TT AUGUST/PRE SEASON 2005-2006 

INDEX 

(001) 10/07 - Dennis Woods: Poole Town v AFC Bornemouth (PSF);                                                      (002) 11/07 - Stephen Harris : Cirencester T v Leyton Orient (PSF);                                                              (003) 16/07 - Michael Greaves: Sporting Khalsa v Walsall (PSF);                                                                     (004) 22/07 - Barry Neighbour: Matches* from 09-20/07 (PSF);                                                                    (005) 27/07 - Phil Hiscox: Pre-season friendlies (West Country);                                             (006) 02/08 - Christine Morgan: Trip to Ireland;                                                             (007) 02/08 - Stephen Harris: Ilford v Dag & Red (PSF);                                                                                 (008) 03/08 - Barry Neighbour: from 23/07-02/08 (PSF)*;                                                                             (009) 04/08 - Dennis Woods: Visits to Estonia & Finland*;                                                                               (010) 07/08 - Phil Hiscox: Torquay Utd v Notts County (FC2);                                                                         (011) 07/08 - Andy Molden: Swansea City v Tranmere Rov (FC1);                                             (012) 07/08 - Michael Greaves: Swansea City v Tranmere R (FC1);                                                                  (013) 08/08 - Stephen Harris: matches in Berlin,Germany;                                                    (014) 10/08 - Barry Neighbour: Beaconsfield SY v Ardley (PSF);                                             (015) 10/08 - Stephen Harris: Hertford T v Cheshunt (HCC);                                                                          (016) 12/08 - Phil Hiscox: Plymouth A (FC) & Oxford Utd (FC2);                                                                     (017) 14/08 - Barry Neighbour: Hallen v Corsham (Western Lge);                                                                     (018) 14/08 - Paul Roth: Tongham v Bookham (CCL1);                                                                                        (019) 14/08 - Michael Greaves: Ryton v Peterlee (NL);                                                                                     (020) 15/08 - Dave Reed: Faversham T v Milton Ath (Kent Co Lge);                                                                  (021) 17/08 - S. Harris: Glossop (NWC) & Whitstable (Kent Lge);                                                                       (022) 18/08 - B. Neighbour: Chobham & Guildford Utd (CCL);                                                                           (023) 21/08 - Paul Roth: Bradford T v Almondsbury (Western Lge);                                                                 (024) 22/08 - Dave Reed: Rusthall v Snodland (Kent County Lge);                                                                    (025) 23/08 - Christine Morgan: Chalfont SP v  Buck'm T (FACep);                                                                 (026) 26/08 - Mike Latham: Glossop NE v Trafford (NWCL1);                                                                         (027) 26/08 - Stephen Harris: Hatfield T v Little Munden (HSCLP);                                                                (028) 28/08 - Mike Latham: Ramsbottom Utd v Marske (FACP);                                                                       (029) 30/08 - Stephen Harris: A trip to Aarhus in Denmark;                                                                           (030) 31/08 - Barry Neighbour: Welsh Hop 2005 review;                                                    (031) 31/08 - Mike Latham: Mossley (Unib'd 1) v Sheffield (FAC).

End

 

READ REPORTS BELOW


31/08/05 TT No.31: Mike Latham - Mossley (Unibond 1)

 

Tue 30 Aug 2005, FA Cup Preliminary Round Replay : Mossley 1-0 Sheffield (att- 268)

 

Mossley's fine start to the season continued when they beat Sheffield by a single goal in a tight replay at Seel Park.

 

Ryan Giggs' brother Rhodri scored the only goal of the game with a glancing header at the near post from a right wing corner in the 71st minute.

 

Sheffield contained the home side very well with their hard-working approach but created very few chances of their own and Mossley ran out worthy winners.

 

Seel Park is a well appointed and atmospheric ground located just off the main market square of the town which is now easily reached via Ashton-u-Lyne off J23 of the M60 motorway.

 

The ground's elevated location allows some spectacular views over the Pennine hills and on a warm summer's evening it was a splendid place to watch football.

 

Mossley are a friendly club and the spectators appear very knowledgeable and committed to their club.  The ground's main facilities are located at the main entrance side of the ground with a nice club house, tea bar and small main stand together with a supporters' club shop.

 

The terrace to the right of the main stand is covered and there is a small cover on the opposite side with the area behind the goal to the left (school) side uncovered terracing.

 

The ground is maintained to a high order and there are many excellent vantage points to be had.  Most of the spectators gathered in the main stand or on the terrace to the right. The sloping pitch was in very good condition.

 

Admission was £7 adults and a goods informative 40-page programme sold for £1.50.  The meat and potato pies came highly recommended and were excellent value at £1.20 though, as at Ramsbottom two days earlier, there had been a rush on the peas which sold out early.

 

Entertainment rating ****

 

31/08/05 TT No.30: Barry Neighbour - Welsh Ground Hop 2005 Review

 

WELSH GROUNDHOP

 

Friday 26th August 2005
PONTYPRIDD TOWN 4 Gwynfi United 0 - Att: 202
Macron Welsh League Division 2; 40 page programme of which 25 were adverts!
Pontypridd's ground is situated through a park and surrounded by a by-pass which is a bit different. They easily beat Gwynfi who were relegated last season and the 4 goal margin flattered the visitors as it really should have been double the scoreline. FGIF Rating 3*

 

Saturday 27th August 2005
RHYDYFELIN 2 Osbourne Athletic 1 - Att: 183
South Wales Amateur League Division 2; Programme: 16 Pages Priced £1 (with Admission)
We took the official coach for the day arriving at our first game nearly 2 hours before kick-off! We did get to see them put the nets up. The ground is reached via a rugby pitch and then up a fairly steep slope which could be lethal in bad weather. The game was quite lively with both sides creating openings and a draw was probably the correct result. FGIF Rating 3*


CARNETOWN 2 Abercynon Athletic 2 - Att: 269
South Wales Amateur League Division 2; Programme: 20 Pages Price £1
We arrived just in time for a quick half pint in the Carne Park Hotel which sponsors Carnetown. The game was a local derby and was a highly charged affair with both sides giving their all. The highlight however was unconnected to the football but involved a Poodle and a Jack Russell who, having entered the field of play, just carried on doing what dogs do naturally (or unnaturally considering they were both males!). And all this despite the ref showing his red card at them!! FGIF Rating 3*


FC ABERCWMBOI 4 HIRWAUN WELFARE 4 - Att: 189
South Wales Amateur League Division 2; Programme: 32 Pages Price: £1
This was an absolute cracking game played at a fast pace throughout. The star player being the home side's No 9 Chris Pedrick who fired home a well taken hatrick but Hirwaun hit back to earn a share of the spoils. FGIF Rating 5*

CWMAMAN INSTITUTE 4 v Cardiff Draconians 5  5* Att:292

South Wales Amateur League Division 1 Programme: 20 Pages Price: £1
We did not think things could get any better than FC Abercwmboi but we were wrong as this game surpassed it. Draconians looked to be holding a comfortable lead but the home side hit back but Cardiff held on for the points. FGIF Rating 5*

 

We all went home happy having seen 28 Goals in the five games held over the two days.
The last two games will certainly be high in the early season 'Anoraks List' although I think you will get a few 'hoppers staking their claim to the games!!


30/08/05 TT No.29: Stephen Harris - a trip to Aarhus (Denmark)

 

The advent of relatively cheap, daily flights from Stansted to Aarhus has opened up easy access to football clubs in an area of Denmark rather remote from the usual tourist hub of Copenhagen. Having enjoyed a long weekend here in 2003 - Aarhus is a nice place -  I felt it was time for another visit, albeit a brief one this time. We arrived at around midday on Saturday 27 August in time for a quick pint in the town centre before taking a bus to the outer suburb of Brabrand. The local side Brabrand IF were playing Kolding FC in a league match at the second level of Danish football, both clubs having been promoted at the end of last season. The Brabrand Stadion is astonishingly basic for football of this status, having no floodlights and few facilities. The pitch is surrounded by a wooden post and rail fence and there is no hard standing for spectators at pitch level, just grass.  On the main side there is a grass bank up from the pitch to a wide paved concourse in front of the dressing room and clubhouse block. A small overhang from this building would provide the only cover on a wet day. Along the whole length of the concourse is a line of tables and benches, from which almost the entire crowd of around 400 watched the match. A series of kiosks provided beer and food and a token effort free programme was available on entry. Both teams played a skillful passing game with the home team winning 1-0.

The following day we took a 30 minute train ride to the small town of Horsens to see AC Horsens play Aalborg BK in the top division.  Horsens were promoted at the end of last year after a long time out of the top level and seemed to have the enthusiastic backing of most of the town.  Aalborg are an established top side in Denmark and brought with them a rather dubious looking following. Horsens play at a nice, old-fashioned ground on the edge of town which could probably hold about 6,000 at a squeeze. A modern stand runs the full length of one side, whilst an older stand fills most of the other and has a terraced paddock in front. The home end has a fairly substantial open terrace and away fans get the raw deal with just a small patch of uncovered seating at the far end. Just before kick-off we spotted that the home side were second from bottom of the table, having managed just one goal so far in 7 games. So the 0-0 draw we witnessed was not entirely surprising.  But it was actually a good quality game played in a good-natured atmosphere in front of a 3,658 crowd.  A flashy looking, but advert filled, match programme sold for around £1.

On the final whistle we hurried back to the station to return to Aarhus for our evening game. This was the big match of the trip and featured bottom placed Aarhus GF against top placed Brondby. We didn't have advance tickets and joined a long, slow queue, eventually getting into the stadium with ten minutes to spare. The Aarhus Stadion is modern and is dominated by a continuous two-tier horseshoe of grey seats around three sides of the ground. The fourth side has the main stand and this is a smaller, seperate, single-tier construction with a lot of corporate boxes. The capacity is 21,000 and we estimated that there were a good 10,000 present, including around 600 away supporters. Right from the start the match was played in a tremendous atmosphere, with both sets of fans providing loud and continuous vocal backing. The home supporters were jubilant at the end as their team defied all the odds and won 3-0. A very smart and informative match programme sold for around £1. We were quickly away to the airport at the end and I was home in London by 1am - a very odd feeling to get home so quickly from an evening game so far away.

These were three very enjoyable matches, although with fewer goals overall than we might be used to at home. Most noticeable was the fact that physical contact is still allowed in Danish football. My personal view is that English football has reached the point where every tackle is penalised by a free kick and every foul leads to a yellow card; and that this has gone too far. It was very refreshing to see the referees save the whistle for real fouls, allowing for games which were a more physical battle but also for games which flowed and were enjoyable to watch - considerably better I have to say than the awful League 2 match I returned to see at Brisbane Road on Monday.

 

28/08/05 TT No.28: Mike Latham - Ramsbottom Utd (NWCL)

 

Sunday 28 Aug 2005; FA Cup Preliminary Round- Ramsbottom United 3-1 Marske United (att 220est)

 

The Riverside Ground at Ramsbottom is an idyllic spot to watch football on a pleasant summer afternoon and a number of travellers and visiting Marske supporters swelled the crowd for the unusual Sunday afternoon kick-off.

 

Ramsbottom is a small mill town near Bury in Lancashire and is about a mile off J1 of the M66 motorway in the middle of some spectacular countryside.

 

The ground is situated in the bottom of a valley close to the town centre and next to the station on the East Lancashire railway line.  Two steam trains passed behind one goal during the game.

 

The football club adjoins the cricket club with its excellent facilities and ornate pavilion.  Ramsbottom CC play in the Lancashire League and a second team match was in progress.

 

Located adjoining the railway line after turning up by the side of a paper mill the football ground is in a picturesque setting and the facilities are excellent and club officials friendly and welcoming.

 

A well appointed tea bar with a railway cabin style seating plan served pie and peas and hot drinks out of pot mugs and was well frequented.  But the peas ran out early in the afternoon prompting the enquiry from one traveller of 'Who ate all the peas'.

 

Admission was only £5 (£2 concessions) and a 48-page programme with full colour cover incorporating the NWCL newsletter was a bargain £1.  The announcer gave the teams out the before kick-off and helpfully again at half time.

 

There are three separate covered stands at the ground, one behind the goals opposite the railway end for standing spectators and two smaller ones behind the home dug-out opposite the club house and tea bar.  The River Irwell flows behind these stands.  One of the stands has seats and gives an excellent view of the action.  The rest of the ground allows standing behind the perimeter fence. The playing pitch was in good condition and the ground had been painted and maintained to a high standard.  There was a large car park behind the cricket pavilion with further parking around the cricket field.

 

Ramsbottom led 2-0 at half-time after two opportunist strikes by striker Steve Macdonald.  Marske, from the Northern League, enjoyed their best spell of the game immediately after the break and pulled a goal back through Edward Hebbron only for home sub Keiron Fletcher to settle matters with a header 20 minutes from time.

 

A visit to Ramsbottom comes highly recommended.

 

26/08/05 TT No.27: Stephen Harris - Hatfield Town (HSCLP)

 

Thursday 25 August 2005; Hatfield Town 4-1 Little Munden; Herts Senior County League; att c.60, programme issued, admission free.

6.30pm on a Thursday strikes me as a very civilised time at which to play football. And this fixture was particularly welcome, as my chosen midweek game had fallen victim to Wednesday's wet weather.

Hatfield Town have had a chequered and complicated history, recently written up in a hefty book which looks to have been a real labour of love for its author. The present incarnation of the club plays on an unenclosed and rather bumpy, Council-owned pitch to the rear of a modern sports and leisure centre. The pitch is fully railed and plastic matting has been laid along one side and one end to provide a sort of semi-hard standing for spectators. The far side has a line of mature trees which provided some shelter from the wind and showers of yesterday evening. This side also has a solitary park bench for the more weary spectator or two. Tea etc. should have been available from the leisure centre but, to the consternation of regulars, was not. A reasonable pub lies five minutes walk away though a 'McMullen''s house, the Hopfields in Homestead Road.

Little Munden looked a true village side, with players of all ages, shapes and sizes. They were very much second best in this game, but held a dominant Hatfield side to 0-0 at half-time, largely through good goalkeeping. The second half was actually a closer match and more enjoyable to watch, but Hatfield took their chances and ended up with a comfortable win.

An 8-page match programme had a cover price of £1 but was apparently handed out for free. Unfortunately, only twenty had been printed and they had long run out by the time I arrived at 6.15.  Match rating 3*

 

26/08/05 TT No.26: Mike Latham - Glossop NE (NWCL1)

 

Tuesday 23 August 2005; NWCLD1; Glossop North End 1-1 Trafford

 

Very few grounds remain that staged first division football in the years prior to the First World War so a visit to the Derbyshire Peak District is particularly recommended.

 

Glossop North End these days play in the first division of the North West Counties League at Surrey Street- just up the road from Tesco's supermarket off the main A57 road that runs through the town.  Their home since 1952, it is typical of soccer at that level, with a clubhouse behind one goal, a small covered stand on one side and a covered terrace opposite with some bench seating.  For their recent midweek game against Trafford the attendance was around the 130 mark for an entertaining 1-1 draw.

 

A very pleasant lady dispenses hot drinks and pies from the tea-hut and the club make plenty of effort with their programme, which is excellent.  The club house is open to all and the club officials are very friendly.

 

Turn right out of the Surrey Street ground, however, then left and under the railway bridge and within 400 yards you find Glossop Cricket and Bowling Club's enclosure off North Road.  A fine venue, North Road is a former Football League ground and it is easy to imagine the days when Glossop enjoyed a 17-year stay in the Football League.

 

Glossop were elected to join the second division in 1898 and earned the admiration of the football world by earning promotion at the end of their first season, as runners-up to Manchester City.  So, in 1899-1900, Glossop boasted a first division side with clubs such as Everton, Liverpool, Sunderland and Newcastle United making visits to North Road. 

 

The teams entered the ground via the ornate gates- still there today- and changed in the cricket pavilion- still an imposing structure.  The pitch was laid out in the south-east corner, one touchline running parallel to the railway line and the embankment that was built to house up to 5,000 spectators can still be clearly seen.  A crowd of 7,000 saw the first Football League game, against Blackpool in 1898, and the ground record was 10,736 for an FA Cup-tie against Preston North End in January 1914.

 

Glossop had a population of only 25,000 and it remains the smallest town in England ever to have played in the top-flight.  Their stay was a brief one- they were relegated after one season but the stayed in the second division until the outbreak of the First World War.  But they were the worst supported club in the League in all but one season from 1903 until 1915.

 

They averaged around 4,000 during their one season in the first division when Aston Villa (19,825) was the country's best supported club.  But by the final season their average crowd was around the 1,400-mark.

 

Glossop owed its remarkable status to the patronage of a prominent local mill-owner, Samuel Hill-Wood.  He was quite a sportsman, having also played for and captained the Derbyshire county cricket side, and he single-handedly funded the football club wage bill and attracted many prominent players to play for the team. In 1908 he took over as the club's manager.

 

Later the town's Mayor and a Member of Parliament, Hill-Wood's funding continued until the outbreak of hostilities when he decided that, with the war effort in full flow, he could no longer justify his vast outlay.  When competitive soccer resumed after the war, Glossop were not re-elected to the Football League and then had to settle for playing their football at a more humble level.  Mr Hill-Wood moved on to pastures new, becoming chairman of Arsenal and a descendent, Peter Hill-Wood is the Arsenal chairman these days.

 

23/08/05 TT No.25: Christine Morgan - Chalfont St.Peter (Isthmian Lge)

 

Sat 20th August 2005; Chalfont St. Peter v Buckingham Town; FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round

Result: 1-0; Admission: £5.00;  Programme : 24 pages, £1; Attendance 67

With Aldershot playing away at the Shay, I decided that an FA Cup match was the order of the day. Mill Meadow was easy to find, with car parking available at the ground. Sky television had been installed in the club house that very morning.

Chalfont St. Peter (the Saints) recent record in the FA Cup makes dismal reading, falling at the first hurdle in the past four years. This was the first game of the season for both teams. After a hard fought match CSP went 1-0 up and managed to hold out as Buckingham Town tried to fight back. CSP progress to the next round where they play away at AFC Hornchurch on the 27th August.


 

22/08/05 TT No.24: Dave Reed - Rusthall (Kent County League)

 

 For the second Saturday running, I ventured into the Kent County League, this time to Rusthall for their first home game in the Premier Division.  The ground is tucked away down a lane out of the village and bears the name of Jockeys Farm which is adjacent.  A sharp right hand turn brings you into the ground which has the dressing rooms and a small clubroom on the right and the railed off pitch on the left.  There is probably enough room for parking on a normal day with additional space behind the goal at the far end.  It appears that hard standing is being laid all around and I understand from a friend of mine that the club have purchased the floodlights from the defunct Canterbury City club. Although I did not confirm this with any of the officials, there certainly appeared to be a mysterious 'pile' of something under cover behind the near goal.  On the day visitors Snodland provided good oppositon but  Rusthall's big day was completed with two late goals to give them victory.  The club are issuing programmes, todays issue for 50p provided 12 pages inside a temporary cover (mostly in the club colours of green and white).  However, I believe that for next week's game there will be a full colour cover together with colour photos of the first team squad in the middle.


 

21/08/05 TT No.23: Paul Roth - Bradford Town (Western League)

 

Bradford Town vs. Almondsbury; Toolstation Western Lge. Div 1; Res: 1-3; programme £4 with entry.

Travelling down to Bradford-Upon-Avon I had a call from Steve Hurley who informed me he was going to Odd Down's F.A. Cup tie against Portland. We arranged to meet in the Beehive pub some 200 yards past Bradford's ground on the Trowbridge Road. Odd isn't it, one of us lives in Margate, the other in Blackpool and yet we end up going to games only 6 miles apart!!

'Hoppers may have noticed that the club has had a pretty disasterous start to the season at the higher level which is a shame as this is a nice place to visit, not only in football terms. The ground is fully railed off and on the main road side there are a couple of old buildings which are dressing rooms and tea hut respectively. Hard standing goes round most of the pitch and the general ambience is enhanced by two lovely old Georgian houses behind the far goal and a stone wall adjoining the main road made from local stone.

£4 to get in seemed a bit steep but did come with a glossy programme which, to be generous, I will call thin on reading material. Very colourful throughout though!

The game was pretty much one way traffic apart from the five minutes after half time when the homesters rallied and did actually manage to equalise It wasn't long before Almondsbury hit their straps again and ran out comfortable 3-1 winners. A season of huge struggle I fear awaits Bradford Town.

For those wishing to travel by public transport, there is a railway station at Bradford-Upon-Avon. There are also lots and lots of buses which pass right by the ground, heading for Bath which might be a better option.

It was nice to see Steve and chat for an hour or so in the pub beer garden and can recommend this scenic Wiltshire town not only for its football club alone.

 

18/08/05 TT No.22: Barry Neighbour - Chobham (CCL1) & Guildford Utd (CCLP)

 

Tuesday 16th August 2005 Chobham 1 Tongham 4 - Combined Counties League Division 1; 8 Page Programme £1

Having seen Farnborough North End v Hythe & Dibden called off due to Hythe not wanting to travel for a 6.30pm kick off (don't these clubs realise they will get these type of fixtures when they enter the league?) I chose to go to Chobham as an alternative. On a sunny evening which needed a stop at the Sun Inn before the game I sat on a bench to mark the 50th Anniversary of VJ Day ironic that this very week was the 60th Anniversary. The Football ground has not altered hardly at all in the 20 odd years since my last visit when they were still in the Surrey League apart from the loss of their old unique stand which was like a small bike shed and everyone including the subs had huddled into I recall (no dug outs 20 years ago). It is basically a roped off pitch in a recreation ground, although elsewhere on the ground are new council offices and 5-a-side artificial pitch. The clubhouse was open and I was surprised to see food on sale from the kitchen. The cheeseburger went down well.

 

This was Tonghams 1st away game at this level and they certainly looked a lot sharper than the home side. Tongham took a 10th minute lead with a far post header and soon doubled their tally with a screamer which left the keeper rooted to the spot. It was surprising Tongham had not increased the tally by the break as they were well on top. Chobham must have had the proverbial 'kick up the bum' at half-time as they looked a lot more competitive in the 2nd half and pulled a goal back early in the half and started causing Tongham problems. Any hope of a comeback however was to diminish when they had a player sent off for inexplicably kicking out at a Tongham player on the ground in front of the referee. To prove a point their indisipline saw them concede a penalty 2 minutes later which Tongham duly converted to go 3-1 up. Tongham scored a 4th just before time to wrap up the points. A good game worthy of 4*

 

Wednesday 17th August 2005 Guildford United 2 Sandhurst Town 2 Combined Counties League Premier Division; 24 Page Programme: £1.00


Formerly known as AFC Guildford the renamed Guildford United play at The Spectrum Leisure Centre which is a souless place as you sit up on a 800 seater capacity terrace looking down on the pitch which has an athletics track surrounding it. The toilets are in the Leisure Centre (a 5 minutes walk back up the slope) and the only food available were dodgy frankfurters in a stale roll selling for £1.50 at half-time. Best to visit a local pub before the game.

 

The game was rather disappointing with both sides struggling to string two passes together, although Sandhurst had the better of the first half it was Guildford who went into the break with a single goal advantage (after a long ball fell to the Guildford forward, who seemed a good 5 yards beyond the Sandhurst defence, there was no flag and it was 1-0). The away side made two changes at half-time and the looked a lot better side for it. They were soon level when new left back  N.Yeats hit a 25 yard free kick into the top corner (a le Beckham style) which left the Guildford keeper rooted to the spot. The profilic Pete Mulvaney put the away side 2-1 up but they threw the game away when a deep cross saw the Sandhurst keeper rush from his goal for a ball he was never going to get leaving the Guildford forward to hook the ball into the unguarded goal. The improved 2nd Half just about pulled the game up to a 3* rating.

 

17/08/05 TT No.21: Stephen Harris - Glossop North End (NWCL) & Whitstable Town (Kent League)

 

Early season enthusiasm has taken me to two new grounds in the past few days and both have proved to be very enjoyable experiences:

Saturday 13 August 2005;  Glossop North End 2-4 Salford City; North West Counties League; Att: 109, programme issued, admission £4.

A rare trip up north saw me with a wide choice of fixtures for a first ever venture into the North West Counties League.  Glossop proved a good choice of venue, providing everything one would hope from this league, i.e. an interesting ground, a scenic location, hot pies (though regrettably no peas or gravy) and a friendly welcome. Worried about the weather and with not much of a fall-back plan, I got there early and was one of the first in the ground.

 

Although pretty rough, the pitch was not too wet, so it was game on.  My early arrival resulted in me being asked to run a few errands? Could I fetch some change from the bar for the turnstile man? Could I deliver programmes to the ladies in the pie hut, etc..  I felt that I was in serious danger of being invited onto the committee before the game was out.


In my imagination I had seen myself in the club shop before the game, selecting my purchases from a pile of pre-First World War Glossop vs O's programmes. Alas it was not to be, they have no club shop.  Indeed there is little evidence of the club's history and Surrey Street is not the same ground that saw league football; Glossop having moved here in the 1950s. The ground is quaint and does not give the impression that its facilities have been selected from a catalogue. Everything that will take a paintbrush is bright blue.  One end and one side have rather rustic covered standing areas. The other side has a small but eccentric stand.  The far end features a large, but apparently redundant portacabin.  
The players were enthusiastic, as one would expect on day one.  Salford were marginally better and deserved their win, although they had to be strong to achieve it in a hard-fought match.  A bulky match programme was produced for £1, although this was heavy on adverts.  Match Rating 3*

Tuesday 16 August 2005;  Whitstable Town 2-3 Deal Town; Kent League; Att: 173, programme issued, admission £6.

Last night I allowed myself to be talked into making the long and tedious train journey down to Whitstable for an evening kick-off, resulting in a very late night.  I'm glad I did as this was a cracker.  This league is split down the middle, with the east of the county being home to traditional clubs in established grounds, whilst the west of the county has some smaller clubs with poorer facilities and little support in the London suburbs.  Whitstable definitely fall into the former category.

The Belmont ground is one of considerable character. The main feature is the stand which fills the middle third of one side. An old structure of white, wooden bench seating and red roof supports, it features the words 'Whitstable Town FC' in large white letters painted on the roof and is very photogenic. One end has a covered terrace of 4 or 5 concrete steps, whilst the other side features a clubhouse and a dressing room/dug-out complex which resembles a semi-detached bungalow. The remainder of the ground is undeveloped.

Both teams had groups of vocal supporters and a crowd of a little over 250 were taking it all quite seriously. Oddly, the official attendance was given as just 173. Whitstable had lost 6-2 on Saturday at an apparently very impressive Beckenham Town and conceded in the first few seconds of this game, prompting us to think we might witness something of a thrashing. But the rest of the game was quite evenly matched and of a good standard, with Deal winning through an excellent last minute goal.

The match programme cost £1 and came with a an attractive cover but rather disappointing content. Match rating 3*.

WebEd - in response to Stephen's excellent report FGIF received a message from Tony Rouse: 'Hi Martin great site you have, nice of you to write up Whitstable Town, can I ask that we post your report on our message board, with a link to your main site as well as the report. ...the reason the attendance was swelled to nearer 250 than the 170 odd official was the complementary tckets on both sides, at least 20 bodies not counted and the reserves and U18's all came back to the ground after training, this slightly distorted the figure'. Best regards, Tony.

15/08/05 TT No.20: Dave Reed - Faversham Town (Kent County League)

My regular season started on Saturday with a trip down the M2 to witness the renaissance of Faversham Town as they began their campaign in the Kent County League.  Following their disasterous demise a couple of seasons ago, the new committee has made great strides in getting the club up and running again.  The ground had been tidied up with the old vandalised clubhouse being demolished and a new one erected behind the near goal.  New floodlights have been erected and there are lots of people to help with the running of the club.

Unfortunately things did not go too well on the day as visitors Milton Athletic deservedly ran up a three goal lead. Two late goals for Faversham made the scoreline more respectable at 3-2 but most of the crowd which I estimated at 250 would have gone away disappointed.  Next up for Faversham is a home game against champions Cray Valley so it might take them a little while to find their feet.  On the day a thirty page programme inside a shiny colour cover was issued of which eight pages were adverts.  This sold for a somewhat hefty £2 but it was described as a special.  I understand that the club hope to issue regularly but possibly with a reduced size.

One can only wish the club well in their efforts to get back to the Kent League and that there is never a repetition of their previous problems.


14/08/05 TT No.19: Michael Greaves - Ryton (Northern League)

 

Saturday 13th August; Ryton 4 Peterlee Newtown 1; Northern League 2;  Att 120;  Programme £1

Back in my native North East for a family funeral I took in Ryton's first game in the Northern League following their promotion from The Northern Alliance during the close season. I travelled by train to Wylam turned left and walked uphill for about 25 minutes before reaching Kingsley Park which is on the left hand side just before reaching Crawcrook.


There is a smallish car park to be crossed before reaching the clubhouse. Alongside is the entrance gate where I paid just £2 for admission and �1 for a basic programme with little content although the new editor promises improvements.
On entering at the top of an elevated bank, the pitch runs sideways and to the left some cover is provided by a series of 9 bus shelters (some of which still have time tables attached for places such as Wallsend and Killingworth!).
They were certainly required on a day when torrential rain was quickly followed by brilliant blue skies. Behind the goal is a seated stand with cover on the far touchline. The dugouts are also bus shelters.

Ryton raced into a 3-0 half time before Peterlee pulled a goal back midway through the second half before the home team grabbed a late fourth.


The views across the Tyne Valley will not dissapoint even if the game does.
 

14/08/05 TT No.18: Paul Roth - Tongham (CCL1)

 

Tongham  v  Bookham: Combined Counties Lge. 1st Div; Saturday 13/08/05;  Res:0-2; Programme £2.

After visiting Derby County last week -- an experience I couldn't say I enjoyed much -- it was great to get back to the non-league scene.my first choice match at Debenham had been scuppered earlier in the week as their match had been switched to Cornard as their ground is not quite ready (a bit like Margates'!!), so I settled on Tongham for their first senior match versus Bookham.

Their Poyle road ground is about half a mile off the A31, just past the Hogs Back brewery. In essence it is just a big field with a cricket pitch and a kiddies play area. When I arrived even the goalposts weren't up! The pitch is roped off and a bit of hard standing has been laid the length of the far side and a pair of new bright red dugouts installed, necessary work to get them elevated to this level. Entry was �2 which came with a basic 12 page programme.

The clubhouse only had tea, crisps and beer on offer but there are shops only 300 yards down the road in the village.

In pouring rain and in front of quite a few regular faces, the two teams produced a pretty good game, with the visitors always just edging things and taking two well made goals without reply.

If, as I do, a good pub is a pre requisite for a complete day out, then driving a further 5 miles on just past Farnham to Wrecclesham, is a real must. Here the "Bat and Ball" and the "Sandrock"are two of the finest pubs you could ever hope to find anywhere. Two real gems.

Basic, yes but very enjoyable, and very much preferable to all the hype of Derby County last Saturday!

 

14/08/05 TT No.17: Barry Neighbour - Hallen (Western League)

 

On Saturday 13th August I travelled to Hallen in the Toolstation Western League for their game v Corsham Town. Hallen is just off junction 17 M5. The ground is quite smart with a 200 seater stand, further covering is provided behind one goal whilst refreshments were readily available from the tea hut. A colourful 36 page programme was available priced £1. The first half was rather mediocre with Corsham taking the lead just before half-time and doubling the advantage within minutes of the restart. After this Corsham sat on their lead with Hallen showing little sign of coming back until they scored against the run of play. Corsham still looked in control but an error at the back let in Hallen for a late equallizer and it was the home side that looked like grabbing an unlikely winner but it was not to be and the honours ended even.

 

12/08/05 TT No.16: Phil Hiscox - Plymouth Argyle (FC) & Oxford Utd (FC2)

 

With the Devon League season starting a week after the Football League I decided to get in a few professional games.

Tuesday 9th August : Plymouth Argyle v Watford (Championship), Score 3-3.


I decided to try out the new Wessex Trains service that leaves Plymouth after an evening game at 10.15pm for all stations to Exeter and catch a Chamionship clash at Home Park. The ground was a 15 minute mainly uphill trek from the station (though downhill on the way home!) and I arrived at the still three quarters rebuilt Home Park.

Both ends and 1 side have been rebuilt into a horseshoe stand seating 12,000 in a single tier stand with the main Leitch like stand and concrete terrace in front taking the capacity to 20,000.

I had ordered my ticket online in advance for £21 and had a seat 9 rows back near the halfway line in the Lyndhurst section of the new stand. Pretty good view for the price and level of football. I purchased the re-branded "Pilgrim" programme for £2.50 which has 68 pages of top quality reading in what I have to say is the best programme I have ever got at Home Park; one interesting note being the glossy card cover protecting the issue yet the teams printed on an inside page where you can actually get a pen to work ! (1 of my pet hates is team sheets printed on such high quality gloss !)

After a 0-0 draw to start my season I was definatly in the right place on Tuesday. Argyle were 2 up in no time against what looked a poor Watford team. The Hornets reduced the arrears but before half time Argyle were 3-1 up. Whatever the Watford boss , Boothroyd, said to his players at half time was inspirational as they were as good in the 2nd half as they had been bad in the first. They pulled it back to 3-3 and could have gained all the points, though over 90 minutes a draw was a fair result. 13,600 odd in the ground provided a good atmosphere with probably less than 500 travelling supporters present. In all a throughly enjoyable night out !

Wednesday 10th August. League 2. Oxford United 1 Torquay United 0.


Torquay United ran a supporters coach to this away game at the Kassam Stadium which I joined at Exeter and paid £20 for the trip. I'm not particularly a Gulls fan and this is probably just as well on the evidence of the 2 displays I have witnessed this past week ! But it was a chance to tick a new ground off my list as I struggle to possibly the slowest completion of the 92 in history!

The coach duly arrived at the Kassam an hour before kick off, plenty of time to do a lap of the outside of the stadium and collect my pre ordered ticket at �16 for the North Stand. I bought a proggie at £2.50 that was OK, but as per my earlier moan had the teams on the back cover of a heavy duty gloss paper that seemed impervious to my black bic pen!
I had forgotten what it was like to be an away fan at a football league game, herded into the away stand and watched like a hawk by stewards as if we were some alien species, though to be fair the Oxford stewards were pretty friendly and helpful. I even had the novelty of buying a bottle of fizzy in the ground and not having the top removed !
The away, North stand at the Kassam is not a bad place to watch all things considered, modern single tier stand on the side of the ground, albeit that the area for visitors was at 1 end far away from the home fans occupying the other 2 stands in the 3 sided Kassam.

Have I forgotten to mention the match ? Hmmm well it was pretty dire, Oxford were the better of two poor sides and deservedly won 1-0 but with a little more belief would have won convincingly. My 300 or so Torquay fans made some noise and tried to lift their team but it just wasn't gonna be their night. The attendance 4,800 and the highlight ? Well mid way through the first half the sprinklers came on during play!


10/08/05 TT No.15: Stephen Harris - Hertford Town (Isthmian League)

 

Tuesday 9 August 2005;  Hertford Town 1-4 Cheshunt; Herts Charity Cup; Att: 106, teamsheet issued, admission £5.

Unable to get to Gigg Lane to see Orient go top of League 2, I sniffed out a competitive fixture at Hertford Town instead.  Listed in amongst the friendlies in the Non-League Paper, this was actually a first round game in this season's Herts Charity Cup and a Lea Valley derby too.


It's about five years since I last went to a game at Hertingfordbury Park and I had forgotten what a pleasant little ground it is. It has a classic Isthmian League format.  One side has a little seated stand constructed of brick, glass and asbestos of a type which was once standard issue but is now becoming really rather rare.  This example contains a hotch potch of hand-me-down seats in red, blue and white.  One end has six steps of terrace, with a low and old cover, known as the Stable End.  The rest is gentle grass banking with a few weedgrown terrace steps here and there.  All a little shabby and in need of a coat of paint, but comfortable and lived in.  A tea bar was preparing burgers and chips to order and a chap was clearing the cobwebs out of a little wooden hut which serves as the Club Shop - although I did not notice him make any sales as such.  Club officials seemed quietly pleased that over 100 had shown up for the fixture, although one suspects that the unspecified charities who benefit from this competition might have to wait for another day to receive much of a windfall.


Cheshunt, from two levels higher in the pyramid, were clearly the better side but trailed one-nil at half time from a penalty of mysterious origin, the only on-target shot of the first half.  'A push', the referee advised us during the interval.  Cheshunt attacked relentlessly in the second half but could only pull one back; and so we entered extra time. The floodgates now opened and three more were conceded by Hertford in quick succession in the first period to give Cheshunt a comfortable win.


A photocopied teamsheet, folded to give four sides, was issued for 20p.  I'd give the game 2*.

 

10/08/05 TT No.14: Barry Neighbour - Beaconsfield SYCOB (Southern League)

 

Monday 8th August saw me visit Beaconsfield SYCOB for the advertised friendly against a Wycombe XI. Unfortunately on arrival I was informed that due to other commitments Wycombe had pulled out but a game went ahead with Hellenic League side Ardley United providing late replacements. Due to the late switch no programme or team sheet was available and Beaconsfield still charged £5 for the privilege. On the plus side the game was lively from the off with Beaconsfield taking a 10th minute lead with a cracking free-kick which flew past the wall. Ardley equalized in the 2nd half with a well placed lob leaving the goalkeeper stranded. A last minute diving header clinched victory for the home side in front of a disappointing crowd of 30. They could have expected at least another 100 if Wycombe had made it and with the admission plus extras like food and bar takings probably lost out on another potential £1000. If they draw each other in the cup watch out for fireworks (as many tackles were OTT). The ground has certainly improved since my first visit in the Eighties when still known as Beaconsfield United with a smart modern clubhouse replacing the old wooden one and the ground fully enclosed with a spacious stand with plenty of leg room which included a separate area for directors and its own press room. It was also concreted all the way round although I did notice a sign on the way home charging £1 for the Car Park; visitors beware! Match Rating 4*.

 

08/08/05 TT No.13: Stephen Harris - Trip to Berlin

 

Friday 5th & Saturday 6th August 2005;  Berlin, Germany.
The main reason for being in Berlin was to attend the annual International Bierfestival, but obviously we were going to take in some football as well.  Friday night offered four fixtures in the Berlin area in the Oberliga.  We opted for SV Yesilyurt against BFC Dynamo as this game had been switched to the Jahn Sportpark, a venue none of us had visited before.  Yesilyurt are a small club from the north-west suburbs representing the Turkish community.  BFC Dynamo were the stasi-backed, ten-times winners of the DDR Championship and former European Champions Cup contenders.  So something of a difference in background and traditions.  Dynamo retain a rather un-reconstructed east German skinhead following and the police didn't fancy the game being played on Yesilyurt's tiny ground - hence the venue switch.  An extra twist is that the Jahn Sportpark is in the east of the city and was often used as the home ground for Dynamo back in the DDR days.
The stadium has been much refurbished and now has a 25,000 all-seated capacity, covered on both sides and with bands of brightly coloured seats in yellow, blue and red.  All this, but it does not have a regular home club to play there.  We were in the two tier main stand, along with a couple of hundred Yesilyurt fans, whilst the visiting hoards were kept well away of the far side, from which they provided a huge volume of support for their team.
The first half was actually rather dull on the pitch but things got going in the second half with Yesilyurt emerging 2-1 winners in a bruising encounter - no green wristbands in this league.  The result did not seem to have gone down well with the vast majority of the crowd and we made a swift exit on the U-bahn back to the beer festival.  The attendance was given as 1,418 and a rather thin, free programme was issued.
Saturday afternoon saw us at another Oberliga Nord-Ost Nord game, this time in the southern suburbs.  BFC Preussen are newly promoted and this was their first home game in the league against TSG Neustelitz.  The Preussen Stadion has a capacity variously stated as 5,000 or 8,000 and is clearly of a venerable age.  Spectator facilities consist of 11 steps of uncovered terracing arranged around three sides of a running track.  Some of this terracing is in rather poor condition.  On the main side, there are seven rows of uncovered bench seats in front of a beer tent, barbeque tent and the plush clubhouse.  As we got there early, we managed to get a table and chairs right in front of the clubhouse with a good view of the pitch and waitress service from the bar - very nice, an enjoyable place to watch a game (except when the rain came down and everyone retreated to the beer tent).
A very basic free programme was given out on entry and the attendance was stated as 223 - although there were well over 300 present, including 50 or so away fans.  All very relaxed and low-key after yesterday evening.  The game was a good one, Preussen unexpectedly winning 4-2 to put them top of the table after one game.
Sunday turned out to be a disaster for me.  I opted for a day out of Berlin to see a game at Halle, but never got there due to railway delays.  I was left stranded in Dessau at kick-off time, with no game to go to.  My friends took in Lichtenburg 47 vs Reinickendorf Fuchse in the Berlin Verbandsliga, which they reported as a very enjoyable 2-0 away win in front of a crowd of around 350 in Lichtenburg's big old ground.  A colourful free programme from that match was the best of the weekend's haul.

 

07/08/05 TT No.12: Michael Greaves - Swansea City (FC1)

 

Saturday 6th August 2005
Swansea City 1 Tranmere Rovers 0; Coca-Cola League 1; Attendance 17733
Programme: 52 pages A4 large size prog £3

Newly promoted Swansea christened their new stadium with a win in the first league game at the ground.
Simply known as New Stadium or Morfa Stadium (surprisingly it does not yet have a sponsor's name attached) the venue is about 20-25 minutes straightforward walk form Swansea station. Bus 4 goes to the stadium from the other side of the road from the station every 10 minutes.


The stadium seemed to me to have some similiarities to the KC at Hull but with flatter roofs. I paid £15 to sit in a back row aisle seat in the West Stand directly above the corner flag. One of my preferred places to watch a game.
Central seats in the West Stand are £18 with the sold out East Stand opposite being £15 for all levels. Behind the goals the North Stand is for visiting supporters, with the South Stand the family area. Total capacity is 20,200.

The stadium surrounds are rather cramped with the mainline railway curving round two sides providing a superb venue when approaching from Cardiff. The River Tawe borders a third side. Therefore it is not surprising that a park and ride system has been set up at Junction 45 on the M4 with parking at the stadium for permit holders and coaches only. Vehicles are held back for 30 minutes after the final whistle to allow supporters on foot to disperse.
Although I arrived at 2.15pm long queues meant I didn't reach the ticket office window until ten minutes before the start. By the time I'd got inside and found my seat the teams were just about to kick off.
I'm glad I'm not starting out on my 92 grounds now as the interminable queuing at League and Premiership grounds makes me long for the days when you could saunter up to the turnstiles at five to three hand over a couple of pounds and go straight in!

A fine piece of skill from Lee Trundle bought him the space to chip a cross to the far post for Adebayo Akinfenwa to head in from close range. Trundle and Jason McAteer both missed first half penalties. Swansea held out against strong 2nd half pressure to hold on for the win. Although I enjoyed my visit The Vetch Field will undoubtedly be sadly missed as it was one of the most idiosyncratic grounds in the League.

07/08/05 TT No.11: Andy Molden - Swansea City (FC1)

Swansea City 1 Tranmere Rovers 0; Att 16,733 (away following 800ish)

New season, new league ground - I like to get them done early, along with a gaggle of other travellers who were present. We thought it was called the Morfa Stadium, the local fanzine called it the White Rock Stadium, but the club called it the "New Stadium".

The game was ok; both teams missed a penalty in the first half, and sods law said that Swansea had most of the play in the 1st half and Tranmere the most in the 2nd. This meant that much of the game was played out at the other end to whicn I was sat!

Like most new grounds, almost a bowl, only the West stand varies from the other three, has boxes at the back to make it higher, and office complex to make it deeper. I sat in the East Stand, lower section, the only problem was when Swansea attacked everyone stood up. A word of warning if you sit behind the goals you are a long way from the pitch as the ground is also used for "egg throwing".  One end, the North stand is for away fans and has 3,000 seats allocated for visitors. The South stand is in theory the family section but a few in that end did not look like families to me.

My fellow traveller wanted a "Jimmy" at half-time but the toilets could not handle the rush so he had to cross his legs in the second half. I had time to releive myself when I got back to the car, the attendant asked me what I thought of the stadium and I said about the toilet situation and he said many of his regulars had said the same and used his bushs before and after the game!. In fact he directed me to an area that is used for such purpose.

The ground is not on the site of the old Morfa Stadium, which now has a B&Q on it! Unless you approach the ground from the city centre there are not many places around the ground to eat and drink; next to B&Q there is a Pizza Express and a KFC. Many of the locals were heading for the local Morrison's which is about 400 yards from the ground to buy snacks and sandwiches.

Many of the locals drink in the ground and by kick off they are well "Charlotte Churched", in fact within a quarter of an hour of kick-off they were having to leave their seats to use the toilets.

The club say there is no parking at the ground and to use Junction 45 and a Park & Ride facility. I looked at the map and used Junction 44. I took the A48 until the A4217, this runs about half a mile east of the clubs route. After a mile and a half you come to a roundabout and will see the new ground about 600 yards to your right. On this roundabout you will see arrows for parking up a side road coming off the said roundabout. They take you into a small industrial estate; you can park here for £4 - it holds 400 cars. It takes only 6 or 7 minutes to walk to the ground. Also when you come out traffic is restricted by the police around the ground, so when you get back to the car you have a clear drive away. When leaving the car park use a map and ignore signs for M4! Head back to Junction 44 the way you came in, it took me less than 20 minutes to get back onto the M4 after the end of the game, and  5 minutes of that was waiting for my passenger who won't be in the GB over 50's 800 metre squad!

If travelling by train then the ground is half an hour's walk from the station. Also beware when you buy a ticket to travel by rail to Swansea; I enquired about a return from Oxford to Swansea and was quoted almost £50, though Oxford to Swindon was £6.90 and from Swindon (only 30 miles away) a cheap day return ticket to Swansea is only £6.50! I have also checked other destinations and in all cases if you book to Swindon and then from Swindon to Swansea you can save up to £30 off of your journey!.

The proggie was �3 and was a good read; it was not pocket size but A4 with a card cover! A fanzine for the match was also issued at �1 and that too was good reading.

Entrance to the ground is £15 in most areas, but £18 in the West stand. There are no obstructions in the way of your view except for the locals standing up. Various Swansea fans websites have pictures of the new ground.

07/08/05 TT No.10: Phil Hiscox - Torquay (FC2)

Saturday 6th August, Coca Cola League 2; Torquay United V Notts County

The first Saturday of the Football League season and yep my first goalless draw of the season ! (52 weeks ago I watched Plymouth 0 Millwall 0 to start the last campaign !).

So, Plainmoor, home of Torquay United. One of the smallest grounds in the Football League, covered on all 4 sides with 3 modern stands and 1 decrepit wooden stand !

The attendance was 2,754 of which around 700 were travelling support from Notts County who were housed in the away covered terrace behind the goal. I watched from the "Pop" side a modern covered terrace running the length of 1 side and occupied by a fairly quiet set of Gulls fans.


Admission was £14, not cheap for standing up at a League 2 game but the programme at £2 was very good value with plenty of reading and good use of photos in its 40 A5 size pages.

The game did see good chances created by both sides with the Torquay sponsors giving their 'keeper Andy Marriot the Man of the Match award which tells you something, Kevin Pilkington making his debut for Notts County will be pleased with his clean sheet too. The nearest we came to excitement was probably for the wrong reasons as Tony Bedeau for the home side was given a straight red card for stamping on an opponent.

Too early to tell if either side will do well this season but I have a sneaky feeling that both will be Top Half.

 

04/08/05 TT No.9: Dennis Woods - visit to Estonia and Finland. Images are shown in the Foreign Forays Album.

 

On Wednesday 27th July I saw Levadia Tallinn 1 Trans Narva 1 at the Kadrioru Stadium, in the Estonia top Division (kick-off 6:45pm).  In fact it was 2nd v 3rd.  After a long walk from our hotel we arrived at the stadium.  We purchased our match tickets from the ticket office next to the entrance gates for 40 EEK (£2) and was handed a 4 page glossy programme.

 
The stadium is an athletics complex with a simple temporary uncovered stand down side, which was closed for this match and a much larger main stand which is part covered.  There are also some bench type seats behind one goal.  There is an amazing scoreboard which also showed highlights of previous games and seemed out of place at such a basic stadium.
 
Levadia took the lead after 9 minutes and controlled the game with some good football at times.  They should have scored more goals, but poor finishing let them down.  In fact it cost them the 3 points as Trans Narva equalised in the final minute of stoppage time.  The attendance was 300.
 
My second game in Estonia was for a UEFA Cup 1st Round 2nd Leg game between Flora Tallinn and Esbjerg from Denmark on Thursday 28th July at 6:45pm.  No Estonian team had ever qualified to the next round of the UEFA Cup, but as Flora had amazingly won 2-1 in Denmark, they had an excellent chance of progressing.  After purchasing our tickets for 100 EEK (£5) we entered the stadium.  An A4 glossy sheet folded into three, like a leaflet was given away free.
 
The stadium is modern and has seated stands on all 4 sides.  Three sides are covered and one remains unfinished as the roof hasn't been finished yet.  If fact most of the exetivce rooms are full of rubble and some toliet blocks have not been completed either.
 
As stated above Flora just had to ensure that they didn't conceed two goals.  Things started to go wrong when Esbjerg scored after 15 minutes.  Then the dreaded second goal went in after 17minutes.  Further goals were then conceeded in the 23rd, 43rd, 56th and 88th minutes.  So a very disappointing 6-0 defeat on the night and 7-2 on agg.  The crowd was 1,500.
 
My final game took me by ship for a day trip from Tallinn to Helsinki in Finland on Saturday 30th July.  HJK Helsinki were playing RoPS at 4pm.  HJK play at the Finnair Stadium, which is next door to the Olympic Stadium.  We purchased our tickets for 10 euros (£7) and again we handed a glossy A4 sheet folded into three.
 
The stadium is all seater with a distinctive main stand and the other three stands are linked together by the roof.  HJK were much the better side and easily won 7-0 with the goals being scored in the 20th, 24th, 25th, 50th, 57th, 78th and 87th minutes.  Every time a goal was scored a large blue balloon was brought from the players tunnel by a club official and let off into the air.  The attendance was 3,500.  To reach the stadium you can take Trams 3A, 3B, 4, 7A, 7B or 10 all of which pass close to the stadium.

 

03/08/05 TT No.8: Barry Neighbour - Pre-Season Notes Part 2 (23rd July to 2nd Aug 05)

 

The 2nd part of my Pre Season Friendlies is now complete mainly following the fortunes of Brentford starting on 23/7 where I had the bonus of a `Double` as I made my first visit to the Bees training Gound in Jersey Road Osterley where Brentford Youth took on Swindon Youth in a Pre Season Friendly. I arrived at the advertised kick off time of 11 am to find they had been playing for 20 Minutes. Luckily I did not miss any goals with Swindon edging a lively opening half to hold a 1-0 lead at the break. The 2nd half saw a total transformation as the young Bees soon pulled back the defecit and dominated proceedings to run out 5-1 Winners. No programme was issued. Match rating 4*.

 

In the afternoon it was off to Griffin Park to see Brentford (seniors) take on Premiership Charlton; no goals but a good spirited performance by the Bees including Bankole saving a penalty for the 2nd game running. A 12-page programme was issued and cost £1.50. Match rating 3*.

 

Two days later and it was a visit to The Warren, home of Yeading, for a match arranged as part of the deal which saw Yeading striker Dudley (DJ) Campbell joining the Bees in the summer. DJ never got a kick, well apart from his former colleagues, as an impressive looking Yeading outfit ran out deserved 3-1 winners. An informative 32 page programme was issued for £1.50 (20 pages more than Brentford's for the same price). Match rating 3*.

 

Brentford recorded a 1-0 win at Weymouth the following night which I did not attend but went down again the following Saturday 30/7 to a late goal in a poor game at Woking. The only good point was the colourful 48 page programme issued which also covered the games against Yeovil (27/7) and Southampton (03/8), price £2.50. Match rating 2*

 

Monday 1st August saw the annual trip to Hampton & Richmond Borough where, apart from Stuart Nelson (in goal) and Marcus Gayle (both playing after long spells out with injury), Brentford fielded their Youth Team. With neither side making much progress this looked like heading for another goalless bore. Hampton broke the deadlock 5 minutes from the end when a mishit shot (which cannoned off the Hampton forward's knee) to give the home side victory in an awful game. An 8 page black and white programme was issued at £1. Match rating 1*.

 

The following night (Tuesday 2nd August) I visited my local club Sandhurst Town who entertained troubled AFC Newbury. This gave me the chance to check out the new 100 seater stand which went up in the summer. Newbury have been hit with a financial crisis which has left them with just 3 of last season's first team squad; they put up a good fight in the first half until Sandhurst's better fitness levels told and they tore the Newbury defence to pieces in the 2nd half to run out 6-2 winners. Talking to the Newbury secretary he is confident that the team will be continuing this season despite their problems. This is always good to hear and hopefully if they can strengthen their squad. Great match to watch. No programme or team sheet was issued. A great match to watch and definitely worthy of a 5* match rating.

 

02/08/05 TT No.7: Christine Morgan - trip to Ireland.

 

I've just got back from a great weekend in Ireland where I watched Kildare County v Cobh Ramblers on Saturday night and Bray Wanderers v Shamrock Rovers on Sunday afternoon. Both were excellent games. It was my second trip to Ireland recently and I must say it's a great place to watch football. After I saw Dennis Woods' photos of Dundela FC on the site I think my next long trip might be to Northern Ireland and Belfast.

 

02/08/05 TT No.6: Stephen Harris - Ilford FC (Isthmian League 1)

 

Monday 1 August 2005;  Ilford 3-0 Dagenham & Redbridge;  Friendly;  Att: c. 70, programme issued, admission £6.

For me, the attractions of pre-season friendlies are beginning to wear thin and I'm looking forward to the real thing beginning in earnest at the weekend when I have a three-game trip to Berlin planned.  But last night's fixture gave me the chance to visit one of my local clubs to see how they are shaping up and to view the ground developments that have occurred over the summer.


The Cricklefields Sports Ground is looking the best it has for many years as Ilford have completed the developments needed to back their promotion to the first division of the Isthmian League.  Over the last couple of years they have properly enclosed the ground, erected a turnstile block at the main entrance and built an impressive, two-storey sports hall and bar overlooking the main pitch (quite an improvement on the old portacabin tea hut).  Towards the end of last season the line of trees along the far side was cut back, revealing an ancient seven-step terrace along the full length of the pitch, the extent of which can have been suspected by few.  On this, a small but sturdy covered shelter has been erected, slightly off-centre, with a claimed capacity of 150.  This is rather grandly called the 'new stand'.  Over the past summer, a further £55,000 has been invested in a second turnstile block at the back gate, further fencing and a sprucing up of the seated stand -  which now sports a directors area and a press box, all to comply with grading rules.  Unfortunately, none of these welcome changes can get over the fact that spectators have to watch the football across a six-lane running track, the Cricklefields still being primarily an athletics venue.
And spectators there were rather few last night.  The facts that Dagenham had made clear that they would field their under-19 squad, whilst the first team were in action at Boreham Wood, and that Ilford had publicised in advance that they would be charging £6 for the privilege, combined to keep the hoards away.  A neat 12 page programme was included with admission for those who turned up.

The game was something of a contrast in styles.  The young Daggers looked quicker and more skilled, but it was the home side who knew where the goal was and won quite comfortably.  You should never read too much into these games, but on first impressions I would hope that Ilford will be able to consolidate this year on their new status.

 

27/07/05 TT No.5: Phil Hiscox - Two friendlies visited, EXETER CITY vs a Birmingham City XI on Monday 25th July. 8 page mini programme issued for £1, Exeter beat a Birmingham side that lacked star names 3-2.

TIVERTON TOWN vs Torquay United, Tuesday 26th July. An entertaining 4-4 draw in front of nearly 500 people. Full size 40 page programme issued at £1.50.

22/07/05 TT No.4: Barry Neighbour - Pre-Season Notes Part 1 (9th to 20th July 05)

 

Pre Season Games attended: 9/7 -  Staines Town 0 Brentford 0 - Ironic that I should start the season with a goalless draw after winning the Inaugarul FGIF Trophy for most goals last season. 8 Page programme sold for £1.

 

A full week past without a game until 16/7 and a train trip down to Folkestone to see Folkestone Invicta v Gravesend. Folkestone's renamed Buzzline stadium is a short walk from Folkestone West station and had a thriving club shop available for a good exchange. Gravesend started like an express train and were 3-0 up within 20 minutes; a complete switch of personel at half time made the game a bit more competitive in the second half with Invicta scoring a late consolation to make it 1-3. A free single photocopied team sheet was available for the game.  

 

The following day saw me brave the London Tube system to attend Dagenham & Redbridge v Brentford. Again a short walk from Dagenham East station to the ground, now called The Glyn Hopkin Stadium after Sponsorship from a local Garage. A full colour 48 page programme costing £2.50 was issued covering today's game and the previous Friday night's encounter with Hull City. The home side led 1-0 at half time (deservedly) but substituted about 8 players at  whilst Brentford made one change; this worked in the Bees favour as they eventually ran out 3-1 winners.

 

Tuesday 19th July saw me make the short trip to Calthorpe Park home of Fleet Town who entertained Sandhurst Town. Fleet's clubhouse has undergone a complete refurbishment and looks very impressive to what they had previously. A very even first half was goalless but Fleet made amends in the 2nd half scoring 3 goals without reply. No Programme was issued for the game.

 

Finally the following night Wednesday 20th July saw Brentford entertain Leyton Orient in a Benefit match for former player Andy Scott. Andy was forced to quit when a potentially fatal heart condition was discovered. Half the funds went to Andy with the rest going to the Charity CRY (Cardiac Arrest in the Young). A 12 page programme costing £2 was issued for the game. After a steady opening the game took off and the Bees won it with two second half goals from former Yeading striker Dudley (DJ) Campbell and youngster Karleigh Osbourne. Sandhurst Town Boys & Girls FC have run an Annual Knockout tournament for the past 7 years in aid of CRY after a local lad collapsed and died whist playing Tennis. The Lewis Marsh Tournament takes place at the beginning of September.

 

16/07/05 TT No.3: Michael Greaves - Sporting Khalsa (WML1)

 

Friday July 15th Sporting Khalsa 0 Walsall 7 Att c700

 

A new era began for Sporting Khalsa when they became the first Asian semi-professional club to own their own ground. They have taken over Abbey Park in Bloxwich after Bloxwich Town folded early this summer. Although easily defeated by a Walsall side that included a number of first-teamers the Sikh representative side acquited themselves well and can look forward with promise to the new season.

For this match they issued a basic 4 page programme which looks like it could be a regular issue. One intresting feature was the large number of Asian families who attended. Hopefully they will return on a regular basis.

Abbey Park is just a 10 minute walk from Bloxwich North station on Glastonbury Crescent. The entrance is found down a narrow driveway next to the local primary school. Facilities are excellent for this level (West Midlands League Div 1) including a seated stand on one side and cover behind the goal.


11/07/05 TT No.2: Stephen Harris - Cirencester Town (SL)

 

Saturday 9 July 2005;  Cirencester Town 1-6 Leyton Orient;  Friendly;  Att: c. 320 programme issued, admission �5.

Whilst several of my friends have been attending summer tournaments in Holland (FIFA Youth Championships) Germany (Confederations Cup) I have actually had a few weeks off, so it was nice to get back into action on Saturday at this unexpectedly competitive warm-up game.  O's manager Martin Ling retains west country connections dating from his time at Swindon Town and this has led to recent pre-season fixtures at Bath City and Swindon Supermarine; this year it was the turn of Cirencester and a near full-strength squad travelled down from east London.  I confess that this was the first time I have ever set foot in Cirencester, and a pretty little town it is too with a first class lunch venue in the Twelve Bells on Lewis Lane.

The Corinium Stadium is a modern (2001 vintage somebody said) out-of-town ground.  So out of town that it is a bit of a trial getting there on foot from the town centre.  We followed the directions given on the Cirencester website, along the Swindon Road and up Kingshill Lane.  But this turned out to be an unpleasant and dangerous experience with fast traffic and not an inch of pavement along the way.  I'm sure there are safer routes, but I would recommend a taxi for anyone thinking of going there.

An 8-page black and white programme was issued for 50p, but these were in desperately short supply and many people seemed to have been disappointed.  I was lucky enough to scrounge one off a player. The best feature of the ground is the modern and spacious bar area which was well frequented.  Facilities otherwise consist of two covered stands facing each other across the halfway line.  The one in front of the clubhouse is rather small and was mostly filled with officials, but the stand opposite is more spacious and housed a large proportion of the crowd, taking advantage of the shade it offered on a hot afternoon.


Orient, in their revived 70s braces/kit, fielded different 11s in each half and made a lively start dominated from the off.  Young striker Efe Echanomi impressed, scoring a hat-trick in a 4-0 half time lead.  The pace eased a little in the second half and we saw a bit more of the home side as they were able to get forward a little more often.  Indeed, it was Cirencester who scored the pick of the goals, their consolation coming from a beautifully taken 30-yard free kick.  Star of the game was young O's left back Jason Demetriou, a name to watch out for.
Full marks too to the O's fan who arrived with a gallon of 7% local farmhouse perry, which certainly helped the atmosphere in the second half.

 

10/07/05 TT No.1: Dennis Woods - Poole Town (Wessex League 1).

 

On Saturday 9th July I went with Dermot Donovan to my first game of the new season, for the pre-season friendly match between Poole Town and AFC Bournemouth. Poole's ground at Tatnam Farm in School Road is about a 15-20 minute walk from Poole railway station. The facilities are still very basic, but the ground is fully railed and has floodlights. Work is still in progress to meet the Wessex Division 1 standards. The base of the stand which will have 150 seats, standing for around 100 and 6 wheelchair spaces, has been dug out and I believe the stand has been ordered. The modern type dug outs are now in their place, with one to each side of the new stand. A small toliet block and changing rooms were outside of the ground, as was the mobile tea stand and burger van. There is no club house at the ground.

 

Admission was four pounds, which will be the price of the 2005/6 season and a 48 page programme was available for one pound. A bumper crowd of 1,006 saw AFC Bournemouth take a three goal lead in the first half, with goals from James Hayter in the 10th, 16th and 42nd minutes. Poole scored the only goal in the second half after 76 minutes.

 

End