No.11 - Sat. 26th September 2009; Northants Combination League Premier Division 2.30pm at Bowdens Park, Northampton Road, Market Harborough, Leics.
Matchday images (14) >view> Harborough Town (1) 3 Medbourne (0) 1 UCL here we come!
Our journey today took us to the Leicestershire market town of Market Harborough whose football team were entertaining local rivals Medbourne United in a potentially exciting, mouthwatering Northants Combination League Premier Division fixture. We have been meaning to attend a game here for some time now but decided to wait until the club had finished a recent extensive programme of building work and modernisation before ticking it off. And I can tell you that it was certainly well worth it! Definitely one of our better hopping decisions so far this season!! The ground is easily located by following brown signs for the Leisure Centre. Travellers will be highly impressed by the superb set up at the Bowdens Park venue situated off the Northampton Road; a site which also hosts many other sporting clubs and facilities. As a result of major development the football club boasts a very modern clubhouse, one which would not look out of place at clubs higher up the pyramid. A small wooden sign at the end of the car park directs spectators down a narrow path and takes them alongside the pavilion to the ground at the back. The goal posts belonging to Harborough Rugby Club, who play on an adjacent floodlit ground, soon come into view on your left-hand side. Beyond the fence at the far end you can appreciate a landscape made up of rolling hills which provide fodder for grazing cattle...it's a picture postcard countryside scene! Courtesy of a Football Foundation grant everything on site is relatively new as you would expect. The football club is now very much self-contained, being surrounded by a high timber fence, giving the ground a lovely all-round, enclosed feel. This separates the main pitch from several others, now hidden out of sight, on the fields behind. A number of gates, situated at intervals along the perimeter, allow access for ball boys to retrieve errant mis-kicks! A very large extension to the old pavilion is big enough to house separate changing rooms for the players and referee: a weights room; smart bar lounge and tea bar. Mrs W was particularly impressed by the lavish toilets! Surprisingly there is even a club shop in the foyer. Wow! Surely this must be the only dedicated club retail outlet found at this level! A wide range of replica playing kit, training tops and other assorted HTFC goodies are stocked inside here to cater for everyone associated with the club. With such a distinctive yellow and black club logo (which takes the shape of a shield) featured on many of the buildings, fixtures and fittings you certainly don't need reminding where you are. A concrete path and perimeter fence complete with advertising boards, fastened at regular intervals, surrounds the entire playing area. Apart from the curved perspex players dugouts (on the rugby club side of the pitch) there is no other cover here...yet. All this is about to change in the near future though: in a corner at the far end is a partly constructed wooden stand waiting to be placed on a concrete section close to the half-way line. To finish things off the club also has working floodlights in place which are used regularly by the Youth team for midweek league matches; it's all taking shape very nicely. The club obviously has real ambition and should hopefully join the United Counties League next season should they finish in a promotion place: fingers crossed!! The fact that Harborough Town FC play in this league is another one of those quirky footballing anomalies. I always find it a bid odd when a club plays in a competition that is outside its normal county boundary; it seems to make practical sense in this case though. The game, featuring sides at opposite ends of the Premier Division table, was a thoroughly entertaining affair. To add to the intensity it was a local derby as Medbourne village is located only eight miles away from here. Despite going down to a dubious and scrappy own goal scored deep into first half stoppage time (incidentally credited to the visitors' number six Jason Gotch on 45+3), Town very quickly got themselves back into the contest and equalised within a minute of the restart. Matt McClymont (46) finding himself in space on the edge of the box cleverly lobbed the ball over Dan Pickering in the Medbourne goal. Although the agile stopper got his finger tips to the ball he could only turn and look over his shoulder to see it trickle over the line and roll into the back of the net. 1-1. As the game entered its final stages Town took contol and scored twice more in quick succession to nick all three points. Captain Tom Robson (71) joining the attack at a corner was fortunate to see his miscued shot squeeze through a packed penalty area to make it 2-0 before Craig Cassidy (75) added a third assisted by McClymont for an easy back post tap-in. Refereed expertly by Tom Dalby the game was a superb advert for the league. For the record this victory maintained Town's 100% record as the stats revealed they had played and won all of their opening three games: this is even more encouraging when you learn that they recently beat perennial NCFL Premier Division Champions Harpole here a couple of weeks ago (on 12/09/09; result 2-1). Although it's only two months old, for some reason our season seems to be one characterised by a number of unusual pitch insurgents. Already a cricket ball (at South Park); a cat (at Wisbech St Mary) and a duck (at Team Bury) have so far managed to escape the pitch barriers and enter the field of play. Today was no exception when a toddler managed to escape the distracted attentions of his parents and crawl a short distance onto the playing area. He was within an inch of being struck by the ball when his dad finally discovered he had gone. Like a Marvel comic hero the frazzled father sprinted onto the pitch and heroically whisked his offspring, cradled under his arm, to relative safety behind the barrier. After a heavy reprimand the kiddie was soon tethered in floods of tears to the confines of his pushchair. Phew! The warm sunny conditions brought the locals out in their droves. A healthy crowd of 125 (one of my highest so far this season!) attended the game, played on an appreciably sloping pitch. Most decided to congregate on the far touchline where there is more space than on the side opposite. The club obligingly provides fans with a folding plastic chair (stacked next to the pavilion door); a nice touch! Harborough Town sadly do not issue programmes but under league requirements will do so if and when they join the United Counties League. A wide ranging menu of hot and cold food and drinks dispensed by a cheerful band of helpers are readily available from the clubhouse throughout the afternoon. The sausage rolls served with a napkin on a paper plate (luxury) were very tasty and well received by the hoppers from racing HQ. Mrs W even had a white coffee made to her liking in a china cup. Bigger clubs take note! A visit to Harborough Town Football Club comes highly recommended. All the people we met at the club proved to be extremely friendly and helpful in giving us team line-ups; club info etc. The club also has a very informative website (see link below). Many travellers may be well advised to wait until the club moves up the pyramid to join the United Counties League before attending a game. Whenever you venture to the Bowdens Park you certainly won't be disappointed!! The joys of hopping in market towns continue...have fun! FGIF Match Stats Scorers: (H) Matt McClymont (46);Tom Robson (71) and Craig Cassidy (75) and (A) Jason Gotch (45+3) Attendance: 125; Admission: N/A; Programme: N/A; Match rating: 4/5; Ground rating: 5/5. Links (incl map) - http://www.harboroughtownfc.org/index.asp edited 02/10/09
