No.28 - Sat. 23rd January 2010; Northants Junior Cup Round 4                                1.30pm at Village Hall, Leys Lane, Great Houghton, Northampton, Northants.

 

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Queen Eleanor Great Houghton (2) 3   Brixworth All Saints (1) 1 

 Queen's reign down the lane

Adidas, Mitre and Puma. All household names in the great world of sports manufacturing. In fact I probably started my early football playing days wearing one, if not all, of these footwear brands at some time or another as I strutted my stuff on the lesser known playing fields of Hull. However my all time favourite pair of boots donned back in the 1970's was made by another popular company called Gola. How many of you can remember those glossy in store advertising posters which promised: Gola means Goals! Like most of my mates at the time we all fell in love with this great name and distinctive logo, gradually adding trainers, bags and even our own leather football (if we had managed to save up enough pocket money, that is) to our branded collection. Ah, those were the days!

Being an anorak somehow gives you the innate ability to remember totally useless facts that are really of little interest to 99.9% (and more) of the population. It's true isn't it?! Before setting out today for my much needed adrenalin rush I opened up the street atlas to work out our intended route to Northampton. Whilst scanning the environs of this place, made famous for manufacturing footwear, I came across a tiny village with the unusual and rather odd sounding name - Bozeat. Now for some reason this seemed familiar. And then it suddenly clicked. This was in fact the place where the Gola factory was located back in the 1970's. Sadly I can even remember as a kid reading the address off the side of one of those many shoe boxes neatly arranged on my bedroom floor. Who would have thought that my journey today would lead down memory lane? If you look on a map you'll find it - Bozeat is about ten miles east of Northampton and midway between Wellingborough and Olney (on the A509). Anyway after recounting the tale to my wife she, not for the first time, thought I had completely lost it...I digress...so lets get back to today's game.   

To be honest there was much huffing and puffing. Passes were going astray, tackles were mistimed and the overall level of skill was at a premium. Not surprising really when you think that the last match action for the majority involved in this long awaited cup tie was over five weeks ago now. You could tell that the excesses over the festive period and an enforced break due to the recent spell of dreadful weather had really taken it's toll on the players. Despite this and a clagging muddy pitch which also conspired against producing a decent game, I was well chuffed to to be standing pitch side once again. 

For the record this all Northants Combination Junior Cup tie, originally scheduled for Saturday 2nd January, was won by the hosts who managed to turn the current form book completely on its head to overcome their stronger opponents and make progress into the semi-finals. It was the flambuoyant Bob Lane (5), a lithe, bearded figure sporting a head band used to restrain his flowing mane, who jumped highest at an inswinging corner to open the scoring in the early stages for Queen's. Brixworth soon got back into it though following some brave attacking play when Ryan Slater evaded three heavy (and potentially brutal) challenges to pull the ball back from the goal line to set up the beefy but effective Mark Drake (23) who blasted the ball past Matt Collins from five yards out. The hosts restored their lead moments later with some quick thinking from the skilful Bob Turner (28) who, with his back to the goal, turned on a sixpence (or should that be 2.5p?) and chipped the ball over Wayne Hamill in the Saints goal. It was a peach of an effort from the edge of the box and drew spontaneous and well deserved applause from those gathered pitchside. With little to separate the sides many onlookers felt that the next goal would be crucial in settling the outcome of this intriguing tie. Midway through the second half it came when Dan Nottage, seeing 'kepper Hamill off his line, lobbed the ball perfectly over the custodian and into the back of the empty net. It was a cracker and proved to be enough to win the game for his team dressed in a maroon garb. For Queen's it was also seen as a bit of revenge. This was a reverse of the same scoreline when the sides met here at Leys Lane in a Premier Division league encounter back in October. Judging by today's performance and their victory over Medbourne in the Premier Division cup game which I attended before Christmas, these encouraging results certainly bely Great Houghton FC's lowly position (one off the bottom) in the table.

The match attended by just over twenty spectators, was played on a rather dull and overcast afternoon. The playing surface was fairly soft in places and as a result cut up badly in the later stages of the game. As you would expect the club, like the majority, if not all in this competition, don't issue programmes. On the plus side though referee Rob Page was kind enough to let me copy out his team lists onto my FGIF Match Stats card before the game started. Thankyou sir! The committee members made the neutrals from racing HQ feel more than welcome and, inviting us into the Board Room, offered us a complimentary 'cuppa (with a drop of whisky, if we so desired) and delicious apple pie at half-time. Fran thought this was a lovely gesture made by affable Roy Ainge, now in his twenty-fifth year as club secretary, and his colleagues.

The ground, based at the Village Hall in Great Houghton, is found off the main Bedford Road (A428) by following signs for the village. Continue along the High Street past the White Hart pub, local housing and back into open countryside. Almost immediately you take a left fork into Leys Lane where the main entrance comes into view on the left hand side. A small car park found next to a children's playground, provides space for up to thirty vehicles here. The site which is bordered by open countryside (on three sides) and housing shares with the local cricket club and boasts some basic but homely facilities. A large modern pavilion funded by South Northants Council was opened as recently as 2003 and contains changing rooms, a bar/kitchen and a smart function room. There is also a veranda and seating along the front of this building but its distance from the pitch makes it a awkward location from where to watch the game. A floodlit tennis court is adjacent.

The main (and only) football pitch here is situated over on the far side of the field and is bordered by trees and hedges. Two sets of cricket practise nets and incredibly (at this level) a sight screen and set of movable pitch covers are in situ behind the goal to the left. In keeping with the summer game there are several sturdy park  benches arranged at equal intervals around the perimeter of the field and all are set up facing the square in the middle. Travellers attending a game here will be staggered by the plane of pitch - it not only drops significantly from side to side (down towards the cricket square) but also from end to end giving the effect of a diagonal (corner to corner) gradient. Even if you're not an expert in trigonometry I think you will quickly appreciate the extent of the slope if you see it! Two brick built dugs-out painted in a most lurid shade of green are positioned next to the half-way line. To the right are some training floodlights attached to a wooden poles. There is no cover so it would be a good idea to attend a game here in better weather if you can.

The club has its own website which keeps visitors informed of current events and information including useful contacts, directions, fixtures and results. According to the club history page: 'Queen Eleanor Football Club was founded in 1944 when a group of lads got too old to play for a local Boy's Brigade team. The first secretary was Jack Ronson who did the job until the 1960's when Dick Wright took over. Dick carried on the good work assisted by Ron Davies who was Chairman at that time, and saw Queen Eleanor into the Northampton Town League Premier Division and become one of the most successful teams in the town (of Northampton). It wasn't all glory though as in 1969 the team lost every match and were relegated. However they bounced back the following season winning promotion at the first atempt. In 1986 the present secretary Roy Ainge took over and is helped now by the president Jim Caullay and Treasurer Mick Holmes and Roy's wife Sue who looks after hospitality on match days. Queen Eleanor FC are now playing in the Premier Division of the Northants Combination after being promoted as champions from Division One at the end of 2008-2009'.

A visit to the tidy Leys Lane ground comes highly recommended to all travellers. Although the facilities are still fairly modest and the club doesn't issue a matchday programme, you will definitely receive a warm welcome, that's guaranteed. I think it's really important when you can feel at home. I really wish the club every success in the next round of the Junior Cup and hope they can also survive relegation back down to Division 1 come the end of the season. The joys of watching football in the beautiful Northamptonshire countryside continue. Now where's that new Gola retro catalogue...?             

FGIF Match Stats

Scorers: (H) B. Lane (5); R. Turner (28); D. Nottage (71) and (A) M. Drake (23) 

Attendance: 22; Admission and Programme: N/A; Match rating: 2/5; Ground rating: 3/5.

Links (incl map) from NCFL site - http://www.clubwebsite.co.uk/queeneleanorgreathoughtonfc/ 

 

edited 25/01/10