	7	1	16	37	75	22	12TH
2009/10	NHC-1	24	5	3	16	33	66	20*	12TH
2010/11	NHC-1	22	6	4	12	25	55	22	10TH

When arriving at the venue we found it to be typical for this level with no pitch side facilities but there is a social club on site which appeared to be well used by the local community. On one of the walls there was a few of old team photos with a couple catching my eye in particular. The first was from 1957 when they had silverware on show for winning both the Northants Combination Division 1 title and cup competitions. The second was from the 1929/30 season with the headline "Mid-Northamptonshire Village League winners". It is a shame that information like this is not preserved in either the print form or online. 

On the day the game pitched bottom of the table Spratton against high flying James King Blisworth who lie second in the table. It was played in dry but very blustery conditions with the location being very exposed to the elements. It was one of the most competitive games that either of us had seen with no quarter given from either side. Spratton took the lead within a couple of minutes when a mistake in the visiting defence allowed Adam Lett to poke the ball past the keeper into an empty net. On the half hour mark and they made it 2-0 when Joe Savage took advantage of some indecision in the Blisworth goal and finished from a couple of yards out. Right at the end of the half Blisworth got a goal back from the penalty spot. Chris Cully was fouled, got up and put his side back into the game. The Spratton keeper was very close to turning it round the post but despite getting a hand to it could not turn it round the post. To be honest Spratton should have been three up as their #9 blasted the ball over from eight yards out in what was probably the best chance of the half for either side. After an excellent save from the Blisworth keeper in the opening ten minutes of the half, the visitors took control and scored three goals in the space of fifteen minutes which ultimately resulted in the victory. Firstly a corner was knocked back across goal to allow Steve Hearly draw the teams level just before the hour mark. Blisworth's third goal came on the seventy minute mark when following a corner a Jay Vieira (?) shot from the edge of the area took a couple of deflections before finding the net, and just two minutes later it became 2-4 when a back pass sold the Spratton keeper short which was read by the Blisworth #14 who rounded the stranded keeper and finished into an empty net. The visitors saw out the final fifteen minutes or so to give them a victory in their quest for promotion to the premier division.

Admission / programme: none

Attendance: peaked at 23

Entertainment rating: 6 out of 10

A final note should go to the people behind the scenes at Spratton Football Club itself. They made us both feel welcome right from the start and even allowed me to charge up my camera battery for half an hour, as when we arrived I found it dead as a dodo. Fortunately I managed to get some shots off before it died once again. These can be found on the slideshow below:    

  

Gretton

GRETTON 2-9 WELFORD VICTORIA
Saturday 12th November 2011
Northants Combination Premier Division
Kirby Road, Gretton

Northants Combination logo

After last weeks plan B scenario thankfully there are no problems for today's trip to Northamptonshire. According to Google maps my journey from the Braunstone area of Leicestershire should take me through Leicester city centre along the A47 and out towards Uppingham, before heading south. Knowing what a ball ache the inner ring road around Leicester city centre can be I decided to avoid this route altogether and head towards Oadby before taking the A6 to Market Harborough, then heading to Corby and finally north to Gretton. This took around fifty minutes to make the 30 mile journey. When heading between Corby and Gretton I noticed this huge structure ahead of me on the right and while trying to figure what it was I missed the turning for Gretton. After turning around I had a different view and realised it was sections of grandstand seating at the Rockingham Motor Speedway. When heading away from Gretton after the game towards Corby you get a scale of the size of it as it dominates the skyline like nothing I have seen before.

St. James' Church tower

Gretton is a village in north Northamptonshire close to the border with Rutland and according to the 2001 census had a population of 1,240 inhabitants. It is located pretty much equi-distance (approx 5 miles) from both Corby and Uppingham. The village is noted for having the tallest church tower and second oldest running pub (The Hatton Arms) in Northamptonshire. It is also one of the few remaining villages to retain it's stocks and whipping post which can be found on the village green. The last recorded use was in 1858 when a villager was put in the stocks for six hours after failing to pay a fine for drunkenness.

The earliest information I can find on Gretton Football Club only goes back to 1999 when they were accepted into division 1 of the Northants Combination. They won the division at the first attempt and also added the Division 1 Cup as well, beating Kettering Nomads 2-0 in the final. Promotion to the premier division was achieved but their stay in the league's top flight only lasted two seasons before they were relegated back to division 1. Four seasons were spent in division 1, the last of which in the 2005/06 season saw them finish bottom of the fifteen team division and relegation to division 2. Two seasons ago they won promotion back to division 1 by finishing in second place, six points behind winners Corby Danesholme Vikings. They did add the Division 2 Cup title by beating Burton United 1-0 in the final which was played at Harborough Town FC. A second successive promotion was achieved last season despite finishing in 3rd place, some twenty-seven points behind divisional winners Ringstead Rangers. Runners-up Corby Morton Vikings were not  promoted, reasons which I am unaware of. This season in their first back in the premier division for ten years Gretton have had mixed fortunes. They currently sit in tenth place recording two wins from their eight league games. Last time out they lost 2-1 at home to local rivals Weldon United witnessed by an excellent crowd of 100. Welford meanwhile are in their second season in the Premier Division having won the 2009/10 division 1 title. This season they remain unbeaten in their seven league games, recording four wins and three draws. Their last outing saw them beat Corby Khalsa 2-1 at Newlands Road.

Before I write about the match itself I ought to mention than in the three times I have seen Welford play (twice last season and once the season before), their opponents have had a man sent off.


The recreation ground is situation on Kirby Road on the southern edge of Gretton and is your typical village rec affair that is common in the Northants Combination. The football club share the facilities with the cricket club and on site is a clubhouse and changing room block. At half time the club served hot drinks for 50p each. The football pitch was roped off on all four sides while a small pair of dugouts were located on the far side. There is a small corrugated stand also on the far side but to be honest it is neither use nor ornament as it is situated behind the dugouts and would not offer a view of the action at all!!!


To be honest I am not sure where to start on this one. A game in which the Welford forward line of Craig Cassidy and Seb Seward ran the home defence ragged and on the day were a different class.


It started oh so good for Gretton as the took the game to their unbeaten opponents. They deservedly opened the scoring on eleven minutes as a free kick was headed over their number 8. Welford equalised five minutes later when Welford had a free kick of their own. It was spilled by the Gretton keeper and Craig Cassidy followed in a finished from a couple of yards out. Gretton continued to push forward at every oppportunity and their goalscorer was played onside by the visiting defence but his shot was sell saved by Welford keeper. Welford took the lead on nineteen minutes when the Gretton captain was caught in possession by Cassidy in centre field who then ran unopposed towards the goal, rounded the keeper and finished with aplomb. Gretton continued to cause Welford problems but were nearly caught out on the counter attack. A quick break upfield saw Seb Seward have his shot well saved. Welford's third of the afternoon came just before the half hour mark as Matt Wootton headed home a corner at the far post. Five minutes before the interval and it should have been 1-4. A free kick on the right found a diving Matt Wootton at the far post and finished superbly. The home linesman incorrectly ruled out the goal for offside - a decision which incensed the Welford bench and players as Wootton timed his run perfectly as he came  from behind a defender. Justice was done somewhat as Welford turned the screw even tighter with two further goals in the last minute of the half. The first saw another mistake by the Gretton defence and Seward was unapposed as he slotted the ball past the keeper. The second (and Welford's fifth) was from the penalty spot - Iggy Mesias stepped up and finished confidently. 


Half time: 1-5


After the problems Seward and Cassidy caused the Gretton defence in the first half they sat deeper to reduce the space between themselves and their keeper. Obviously a action causes a reaction and this resulted in the Welford midfield having a lot more time and space. Two goals in the space of four minutes before the hour mark saw Welford increase their lead to 1-7. A free kick fell kindly to Seward who stabbed the ball home from six yards out despite the Gretton keeper getting a hand to it.  Cassidy's hat trick and Welford's seventh was similar to their sixth with the only real difference was that it came from a corner. Gretton never gave up and were rewarded with a consolation goal midway through the half as the ball across from the right was turned in by a defender. Welford's six goal cushion was restored on seventy four minutes when Cassidy got his fourth of the afternoon, heading in a cross over the oncoming keeper. Welford continued to create chances with Wootton drilling a shot across the face of the goal. With four minutes remaining and Welford were awarded another penalty as Seward was brought down. Cassidy stepped up but his shot to the right was saved by the keeper. A minute later and Seward completed his hat-trick. It started with a excellent one touch football on the right and ended with Seward getting the ball in the penalty area, cutting inside and finishing well for the final goal of the afternoon.        


Gretton: 11, 66 (og)
Welford: 16 Cassidy; 19 Cassidy; 28 Wootton; 44 Seward; 45 Mesias (pen); 55 Seward; 59 Cassidy; 74 Cassidy; 88 Seward


Admission / programme: none
Attendance: 20 
Match rating: 4 out of 5


To sum up - an enjoyable afternoon in Northamptonshire in which I spent time talking to the Welford bench and was also good to put a face to the name of Andy "Pedro" Smith. I also hope to take in one or two of Welford's away fixures in the new year - hopefully they will not clash with Oadby's home games. They are a good bunch of lads and you can tell they enjoy playing for the club and each other and good luck to them in their quest of the league title. 

Websites:
Gretton FC
Welford Victoria
Northants Combination
Gretton page on Wikipedia

Some photos taken of the ground and game can be viewed below:

Roade

ROADE 3-0 RUSHDEN & HIGHAM UNITED

Friday 29th July 2011

Pre-season Friendly

Connolly Way (7pm k.o.)

This is a bonus game as with being out all day tomorrow down in London, I didn't even look at any possible fixtures for this evening. It was only a phone call from Kev Zupp on Tuesday who asked I fancied meeting up for this game, and having thought about it and also getting permission from the wife decided to head south into Northamptonshire.

Roade is a village (population 2,304 - 2009 estimate) in south Northamptonshire, located a couple of miles south of junction 15 of the M1 motorway. Northampton is six miles to the north while Milton Keynes is twelve miles to the south. 

club logo (source: official website)

The football club play their home games on Connolly Way which is off Hyde Road in the western side of the village and compete in the Northamptonshire Combination (NC). They joined the premier division of the NC in 2002, from I believe the North Bucks & District League. In the nine years in the NC they have finished in the runners-up position twice, the first in 2003/04 when a three point deduction saw them finish two points behind champions Moulton, and in the second in 2006/07 when they were just one point behind champions Harpole.  

The journey down to Roade is an easy one with the majority of it being on the M1 and the 40 miles journey took around 45 minutes to make.

On arriving at the ground I noticed that the main pitch was out of action tonight and the game would be played on the back pitch. For the record the main pitch is on of the better ones in the NC with it being railed on three sides, permanent brick dugouts in place and a (very) small section of cover which is in the form of an overhang from a storage building. I met Kev and his three (youngest) kids there who arrived with about five minutes to kick-off. Also present in the crowd (!) were a few hoppers, a couple of which I have seen around before. 


The game was a typical pre-season friendly at first with very little between the two teams and to be honest Roade took their chances while Rushden didn't - simple as. The opening goal came was a well taken effort on 21 minutes when lobbed the ball over the keeper from fifteen yards. No further scoring ensued in the opening forty five minutes, and it was not until mid-way through the second half that the home side doubled their advantage. The number 29 was put clean through with only the keeper to beat whom he rounded and finished with aplomb. The third and final goal of the evening came with seventeen minutes remaining with the best of the lot as scored a cracking solo effort as he took on the Rushden defence and finished superbly. The final ten minutes were the best of the game as both Rushden came close to scoring twice, only for the Roade keeper to pull off a couple of good saves, while at the other end Roade had an effort cleared off the line and they themselves forced the visiting keeper to make an excellent save.

Admission: none

Programme: none

Attendance: peaked at around 45

Match rating: 2 out of 5

Sources:

Roade FC (official website)

Northamptonshire Combination (official site)

Roade - wikipedia page

p.s. Will I go back to do a re-visit to see a game on the main pitch? 


Well never is such a strong word but it is doubtful - there are too many places to watch football I have not been and besides I am not a "pitch" hopper.

The good, the bad and the ugly?

WELDON UNITED 2-1 WELFORD VICTORIA

Saturday 14th May 2011

Northants Combination Premier Division

Oundle Road

Today was a rare chance to meet up with good friend Kevin Zupp with this being only the second time this calender year. Our original plan was to go across to Oundle for a Peterborough & District League encounter between Oundle Town and newly crowned league champions Ramsey Town. With it being FA Cup Final I had e-mailed the secretaries of both teams but had no reply. Also this morning the kick off time on the Peterborough League website was still showing as 3pm. With this in mind we arrived at Oundle at 2pm only to be told that the game had just ended. Thanks a lot :-((((((((((((((( An hours drive for nothing. Surely it is not too much to ask for kick off times to be correct on league websites? Luckily I knew that Weldon United were at home in the Northants Combination, and as we had to go through Weldon on the way home we stopped at their ground on the edge of the village. The kick off time had not changed and we stayed and watched, thankful to get a game in. Also another bonus was that neither of us had been here before so a new ground tick as well.

Weldon is a small village on the eastern edge of Corby that had a population in 2001 of 1,644. Weldon United's ground is on the eastern edge of the village on Oundle Road itself. As you turn off the road the changing rooms and bar are on the right hand side with the pitch on the other side of the slip road. Immediately behind the ground is a caravan park. The pitch is railed off on the near side while there is no rope or rail on the other three. There is also no hard standing, dugouts or cover. 

The game was one that Welford should have won at a canter with the amount of chances created. Fortunately for the hosts most of them were off target or tame efforts that did not test the keeper. In truth the first half was pretty forgetable in terms of a spectacle for the neutral. The second half was only a few minutes old when an altercation occurred which resulted in the Weldon #7 being sent off for throwing a punch. During the ensuing melee Weldon sub Steve Brydon came onto the pitch but was hauled off by his team mates. Brydon then made threatening gestures to the Welford official running the line on this side. Thankfully there were no more incidents during the rest of the game and it went off without further incident. Weldon then carried on where they left off at the end of the 1st half and created numerous chances that were wasted. They took the lead with around twenty minutes remaining with a drilled shot from Ollie Watts. This seemed to inspire the home side rather than deflate them and they created a few chances of their own. Weldon equalised with ten minutes through the previously mentioned Brydon who drilled a shot past the Welford keeper. The winner came with five minutes on the clock when the ball found its way to Gareth Robb who hit a first time shot past the stranded keeper - cue mass celebrations from the home side. 

At the end of the game the Weldon player who was sent off wanted to "go for a walk" with the Welford player he had the altercation with but the offer was declined. He was then ushered away by his teammates and (I believe) the issue was sorted out with a handshake.

Admission / programme: none

Attendance: 15 (Kev Zupp head count)

Match rating: 2 out of 5 

A slideshow of photos taken can be viewed below:

Welford Vics

WELFORD VICTORIA 7-3 (aet) NETHERTON UNITED

Saturday 8th January 2011

Northamptonshire Junior Cup Quarter Final

Newlands Road

A local game is the requirement today with an early kick-off the better a bonus. Welford have been on my radar all season, having been impressed with them when I saw them record a 2-0 victory @ Ringstead Rangers at the end of last season. Welford is a small village on the Northamptonshire – Leicestershire border, which according to the 2001 census had a population of 1,016 people. The history of the village can be traced back to the 11th century when it was recorded in the Doomsday Book of 1086 as Wellesford. In the 17th and 18th centuries it was an important coaching stop with it being of equal distance between Leicester and Northampton. The main A14 dual carriageway which connects the midlands with eastern England is a 1 ½ miles to the south. The village still retains two public houses, post office, hairdressers, primary school and garage. The journey from my home takes around half an hour to complete the 23 miles, going down the M1 to junction 20 (Lutterworth), then across the A4304 towards Market Harborough. Halfway between the two towns is Husbands Bosworth and you turn right at the crossroads in the village onto the A5199 which then in turn takes you to Welford itself.

The football club compete in the Northants Combination (NC) and last season won promotion to the premier division as champions of division one. They were formed in 1898 and played in the Market Harborough League until joining the NC in 1966 and have remained there to this day. The majority of their time in the NC has been spent in either divisions one or two. The division two title has been won twice in 1975/76 and twenty years later in 1995/96. This season they have played eight league games, winning five of them and currently sit in 4th place in the 13 team division. Opponents Netherton United play in the premier division of the Peterborough & District League (PDL) and currently sit in 7th place. The premier divisions of both the NC and PDL sit at level seven of the non-league pyramid and are feeder leagues to the United Counties League.

The competition so far...

Welford Victoria

Round 1: v Spratton (H) Won 6-0

Round 2: v Harpole (H) Won 4-0

Round 3: v Whitefield Norpol (H) Drew 0-0, won 4-2 on penalty kicks

Netherton United

Round 1: v Corby Khalsa (A) Won 1-0

Round 2: v Stanion United (H) Drew 5-5, won 3-1 on penalty kicks

Round 3: v Thrapston Town (H) Won 3-0

The ground is located on the southern edge of the village on Newlands Road and is a village sports club affair. The football club share the facilities with the village cricket team and during the season the pitch is roped off on match days. There is no hard standing pitch side but a small section can be found in front of the clubroom. The only other permanent structures are dugouts which are located on the far touchline. We arrived in the village with around 45 minutes before kick-off so ventured into The Wharf Inn (which is just over the border in Leicestershire) for a pint and bite to eat. When arriving at the ground we were (unsurprisingly) not charged any admission nor was a programme produced, this being the norm for teams in the Northants Combination and Peterborough League.

The game...it started with visitors Netherton settling quicker, were more productive with the ball and took the game to their hosts. It was no surprise when they took the lead on 15 minutes though it was from my vantage point a touch fortunate. A free kick on the left caught out the Welford defence and keeper which subsequently floated into the top corner of the goal. This gave the hosts the kick up the backside they needed and got into the game a lot more. This was not to say they dominated but certainly gave as good as they got. Right at the end of the half the visitors hit Welford with a sucker punch when a cross from the right was inadvertently turned into his own net by a defender. The second half saw Welford come out in different shirts (light blue) instead of their normal maroon ones due to similarity of the red worn by Netherton. The first twenty minutes of the half saw a lot of huff and puff with clinical finishing being at a premium. Just as it seemed that the game would peeter out Welford beat the offside trap and their number 10 rounded the keeper and rolled the ball into an empty net. Netherton’s two goal cushion was restored just five minutes later when they themselves beat the offside trap with the ball being laid across the goal for a simple tap in from a couple of yards out. The turning point of the game came a few minutes later, when having won a free kick a Netherton player put his hands round a Welford player. A melee ensued with referee quite rightly giving the Netherton player a straight red card and booking one of the Welford team. The question now was could the visitors hang on for the last fifteen minutes and book their place in the semi-finals? With eight minutes remaining Welford made it 2-3 with a well taken goal from Matt Wootton. The remainder of the game saw the hosts camped in the visiting penalty area and created a number of chances, but just as it appeared that the tie would get away from them they equalised deep into stoppage time with a header from a couple of yards out, which gave us a further thirty minutes of football. Just two minutes into extra-time and Welford took the lead for the first time when Luke Cooper drilled home a shot on the angle. Welford continued to put pressure on the visiting defence but could not give themselves the breathing space needed to put the tie to bed. It was not until the 107th minute that they made the game safe through a Ryan Goodman back header. The final two goals (both from the number 10) came in the final few minutes, firstly from the penalty spot and then a simple tap inn from a few yards out following good work by Cooper.

To sum up: an intriguing and even cup tie for the most part in which the sending off changed the complex of the game. Once Welford took the lead early on in extra-time there was only going to be one winner. I know I am stating the obvious but the Netherton player who was sent off owes his teammates a massive apology for an act of stupidity that probably cost his team victory.

On a personal point of view my goal record shows no sign of slowing down with an average of 5.4 goals per game as we speak. The two games seen this calendar year have resulted in 21 goals!!!! A run of low scoring games is surely due sometime soon.

Further photos of the game can be found here: WVFC

Admission: free

Programme: none

Attendance: between 20 and 30

Coffee: 50p

Match rating: 4 out of 5

Rambler’s “On This Day” football:

2000: Knypersley Victoria v Oadby Town (0-4) Midland Football Alliance

2005: Friar Lane & Epworth v St. Andrews (3-1) Leicestershire Senior League Premier Division

Welford on the up

RINGSTEAD RANGERS 0-2 WELFORD VICTORIA

Saturday 1st May 2010

Northants Combination Division 1

Ringstead Playing Field

Having spent last Saturday taking in three games in Shropshire I decided this week to stay relatively local. My choice is a top of the table clash in division 1 of the Northamptonshire Combination with both sides fighting it out with James King Blisworth for the divisional title. I pick up travelling companion for this afternoon Kevin Zupp who is Lutterworth Athletics secretary and programme editor, and at around 1pm we set off from his home in Kibworth and we set off on the forty minute journey.

Ringstead is a small village in east Northamptonshire some 20 miles north east of Northampton and 11 miles south west of Kettering. The population according to the 2001 census was 1,428 but driving through the village I would say (due to house building going on) this figure could be over 2,000 by the time of the next census in 2011. The oldest building in the village in the church of St Mary's which in part dates from the 12th century. The playing field is located on Gladstone at the eastern edge of the village and is surrounded by fields on two sides.

The earliest records I can find for the club are in 1999 when they joined division 3 of the Northamptonshire Combination. Promotion was achieved instantly with a runners-up spot behind winners Gretton Reserves. The next three seasons saw the club finish in 8th, 3rd and 3rd respectively before they were crowned division 2 winners in 2004 and with it promotion to division 1. Just three seasons were spent in division 1 before relegation back to division 2 in 2007. Two seasons were spent in the league's third tier before a 3rd place finish last season behind Finedon Volta and Daventry Drayton Grange secured promotion back to division 1.

With no bar at the club we had a drink in the New Inn in the village before the 2.30pm kick-off. It was a frantic first half with both sides contesting every decision with the referee, who at times seemed to enjoy being the centre of attention. The game was end to end though clear cut chances were at a premium. Ringstead, in an bright all orange kit had their best chance in the opening couple of minutes when their left midfielder forced the Welford keeper to tip the ball over the bar. The half was also a case of differing playing styles with the home side playing a more direct game with the visitors preferring to play the ball along the ground. Just six minutes into the second half and Welford had their best chance of the game when the ball was scooped over the bar from ten yards out. The game then turned in the visiting sides favour just two minutes later when Ringstead had a man sent off for a moment of sheer stupidity. Their number 11 had fouled a Welford player near his own corner flag and then for some reason decided to stamp on the Welford players back and the referee had no choice to give him a straight red. This gave Welford all the encouragement they needed and deservedly took the lead on 66 minutes when a corner was headed home from a couple of yards out. Four minutes later and it was game set and match when they made it 2-0, as they took advantage of a mistake by a home defender. A major clanger occured with just four minutes remaining, though this time not from either side but from the referee and the "home" linesman. A Welford player went through on his own and was brought down for a stonewall penalty but for some reason the linesman put his flag up for offside. Anyone who knows anything about football will know that this cannot possibly be offside but instead of the referee explaining this and overuling him decided to award a free kick to Ringstead.

Overall an enjoyable game in glorious sunshine and a deserved victory and promotion to the premier division for Welford.
Admission: none

Programme: none
Attendance: peaked 38 (head count)
Match rating: 4 out of 5
Google maps driving time / distance: 58 minutes and 47.3 miles



Websites:

Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ringstead,_Northamptonshire

East Northants Online: http://www.east-northantsonline.co.uk/pp/location/detail.asp?id=454

Northants Combination: http://www.northantscombination.co.uk/

Brix not Bricks

BRIXWORTH ALL SAINTS 3-2 MEDBOURNE

Saturday 6th February 2010

Northants Combination Premier Division

St. David's Recreation Ground

After a week off without football due to car problems caused by the engine maintenance pilot light coming on, I am back on the M1 heading south to a game in the Northants Combination with thankfully no problems. My destination this week is the village of Brixworth which is located between Market Harborough (8 miles to the north) and Northampton (5 miles to the south). In 2001 the population was given as 5,162. The village is home to one of the oldest and finest Saxon churches in the country which was founded c680 ad.

The journey from my home in Leicester takes around 45 minutes and is a simple one, taking me down the M1 to junction 19, across the A14 and then onto the A508. The club play on St David’s Recreation Ground in the village, of which the car park is accessed down a narrow drive off the southern side of Foxhill Crescent. The pitch though is adjacent to St David’s Close and the northern side of the afore mentioned Foxhill Crescent. The club share the facilities with the cricket club with a single story building hosting the changing rooms and club house. There are no facilities at pitch side and it is a roped off affair with no dugouts or hard standing.

Today’s match sees them up against Leicestershire side Medbourne, the top scorers in the division and a club that I visited before Christmas for a league game v Whitefield Norpol. The Northants Combination is a league that I have seldom ventured in over the years, and apart from the previously mentioned game my only other match was in 2007 for Rushden Rangers last ever match before their merger with United Counties League Higham Town.

The game was an interesting one that was competitive and committed throughout. It was the visitors who created the first chance when the home keeper pulled off a good save after only a couple of minutes. Brixworth got the opening goal on 33 minutes from the penalty spot, but the awarding on the penalty was hotly disputed by the Medbourne players and officials. I was at the other end of the pitch and did not have a good view of it, but a couple of people connected with the home side it was “dodgy”. Medbourne equalised five minutes into the second half with the best goal of the game. Brixworth re-took the lead on 66 minutes when a cross from the right hand side of the penalty area crept past the keeper and found its way into the net for a very soft goal. The old saying that a team is at its most vulnerable when they have scored could not have been more apt, as Medbourne equalised for a second time just a minute later when a shot was parried by the keeper only for the ball to be headed home from six yards out. Both sides had chances to take the lead and win the game but it was the home side that struck the killer blow with the winner coming seven minutes from time.

Attendance: between 20 and 30

Admission / programme: none

Driving time / distance (Google maps): 45 minutes / 32.7 miles