Modern technology! How do we keep pace with it all? Like many readers of a similar age, I often look back in awe and wonder at some of those inventions, time saving gadgets and fashions that were all once the rage. I'm talking the 1970's here. It doesn't seem that long ago that I was picked to play on the right wing for my school team, the Carr Lane County Primary in Willerby on the outskirts of Hull. I still recall fondly getting my fist ever pair of shin pads and mis-shapen leather ball (with a lace) won by answering a 'Who's the Star?' football picture competition in The Wizard comic. At that time you had to play in a pair of George Best Maestro moulded plastic football boots. We all wore them even though they really did give you massive blisters around the ankles. Who can forget the Rubik's Cube, The Walkman and the pocket calculator? Such things now come free inside cereal packets. Then there was the Chopper bike. What a weird mode of transport that was. My best mate Nige fell off one once and broke his arm. Ouch! Pride of place chez-Wray at the time was a brand spanking new colour Philips TV rented from our local telly store. I distinctly remember watching one of my first ever programmes, Top Of The Pops in full colour. Well I say full colour despite most of the stars having a garish orange glow around them, a bit like the kids on the Ready-Brek creal advert. Who would have imagined that we would be watching digital TV one day. A bit of a leap from having just three channels and watching memorable weather forecasts on TV-am with the aid of those magnetic backed fuzzy felt symbols haphazardly arranged by glamour girl Wincey Willis! I digress.

After watching my debut match in the C&SN Football League at Bridgham United (v Tacolneston) exactly a week ago I decided to pick another game from the fixture list posted on the competition's excellent league website (see link below). Impressed by the visitors' performance it was with eager anticipation that saw the Wraymobile II successfully negotiate the busy Norwich-bound A11 carriageway on its way to Tacolneston. To say this tiny village is out in the sticks really is an understatement. With little or no sign of civilisation beyond Spooner Row we managed to flag down a white van driver who was conveniently heading that way and who kindly offered to lead us 'escort-style' to our intended destination. How sad is that? After completing a rather bizarre zig-zag route, mission was thankfully accomplished. In fact we pulled up into the West Way recreation ground a full fifteen minutes before the game kicked off.

This modest footballing outpost has been the home of Talcolneston Football Club for over thirty years since they relocated from a site close to the church of All Saints. The club once shared its facilities with the local cricket club but since the latter disbanded the temporary square has only been used for staging school matches. A small, shabby-looking wooden pavilion (used by both sets of players and the match referee) stands alongside the village hall and is found immediately beyond the car park in the right hand corner of the field. An old pitch roller seems to have been abandoned in the grass closeby. To the left stands a smart, recently built mini multi-use games cage and some childrens' play equipment consisting of climbing frames and swings. The place was given an extra splash of colour on this lovely Spring evening with many trees already out in full blossom.   

The main (and only) unroped football pitch is marked out on the opposite side of the recreation ground. This is surrounded by an expansive area of ploughed farm land which backs onto the playing field behind both the far left hand goal and the opposite touchline giving it a rather more enclosed feel. However the pitch does seem unecessarily close to the deep water-filled ditches and a row of thick deciduous trees which also border these respective sides. As a result there's very little space along here making it a tight squeeze for the players. It didn't take long to realise their frustration felt at having to retrieve the ball from frequently miscued clearances that ended up in the ditch. If that wasn't bad enough players then had to battle with a number of overhanging leafy branches to get the ball back in play again! But hey, that's what makes village football different isn't it?! 

The match, played in beautiful sunny conditions on a rather bumpy but well grassed playing surface, attracted just over twenty spectators. The home fans celebrated their club's sixth straight win in a row by putting in a splendid all-round performance, recording a comfortable 4-1 victory over a battling Shipdham side. Worthy of note was a well desrved hat-trick bagged by skilful front-runner Matt Bradshaw. The youngster had to be patient though as his all-important third goal came in stoppage time after his low cross-cum-shot from the left was fumbled by hapless keeper Chris Shaw who could only look on in agony as the ball trickled over the line creeping just inside the back post. Although this terrific result allows Tacolneston to close the gap on tonight's opponents and move them up to fifth place in the table, many locals think that it may still be a tall order for the club to catch the leaders Thetford Rovers Reserves who are currently fifteen points ahead. I shall certainly keep tabs on the remaining match results in this competition over the coming weeks to see how it all pans out.

Visitiors to Talcolneston will not fail to spot two giant masts which dominate the landscape for miles around. They really are a magnificent sight and are clearly visible from pitchside. Both come from the Eastern region transmitting station which is one of the the main facilities for both analogue and digital VHF/FM radio and UHF TV transmission particulaly in broadcasting BBC East and ITV Anglia. Built in 1956, the original guyed steel lattice mast (standing at 165 metres tall) has now reached the end of its useful life and is now been replaced by the second mast (206.1 metres) in order to ensure good digital TV reception across East Anglia after digital switchover, which is planned to take place in the area in June this year. Blimey that's coming soon I better get our old portable colour set in the bedroom wired up...wouldn't want to miss Match of The Day. Ah, modern technology...don't you just love it?! Have fun wherever you go!             

FGIF Match Stats

                   Scorers: (H) C Hailey (14); M Bradshaw (15; 25; 90+1)  and (A) K Garrod (28pen)

Attendance: 21; Admission and Programme: None; Match rating: 4/5; Ground rating: 2/5.

Links

http://www.csnleague.co.uk/

http://full-time.thefa.com/Index.do?league=552112