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No.6 - Mon 29th August 2011; Beacon Bitter Cup Round 1; 3.00pm at the Caterpilar Sports Club, Peckleton Lane, Desford, Leics, LE9 9QG . |
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Matchday images (50) https://picasaweb.google.com/footballgroundsinfocus/CaterpillarFC
Caterpillar Sports Club (3) 6 Ashfordby Amateurs (0) 0 When the cup over-floweth... A few weeks ago my beloved returned home from what appeared to be a most productive shopping spree in the town centre. Judging by the multi-coloured assortment of plastic carrier bags weighing her down she had thoroughly enjoyed herself. To be honest this is quite a common occurence when you live in a house with three women. It's quite amusing hearing about the various bargains and money saving strategies such retail therapy indulgence can offer. One particular purchase however did catch my eye though. I was quite taken by the sturdy black and yellow designer labelled box acquired I was told from one of racing HQ's popular charity shops. Closer inspection revealed a pair of fashionable black shoes bearing a distinctive logo with the name CAT stitched into the leather uppers. The product brand, I was reliably informed by my twin daughters, is held in very high esteem by those savvy in shoe collecting and buying these days!! What did I know? For someone who has stuck loyaly with the tried and trusted Adidas, Nike and New Balance ranges of running shoes and trainers for over thirty years now, the hitherto unfamiliar CAT label had sadly passed me by! The CAT marketing brand incidently is one of many products and services that are provided by the American based multi-national Caterpillar Inc, a leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines and diesel-electric locomotives. Established more than 55 years ago in the United Kingdom it is one of the largest bases for Caterpillar outside the US. The presence of Caterpillar in the UK has grown rapidly in recent years and the company now employs over 14,000 people in 20 major sites. It exports over 85% of their manufactured products to a wide variety of customers and markets. CAT branded construction equipment made in the UK serve customers in sectors such as earth moving, aggregates, mining, construction, forestry and waste. In addition services involving rail, electric and solar power, finance and logistics make it a significant market leader in these fields. For more you can click on the PDF link below. Moving on to football now. My pre-ramble ties in very nicely then with the late decision we made on Bank Holiday Monday morning to take in a game at the Caterpillar Sports Club in Desford, Leicestershire. Our chosen game was the (Beacon Bitter) League Cup tie against Asfordby Amateurs. With the roads relatively traffic-free for what really is usually a busy holiday period we completed our journey in a stress-free state and arrived in good time before the scheduled kick-off. The massive site in Peckleton Lane is part of the CAT UK Logistics, Distribution and Supply Chain centre. The ground (found beyond that of Desford FC(1) on the opposite side of the road) is reached by turning into the entrance (second one) marked 'Sports and Social Club'. Access is gained by pressing the intercom button at the unmanned security barrier before continuing about a hundred metres or so towards the large car park ahead (observing the safety lanes as you proceed). The football ground is located in a large recreation field behind the sturdy corrugated metal club pavilion and changing room extension. The main pitch nearest to the entrance is fully enclosed by a sturdy metal rail fence supported by concrete posts on all sides. There's no mistaking where you with the distinctive black, yellow and white logo splashed across several advertising hoardings affixed to the fence rails and onto the back of both perspex dug outs positioned alongside the half-way line on the nearside. Even the goal nets and corner flags are custom made thus. Some covered seating is provided by a number of picnic tables placed under the veranda on the patio area outside the pavilion; these may be a bit too far back from the pitch to allow spectators to obtain a decent view of the action. Apart from some small saplings growing closely behind the right hand goal and along a small area over on the far corner, the rest of the ground is open. Beyond the left hand goal a smaller floodlit training pitch runs at right angles (or at a pepenicular). As you would expect the huge factory and warehouse units here provide an imposing backdrop to proceedings. A number of flags (representing Britain and America amongst others) attached to tall masts can also be seen in the distance. Today's cup game involved two sides currently at opposite ends of the Leicesterside Senior League First Division. The hosts had made an impressive start to the league campaign having already won their three opening games including a complete demolition job of Shepshed Dynamo Reserves recording an emphatic 10-0 victory. By complete contrast the visitors had lost both of their matches losing significantly 10-1 at Barlestone St Giles just two days earlier. As expected the hosts, unsurprisingly dressed in their black and yellow kit, took complete control of the game from start to finish. On a cold and breezy afternoon they dominated the young Melton Mowbray outfit in what was a very one-sided match. Catty (as they are affectionately called) won by six goals without relpy (with three goals coming in each half). They could have easily scored more possibly taking making it double figures had they converted all of their chances. A second round tie at home to Barlestone now awaits. To be fair on the visitors though they did suffer a cruel blow when their keeper was replaced following a knee injury midway through the first half with the score standing at 2-0. Although the club don't issue programmes for any of their home games hot drinks, snacks and chocolate bars are all cheerfully dispensed from a makeshift kitchen area set up in the corridor leading to the changing rooms. Nice one! The football club also publishes its own website which at the moment doesn't seem to be that regularly updated but it does give the traveller a useful map with directions on how to get here. A visit to the Caterpillar Sports Club comes with my highest recommendation. Travellers are made to feel most welcome at what is definitely a very friendly, well-organised club playing great football in a terrific league. If recent form is anything to go by the club should be a good bet to achieve honours come next May. Ah the joys of watching football in the shadow of a multi-national conglomerate...have fun wherever you go. Now where's that shoe box gone, I've got some programmes to sort out? Note: (1) Travellers may be interested to know that as we were passing Desford FC earlier this afternoon officials were out selling match programmes at the entrance to their Sporting Desford ground in Peckleton Lane ahead of their Beacon Bitter League Cup Round 1 tie against Lutterworth Athletic. FGIF Match Stats Scorers: (H) P Orton (3); L Wileman (19; 39); A McNully (47); S Robinson (65); R Measham (80) and (A) N/A Attendance: 22; Admission and Programme: None; Match rating: 4/5; Ground rating: 4/5. Links http://www.caterpillar.com/cda/files/2823616/7/CAT+2010+Fact+Sheet_UK_v3.pdf |
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edited on 30/08/11 |
