With the sun shining brightly, my early morning walk with Lucky over the rugged terrain of Newmarket Heath, on the gallops at Moulton Hill, was as always, a most pleasant one. It really is a lovely part of the world not only enjoyed by the racing fraternity but also by those outdoor types hooked on exercise, fresh air and tranquil surroundings. This was a familiar family route appreciated especially by our beloved border collie and today was no exception. Apart from a bit of a chill in the air and a slight frost on the ground there was nothing really to suggest there would be any dramatic change in the weather on what seemed a typical November morning. After returning home to consume one of Fran's 'Specials', a delicious bacon sandwich (of doorstep proportions) and down a complimentary mug of hot tea, I began to scan the pages of the trusty Football Traveller magazine, jotting down a few possible matchday hoppertunities that appealed. Within five minutes I had drawn up a shortlist of games on the back of the brown envelope. All I needed to do was confirm the necessary matchday details and make an informed choice before setting off for the eagerly awaited afternoon's entertainment. I didn't think it would take that long. How wrong can you be!!

Check phone calls to club secretaries at Docking Rangers and Shipdham (both playing in Norfolk Junior Cup ties); Flitwick (Beds County Football League); Corby Khalsa and Weldon (both Northants Combination League), all fairly local games brought no joy, each quickly falling victim to the unforeseen overnight wintry weather. Although the Central Midlands League match at Nottingham United (on the club's 3G pitch) got the thumbs up and would provide a useful backup, I didn't really fancy the long drive especially if road conditions were becoming increasingly more difficult to negotiate. After a bit of soul searching I finally decided to 'keep it up my sleeve' just in case I changed my mind at the last minute (as you do).

With time of the essence, I pressed on with my hopeful search for something else, scrolling through the pages on the excellent Mittoo website. I still preferred to stay closer to home and started with the Suffolk & Ipswich League, one of the best around here for publishing up to date fixture information. On days like this it's an excellent resource. Sadly there were loads of letter 'P's' next to most of the scheduled matches. However one game stood out - the Division 3 match at the little known Woolverstone United, a football club based only a few miles from Ipswich on the banks of the River Orwell. I seem to remember that a couple of their games went ahead when the weather was particularly frosty in these parts last season. My phone call to helpful secretary Dave Hazlewood was most upbeat. By sheer coincidence he was already at the ground and said (on his mobile) that although it was cold, he had no worries about the game going ahead, adding positively that the conditions were almost perfect for playing a decent game of football. It's just the thing you want to hear isn't it? What a stroke of luck!!

Woolverstone Football Club, based at Woolverstone Park, is a most surreal and picturesque venue found only a few miles to the south of Ipswich. Owned by a local farmer, the land, set beside the beautiful Marina on the banks of the River Orwell, is surrounded by thick woodland. There's plenty here for the grounds' collector to salivate over with many quirky little features to sustain the visitor's natural interest. Space really is at a premium meaning that drivers have to park their cars along the grass verge outside the ground. Entrance, along the narrow road leading to the boat yard, is through a small gap in the fence that takes you to the playing area, one which slopes away sharply down from left to right. This is hemmed in on all sides being bordered by a low wire netting fence supported by round wooden posts and by bushes, gorseland and trees. 

A smart, distinguished, old pavilion (used for changing purposes) fashioned from timber and coated in faded blue paint, is tucked away behind the left hand goal under the shadow of a rather large imposing cedar tree. A low, narrow veranda with a sloping roof covers a row of plastic green and white picnic chairs on a concrete base. If you get close enough you can see the club name printed in small white letters on the top panel just under the roof. Unusually the respective wooden dug outs are positioned on opposite sides of the pitch. Alongside each one is a wooden bench used to provide additional seating; a name plate in memory of Keith Wood, a dedicated chairman and supporter of WUFC, is affixed onto the Home bench on the far touchline. Another small, quirky wooden structure situated at an angle behind the goaline (resembling an old dug out) also provides seating cover. Next to this is a rather dated heavy pitch roller. Also at this end, directly behind the goal are a couple of floodlight masts with lamps that are used for training -unconventionally they face the pitch rather than pointing towards the grass behind! Interestingly Ipswich Town Ladies FC used to play on a pitch in the adjacent land to the left of the main driveway. 

Both teams had met already once before this season with Tattingstone running out 3-2 winners in what was described as 'an absolute cracker' of a local derby at Green Lane just a few weeks ago. On this evidence another close game was in prospect for the hoppers who had travelled from racing HQ. But who could have guessed the scoreline? Incredibly for us, the match ended in a totally absorbing 4-4 draw and was, without doubt, one of the most exciting games of football that we had seen so far this season.

The visitors from neighbouring Alton Water, dressed in yellow shirts, took the initiative when forward Virgilio Leitao (17) opened the scoring after following up a rebounded shot with a well placed drive from the edge of the box that beat keeper Rob Evans for pace. Midway through the half Leitao (25) added a second with a near post header following a cross from the left by Seb Paternoster. The game was far from over though as the hosts amazingly drew level just before half-time. Their first came from a stunning 25 yard shot (the best of the game) when Josh Warwick (39) fired the ball home leaving keeper Clint Dowsing diving helplessly in no man's land. Four minutes later Paternoster (43) got on the scoresheet himself when he cheekily sneaked in between the dithering Dowsing and defender Michael Coleman to toe poke the ball into an empty net. Phew!

Tattingstone took the lead once again just before the hour mark. Rob Stannard (58) rose to head home a Louis Mott cross at the back post to make it 2-3. With less than ten minutes remaining Mott (81) added a fourth with a glancing header - to convert Adi Roper's perfect cross from the right. Just when we all thought that the visitors had done enough to win the game, Woolverstone remarkably came back once again to make it an enthralling finish. Keith Barns (86) took advantage of a second defensive mix up of the game between Dowsing and Coleman, nipping in to side foot the ball home from close range. With only seconds left on the clock, Woolverstone surged forward in search of a late equaliser. Incredibly a last gasp cross from the left hand touchline (level with the six yard area) was met by Craig Whiting (89) who directed a superb header over keeper Dowsing and off the far post into the net. It was a fantastic fight back that sent the homesters into raptures. On the overall balance of play no one deserved to lose such a fantastic game, a great advert for Suffolk & Ipswich League football.

Affable club secretary Dave Hazlewood had certainly been proved right today. The game, played on what was a beautifully manicured, well drained, albeit slightly soft surface held up very well in the cold but sunny conditions. The slight hint of frost was a patch of hard ground leading to the home dressing room at one end of the pavilion. Although only seven fans were in attendance I spent some time chatting with visiting official and supporter Mark Lyth. He's a lovely, hard-working bloke who also doubles as the club groundsman and official club photographer. Armed with a trusty Nikon camera and zoom lens, Mark's action pictures were fantastic and can often be seen on the informative club's website (see address below).

On a day dramatically affected by the adverse weather conditions I felt really chuffed that we got in a game of football. A visit to Woolverstone Football Club comes highly recommended to all travellers. If you are not fussed about getting a matchday programme or partaking in refreshments then this would certainly be a club worth considering, particularly in the event of poor weather, when your options are severely limited. It's a lovely little club, run by some smashing people and I can honestly say that the standard of football is a great advert for the Suffolk & Ipswich League. What's more, this has to be a real gem of a ground, found off the beaten Orwell track. Now how do I get to Tattingstone FC...?                                                                   

FGIF Match Stats

Scorers: (H) J Warwick (39); B Wyard (43); K Barns (86); C Whiting (89) and (A) V Leitao (17; 35); R Stannard (58); L Mott (81)

Attendance: 7; Admission and Programme: None; Match rating: 5/5; Ground rating: 5/5.

Tattingdtone FC website: http://www.tattfc.co.uk/news.php