FGIF
Ramblings March 2005
3.00pm; Mon.28th March
2005; Central Midlands League Premier
Division: Att.60; programme: 24 pages 50p).
Ollerton Town (1) 1 Yorkshire Main (0) 0
Lucky was ready for another game! After enjoying his last outing at the Loughton rec he needed a good run on open land to flex his muscles once more. That was the logic as we pulled into the Lane Ground at Ollerton. After a good twenty minute stetch around the edge of the vast playing field (and well away from the pitch), he settled down with a bowl of water, favourite chew stick and happily curled up in his basket for a well earned rest, allowing his owner the chance to watch a Central Midlands League game between Ollerton and Yorkshire Main in some peace. By this time the missus and the twins had gone off for a walk and to find the Tescos we had passed by earlier on route. A decent match unfolded with the only goal of the game coming from a dubious first half penalty. There was quite a bit of niggle in the game as Main had a point to prove having lost 0-7 in the reverse fixture back in October. There were several off the ball moments which caused some hilarity amongst the vociferous crowd. When the visting number three (a gangly young chap sporting long dyed hair tied up in a pony-tail) went down after a clumsy tackle he was told in no uncertain terms by one 'supporter' (with a thick Nottinghamshire accent) to ''ger up youth and stop behaving like a gurl'' followed soon after by the quip ''get yer hur purmed cos it a b****y mess'' which as you can imagine brought roars of laughter from the Lane faithful and neutrals alike!
Town play at the Walesby Lane Sports Ground which is about a mile or so from New Ollerton town centre. The site is also used by Ollerton Cricket Club who play in the Bassetlaw and District League. A small changing pavilion (which also doubles as a tea bar) is situated some fifty metres from the railed off pitch. A small low roofed stand is positioned behind and to the right of the nearside goal. No other cover exists. The club have plans to move the pitch away from the fence and houses on the opposite side (probably about ten metres) so that floodlights can be installed. Apparently there is only one resident who objects to this and he shows his displeasure by not returning any ball that lands in his garden. Remarkably on this occasion not a single ball struck erroneously found its way towards his beloved plot - that's more than lucky!
Click here for a map showing: Ollerton Town FC
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3.00pm; Sat.26th March
2005; FA Vase Sem-Final 2nd
Leg; Att.1100; programme: 52 pages 70p).
Jarrow Roofing Bolden CA (0) 0 Didcot Town (1) 1
One of the main reasons for completing a weekend of football in the North-East was the lure of the FA Vase Semi-Final second leg ties - both taking place within twenty miles of each other and hopefully producing some decent football. I had originally decided to follow the fortunes of AFC Sudbury in their game at Bedlington. Realising that the game at Horden would finish before two o'clock I had a fighting chance of making kick-off (a thirty mile journey mostly on dual carriageway). Even with the most meticulous route planning I still felt that this was going to be a tall order and not only involved negotiating the Tyne Tunnel (at a busy time), hammering up the A19 (praying for a clear road) but also finding a decent parking space near enough to the ground. The chaps from Hartlepool standing next to me had also toyed with the same idea but decided by half-time to select the Jarrow game instead. I could see their reasoning - the game (at Horden) had kicked off late; it was already 2.06 pm with five minute still remaining and a physio had just come on to attend an injured player causing another delay - basically time was running out. Inevitably and reluctantly I agreed to give Bedlington a miss and accepted their kind invitation to follow their Astra twenty miles up the road and on to Jarrow Roofing's Bolden CA ground. It was a good decision and as my escorts had been there before it afforded a hassle-free journey. We reached New Road, parked up and walked up to one of main entrances at the Sports Ground - after queueing for several minutes it was 2.40pm by the time I got inside the ground!
The club itself was formed in 1987-88 and began life in the South Tyne League. When the league disbanded the club's objective was to to join the Northern League using the pyramid system via the Wearside League. Various approaches were made for a ground suitable for this venture (the brain child of owners Brian Marshall and Richard McLoughlin). Bolden CA had a piece of land that was unused and the club was given permission to develop it providing it raised the necessary funds. They joined the Wearside League for the 1991-92 season after which they were accepted into the Northern League five years later. Today the club have developed the ground which is now fully enclosed with a tidy main stand, extended cover on all sides and floodlights. A modern clubhouse is adjacent to (but outside) the ground with access through a gate next to the pay booths. Space was at a premium as over 1000 spectators (including club personnel, caterers and the press) squeezed into the tight confines of the Sports Ground.
Roofing came into the match 0-1 down from the first leg played the previous Saturday. With a record crowd in evidence many of the youngsters froze on what was a big stage for them. It was a dour game. Opponents Didcot defended magnificently, were well organised and were fast on the break. A goal after 30 minutes by the tireless Beavon was enough to see the Hellenic leaguers through to the Final at White Hart Lane in May. As the final whistle blew one of the locals remarked that the match at Bedlington had gone into extra time. Sounded like a cracker. If only I had carried on up the A19...but that's football as they say!!
Normally on these big occasions it is quite easy to get a programme. However today they had sold out by 2.15pm. It appeared that (with bad judgement) only 250 copies were printed. In desperation I gave a young kid £2 (persuading him that he could get a burger and still have some change) in exchange for his programme. 'Whey hey mister noor problem like' came the reply followed by the masterful response 'the burgers are s***e anywaay!' .
Click here for a map showing: Jarrow Roofing BCA FC
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12.00pm; Sat.26th March
2005; Albany Northern League Div.
One; Att.40; programme: 48 pages £1.00).
Horden CW (0) 0 Chester-Le-Street (1) 2
It was back up to Teeside again the next day. The sunshine and blue skies had been replaced by a damp mist and cold air. The swirling fog created a rather eerie atmosphere around the Welfare Park ground when I arrived for my second Northern League fixture of the weekend. Hemmed in between a myriad of back to back terraced houses and rising gently on an incline, the ground has loads of character. A large cantilever stand sits proudly along one side with red seats and paint work matching the club colours. There are plenty of steps of open terracing surrounding the ground on the other sides all of which add to give an enclosed feel about the place.
The intermittent patches fog made visibility difficult at times but it was clear that both teams were up for the occasion and a close contest followed. By full time the mist had evaporated and so had the chance of a home win. The visitors netted once in each half to take all three points back to Durham.
A neat 48 page programme complete with glossy cover was
issued for the game. This contained loads of club news, stats and previous
match reports. A vast range of hot food, drinks and snacks were
available from the kiosk in the grandstand - the bacon butties were a real
treat and complimented an earlier McDonalds breakfast meal purchased an hour
before in nearby Peterlee. Belch!
Click here for a map showing: Horden CW FC
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7.45pm; Fri.25th March
2005; National Conference
North League; Att.302; programme: 40 pages £1.70).
Bradford (Park Avenue) (0) 0 Droylsden (1) 2
By now the effects of a 5.30am start and miles of driving were beginning to take their toll. I was more than grateful so sit in the spacious main stand at the Horsfall Stadium and soak up the atmosphere. Despite a smaller than average home crowd in attendance there was still great support for the 'Avenue from their loyal band of followers who had turned out on a Friday evening to support their heroes. And cheer they did - every pass, tackle and effort on goal. The game was end to end stuff and Droylsden knew they had a battle on their hands if they were to get anything from the game and continue their push for a possible promotion place. But it was two mistakes that cost 'Avenue the game and signal another defeat to remain firmly rooted at the foot of the table. As one diehard commented: 'this is like so many games this season' - Carl Shutt's men had played their hearts out and had nothing to show for it. As for Droylsden it was easy to see why they are near the top of the table - they are hard working team, get behind the ball quickly and sustain their efforts for ninety minutes. Come the end of the season they might still be up there and surprise one or two clubs!
The Horsfall stadium is found just off the Halifax Road
to the west of Bradford city centre (and close to the imposing Odsall Stadium).
It is a big venue which is fully enclosed by fencing and shares its facilities
with athletics. The main covered stand and terrace runs the length of one side
and provides plenty of seating. The rest of the ground is open. There is a
large grass banked area at the far end and flat hard standing behind
the perimeter rail around the rest of the ground. The players have a smart
modern two storey changing pavilion behind the running track on the far side.
The rest of the facilities are located in portacabins near the entrance and
include a committee room, toilet block, bar, club shop and tea bar selling
hot food and drink throughout the game.
Before the game I expected to spend a 'bit' more than average on my evening's entertainment. Surely though £9 for admission, £1.70 for a glossy programme with loads of adverts and £3 for refreshments is rather OTT isn't it? The price of success I imagine!
Sadly the game was spoiled when a couple of well-oiled youths (who had travelled to the game with some of the Droylsden fans) were asked to leave the ground for unruly and drunken behaviour at the end of the first half - they responded by head butting one of the home stewards in the clubhouse at half-time - this turned out to be a seventy year old gentleman (who had supported the club since the early sixties). The police were called in and the second half was delayed by the referee. The game restarted ten minutes later. Badly shaken, the steward was taken home to recover and word got back that his days with 'Avenue were over! Apparently the trouble makers had only come to have a good day out and were not football supporters at all!
Click here for a map showing: Bradford (Park Avenue) FC
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3.00pm;
Fri.25th March 2005; Northern Counties East League Premier Division
; Att.179; programme: 48 pages £1.00).
Pickering Town (2) 2 Liversedge (0) 2
With the World Cup qualifying matches been staged on Saturday I took advantage of this rearranged NCEL Premier Division fixture. And what a cracking game this turned out to be! It was without doubt one of the best I have seen so far this campaign and a great advert for the league. The North Yorkshire folk at the club are a really friendly bunch and make travellers feel very welcome. For the record, Pickering scored twice in the first forty five minutes and then spent the rest of the game on the back foot defending in their own half; by the final whistle they counted themselves rather fortunate in fact to cling on to a point! Liversedge looked impressive despite conceding through two fast breaks in the first half. They showed skill, pace and determination and fully deserved to take all three points but just couldn't find the winner after coming back into the game. Interestingly Pickering have now brought Alex Mathie into the fold and have ambition to move up into the Unibond League. They certainly have an idyllic and compact little ground (shared with cricket) - there is cover on three sides; a smart club house and changing pavilion. According to one of the officials there are plenty of seats in the ground, but probably not enough in the main stand at present to meet the necessary ground grading criteria for promotion. This shouldn't be a problem as the club have an enthusiastic committee and a dedicated band of helpers. A superb programme was issued and even contained photos from the FA Cup match when their visitors played Coalville in the 4th qualifying round tie - a great gesture! The tea bar was busy before kick-off providing a range of hot and cold snacks. If you haven't been to Mill Lane yet it is definitely well worth a visit!
Click here for a map showing: Pickering Town FC.
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11.00pm; Fri.25th March
2005; Albany Northern League Div.
One; Att.54; programme: 40 A4 p/c pages £1.00).
Thornaby (0) 1 Consett (0) 0
Thornaby have really struggled against all the odds to maintain their ground in recent seasons. There has been widespread vandalism to the main stand; a covered terrace behind one goal has been raided and more recently a new pavilion suffered an arson attack; add to this the erosion of a vast crumbling terrace along the near side and it is obvious to see the effect these scars have had on the facilities at Teesdale Park. The club remain optimistic however and have plans to rebuild in the future. The team currently lie mid table in the top flight of the Northern League and have a decent side. So it was no surprise that the game was a hugely competitive one with some strong physical play throughout. Thornaby took time to get into their stride and despite going down to ten men in the second half always had the edge. They netteed late on to take the points. An unusual 40 page programme was issued - consisting of twenty photocopied A4 sized sheets of paper and stapled in the top left hand corner. The secretary apologised for not having three staples down the left hand side which has been customary practice of late!!
Click here for a map showing: Thornaby FC
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3.000pm;
Sat.19th March 2005; Herts Senior County League Div.
One; Att.19; programme: 8 pages incl. £1.00 admn).
Loughton (0) 0 Buntingford Town (4) 5
At 2.50pm the
Wraymobile chugged into the Avondale Close car park. The passengers on
board were my wife; one of my twin daughters and our
panting Border Collie (who had become frustrated at sitting in the back of the
car)! The first two were quite happy relaxing in the beautiful
sunshine - the other was not going to be so obedient and easy to
please. For a dog whose daily run on Newmarket Heath can easily
cover up to three miles, getting out of the car was definitely going
to be top priority. So, after a series of loud barks and whimpers out he came
for his usual stretch, shake of the coat and a drink of water. At
least that's what we thought he'd settle for!! Not a bit of it!! With
five minutes to kick-off Lucky could be seen in the distance chasing
after his rubber ball (fixed to a throwing rope) and then retreating with
it on a route which involved crossing the first team pitch at Loughton
FC. With the football match about to start and several sneering looks
vaguely in my direction it was important to remove the hound from the playing
area and return him to the car. By this time my wife, Frances, was busy
doing the Times crossword puzzle and daughter, Steph, was listening to her new
Urban Sounds CD - both fully absorbed in these and totally oblivious to my
predicament. They were enjoying themselves. As the players started to come out
I ran back over to the car park for assistance and to pick up the dog
bowl filled with drinking water! Lucky then allowed me to quickly
tether him back on the lead and I marched him safely back
to the car where he decided it was time to have a breather in
his basket (a large plastic container filled with a duvet and various blankets
that took up the whole of the boot space). At last I could turn my mind
from matters canine and on to those relating to football.
Buntingford are having a great
season and before play sat proudly at the top of the Herts County Senior League
Division 1. The title was looking to be theirs with only a handful of games
remaining. The statistics proved right too. Within fifteen minutes
Town were three up and cruising. It was only the heat and some misdirected
attempts on goal that kept the score to 0-4 at the interval. With pride at
stake Loughton came back strongly in the second half and could have netted
several times themselves. They tightened up in
defence and faltering only the once saw the game out with a
final scoreline of 0-5.
Loughton FC play on the
Loughton Rec, a large public playing field, at the end of Avondale
Close (within a mile of the town centre). A small changing pavilion near
the entrance has a small function room serving cold drinks and snacks. The
pitch is roped off apart from a small length of railing on the nearside
touchline. There is a further pitch behind. An 8 page photocopied programme was
included in the £1admission price. It is a decent effort containing all
the essentials and a round up of League news. This is a really friendly club.
To reach the ground involves access
from either the M25 (near Waltham Abbey) or M11 (Northbound only, near Debden).
The rail station is about a mile from the ground and well placed for travellers
relying on public transport.
It was a most relaxing trip back up
to Suffolk - everyone had enjoyed their day out in the sunshine. Looking
over my shoulder Steph told me that the wolf was asleep in the back. That was
more than Lucky!!
Click
here for a map showing: Loughton FC
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7.30pm;
Fri.11th March 2005; Varsity Football Match - Abbey Stadium
Cambridge; Att.826; programme: 28
pages incl. £5.00 admn).
Cambridge University (0) 0
Oxford University (0) 1
Having been involved in athletics ever since I was a boy in short trousers (that's probably over 30 years ago now), there are several occasions during the year when the sport takes priority over football. Such was the case on Saturday when my daughter Jo and I decided to go to Norwich to watch the annual English Schools' Cross Country Championships taking place at the rural Norfolk Showground. For some people the words 'Cross Country' may bring back traumatic school day memories of enduring the most punishing form of physical activity ever imagineable. It may even conjour up feelings of extreme gut wrenching nausea whilst endlessly lapping playing fields in the winter months under the watchful eye of a sadistic PE master dressed in a thick overcoat!! But for the unitiated, this day marks the culmination of months of preparation for kids who actually love and excel at the sport. This high quality event is a great spectacle with the crop of future English running stars on show. With a handful of athletes from West Suffolk AC (our local club) representing the Suffolk county team it held greater interest and excitement (that is if you like standing in mud for a few hours!). All this meant that my Saturday football fix was going to take a back seat for once. But it is always worth it and great to see youngsters doing something productive rather than sitting on street corners (and that ends the lecture!)
Whilst flicking through the sports
pages of the Cambridge Evening News I had a quick look at the local weekend
football fixtures (as you do) and noticed the annual Varsity match between
Oxford and Cambridge Universities was being played at the Abbey
Stadium kicking off at 7.30pm (ie in two hours time). What an opportunity
to combine a trip to Tescos and attend a game! My long suffering wife Frances
somehow agreed realising once again that there was some sort of method in the
madness!. Within the hour the Wray family were sitting comfortably in
the bucket seats on row D of the Cambridge United FC main stand attired in
several layers of winter clothing to combat the wind chill.
As predicted, a real thriller unfolded before our eyes. The match was played in great spirit under the watchful eye of Premiership referee Mark Messias from Sheffield. In fact messrs. Elleray, Rennie, Durkin, D'Urso have officiated in previous seasons. The rivalry between two of the nation's top academic institutions was obvious and it was Cambridge who had a point to prove having lost the Varsity Final over the last two years. The light blues took control in the early stages and were roared on by their fellow dons dressed in compulsory scarves and range of embroidered college fleeces. Some had consumed a large measure of alcohol; one young fellow who was dressed in a yellow Torquay United T-Shirt was temporariliy oblivious to the adverse climate insulated no doubt by several pints of Greene King! The noise intensified when a sky blue was felled in the area and a penalty was awarded. A loud grown followed. Dark blues' 'keeper Nick Baker (studying Economics) had just blocked the spot kick. This later proved to be the turning point and help the stopper to win the coveted 'Man of the Match' award. Oxford were back in it again and pressed for most of the second half with the pacey James Forrest (a 3rd year History student) looking a (first) class act. His surging runs were causing all sorts of trouble in the Cambridge box and midway through half this paid off as he found the net from a tight angle. A handful of supporters in front of us went wild. Despite a determined effort Cambidge couldn't find an equaliser and missed out for the third succesive year. In true spirit the players shook hands in friendship. It had been a memorable victory for Oxford though as the stats were later to reveal: In 121 matches played; Cambridge had won 46; Oxford had won 47 and there had been 28 matches drawn!
A superb 16 glossy paged programme
was issued (FOC) for the game. As well as the Iine ups, it contained a welcome,
captain's notes, a piece on the referee and also colour team photos and pen pix
of the players.
Satiated once again, the visit
to Tescos was positively
enjoyable!!
Click
here for a map showing: Cambridge United FC.
3.00pm; Sat.05th March 2005; Nationwide
Conference North League (Att.2020; programme: 28 pages incl.
£1.50).
Hinckley United (1) 1 Stalybridge
Celtic (0) 1
Forget the rain,
sleet and snow! Nothing was going to stop United enjoying their big day.
There was a buzz in the air as fans (and travellers) made their way to the
new Marston Stadium. By 2.15 the car park was full and this prompted drivers
to look for alternative spaces outside the ground. The new turnstiles
maintained a steady rhythm as punters joined the queues craning
their necks to get a glimpse of these unfamiliar
surroundings. Stewards dressed in new yellow fluorescent jackets were busy
too doing their bit to ensure everything passed smoothly. The club
shop was making encouraging business as fans bought the latest souvenirs
to mark the occasion. The latest digital cameras were on show
as snappers busily cliicked away so as not to miss anything. Yes the
Marston Stadium had officially opened and was finally ready for business after
months of delay and interruptions to planning. The club were eager to move
in and ease their financial worries. And not before time either! Large diggers
were still on site; building was unfinished in some areas (the toilet
block had only three cubicles and the plastering was unfinished) and
mounds of earth were piled up haphazardly like giant mole hills. Home fans
reminded each other not to touch anything just in case the paint was still
wet! But they were relieved that the wait was over. There was just
enough time for the Hinckley Town Crier to mark the official opening and it
was game on. No going back now! United were playing a struggling
Stalybidge side who found themselves at the wrong end of the table. And
it showed. By half-time the Knitters were coasting and could have scored
four. The ball had struck each post and the bar so they had to settle
for a one goal lead instead! After the interval Celtic got back into it
and levelled matters in the 63rd minute scoring a well deserved
equaliser to share the points and give them a lifeline. It was a game
United should have won but it did not prevent the majority
of the 2000 spectators from enjoying their special day
A bumper 64 page programme was issued for the game and this
contained several colour photos marking the development of the ground as well
as a statistical review of all games played by the club at the Middlefield
Lane ground. Plenty of food and hot drinks were on sale from the tea bar in the
main stand throughout the afternoon.
As you can see from the photos in Album 41 (Image Gallery)
there is plenty of cover at the Marston Stadium. The main stand provides the
only seating and can easily accomodate over 500
people. Opposite there are several steps of covered terracing
running almost the whole length of the far side. There is also a very
large and impressive stand behind the goal nearest the entrance. The far end is
open and you can see the floodlights from the neighbouring
Downes Sports Football Club (Ex Hinckley Town) ground away in the distance.
The club can be reached (and seen) from the main A47
(approaching Earl Shilton and Barwell). Turn right at the junction with
the Leicester Road and the main entrance/car park is on your right.
The club have a number of home games remaining this season.
For travellers intending to make a visit here is a list of
forthcoming games at the Marston Stadium as given in the programme
(kick-offs for Sat - 3pm; and for midweek - 7.45pm):
Tues 08/03 v Ashton Utd; Tues 15/03 v Kettering;
Fri 25/03 (Good Friday @ 7.45pm) v Alfreton T; Sat 02/04 v Worcester City;
Sat 09/04 v Harrogate; Tues 19/04 v Hucknall T and Sat 29/04 v
Barrow
Click here for a map showing: Hinckley United FC.