Finally

Continental Star 2-2 Meir K.A.

Saturday 4th April

Midland Combination Premier Division

Oldbury Leisure Centre

Visting the ground and club has been on my agenda for some time, took long in fact. When I heard recently that they were demolishing the leisure centre and football ground for housing in the autumn this became a priority as it were. The Oldbury Leisure Centre and it's football ground to be fair is a bit of an eyesore, though why it could not have been rebuilt and / or modernised is another matter - the way I see it is that two football clubs will have to find new homes for next season and another sporting facility will be lost. The other club in question by the way is Oldbury Athletic. I overheard a conversation at home time regarding next season and 'Star are hopefully going to be groundsharing at Rushall Olympic while 'Athletic will be moving a mile up the road at West Midlands League outfit Tividale. Obviously both of the these have yet to be confirmed, especially as Tividale currently have a tennant in the form of Midland Football Alliance (MFA) side Oldbury United who were ejected from their home ground at the start of last season after a dispute with the social club. The ground was home to former Southern League and MFA side Sandwell Borough and a sign for former MFA sponsor Interlink Express is still on an outer wall. Getting to the leisure centre is very easy with it being a mile or so from junction 2 of the M5. After exiting the motorway take the A4123 towards Dudley, then turn left into Newbury Lane (5th on left) with the leisure centre on the right after 50 yards or so.

Entrance is via the leisure centre itself and admission was £3 with a further £1 for a pretty poor programme - this I managed to obtain at half time after asking one of their officials. The pitch is surrounded by what could be a running track though with all the moss etc it is difficult to decifer and as such spectators are further away from the pitchside than normal. The only cover is also a seated stand on the left hand side with the dugouts on the opposite side. Refreshments were available at half time in one of the offices.

The opponents for Star today are Potteries side Meir K.A. and languish second bottom in the table, while Star themselves are not having the best of seasons. For the record the K.A. stands for Kings Arms. The home side start brightly and play some nice football at times with a poor final ball and finishing letting them down. One way traffic it isn't and at time Meir bely their lowly position to create chances of their own. Despite this the half remains goalless. The visitors shock their hosts with two well taken goals in the space of four minutes before the hour mark - will this be a fourth consecutive away win without the hosts scoring? Star but this theory to bed when they were awarded a penalty which was duly dispatched, the time of which eludes me as I forgot to take my note book. Doh! With the 90 minutes up a Star shot hit the underside of the bar and the rebound tapped home for a dramatic equaliser. A fair result in the end though not without a tinge of sympathy for the visitors.

Overall an enjoyable game with the second half a lot better than the first watched by 17 people (Midland Combination website), though how many actually paid is another matter. I don't normally visit the same ground twice in a season but I'm think of watching fellow tennant Oldbury Athletic on Tuesday 14th April for their top of the table clash with Southam United.

Closing in on Houghton

Burbage Old Boys 0-2 Desford

Tuesday 31st March

Leicester & District League Premier Division

Britannia Road

A very late decision was made at 5pm to attend this 6pm kick-off. I was planning to visit Tividale in the West Midlands League but didn’t fancy or feel like going that far, and with a quick check on the FA’s Full Time website I noticed this fixture between former Leicestershire Senior League side Burbage Old Boys and Desford who are in a battle with Houghton Rangers for the District League title. Some might say Burbage is a glorified suburb of Hinckley but it is a separate town / village in its own right and has its own identity. I suppose the easiest way geographically of separating the towns is the railway line.

Burbage play their home games on Britannia Road and has a rural feel about it, not surprising as it is on the edge of the village with the M69 and A5 in view. The pitch was not railed nor roped though some of the posts which used to support the rails still surround the pitch side.

At the start of play Desford occupied second place four points behind Houghton but had two games in hand, while hosts Burbage sat in 13th place in the 14 team division. A comfortable away win then?

Both teams tried to play football on a hard and bumpy pitch with Desford (not surprisingly) creating the better chances, and they nearly took the lead on 15 minutes when Simon Goodman volleyed against the left upright. Ten minutes later and Goodman found the target with a lob over the home keeper. Further half chances were created by both sides but it was the visitors who got a vital second when Reece Morris hit a shot on the turn through a crowded penalty area with two minutes remaining in the half. The second period saw a scrappier encounter with both sides having an equal amount of possession but it was Desford who came closest when they struck the woodwork in the final quarter. Not the best performance from Desford but it was a case of job done and move onto the next game, which is a home game against mid-table Birstall RBL on Saturday while leaders Houghton travel to today’s hosts Burbage.

Kingsway crowned

Broughton Astley 0-5 Kingsway Rangers

Leicester & District League Division 1

Saturday 28th March

Frolesworth Road Recreation Ground

The Leicester & District League is a league that I would take an educated guess at does not feature on the radar of many, if any groundhoppers. The clubs vary from having their own grounds to using school or park pitches with admission or programmes non existant. Today’s game saw Broughton Astley who lie second bottom take on unbeaten division leaders Kingsway Rangers who have only dropped two points all season - a draw away @ Queniborough.

Broughton Astley is a large village nine miles south of Leicester and six miles east of Hinckley located between the B4114 and A426. The population is believed to be around the 10,000 mark which comprises of three historic settlements – Broughton Astley itself, Primethorpe and Sutton-in-Elms.

Broughton play at the Frolesworth Road Recreation Ground which also houses a childrens play area, skate park and a cricket pitch. The pitch looked like it had seen better days and in need of a good roll. This along with a swirling wind made conditions difficult. As I found out during the second half Kingsway needed to win today to be crowned division 1 champions. The game started (as expected) with the visitors making the early running and created a few chances in the first five minutes which forced the home keeper to produce comfortable saves. As the half wore on the game became scrappy with few chances being created, though just before half time the visitors had a goal disallowed for offside. The second half saw Kingsway break the deadlock on 52 minutes with a shot from the edge of the area. The second then followed two minutes later when the number 9 scored from the penalty spot, and pretty much straight from kick-off the number 6 went through the visiting defence to slot home number 3. The scoring was not finished as the number 9 scored with a header from eight yards on the hour mark. Four goals in an eight minute spell ended the game as a contest and it was then a question of when Kingsway would score next. The answer came with ten minutes left when (I think) the number 11 scored with a cracking shot from outside the area.

Attendance: around 15 but varied throughout the game

Distance / driving time: 10 miles / 25 minutes

Why?

Thoresby Colliery Welfare 0-1 Westella & Willerby

Central Midlands League Premier Division

Saturday 21st March 2009

Thoresby Colliery Sports Ground, Edwinstowe

I know it is getting on for a week after the event but this is the first time since the game that I have had time to put down some notes on the game.

I wasn't planning to go to a game but having rose at around 12.30pm after finishing another wonderful night shift at Asda I decided to take in a game. Also with it being a nice day weather wise helped make the decision easier. The next question was where? My preference was a non-floodlit club so I had a look on the internet and made the decision to head up into Robin Hood country and more specifically the town of Edwinstowe which is where Thoresby Colliery Welfare play their home games. I also had the wife and dog in tow and as events later unfolded was glad of the company.

Without any hick-ups it should take around 1 hour 10 minutes to make the 48 mile journey. Typically as I didn't leave myself much leeway I got held up on the A46 and made it at the ground just as kick-off was about to commence. Admission was £2 each, though thankfully they did not charge for the dog and £1 for a programme - they had actually sold out of programmes but at half time I spoke to Rob Hornby who is on the committee for the Central Midlands League and he authorised in allowing me to have the league's copy. Thanks Rob much appreciated.

The ground is a large open sports ground that also houses a cricket pitch. The football pitch is fully railed off with what looks like some cover on the far side. As the wife doesn't like football she took advantage of the openness to take the dog for a walk during the game. Now to the game...

This is where the heading will make sense. The game in all truth was deadful. The visitors from Hull scored after two minutes and...that was about it. Poor football from both teams and I think it was a case that Westella knew they didn't have to be at their best and / or exert themselves too much to win the game and this is how the game panned out. Thoresby tried to play some football but didn't have the quality to threaten the visiting defence. The only other chance of note that springs to mind was in the second half when the visitors rattled the post with a shot that deserved a goal. But alas it was not to be and I was glad when the final whistle went.

Definately one of those cases where you wonder...why did I bother?

On the plus side, like most if not all clubs in the Central Midlands League that I have visited over the years, Thoresby are a well run and friendly club to visit.

Advantage Houghton

Desford 1-3 Houghton Rangers

Saturday 28th February 2009

Leicester & District League Premier Division

Sport in Desford

With having completed the Leicestershire Senior League I am now taking more of an interest in it's three feeder leagues, with the District League being one of them. The other two are the Leicester City League and North Leicestershire League. At present I am yet to attend a game in the latter two but I'm sure over the next year or two this will change.

This clash today saw a battle of the top 2 with the visitors from Houghton-on-the-Hill, a village 6 miles east of Leicester leading the hosts Desford by one point but having played a game more. Desford play at "Sport in Desford" on Peckleton Lane, a ground that I saw former Leicestershire Senior League side HM Desford Sports play Ravenstone a few years ago. Desford is very easy to get to from home taking only around 10 minutes to get there, the majority of which is down the A47 in the Hinckley direction.

The first half was an even affair in terms of possession and chances but it was the visitors who struck first on five minutes when a cross from Andy Almond was headed home by their number 8. It took a while for Desford to get into the game but they equalised on 34 minutes through a right footed volley from Rocky Greenwood, which came only a minute after a Paddy Smith header was well saved by the home keeper. Smith then again went close when a shot from the edge of the area hit the outside of the post. The second half was a different story with the visitors playing the better football and creating the better chances and deservedly took the lead on 67 minutes. Andy Almond was left unmarked in the penalty area and headed home a free kick past the keeper. Almond got his second with ten minutes remaining when he tapped home from a couple of yards out to put the game beyond doubt.

With the teams still to play each other at Houghton there could yet be another twist in the race for promotion to the Leicestershire Senior League.

website:

www.desfordfc.co.uk

A casual affair

Wolverhampton Casuals 1-2 Shawbury United

Tuesday 24th February 2009

West Midlands (Regional) League Premier Division

Brinsford Lane

After much deliberation for what was to be my first midweek games since early December I decided to make a first venture (for this season) into the West Midlands (Regional) League. Wolverhampton Casuals were to be my destination, which for some reason had been on my hit list as it were for a few years now. The WMRL is not a league I venture into very often having only seen five previous games in the league over the years, only two of which still ply their trade. The clubs being Pelsall Villa and Warstones Wanderers.

The journey across the Midlands saw me leave home in south-west Leicester at around 6pm for the sixty odd mile drive west, mostly along motorways (M69, M6 and M54). As a percentage of travel I can’t recall spending as much time on the motorway network to get to a ground as this one. For me it was a case of joining the M69 where it meets the M1, travel its entire length to the M6, then take the M54 exit and finally leave the motorways at junction 2 of the 54. When leaving the M54 you turn right (or left if coming from the Telford direction) onto the A449 and the ground is about 400 yards on the right hand side. With the A449 being a dual carriageway you have to go to the first island and go back on yourself before turning into Brinsford Lane. The ground is in the Coven Heath area and has a rural feel about it. The only cover is a bench seated stand which runs along half the length of the clubhouse side of the ground. I was welcomed at the entrance to the ground and was charged £3 and a further £1 for a 20 page programme.

The game itself was very enjoyable with some good football being played on an excellent surface for this time of year. The visitors from Shropshire started brightly and were awarded a couple of corners in the first few minutes, only for the home side to break and were awarded a penalty, The penalty was saved and the rebound struck the post. Not to be deterred the home side took the lead on 16 minutes when Aaron Broomfield headed home following a right wing cross. No further goals ensued in the remainder of the half but the game was a fascinating contest – the pace and movement of the home side versus the more physical presence of the visitors. The second half was much the same as the first with both teams creating chances, but the home side seemed disrupted by the injury of their number 10 (the best player on the night) and a couple of other substitutions and it was no surprise to see Shawbury equalise with only two minutes remaining through Chris Henry. This was not the end of the drama as the visitors stole all three points with another goal from the previously mentioned Henry who headed home in the first minute of injury time. As a neutral who had to feel sorry for the Casuals who deserved something from an entertaining game. It is just a shame that only twenty people were in attendance - maybe had something to do with a certain Champions League match on the tv.

A review so far...

With a bit of time to kill on a nondescript Tuesday lunchtime I started looking back at my previous posts this season and noticed a particular post entitled "The New Season" dating August 10th. In it I state some clubs that I would like to visit during the course of the season. Well with the season now six months old I thought i'd look and see if any of my plans materialised.

Tipton Town - did not materialise due to missing the fixture with Oadby Town
Sleaford Town - hopeful still, though will have to be on a Tuesday night
Eynesbury Rovers - no plans now
Boston Town - see above
Olney Town - dependant on a midweek fixture
Rushden & Higham United - will leave till next season now
Shirebrook Town - visited in October
Castle Vale - would have gone if played midweek on Tuesdays
Continental Star - you never know. Will visit in April if anytime
Loughborough University - saw county cup with Oadby Town in November
Meir KA - doubtful now
Uppingham Town - only if they have a midweek game at end of season
Bolsover Town - folded. Missed chance.
Pinxton - still hopeful
Nettleham - again only if they have a midweek game on a Tuesday night.
Romulus - still plan to visit.
Malvern Town - probably will not bother now.

Also visited all Leicestershire Senior Clubs needed excluding the reserves of Friar Lane & Epworth and do not plan to visit them. As far as I am concerned I have completed the LSL now. For this season anyhow.

The 14 new clubs (and 11 new grounds) that I have visited this season have been spread across 7 different leagues. The breakdown being:

Central Midlands League: Bulwell Town and Parkhouse
Hellenic League: Witney United
Leicester & District League: Glenfield Town and Kingsway Rangers
Leicestershire Senior League: Ashby Ivanhoe, Evington*, FC Dynamo*
Midland Combination: Loughborough University*
Northern Counties East League: Shirebrook Town
Spartan South Midlands League: Aylesbury Vale, Buckingham Athletic, Langford and New Bradwell St Peter

Also seen Oadby Town once at home and Leicester City twice. Also have tickets for the Leicester - Cheltenham game on March 7th.

The plans for the rest of the season are to visiti a few more local clubs that ply their trade in the three feeder leagues for the Leicestershire Senior League. These include:

County Hall, Desford and Soar Media.