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ANORAK NOTES PAGE 2005-2006 |
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23/05/06 from Chris Ashbridge: Just a short note to let you know that the entry (in March I think) about Carcassonne issuing 4 page progs inspired me to go there on Sat 20th May where I also got a prog, I will give your site a mention in my 'Continental Tour' column in Programme Monthly next month. 16/05/06 from Brian Buck: Hendon have narrowly avoided relegation from the Ryman League Premier Division after it was announced that Canvey Island had dropped from the Nationwide Conference to Ryman Division One North. Canvey chairman Dennis Rugg said, "When resigning from the Conference we were told we might be placed in the Westview Essex Senior League and we specifically asked to be placed in Ryman North. "It was unexpected to be placed in the Premier Division as our financial situation was more suited to the Ryman North at this particular juncture. "In the light of those circumstances our position has been reconsidered by the Ryman League, who have now confirmed our position in the league of our choice. "Ticket prices as already announced will still apply as these were calculated on our Ryman North expectations. "At a meeting of all supporters to be held at the club on Thursday we will give an update on the timetable for the purchase of Canvey Island FC Limited, including the lease of the ground. However, I am happy to report that these matters are proceeding at full speed with the full co-operation of Jeff King." 27/04/06 from Paul Sirey: I attended Monotype v Bookham in the Combined Counties Lge Div 1 on Saturday (22/04) and the programme stated that it was their last game as Monotype FC and that they will be groundsharing with Netherne FC as from next season under the new name of Salfords FC. 02/03/06 from Paul Sirey: I recently attended the South Midlands League Challenge Trophy Semi Final at Hillingdon Borough FC on 21st Feb 2006 (the visitors being London Colney). The game was a spirited affair eventually finishing 2-2 AET and the penalty shoot out that followed which can only be described as farcical. 12 penalties were eventually taken with 9 being missed, Hillingdon eventually winning 2-1. Poor markmanship, rather than brilliant goalkeeping, being the order of the day and most of the crowd were in hysterics towards the end. Highly entertaining! 28/02/06 from Paul Roth: Hopping Nightmares - In November 2004 I ventured to Codicote FC for a Herts Sen Lge fixture and was slightly perturbed on arrival to find no goal nets up and precious few people around.On entering the small clubhouse I was assured that the game was definitely on. After half an hour I rang the visiting club's secretary who informed me the game had been called off the evening before! Luckily Arlesey Athletic were at home and I easily got there in time. A month ago I tried again and for the second time the exact same thing happened--no goal nets up etc.etc .Once more into the clubhouse only to be told the match was definitely on. Another half hour wait and another call to the visitors secretary and once more was informed the match had been called off by Codicote the night before ! Deja vu. This time I had plenty of time to get to Sandridge Rovers. Cautious now I reckoned I must get this place "ticked off" quick,so for the third time of asking, and after a very dry week, along I went again. Horror of horrors, no goal nets up yet again blaa blaa blaa; this time I didn't even bother enquiring in the clubhouse. After ten minutes or so an official turned up and informed me that the game was off--no surprise there then--and that the Aubrey cup tie I had hoped to see had been switched to their opponents ground! This time I had Hatfield Town as my back up and duly proceeded there. Do I dare risk a fourth visit? Naturally I am running out of back ups If another postponement befalls me. This is nothing to the pure frustration of it all though .If I do go again I will stock up on blood pressure pills!!!!! 23/01/06 from Bob Davies (Langford FC Programme Editor): Another high scoring game for Langford on Saturday as they lost 0-9 away at St. Margaretsbury in the Spartan South Midlands League, Premier Division. This was Langford's heaviest defeat since the formation of the SSML in 1997. If things don't improve soon I expect to report on double figures before the end of the season.
22/01/06 from Rod Grubb: Just been reading your account of the visit to Mile Oak at New Year. The old pavilion containing tea bar and dressing rooms etc as you describe it is actually not that old (well not to me anyway) having been built in 1982 as a purpose-bulit clubhouse and dressing rooms. In the late 1970s and early 1980s I used to travel on the bus regularly up the Watling as far as Fazeley Island and walk the rest, stopping off for a few pints on the way, and I actually saw the club being built but there is more to it than that. Originally there was a small wooden hut used for dressing rooms and the present club was built around the hut while it was still being used. When most of the present structure and bar was finished the old hut was demolished from within. Many a time I had the stand to myself but in those days there was always a programme issued. We also used the club as an example in the 1980s of how the standards of the Southern League had dropped when a club with those sort of facilities were able to gain admittance! Incidentally just across the fields behind the stand is Drayton Manor Park and Zoo which is quite a well-known facility these days. Rod 22/12/05 from Mike Latham: re the Northern League Div 2 game between Darlington RA and Guisborough Town on 21/12 ...the team changes were announced clearly over the tannoy but the team line-ups in the programme were of little use. The home side had no less than nine changes to the starting eleven, while only the goalkeeper for the visiting team was unchanged from the Guisborough team listed. With the five subs on each side also different that made for 29 changes out of 32 - surely a record? 21/12/05 from Mick Burt: I have been asked by Damion Bone, programme editor of AFC Aldermaston (Wessex League), to spread the word concerning his club's home game against Tadley Calleva on Monday 2 January. This will be the first time that these two local rivals have met in a senior league match, Kick-Off is 12 noon and admission will be by programme only. Travellers will be made most welcome. 01/12/05 from Paul Roth: re developments at Hartsdown Park, home of Isthmian League side Margate...the temporary ground is to be very short lived as the builders move in immediately after Christmas to start construction on the "new" ground.This involves rotating the pitch 90 degrees and building a hotel behind one goal whilst the old nursery area.....to the left as you look from the clubhouse end, will become an all-weather, floodlit training area. All finance is definitely in place and completion is due about 12 months later. 11/12/05 from Steve King: an extraordinary incident happened after just 15 minutes of the West Midlands Regional League Premier Division game between Wolves Casuals and Wellington on 10th December 2005. At about 3pm when I was standing behind the goal taking a few photos with my digital camera when suddenly the referee ran half the length of the field, looked at me, then ran to his linesman, came back to me and told me not to take any more photos - then ran over to the dugouts where I saw him talking to officials there, and pointing quite profusely in my direction. He then ran all the way back to me and said that the flash on my camera was putting off the players, even though it was still only 3pm and quite a bit of daylight evident. My camera automatically flashes if there is insufficient daylight but I thought this a bit of an over-the-top reaction and something that has never happened to me before in over 35 years of watching football. Quite bizarre. Even the Wellington goalkeeper laughed with me after the referee ran back to resume play, saying how ridiculous it all was!!. Pity the referee was not as friendly towards me and my camera!!! 24/11/05 from Richard Panter: last night's United Counties Premier League match at Carters Park between Holbeach Utd and Harrowby was postponed at 7.38pm, only FIVE minutes before the scheduled kick-off! 20/11/05 from Paul Roth: There were nearly as many goals as spectators in the Kent County League Inter-Regional Cup tie between Old Roan and Bromleians (score 3-1; attendance 5!). 16/11/05 from WebEd: The students at Cambridge University couldn't be accused of being lazy. The Light Blues opened the scoring in their rep game against Birmingham University at Fenners this afternoon after only 20 SECONDS! 09/11/05 from Steve Broughton: I noticed your "anorak" list of high scoring games etc. I've an entry for that from a Scottish Juniors game I went to this season: 10 Sept North/Tayside Inter Regional Cup 1st round - Whitehills 0 Culter 17. As you can imagine, a fairly one-sided game. I've kept an eye on Whitehills results since then and they seem to have improved a bit. 07/11/05 from Bob Davies: High scoring games attended this season: 27/10, South Midland Floodlit Cup, Arlesey Athletic 9 (nine), St Margaretsbury 2. 30/09/05 from Ron Jones: travellers should note that Hounslow Borough (Hell1E) now have a fully railed off pitch with a small (at present roofless) stand along one side, having moved from another pitch within the site since I visited them three years ago. They have also moved clubhouse since my previous visit from the White Lodge Club to the Conquest Club (which are on opposite sides of the sports ground) and have different road access! Ealing (MCL) play on a nearby roped off pitch almost at right angles to that of Hounslow. 21/09/05 from Barry Neighbour: on Tuesday 20th September 2005 top of the table Horley took on 1st Division Bookham in a Combined Counties League Premier Challenge Cup 1st Round match and soon made their class tell with a goal timed at just 37 seconds (ref confirmed) from fully 30 yards... is this goal the fastest of the season? One for the Anoraks! 20/09/05 from Mick Burt: Following your run-down on Allenbury Sports, I decided to visit them last Saturday. Now I'm not one for one-upmanship but it was interesting to note that the "attendance" was 10 when you visited. Seven days on and following a good win, the crowd for the Aubrey Cup game against London Lions rose to 32 (only two travellers but a few "Lions" fans in that figure). How many clubs can boast over a 200% increase in attendance over seven days? And after a giant-killing 4-2 win, anybody going to their next home game should be advised to arrive early! 20/09/05 from Neil Loughlin: I had some trouble getting to Ellistown, I went last February for a Westerby Cup game against Oadby Town, but it was abandoned after two minutes following a serious injury to an Oadby player, so I felt I couldn't really count it as a visit on that basis. Only living in Belper, it's an easy place to get to so I finished work at 1pm on Saturday and arrived before 2! 01/09/05 from Dave Reed: I am writing to draw your attention to the amazing goings on at Tunbridge Wells last night at the end of their FA Cup replay against Littlehampton. After 90 minutes the score was 1-1 and 2-2 at the end of extra time. Penalties then ensued and the home side finally won through 16-15! after each side had taken twenty spot kicks. Is this a record? 08/08/05 from Rod Grubb: News from this area is that Nuneaton Borough have finally received planning permission for their new combined ground at Nuneaton Rugby Club but the issue of the lifting of the covenant on their present Manor Park still has to be resolved. The view of most is that it will be until the end of the 2005-06 season or the beginning of the next before the club moved onto the new ground although the Rugby Club will continue to play on there. Pre-season news on the programme front - Quorn v Griff and Barwell v Griff - no issue: Loughborough Dynamo v Griff - 8 photocopied pages with admission. Some good photos of our pre-season games including Yours Truly in the stand at Barwell in the Gallery on the Griff website.
07/08/05 from Neil Roberts: Just tought it might worth mentioning that Crewe FC who play in Mid Cheshire Div 2 are this season playing their home matches at Reasheath College near Nantwich (they have a mid week game home to Lostock Gralam on the 24th August kick-off 6:30pm). They issue a programme for all home league games. There is an exception to the above in that for their home game on the 20th August against Monk FC they will be playing at the Razzar near the Cumberland Arena in Crewe, kick-off 3:00pm. 25/07/05 - Kent News from Paul Roth: Thought I would let you know what has been happening down here.The new Margate ground is very very slowly taking shape after a bit of a disaster with the laying of the pitch - a really hot spell left the pristine grass a horrible brown colour and for a while it looked as though it might have to be re-laid. Fortunately some cooler, damper weather has got it back to a decent shade of green. As of today no floodlights are in place but bit by bit the pitch is being surrounded by hard standing; it may all just be ready for 20th August.
As you know we are keen cricket fans and on Saturday we went to watch a KL game at Macknade Cricket Club which backs onto Faversham Town F C. Amazingly this now looks a really superb set up with new stands and floodlights having been installed. They are going to play in the Kent County League this season and, I would guess, with a view to getting back their K L status soon. 18/07/05 - Web Ed - Fulbourn Institute (ECL1) - according to the Cambridge Evening News (15/07): 'Institute have big plans for next season after gaining promotion to the Ridgeons League. They have been given special dispensation to play at the Recreation Ground after their admission to the next step on the football pyramid'. But Fulbourn will be busy trying to find a site on which to build a new ground for the 2006-07 campaign. Chairman Richard Drage said the club had earmarked two areas in the village, but were still at early stages with their plans. He said that the Ridgeons League had been very good and bent over backwards to let the side in for the first year. They would not be able to play at the Rec after that but hoped to get planning permission soon for a new site. The parish council have also been very helpful. Fulbourn had a successful 2004-2005 season winning the treble - as Kershaw Cambridgeshire League championships, Cambs Challenge and Premier Division Cup winners. 28/06/05 - Ian Miller writes re new facilities at Homers Heath (Buckland Athletic FC): Saturday July 9th sees the culmination of copious amounts of blood sweat and tears by the members of Buckland Athletic Amateur Football Club. A project that has turned out to be a massive success story for local amateur football helped by the sponsorship of many local businesses. The club are hosting an open day to celebrate the official opening of their brand new facility, Homers Heath, on Kingskerswell Road Decoy. The gates are open from 11:00 am and everybody is welcome. Entrance fee is just £1 for adults, children enter free. There are various events throughout the day including a Mini Soccer exhibition, and the senior first XI vs a Devon League select XI, managed by the former representative side manager Tim Cowell. Steve Perryman. formerly of Tottenham Hotspur & now Chairman at Exeter City will cut the ribbon to mark the opening of the facilities at 2:00pm. The new social and function suite will be open all day for food and drinks, including the licensed bar. To add to the party atmosphere, adults and children can enjoy the inflatables on offer, including a 40ft assault course. With many other activities yet to be confirmed. The open day signals the finale to nearly two years of volunteer work by various members of the club. Saturday mornings and weeknights after work have been sacrificed by a small band of volunteers, in order that the facilities could be ready for the big move from their previous home at Homers Lane Kingsteignton. Club members completed ninety five per cent of the man-hours for this project in their spare time. The land, formerly a landfill site, has been kindly supplied by local clay company Watts Blake & Bearne. The company has worked very closely with the Club over many years to facilitate a smooth transition. Another big thank you from the club members goes to Viridor Waste Management for their financial support and advice over the project. The finished results being a testament to the club and everyone who has helped in the preparations. This is a huge turning point for the club who were formed in 1977 purely as a junior club playing in the Torbay Pioneer League. Their home games at the time were played at Sandringham Park, Buckland with changing facilities in the community centre. This gradually grew from one, up to six junior sides, becoming very successful at all age groups. Many of the original lads stayed with the club, and indeed are still there today. This resulted in the club applying to the Devon and Exeter League in 1987 and started a senior side in Division three. Home matches were played on the council pitches at Coach Road. The first two seasons saw consecutive promotions resulting in a quick rise to Division one. 1991 saw the brief move to Decoy Country Park where they stayed until 1993. The success of the senior side saw them win promotion to the Premier Division, which meant an upgrade to the facilities was required. Watts Blake and Bearne kindly offered their old social club site at Homers Lane, which has been the home to the club ever since. The millennium brought Bucks’ rise to the Devon County League, another step up the promotion pyramid. Some happy and successful times had been spent at Homers’ as it is affectionately known. Achievements include two Premier Division titles, Premier Cup winners, East Devon Cup Winners, Devon Senior Cup winners and Devon County League runners up in the first season in the league. 2005 heralds a new era with the new facilities on offer. The club is very confident that the success and good times shared at Homers Lane will be extended to their new home at Homers Heath, and anyone wishing to share in the celebrations is assured of a very warm welcome at Homers’ Following the official opening on July 9th, the senior team kick off their pre season in earnest with a friendly against Plymouth Argyle at Homers Heath on Wednesday July 13th where a good crowd is expected for a six thirty kick off. |
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updated 04/06/06 |