No.36 - Sat 19th March 2011; Bedfordshire County Football League Premier Div;                   2.30pm at the Flitwick Leisure Centre, Steppingley Road, Flitwick, Beds.

 

Matchday images (36) https://picasaweb.google.com/footballgroundsinfocus/FlitwickTownFC

Flitwick Town (0) 1  Caldecote (2) 4

Town suffer from persistent Cald ...

You'd be forgiven for losing your bearings here. Although the site is surrounded, for the most part, by sprawling open green fields and farmland, it is literally only a few hundred yards from the main town centre. Based behind the Flitwick Leisure Centre in Steppingley Road the club is easily reached. Several brown information signs seen on the outskirts can be picked up on the approach roads which follow a route that crosses (hairpin-style!) over the main Bedford to Luton rail line, by-passing a large Tescos emporium (incidentally one of the club's main sponsors) on the way. After turning into the entrance, a short driveway leads you into a fairly large car park where it is possible to pull up at pitchside facing the expansive playing field. 

 

The club has access to some changing rooms which despite being tucked away around the side of the main buildings back onto the field which is convenient for both players and officials. To the left are a small floodlit 5-a-side football playing area and the adjacent headquarters of the quaintly named Flitwick Gardners Association! There are three separate football pitches marked out on the field and all run parallel to each other. As the land drops down from the sports centre each pitch has a resultant marked end to end slope. If you're fussy about the location of your pitches then it may be important for you to know that Town used the one in the middle (described on the fixture details provided on the Full-Time website as being pitch #2) for our visit today. Interestingly some outstanding games are also due to be played on pitch #1 which presumably is the one furthest away from the car park noting that the other (nearest one), appears to be of smaller proportions, perhaps being better suited for more junior-age range football. If in doubt, check it out!! 

 

On a sunny but breezy afternoon, Town welcomed Caldecote to Steppingley Road for a crucial BCFL Premier Division fixture. According to Peter Francis' match preview notes published on the excellent Bedfordshire County Football League website (it really is a terrific resource), both sides had experienced completely differing fortunes of late. Town were looking to build on their recent run of fine form being unbeaten in their last three outings. In sharp contrast Caldecote had not picked up a single point since a 1-1 home draw against AFC Kempston Town on the first Saturday in February. For the man keen on picking up a fast buck (and I'm not a betting man despite living in racing HQ), everything pointed to a comfortable home win. How wrong can you be!

 

Despite starting strongly Flitwick found themselves behind midway through the first half when a complete misunderstanding between keeper Peter Hyde and Dean Warren saw the outfield player put the ball into his own net (20). Caldecote added a second on the half hour mark following a low swerving 25 yard shot from Paul Laurence (31) which took a nasty bobble before passing under Hyde's body. The visitors notched a third when Laurence this time became provider when his perfect cross found Barry Dellar (67) who met the ball to convert with a bullet header at the back post. Within ten minutes Caldecote sewed the game up when Russell Kemp (75) scored from the penalty spot after team mate Tom Wallace had been brought down by a clumsy challenge from keeper Hyde who was lucky to escape with just a caution. With only a few minutes left on the clock James Lewis (87) pulled back a consolation for Flitwick. The striker was on hand to tap in Richard Davison's rebounded shot giving giant keeper Martin Hammocks little chance from close range. Sadly it was too little too late for the hosts and ended their unbeaten run. I should really give credit to all the players and the referee Martin Darlow (who had a great game) for contending not only with a strong swirling wind but with a hard, rutted, bumpy and poorly maintained pitch which threatened, at times, to spoil the game. Top marks for your efforts fellas!

 

The match watched by nearly twenty spectators included several fans who had made the short journey from Caldecote. During the game I had a thanked Flitwick secretary Chris Cheshire who had given me excellent ground directions before setting out at mid day. He explained that the club was pleased with its present mid table position achieved since gaining promotion (along with Leighton United) at the end of last season. He also told me that the club has now been playing here for over twenty years after relocating from another site in the town. Also standing pitchside was Dave Hammocks, (father of Caldecote keeper Martin) whom I had met previously over at the Moggerhanger Playing Fields, home to Blunham FC, a couple of years back for an early evening midweek BCFL Premier Division fixture against Ickwell and Old Warden (result 4-1). Apart from sharing a joke about the height of his son (aged 20 and already a whopping 6' 6" tall) we discussed things to do with the local football scene. What a smashing bloke!

 

It was a bit of a Bedford champagne job as my visit to Flitwick Town FC completed a ground tick at all the clubs in the top division of this league, one of my favorite local competitions in the area. Although the facilities here are pretty basic and you definitely won't get a programme or any refreshments, don't let it put you off from taking in a game. I often find that the standard of football at this level is highly competitive and you always receive a lovely welcome. Today was no exception. Even the match referee today recognised us and had no hesitation in supplying us with the players names before the game started, provided of course that we gave him an 'online' mention. There you go, sorted!!           

FGIF Match Stats

Scorers: (H) J Lewis (87) and (A) D Warren (20og); P Laurence (31); B Dellar (67); R Kemp (75pen)

Attendance: 19; Admission and programme: None; Match rating: 3/5; Ground rating: 2/5.

http://www.bedfordshirefootballleague.co.uk/

 

edited 20/03/11