A few weeks ago I received an E-Mail from popular Norwich-based hopper and regular FGIF contributor Gyles Basey-Fisher. In it he mentions a small club not far from Bungay which he passes quite frequently on his travels. Apparently from roadside it looks a cracking little set up with some great on site facilities. He was referring to Spexhall Football Club and recommended a visit there. After watching two exciting Suffolk Primary Cup ties (both involving Lowestoft & District League sides) over the last fortnight I decided to dip my toe, well both feet to be more precise, into my first ever experience of watching real Lowestoft & District LEAGUE football! Now I know what some of you may be thinking here...has he finally lost his hopping marbles altogether!! Indeed for many travellers this may be akin to scraping the pyramid basement and offer very little credible interest but for me curiosity had taken hold and I just couldn't wait to get there. The question remained: would I enjoy it?

As Gyles' message correctly cites, Spexhall Football Club play just off the main Bungay to Halesworth Road, some twenty miles from Lowestoft. In fact Google Maps suggested this was best reached from FGIF HQ by following a cross-country route along the A143 by-passing Bury St Edmunds, Diss and Harleston before picking up the A145 from Bungay. The main entrance is found in the village opposite the homely public house 'The Huntsman and Hounds', the club's well-established watering-hole and one of its important sponsors.

The venue is only one of a few in this league that is actually owned by the club (the majority of the grounds tend to be shared council-run sites). This has a most rural setting being surrounded by open fields and sandwiched between local farmer's land which borders either side of the main playing field. Although the site is basic there is plenty here to whet the appetite of the more discerning grounds' connoisseur, boasting several interesting features to feast your eyes upon.

As you approach the main playing field on your left (as if heading towards Halesworth) you will notice a smart welcome sign just inside the wrought-iron entrance gates. Spectator parking is available on the area of grass behind the (roped off) goal touchline which runs parallel with the hedge (and main road). Beyond, the land to the (more open) left hand/far side, are some ramshackle out-buildings, farming equipment, a large barn and several doughey-eyed cows (ah!) from the adjoining farm. You cannot mistake the unique agricultural aroma (essence of fertiliser!!) diffusing in the air. Along the right hand (nearer) roped off touchline, where space is at a premium, you will find a lovely old wooden (painted green) stand fashioned from timber, positioned in front of a small brook. Let me tell you, it's a real gem! Complete with a metal barrel-shaped roof there are four narrow slatted steps of terracing providing cover for a handful of spectators. Being elevated on a slight embankment you get a great view of the action below but mind your head when you alight as the roof is deceptively low. Both sets of goal posts benefit from having sturdy green wooden support stanchions.  

Behind the goal at the far end is a smart new brick built pavilion funded solely by the club. The building bears a bold nameplate on the facing wall with the words: Veaseys Imperial Pavilion - home of Spexhall FC'. This houses changing rooms for players and officials as well as toilets and a small kitchen area at the far end where you can buy a wide range of refreshments and snacks throughout the game. A framed, signed Norwich City shirt and plaque hangs on the wall inside here to commemorate the official opening of the facility back in September 2009 when former Canary Jeremy Goss did the honours. A number of wooden benches offer spectator seating on the small veranda outside. Surprisingly at this level, there are a large number (twelve in total, I think) of advertising boards attached along the new two bar wooden fence which extends for some distance behind the goal. It really does give the impression that the club is pro-active in attracting a wide variety of local business partners in an effort to bring in much needed finance. Most savvy!

Today's game, a first division encounter, saw the arrival of the league leaders Oxford Arms FC to the recreation ground. The Dip Farm-based outfit from Lowestoft have had a fine season to date winning ten of their twelve games, conceding only eleven goals, the best in the entire competition. By contrast the hosts have struggled to find their best form languishing in the lower half of the table and are (at the time of writing) dangerously close to falling through the relegation trapdoor if results don't improve come May. Both sides have already met once before this campaign with Spexhall coming out on top in an exciting away 4-3 Suffolk Primary Cup third round tie back in October.

Today it was the hosts who ran out 2-0 winners to completely turn the league form book on its head. For the record a beautifully headed goal from Danny Milne (37) and a low close range shot from Karl Brennan (74) helped Spexhall to earn three well deserved and much needed points. Coincidentally the sides do it all over again in two weeks time for a league cup fixture here. I hope for the next game that the visitors have a change of heart and refrain from wearing those rather garish pink shirts donned today! Hmmm.

The match attended by 35 spectators was played in bright sunny but breezy conditions on a rather bumpy but well maintained surface. I found everyone at the club to be most welcoming including club secretary and first team assistant coach Dave Batley who provided excellent directions during a mid morning check phone call. The former owner/landlord of the Huntsman and Hounds pub over the road, explained to us how the patrons have successfully developed the club and ground (formerly a meadow) from its origins back in 1982. The club has also grown on the playing side and now runs Reserve, Veteran and Under 16 teams for good measure.

Our first taste of Lowestoft & District League football had been one to savour. Visitors to this lovely club will be well impressed by what they find here. The standard of football was on a par with some of the lower division fayre seen in the Anglian Combination and Suffolk  Ipswich League competitions I have attended recently. I will certainly be ticking off several more clubs/grounds in the not too distant future. The joys of watching real grassroots football continues. 

And finally...as we made our way back home there was just enough time on our itinerary to make one more visit. After a few miles we pulled up in Bungay and took a few more pictures. As you will see from the matchday album one of our photos shows the renowed Steve Earl programme shop with its accompanying hanging sign, found in Broad Street. As a youngster I had vivid memories of buying some old programmes by mail order from here (probably back in the 1970's). Within hours of posting our matchday photos on site we received another E-Mail from Gyles. He was pleased to know that his tip off about Spexhall Football Club had actually come too fruition. However unbeknown to us and completely by coincidence we learned that he had once worked for Steve Earl in his shop many years ago...incredible! What a small hopping world it is!! Thanks Gyles for pointing us in the right diection as they say. Have fun!             

FGIF Match Stats

Scorers: (H) D Milne (37); K Brennan (74) and (A) N/A

Attendance: 35; Admission and Programme: None; Match rating: 4/5; Ground rating: 4/5.

L& D League site (on Fulltime) http://full-time.thefa.com/gen/Index.do?league=3733039

L&DL Weblog http://lowestoftdistrictleague.blogspot.