Soccer
I always have liked soccer.
Such a rough game.
Such skills required.
And popular.
Hometown watching,
on Sunday morning.
When one day,
I found that I needed
to withdraw.
It was the honourable
thing to do.
Herbert Nehrlich
Thursday 13th June 2019
(Ashbourne) Summer League
Osmaston 8
Ricky Daly 18, 21,
Bromley Simpson 30, 75,
Jez Oborn 46,
Jack Tyson 50,
Harry Zona 62,
Lee Crampton 80,
Ashbourne Old Boys 0
Referee:- Jim Conway. Attendance:- 25
So much rain fell today that two matches in the league were postponed due to waterlogged pitches, but the surface at Osmaston was in pristine condition – probably the best playing surface in the league! The hosts are league leaders, whilst The Old Boys are enduring a challenging season. The match went according to form and Osmaston could – and maybe should have scored more goals. The visitors were competitive to the end despite some of their players being in the twilight of their careers!
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Thursday 20th June 2019
Huws Gray Ynys Mon 2019 Inter Island Games
Seventh Place Play-off
Orkney 1
Owen Rendall 75,
Alderney 2
Josh McCullouch 44
Joe Blackham 87,
Referee:- Gareth Barry. Attendance:- 36
Admission:- F.O.C. Programme:- £3.00
On a blustery, sunny day in the Shadow of Snowdonia at Glantraeth’s neat ground in the very middle of nowhere, Alderney just about deserved their narrow victory against Orkney to round off the tournament for both these teams!
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Thursday 20th June 2019
Huws Gray Island Games Ynys Mon 2019
Semi-Final
Isle of Man 2
Rhys Oates 52,
Daniel Simpson 73,
Guernsey 3
Will Fazakerley 14,
Matt Loaring 43, 89,
Referee:- Aaron Wyn Jones. Attendance:- 276
Admission:- F.O.C. Programme:- £3.00
Gwalchmai were the hosts for this first semi-final on a blustery, but sunny afternoon and the good sized crowd were treated to a titanic struggle between the tenacious defence of Guernsey and the marauding attack of Ellen Vanin. Guernsey led 2-0 but were pegged back to 2-2 and the winning goal came after 87 minutes of a game that Isle of Man were perhaps a little unlucky to lose!
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Thursday 20th June 2019
Huws Gray Inter Island Games Ynys Mon 2019
Semi-Final
Ynys Mon 2
Sam Jones 9, 42,
Shetland Isles 1
Ronan Grant 57,
Referee:- Alex Williams. Attendance:- 1,506
Admission:- F.O.C. Programme:- £3.00
Llangefni’s impressive stadium hosted this second semi final which was definitely a disappointment after the thriller of the first tie. A huge crowd turned out to support the home team (aka “Anglesey” by the hated English invaders) and the hosts took a two goal lead by the interval. However, Shetland came back strongly in the second half, pulled a goal back and had chances to equalise, but Ynys Mon held on for a narrow, if uninspiring victory.
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Friday 21st June 2019
Huws Gray Inter Island Games Ynys Mon 2019
Bronze Medal Match
Jersey 3
Libby Barnett 47,
Megan Wood 89, 111,
Hitra 2 after extra time
Nina Antonsen 35,
Kristin Jørgensen 87 (pen)
Referee:- Richard Burge Attendance:- 273
Admission:- F.O.C. Programme:- £3.00
Amlwch Town hosted this keenly contested encounter. Hitra, an Island, or collection of islands off the west coast of Norway, really ought to have won as the technically superior side and it seemed that the would when they took a 2-1 lead with three minutes remaining, but back came Jersey to score in the last minute and to seal victory nine minutes from the end of extra time! There were around 150 Primary schoolchildren in the crowd – all uniformed and well behaved!
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Friday 21st June 2019
Huws Gray Island Games Ynys Mon 2019
Women’s FINAL
Ynys Mon Women 1
Catrin Evans 68,
Isle of Man Women 2
Becky Corkish 3,
Ellie Gawne 37 (pen)
Referee:- Cheryl Foster. Attendance:- 1,010
Admission :- F.O.C. Programme:- £3.00
Holyhead Hotspur, probably the premier team in Anglesey, hosted the first of two finals with the big, strong and powerful Ellen Vanin side taking the title in their stride. The home side were roared on by a large and enthusiastic crowd and even pulled a goal back with twenty minutes remaining, but it was always going to go the way of the irrepressible team from The Isle of Man! Referee, Cheryl Foster, played over fifty games for Wales Women!
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Friday 21st June 2019
Huws Gray Inter Island Games Ynys Mon 2019
Men’s FINAL
Ynys Mon 2
Liam Morris 70,
Melvin McGinness 85
Guernsey 1
Keanu Marsh 5,
Tyler McKane s/o 13
Referee:- Alan Wyn Davies. Attendance:- 3,020
Admission:- F.O.C. Programme:- £3.00
The New Oval was packed to the rafters and more for this mighty tussle for the right to be called Inter Island Champions. Thirteen minutes into the match, Guernsey were reduced to ten men when one of their players tried to stop the ball entering the net ….. with his hand. He was unsuccessful, the ball looped into the net. The ref had already blown, however and the resultant penalty was saved and Guernsey kept the lead they had taken in the fifth minute. The ten men battled valiantly, but were undone by two late strikes and the jubilant, but good natured, throngs commenced their celebrations with gusto!
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Saturday 6th July 2019
Pre-Season Friendly
Charnock Richard 1
Nathan Fairhurst 83,
Chorley 2
Spencer Bibby 5 (og),
Chris Doyle 28,
Referee:- Peter Shacklady. Attendance:- 403
Admission:- OMGDS £3.00 (£5). Programme:- £2.00
With Chorley about to start a big adventure in The Vanarama National League, this was an early opportunity to see the preparations being made for their first foray into the league since 1988/89. Graeme and I enjoyed a splendid repast at The Dog & Partridge hard by the ground. A crowd that was more than double their average league gate last season saw an entertaining encounter in the sunshine. Chorley had a penalty saved, but Charnock Richard scored their spot kick and they look likely to be strong NWCFL premier division contenders.Four steps higher, Chorley have much work still to do!
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Thursday 11th July 2019
The AJ Bell Stadium – Pre-Season Friendly
Accrington Stanley 2
Sean McConville 28,
Offrande Zanzala 37 (pen)
Olympique Marseille 1
Florian Thauvin 78
Referee:- Ollie Langford. Attendance:- 1,266
Admission:- OMGDS £5.00 (£10). Programme:- £1.50
This was the first match of Marseille’s tour of GB and it was played at the home of Salford Red Devil’s Rugby League club and Sale Sharks Rugby Union Club, because the Accrington Stanley pitch was not yet up to match readiness. The visitors were deservedly two goals adrift at the interval and changed all ten of their outfield players for the second half. They managed to pull one goal back, but Stanley deserved the victory over the 1993 European Cup winners!
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Saturday 13th July 2019
Pre Season Friendly
Badshot Lea 1
Nick Medcraft 20,
Farnborough 0
Referee:- Jack Ohene Attendance:- 160.
Admission:- £8.00 Programme- £2.00
Badshot Lea’s new home looked strangely drought ridden, the pitch the colour of straw! Bit of a rip off to get in (see above). Farnborough brought about fifteen triallists but it was the hosts who triumphed in a lack lustre contest.
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Thursday 18th July 2019
Pre Season Friendly
AFC Rushden & Diamonds 0
Leyton Orient 1
Dale Gorman 14,
Referee:- Will Finney. Official Attendance:- 415
Admission:- OMGDS £6.00 (£8) Programme:- £2.50
Diamonds are the tenants at Rushden & Higham Town’s Hayden Road ground, but they have plans (and a piece of land) for a ground of their own at Higham Ferrers. The two Meccano stands they have erected here are easily transportable to any new location. Meanwhile, the landlords have applications for grants to repair the iconic stand closed since 1989. Although there was but one goal in this match, it was nonetheless, an enthralling contest, despite each side making wholesale changes around the hour mark!
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Saturday 20th July 2019
Official Opening of the new stadim
Horsham 3
Chris Smith 32,
Kieran Lavery 68 (pen) 79,
Crawley Town 1
Reece Grego-Cox 39
Referee:- Tim Robinson. Attendance:- 1,080
Admission:- OMGDS £6.00 (£11) Programme:- £2.00
The new arena has already witnessed a couple of wins for the hosts in pre season, but today, the ground was packed to the rafters – it looked even more than the official figure! The new stadium sparkled and the beer and wine flowed non-stop. On the field, Horsham deserved the victory against an under strength league side, who, nonetheless, provided a stern test for the hosts!
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Saturday 17th July 2019
Uhlsport United Counties League Premier Division
Rothwell Corinthians 3
Ryan Archer 5,
Niall Duffy 58,
Jordan Henson,
Lutterworth Town 0
Referee:- David Jarrett. Attendance:- 316
Admission:- £5.00. Programme:- £1.00
With pretty persistent and increasingly heavy precipitation all day, my cricketing responsibilities were abandoned and I was able to take in two matches on The UCL/PDFL Hop. Rothwell Corinthians were always the poor neighbours of Rothwell Town, but, Cecil Street, former home of Town is no more, and is now a housing estate and Corinthians hold the torch for Rothwell. Today, they were too strong for newly promoted Lutterworth and ran out easy winners!
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There was a bit of a fracas midway through the second half – handbags, really!
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Saturday 27th July 2019
Uhlsport United Counties League Division 1
Burton Park Wanderers 4
Zac Allen 7,
Lee Thompson 14, 20,
Adam Dalby 50
Lutterworth Athletic 0
Referee:- Mark Wardell. Attendance:- 284
Admission:- £5.00. Programme:- £1.00
I remember watching my eldest son,James, playing here in a Schools cup final – and he scored – and it must be all of twenty five years ago! Perennial UCL strugglers, Burton Park Wanderers looked anything but tonight as they convincingly demolished their opponents, squandering a penalty opportunity in the process!
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Other Matches:-
Monday 10th June 2019
(Ashbourne) Summer League
Kirk Langley 7 Mayfield 3 Attendance:- 11
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Monday 24th June 2019
(Ashbourne) Summer League
Broughton Wanderers 3 Biggin 2 Attendance:- 38
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Tuesday 9th July 2019
Pre-Season Friendly
Harborough Town 0 Barwell 2 Attendance:- 60
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Wednesday 17th July 2019
Pre-Season Friendly
Bugbrooke St Michaels 0 Corby Town 3 Attendance:- 81
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Matches from 1st July:-
Matches:- 19 New grounds; 9
Total Matches:-
Matches:- 4,189 New Grounds: 1,564
