After dropping my missus and sister-in-law off at the Tottenham Hale Station (on their way to the West End for a spot of shopping therapy), I continued the extra mile or so into neighbouring Tottenham for my footy fix. My chosen destination today was the Frederick Knight Sports Centre, home of new boys Springfield Football Club for the visit of Singh Sabha Slough (from...er Berkshire) for a Middlesex County League Premier Division fixture.

On what was a dismally dull and dank afternoon, the conditions seemingly mirrored the game as I was treated to a rather lacklustre spectacle which attracted a mere FOUR spectators to the Willoughby Lane venue. In fact up until the twentieth minute I was the only person standing pitchside who wasn't part of the playing squads. Unbelievably the crowd swelled beyond all recognition when three WAGs turned up together midway through the first half!! On several occasions during the game I welcomed the distraction of frequent trains (Stansted Xpress) passing behind the ground and the large number of red London buses coming over the flyover on Leeside Road to the left which (by the way) is a superb vantage point for snappers wishing to take panoramic photos of the ground!! 

The visitors, after causing a bit of pre-match panic due to their late arrival, were undoubtedly the more skilful side having the game sewn up by half-time (well, inside the first fifteen minutes if I'm being honest). Hardip Soor (3) opened the scoring for SSS soon after the start (incidentally delayed by twelve minutes) with an easy unmarked tap in at the back post, following a cross from the left. Byron Bubb (6) added a second moments later after beating the offside trap from 25 yards out, dribbling goalwards and taking the ball around the advancing keeper Whitmore Douglas to side-foot into an empty net. Further poor marking allowed Dwayne Clarke (13) the time and space to turn quickly in the area and prod the ball home, placing it just inside the outstretched keeper's right hand post making it 3-0. Springfield, dressed in a red and black kit, got one back just after the half-hour mark through Chris Theodore (32) whose beautifully executed shot, at the back post, crept under keeper Gaz Rhandhana to give the hosts some hope. With virtually the last kick of the half Soor claimed his second after beating the offside trap and being allowed to run virtually from half-way before drilling the ball past the hapless Douglas from just six yards.

As the game deteriorated in the second half the only noteworthy moment of action came on the hour mark when the visitor's Clarke (60) notched his second of the game. As before it was down to slack marking in the Springfield defence that gifted the pacey forward a twenty yard solo run with bags of time to slot the ball home under Douglas. And that's how it ended with the boys from Slough winning 5-1. Remarkably neither manager gave any vocal encouragement or reprimands from their pitchside technical areas close to the half-way line throughout the entire game. The same can be said of the referee Chris Smith who had a fabulous game allowing play to flow at all times. You could say that all three were almost conspicuous by their voluntary silence! 

The Douglas Knight Sports Centre is located off Willoughby Lane, a sprawling road dominated by lavish Victorian Semis and several large gasometers that filled the skyline. A couple of large signs at the entrance remind visitors that the venue incorporating the Crystal Pavilion plays host to several sports (predominantly football) within the large complex. A rather forlorn and dilapidated two-storey club building (resembling an old mansion in a Scooby Doo cartoon) is found at the end of a short driveway and adjacent car park. The ground floor which houses the bar is decked out in Spurs FC memorabilia - not surprising really as the facilities here are used by Tottenham Hotspur Ladies FC who use an enclosed pitch that runs parallel to the main railway line behind. To the right are a row of caged five-a-side pitches hired out for community use. Another pitch to the left is marked out at ninety degrees to the main one. In between is a smaller training area with mini goalposts in situ. 

Springfield FC was founded in the 1990's as a local church side initiative to give young people the opportunity to play football. The club began playing competitively in 1997, joining the Enfield Churches Football League winning both league and cup competitions in 2006-07. The following season they joined the North East London and Essex Churches League remaining unbeaten to win the league in 2008. After joining the MCL and gaining promotion in 2009 this is their first season in the Premier Division. Although Springfield FC no longer regard themselves as a religious team and are open to members irrespective of faith, most staff still remain church members.

The club have access to changng facilities and a small function room which occupy the first floor. Unusually players gain access via a flight of metal steps which run up the side of the building, almost added as an afterthought! On arrival I was informed by the lady caretaker that the club was not playing on the main pitch (used by the Ladies) but the one closest to the entrance on my left. Although the nets and flags had already been set up, no attempt had been made to rope the pitch off. I was rather puzzled as to why the team had chosen to use this alternative pitch, thinking that the main one was possibly being saved for a game the next day. Amazingly I was given THREE different answers when I asked the reason for this: (1) the referee said that he wasn't aware there was any problem with the main pitch and assumed that the players had wanted to use this alternative one instead; (2) the home manager said that the main pitch was soft in places (it wasn't when I walked across it earlier) and (3) the lady caretaker said that the manager wanted to use the other pitch as he was fed up of losing footballs kicked onto the railway line alongside the main one! So who was right here? Not knowing which person to believe I decided not to pursue it any further and just enjoy the match. If you are a hopper keen to watch a game on the 'right' pitch, you might want to find out a bit more first before setting out!!

Hoppers will also be interested to learn that the club is issuing a basic full colour, eight page programme this season. There is plenty to read too with the match details on the front cover; club histories (for both Springfield and the visiting side); extensive squad line-ups in the middle and a couple of adverts towards the back. The production is very professional and the corresponding suffix letters 'FC' for each side are highlighted in the club colours: a lovely touch! Mind you I didn't manage to get hold of my copy until after the game. You do need to be a bit persistent here as the club does not make any real effort to distribute these to spectators during the game. On arrival the home manager promised to bring me a copy from the changing rooms at half-time (I later gave up assuming that he had since forgotten). So as a last resort I went up to the officials' changing room and was extremely lucky to be given a copy by the match referee, Mr Smith. To be fair the affable club secretary Karen Henry did offer to send me something in the post if I left her my details.

After the initial uncertainty of a possible postponement (due to the late arrival of the visitors); the confusion over the choice of pitch used and the frustrating wait to get my hands on a programme, I must admit that this had been a most stressful afternoon. What's more I found this to be not only a ramshackle, run down venue but one completely lacking in any atmosphere and character. Although admittedly this had not been one of my better trips at least it provided a tick (just). I would like to wish fellow travellers much better luck when they decide go there. Talking of Springfield...I must dash as the Simpsons are about to start on Channel 4 - now that's more like it - doh!!                

FGIF Match Stats

Scorers: (H) C Theodore (32) and (A) H Soor (3; 45); R Bubb (6); D Clarke (13; 60)

Attendance: 4; Admission: None; Programme: Donation, 8pp; Match rating: 3/5; Ground rating: 2/5.