Bully Bully Bully

Bulwell Town 2-4 Phoenix Sports & Social

Saturday 11th October 2008

Central Midlands League Premier Division

Goosedale Sports Club

I have finally got time to write up my notes from this game a mere three days after the event - not bad for me but this time I have a good reason. I along with my better half attended the wedding of my best man Paul and his now wife Helena at Rowton Castle in Shropshire on the Sunday. I'll admit I have not attended many weddings (only five previously including my own) and the venue they chose was very impressive to say the least as as I am writing this at 4.30pm they will be on their way to Bali for their honeymoon. Anyway back to the football...

There were two reasons in choosing a game (and this one in particular) on Saturday: 1) the wife went to the cinema with her sister and mother and 2) a chance to meet up with Rob Hornby again for the first time since April, which happened to be the day before I started my current job. As with most drives into Nottingham and it's suburbs it was an easy and uneventful one, taking just under an hour to get to the Goosedale Sports Club just outside the northern edge of Bestwood Village. The site plays host (along with football) cricket and hockey with the latter being floodlit. The social club is ahead of you as you enter the complex with the football pitch on your left immediately as you enter. There is no cover for spectators so either go along on a dry day or take a brolly!!!

Bulwell Town were founded in 2001 as an under-age team and this is their first season playing open age football with the reason being of keeping the team together. Despite being the middle of October this is their first home game of the season. Their opponents today, Phoenix Sports & Social come from the Brinsworth area of Rotherham and are currently in their second season in the Central Midlands League. At the start of play both teams had only recorded one win and scored three goals each - not a good prospect for a high scoring game! Alas thankfully this was proved wrong.

A fairly even first half occurred with the sides sharing for goals. First to strike were the home side when their number 7 scored a cracking free kick on 18 minutes. Two minutes later and it was all square when the visiting number 10 headed home from another free kick. Phoenix then went in front on 29 minutes - can't tell you who scored and also can't remember anything about the goal. Doh! On the stroke of half time Bulwell were given a chance to equalise when they were awarded a penalty and their number 9 duly made it 2-2. The second half saw the visitors experience tell as they had the better of the proceedings scoring two further goals and also had two chances cleared off the line. The first goal to make it 3-2 came on the hour mark when their number 10 volleyed home after a cross from the right hand side, and they made the game safe fourteen minutes later when their number ? scored direct from a free kick. The game became a bit niggly and threatened to boil over on a couple of occasions but thankfully it did not generate more than a few yellow cards and Phoenix ran out comfortable winners in the end. A crowd of around 38 saw the game with, I would guess at least half being groundhoppers.

Google maps driving time / distance: 54 minutes & 39.2 miles

Wonderful Witney?

Witney United 1-0 Hook Norton

Tuesday 30th September 2008

Hellenic League Premier Division

Marriotts Stadium

The Hellenic League is one of these leagues that I seldom frequent with only five clubs visited in ten years of watching non-league football. Of the five clubs there have been contrasting fortunes:

Yate Town - now playing in the Southern League
Slimbridge - dropped down to the Gloucestershire Northern Senior League, now playing in the Gloucestershire County League
Shortwood United - still playing in the Hellenic League Premier Division
Chipping Norton Town - folded
Old Woodstock Town - promoted to the Premier Division and groundsharing @ Abingdon Town.

The day saw me leave Leicester around lunch time and make my way to Cheltenham to visit a friend who I hadn't seen since December last year. The journey I took was uneventful skirting round Coventry, Warwick, Stratford and Evesham before reaching my destination in the west of the town. After catching up we made or way to Witney and arrived in the town at around 6pm. I had made a plan to get some ale (one that can only be bought in branches of Tesco or Threshers in Oxfordshire and Berkshire) but found that a local branch of the latter shut early due to staff shortages. Not to be deterred we had lunch in one of the local hostileries before heading to the ground around 7pm. The Marriotts Stadium is on the west of the town on Downs Way and on entering the car park you are met with the main stand in front you which also houses the changing rooms, bar and catering facilities. Entrance was £5 with a further £1 for an excellent programme. Just as we entered the ground we were asked if wanted to have a look in the club shop and from which a badge was purchased for £3 while the remainder of time before kick-off was spent chatting to the chap that runs it. The ground also has standing cover on two other sides - behind the goal on the left hand side and opposite the main stand.

Before the start of play Witney occupied 4th place on 18 points with nine games played while Hook Norton were 1 point and 1 place below them so a close game seemed to be the order of the day. What followed was a very entertaining game with chances aplenty created and missed from both sides with Witney being particularly guilty. I must add that good goalkeeping from the visiting keeper helped keep the game goalless at half time. The second half continued with Witney playing some excellent football but as in the first half creating and missing chances. The deadlock game on 77 minutes when Gary Wickens headed home for Witney United from a right wing cross - my run of games without a nil-nil continues. (Easter Monday 2006 and 81 games). Witney could and should have had a couple of more goals in the final ten minutes but as with the rest of the game poor finishing was the order of the day.

Final score: 1-0

A game, venue and club I enjoyed visiting. We were back in Cheltenham for around 10.20pm ready for the Champions League highlights. The following morning saw me set of for home at around 8am, taking the scenic route home through the western Cotswolds heading north towards Broadway and then Stratford, before getting home around 10am.

http://www.witneyunited.co.uk/

http://www.hooky.springalldesign.com/

Google maps driving time / distance:

(direct from home) 76.3 miles / 1 hour 47 minutes

(via Cheltenham) 118 miles / 2 hours 23 minutes

Derbyshire la la la

Parkhouse 1-3 Westella & WillerbySaturday 13th September
Central Midlands League Premier DivisionMill Lane
Again having got up early after my night shift I decided to make the most of the good weather and take in a game. I had two criteria in choosing where to go. 1) It must be reasonably near to home and 2) It would be a non-floodlit ground. Had a quick look on the net saw Parkhouse were at home to CML new boys Westella & Willerby. A tick on both accounts and decision made. Plugged ground postcode into sat nav and left home @ around 1.30pm and made my way up the M1 to Derbyshire and more specifically Old Turton which is just outside the town of Clay Cross, and took just over an hour to get there.


Entering the ground by car I am charged £2 admission which includes the match day programme. The programme by the way is an excellent effort and I would not be disappointed if I had paid another £1 for it and I also managed to get a pin badge for £3 from the secretary. The ground is not floodlight and also has no cover - ideal for days like today. The club have laid foundations for a stand on the Mill Lane side of the ground so watch this space as it were.

Now to the game...

The visitors took the game to Parkhouse from the start and created numerous chances before they got the opening goal on 18 minutes, when the ball was played across from the right and was tapped in at the far post by Tom Dent. Four minutes later and it was all square as Paul Bicknall scored with a header from a corner. A further six minutes passed and the visitors regained the lead when Matt Fyvie struck a low shot into the bottom right hand corner from 12 yards or so. Westella continued to look the more dangerous and had the better of proceddings during the remainder of the half. The hosts should have been level at half time as their number six hit the woodwork with an angled shot with time about up. The second period saw the home side have the better chances and play the better football - just better finishing required and the game would have had a different outcome. The hosts were again unlucky when the frame of the goal was struck with the score still at 2-1 but it was the visitors who scored a crucial third goal on 79 minutes through a header from Lee Jackson. No further goals ensued and the game ended with a 3-1 victory to Westella & Willerby. An enjoyable and competitive game at a nice friendly club. A visit is well recommended.

websites:

Parkhouse - www.clubwebsite.co.uk/parkhousesatfc/
Westella & Willerby - www.westella-willerby.co.uk/

Ivan-ho-ho-hoe

Ashby Ivanhoe 9-0 Asfordby Amateurs
Leicestershire Senior League Premier Division

Saturday 23rd August 2008

Hood Park

A decision was made Friday afternoon that I would get up early for the second Saturday in succession to go and watch a game of football. The choice was an easy one this time as Ashby are a club I have been meaning to visit for a while, in fact I went their last season only for it to be when FC Braunstone Victoria did one of their two no-shows.
Ashby-de-la-Zouch is a small market town in north-west Leicestershire (population 12,758 - Wikipedia) between Coalville and Burton-upon-Trent. It's most well known landmark is it's ruined castle. Ashby Ivanhoe the team play on Hood Park which is on the edge of the town centre, the centrance to which is next door to Ivanhoe College. The club were promoted to Division 1 of the Leicestershire Senior League from the North Leicestershire League in 2005. In their first season they finished a creditable 3rd place, 7th place followed the next season while last season saw them finish runners-up to today's opponents Asfordby Amateurs. Asfordby joined the Leicestershire Senior League in 1991 and have spent most of their time in the lower division, only a three year stint in the mid-nineties has been in the Premier Division. The close season saw contrasting fortunes for both teams with Ashby progressing off the field with the installation of floodlights, things down at Asfordby have not gone so well with the resignation of their manager and (I believe) all of last season's squad not re-signing. They actually resigned from the LSL twice but have been persuaded to carry on.

Ashby started their campaign last week at Thurmaston Town with a 4-3 victory, and this was followed up with a League Cup tie against the same opponents. The result: 12-2. Asfordby were at home last weekend to one of the favourites, Blaby & Whetstone Athletic and were hammered 9-0. A trip to Ravenstone followed in midweek in the League Cup and they came away with a
2-0 defeat. There was technally no admission as the club play on a public park but charge £2.50 for a programme. The club do have plans to enclose the ground and progress from the Leicestershire Senior League - watch this space as it were.

Now to the game itself...

The first goal came on 17 minutes when Richard Hanslow made it 1-0 when he lobbed the ball over the visiting keeper, this was after the home sided created three excellent chances in the first fifteen minutes. Ten minutes later and it was 2-0 when Phil Gibson tapped the ball in from six yards after a 20 yard shot crashed against the bar. Phil Gibson got his second on 39 minutes to make it 3-0 when he turned in a low drilled free kick from the left hand side. Either side of the goals Ashby had chances come and go with a combination of poor finishing and good defending / goalkeeping keeping the score down.

Half Time: 3-0

The second half was barely two minutes old when Richard Hanslow got his second of the game to make it 4-0 when he turned between three Asfordby defenders and placed the ball into the corner of the goal. The fifth came fifteen minutes later when Hanslow completed his hat-trick after being put through on the right hand side, he drilled an angled shot into the far corner of the goal. It became 6-0 on 70 minutes when Hanslow scored again, this time from a ball played over the top of the defence and he finished with aplom. Phil Gibson completed his hat-trick on 79 minutes when he turned the ball home after a scramble in the penalty area to make it 7-0. The scoring was still not finished as on 82 minutes Hanslow got his fith of the game, turning the full back inside out before placing the ball into the far corner. Cue comments from bench "you're being greedy". The best of the goals was the last as James Fisher hit a screamer from fully 25 - 30 yards after a corner was not cleared properly. The second half also saw Ashby create many more chances than the ones they scored and on another day it could have been well into double figures.

Final score: 9-0


websites:
Ashby Ivanhoe: http://www.ashbyivanhoefc.com/
Asfordby Amateurs: http://www.asfordbyamateurs.co.uk/

A game on a Saturday...You must be joking!!!

Buckingham Athletic 0-1 Sport London e Benfica
Spartan South Midlands League Division 1Saturday 16th August 2008
Stratford Fields

This was my first Saturday game since April 5th, the day before I started working nights at a well known supermarket. I made a conscious effort to get up early so I could get to a game and rose at 1pm. This comparing to the previous Saturday when I didn’t get out of bed till 5pm! A quick look at some fixtures and I decided on Buckingham Athletic in the Spartan South Midlands League Division 1. This is not a league that I have frequented very often in the past yet here I am about to attend my second game in a row in this division. As the previous post states I attended the New Bradwell – Ampthill game on the Tuesday and thoroughly enjoyed the game. Buckingham are one of two teams in the town, the other - `Town ply their trade in the United Counties League Division 1 which is the same level in the non-league pyramid as ‘Athletic’. I visited `Town last October in a match that ended in a 1-1 draw against Huntingdon. `Athletic play on the Stratford Road (A422) that goes south east towards Milton Keynes. The drive down was easy and uneventful with the sat-nav taking us down the M1 to junction 15, then onto the A508 towards Stony Stratford and then finally onto the A422 which led us into Buckingham. The time / distance given on Google maps UK is 1 hour 8 minutes / 54 miles. The ground is slightly hidden by large conifer trees on the left hand side before you reach the town centre. Despite being my second visit to watch football I have yet to have a look round the town centre so I cannot tell you much about the place. Below is a few links on the town and district itself:

Buckingham University - www.buckingham.ac.uk

Visit Buckinghamshire - www.visitbuckinghamshire.org

Buckingham Rugby Club - www.buckinghamrugby.co.uk

The ground has an open feel about it, despite being on the edge of town, with a stand on the Stratford Road side of the ground. Luckily the rain that was forecast never materialised in this part of the country so we didn't need the raincoat and / or umbrella! The only goal of the game came on the 2nd minute when the visitors were awarded a free kick on their left hand side and from the resulting kick the ball was headed home by Albert de Matos. The homesters didn't let their heads drop and felt they should have been awarded a penalty a few minutes later, the referee though waved away their claims. Personally I thought it should have been awarded having an excellent view of the incident. A lucky escape for Benfica came on the 13th minute when the keeper gave away possession when just outside the penalty area, only for a first time shot to come back off the post. Six minutes later it was role reversal when Buckingham had their own escape as the visiting no. 10 hit the keeper's left hand post with an angled shot after being put through. The remainder of the half was competitive with the visitors being given very little room and time to play their short passing game I saw at Bedford last year. A credit must go to Buckingham as they had obviously done their homework. The second half was again competitve with both sides evenly matched. Chances were created at either end with both keepers making saves, the visitors through probably created the more clear cut ones and should have made the game safe on 71 minutes when the previously mentioned no. 10 missed a sitter from what seemed no more than eight yards.

Overall an enjoyable couple of hours, though the game deserved more goals. Still no 0-0 since Easter Monday 2006 so can't complain.

Attendance: 29 (football mitoo)

club websites:

Buckingham Athletic: www.buckinghamathletic.co.uk

Sport London e Benfica: http://www.sportlondonebenficafc.co.uk/

Withdrawal symptoms over...

New Bradwell St. Peter 3-1 Ampthill Town

Spartan South Midlands League Division 1

Bradwell Recreation Ground

Tuesday 12th August 2008

My first game of the season saw me and my dad end up in Milton Keynes, and more specifically New Bradwell St Peter Football Club. This is one club that I has been on my hit list as it were for a few years, especially as Milton Keynes is within easy reach of Leicester. I have only previously visited five clubs in the Spartan South Midlands League, three of the clubs currently ply their trade in the same division as New Bradwell and two clubs in the MK area - Newport Pagnell and Stony Stratford. The day started out with a trip to the Northamptonshire Records Office on the edge of Northampton to do some family research with the intention of trying to take the "Campion" name beyond the mid / late 1700's by looking at old parish records. Having spent around 2 and a half hours in the records office we did not manage to take the name further back but found out that the surname changed from "Camping" to "Campion" in the late 18th century. After leaving the records office the plan was to grab some lunch and then look at some of the villages and towns in Northamptonshire where our relatives came from. First up was Rushden, and more specifically Duck Street. Duck Street in 2008 is pretty non-descript, an average street on the edge of Rushden town centre. From there is was to Finedon and more specifically the church where a Campion was married in 1814. The final stop of the day was the village of Stanwick near Raunds. A lot of Campions / Campings in the late 18th century were christened here but strangely the father, an Edward Camping was neither born or buried in the village. Brick wall time!

After leaving Stanwick we decided to head to Milton Keynes itself and made the relatively short journey down the A509 and pulled into Willen Lake for a drink before heading to New Bradwell. Note - there are two Bradwell Roads. The one with the football ground on is in the postcode district of MK13. A phone call was made to the club to confirm location and we arrived with around 15 minutes before kick-off. No admission was taken, programmes had to be collected from a club official's house and I managed to get hold of one during the first half for £1. The club also had badges for sale from their centenary year six years ago which were sold for a bargain £1 each.


Despite arriving at the ground before kick-off we managed to miss the first ten minutes (and first goal for the home side) due to us talking in the bar and losing track of time. Shit happens I suppose!!! A couple of minutes after arriving at pitch side the home side were awarded a free-kick. Lee White stepped up and scored direct from the kick from fully 35 yards to make it 2-0 against a side that won 4-1 at the weekend. I'm not sure if it was intentional but the keeper was expecting a cross and was caught out position wise, added to the fact that the ball seemed to catch the wind. The home side continued to play the better football during the first half and should have been further ahead at the interval. The visitors came out with more intent and purpose in the second half (probably after a rollocking from their manager), but did not cause the home side too many problems. Both sides continued to create chances until Ampthill got a goal back on 77 minutes through Needleman. A free kick was spilled by the home keeper and the afore mentioned player reacted first to stab the ball home from a few yards out. The old saying in football that you are at your most vulnerable after you've just scored couldn't have rang truer, as just a minute later the home side restored their two goal cushion when the ball was diverted into his home net by a visiting defender from a right wing cross. No further scoring ensued and the home side were deserved winners. An enjoyable game hosted by a nice friendly club.

Trying to recall what happened without taking notes is difficult, even after less than 24 hours after the game ended. Hopefully the next time I attend a game I will remember to take my note book!

Distance / time (according to Google maps UK): 52.1 miles / 1 hour 7 minutes

Websites:

www.newbradwellstpeter.co.uk
www.ampthilltownfc.co.uk

Coast 2 Cove

Cove 1-0 Banstead Athletic

Tuesday 15th April 2008

Combined Counties League Premier Division

Oak Farm

As mentioned in the previous post I now work nights having Monday and Tuesday off. This has given me another chance to have a day out with Mrs Rambler (who generally has Tuesday's off from work as well) and also the bonus of taking in a game. Looking at the fixtures in Sunday's non league paper I decided that we should head to the coast, and as the geographically aware people among you will know Leicester is in the middle of the country and at least 80 miles from any seaside town. Skegness is the nearest at 84.4 miles using MS Autoroute's shortest option. Having been Skeggy many times and also no football being played in the vicinity I originally looked at Cromer on the north Norfolk coast - a mere 120 miles away and also had the advantage of somewhere that neither of us had been before. That was sorted until I saw the weather report which in a nutshell said that anywhere south the M4 would have no rain. Bingo we'll head down south. Had another look at the Non League Paper and saw that both the Wessex and Combined Counties league had fixtures being played. Didn't matter who and did not plan to decide until Tuesday afternoon. So we decided on visiting Bognor Regis (a mere 177 miles away using the sat nav route) and left about 8.30am. The journey took us down the M1 towards the M25 which we got caught in the traffic problems caused by the road works south of Luton Airport which delayed us by about 20 minutes. We were then onto the M25 which was generally trouble free, only the volume of traffic slowing us down slightly as we headed towards the A3 exit. Again no problems apart from more road works, this time at Hindhead half way between Guildford and Petersfield. Passing through Hindhead we noticed a pub with an unusual name - the Devil's Punchbowl - mental note made. Eventually we arrived at Bognor at 12.40pm (- a mere four hours since we left off, though we did stop for breakfast and refuelling on the M1 for half an hour) and parked up 350 yards from the seafront. I found Bognor to be smaller than I had envisaged but pleasant enough all the same. The pier is at one end of the promenade and the Butlins resort the other. With the season not yet in full swing and also being a weekday the place was fairly quiet and as forecast the weather was lovely - not a cloud in the sky. First port of call was the have some chips and eat them on the beach, you have to really! Four hours passed and we decided to call it a day and made our way back to the carpark. After a look at the map and another at the fixtures I decided that we should head back the way we came and stop off for a drink at the previously mentioned Devil's Punchbowl. A pint of Kronenburg was what the doctor ordered and went down very easily. From here the decision was made to head to Farnborough and more specifically Cove Football Club - only 35 minutes from our rest stop and within two hours drive of home.

Cove play on Squirrel Lane with the ground being at the bottom end of a narrow lane. There is parking both inside the club gates and in front of the clubhouse. We chose the latter due to not realising the about the former until going into the ground. We were charged £6 each which included a programme and also managed to get hold of a badge for £2. The clubhouse has recently been refurbished and houses a pool table and darts board. Inside the ground all the accommodation is on the far side with a (covered) seated stand being straddled by two sections of (covered) standing. More than enough for the 30 people (head count) in attendance. Mention must be made to the person who was on the gate - he made us feel very welcome and went out of his way to look for the badges at half time. I didn't get his name but it is people like him that give non league football the reputation it deserves.

To be fair to Cove the pitch was not in the best condition but considering the unpredictable nature of the weather we have had over the past few months it is a credit that clubs like themselves keep them playable all season long. At the start of play Cove were occupying fifth place, though some 35 points behind leaders Merstham while Banstead were in 18th place in the 22 team division. The home side started off brighter and playing the better football but the first chance of note came on the half hour when Cove's no. 11 blasted the ball over the bar from 8 yards or so. The visiting keeper was the busier and on 38 minutes got down well to save from the home no. 10. Two minutes later the home side deservedly took the lead when the no. 10 scored following up from a good save by the Banstead keeper from the no. 11.

The second half started in a similar vain to the first with Cove playing the better football and looking more likely to score. Their first clear cut chance of the half was on the hour mark when their no. 5 had a free header from 10 yards but put it over the goal. Five minutes later another chance for Cove, this time the no. 9 was put through from the half way line, managed to hold of the advancing defender and slid his shot past the keeper only for the ball to hit the upright. The visiting keeper was keeping his side in the game as with ten minutes left made another good save to deny the no. 11 again.

Final score: 1-0

A deserved win by Cove who on another day would have won by three or four goals. To be fair to Banstead they never gave up but didn't create enough to worry the home side. An enjoyable day out on the coast with a visit to a club that is a credit to this level. The journey home took around two hours and we were back in Leicester at around midnight.