Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening
Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.
He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound’s the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
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by Robert Frost (1874 – 1963)
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Saturday 4th December 2021
Sky-Bet EFL Championship
Blackpool 0
Luton Town 3
Sonny Bradley 42, Elijah Adebayo 54, Jordan Clark 90+1
Referee:- Peter Bankes. Attendance:- 11,366
Admission:- Hospitality (£80.00). Programme:- included (£3.00)
It is just over fifty years since my last visit to Bloomfield Road and a lot of water has travelled under the bridge since that day in May 1971 when Blackpool of the First Division drew 1-1 with Manchester United in front of a crowd of 29,857. Then, it was Jimmy Armfield’s swan song, his 627th and last game for Blackpool before retirement. Denis Law scored for United and Tony Green replied for Blackpool. Today’s attendance was less than half that figure and Luton Town were the visitors for what is, in reality, a second division contest. The hosts were outplayed today, in the midst of a cutting, squally wind and pretty heavy rain. The Hatters were more direct and incisive, with three clinical finishes whilst The hosts were timid and feeble. The hospitality was excellent value, for my grandson’s ninth birthday and he and his brother also enjoyed the train journey to and from Banbury!
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Jim with Sonny and Kingsley
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The travelling faithful, well rewarded!
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This is Ludovic Sylvestre who has played for both Barcelona and Blackpool, with Sonny and Kingsley in the hospitality suite.
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Tuesday 7th December 2021
Southern Counties East League Challenge Cup 1st Round
Meridian VP 1
Dwayne West 65 (pen),
Erith and Belvedere 5
Henry Dasofunjo 4, Callum McGeehan 47,Olli Bate 68, James Dyer 80, Richard Jimoh 90+3
Referee:- Ashley Rodi. Attendance:- 32
Admission:- OMGDS £4.00 (£6). Programme:- £2.50
Storm Barra swept through during the afternoon depositing several inches of water on the south east, but despite postponed matches elsewhere, Meridian VP (Valley Park) survived and despite flooded dugouts, the cup match against Erith & Belvedere from the premier division went ahead as scheduled. The visitors occupy bottom place in their division whilst the hosts are third from bottom of the division below and the gulf in class was evident, even though Meridian managed to reach half time only one goal down. The second half was a different affair as the visitors raced to a deserved victory. A basic stadium with hard standing all round and a fifty seater Meccano stand, but very little else. Excellent clubhouse facilities just outside the ground.
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Wednesday 8th December 2021
FA Youth Cup 3rd Round
Rugby Town 0
Cheltenham Town 4
Brennan Barrett 13, Joe Hunt 41, Connor Jakeways 49, 52,
Referee:- Joe Woolmer. Official Attendance:- 426
Admission:- OMGDS £4.00 (£6). Programme:- £2.00
At Rugby Town’s impressive stadium on a bitterly cold evening and in front of a substantial crowd, the young hero’s of Butlin Road, who had already put out league opposition in the previous round, just didn’t do themselves justice. Two goals in each half killed them off in a match strangely devoid of passion and atmosphere, despite the large crowd. The crowd looked to be far larger than the official attendance!
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Saturday 11th December 2021
Wessex League Premier Division
Amesbury Town 0
Fareham Town 8
Casey Bartlett-Scott 39, Jack Breed 40, Ethan Jones 50, Ben Rowthorn 63, Declan McCarthy 72, Gary Austin 80, 90+3, Josh Benfield 83,
Referee:- Lucas Bomela. Attendance:- 73
Admission:- OMGDS £3.00 (£5). Programme:- £1.00
Amesbury, a small market Town in the shadow of Stonehenge, can lay claim to being the oldest settlement in the country with evidence going back more than 10,000 years! Sadly, their team is struggling this season. No wins in the last twenty-one matches and only two draws, they lie next to bottom of the division. Today, for just over half an hour, they defended heroically, but then conceded twice in quick succession. In the second half, Fareham laid siege and popped in a further half dozen. A very basic arena, but friendly and hospitable!
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Turnstile? No, just the way in!
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Tuesday 14th December 2021
The sky was leaden grey and a thin mizzle drifted down, going past the ancient (but seasonal) lamp post at the bottom of Caistor, the War Memorial and Lydia’s cafe, down Church Gap, and across the railway line, the fields and the river Welland to Thorpe-by-Water. From there to Lyddington and St Andrew’s Church, alongside the Bede house where formerly twelve alms people were housed (“no lunacy, Leprosy, or French pox”). In Uppingham, the church of St Peter and St Paul bestrides the skyline, and inside, the sanctuary window was well lit. Uppingham School is everywhere else in the town! Down the Stockerston Road and across the fields until … the Eyebrook reservoir swings into view. Keeping the water to the right, back up to the top of Stoke Dry hill and across more fields, back down to Lyddington. From there, via Gretton Weir, back to the village itself, with new houses sprouting at the bottom of Station Road. Fifteen stiles and 12.96 miles.
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The Victorian (and seasonal) lamppost at the bottom of Caistor Road in Gretton
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The Eyebrow Reservoir
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Saturday 18th December 2021
Pitching-in Northern Premier League Division 1 West
Ramsbottom United 1
Jamie Rother 50,
City of Liverpool 0
Referee:- Matthew Tyres. Official Attendance:- 297
Admission:- OMGDS £5.00 (£9). Programme:- £2.00
A beautiful sunny afternoon grew quite chilly by the end of this match at The Riverside Stadium, nestling betwixt the railway line and the cricket club. The Santa Special was pulled by an Bulleid SR Pacific, but an ancient L&YR Pickersgill 0-6-0 also made an appearance. Despite the paucity of goals, this was a good contest with the sides evenly matched and the game was won by a slightly fortuitous goal to the home side, deflected into the net, five minutes after the interval. With Graeme Holmes, who was match analyst for City of Liverpool.
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Pickersgill 0-600 formerly of The Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway
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One of OV Bulleid’s Southern Region Pacifics pulling the Santa Special
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Tuesday 21st December 2021
Pitching-in Southern League Premier Division Central
Peterborough Sports 2
Dion Semble Ferris 20, Dan Jarvis 9-+3
Banbury United 3
Morgan Roberts 8, missed penalty 23, Chris Wreh 15, Jay Williams 34,
Referee:- Thomas Hancock. Attendance:- 415
Admission:- OMGDS £7.00 (£10). Programme: £2.00
The Bee Arena is vastly improved since my last visit a couple of years ago, but it is still a hotchpotch, with seating giving a poor view of the match and narrow hard standing around the pitch, but no terracing. There is a new clubhouse with bar and food hatch and entrance to the ground has moved to the far side of the pitch. Tonight, third place Turbines faced top of the table Puritans, and they were always second best. Banbury raced to a first half 3-1 lead which included a missed penalty and were content to hang onto their lead, which they did comfortably, until the hosts snatched a second goal at the death. With son, Mike and grandson, Freddie and good to see Paul Proctor, who had made the long journey from Hampshire!
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Freddie with grand dad, Ed
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Wednesday 22nd December 2021
Bleak and bare was the landscape and the ground underfoot was hard, crunchy and … hoar frosted on the children’s play area. St James’ church stood silent sentinel on the route down Church Gap and over to Thorpe by Water across the still River Welland and along leaf filled paths. Seaton All Hallows church reared up on the skyline on the far side of the valley, whilst in front, sheep munched the frosted sward. The George & Dragon – too early for duty – and the Welland Viaduct came into view at the end of the village, before striding on to Morcott, under the narrow railway bridge on the long abandoned spur line to Uppingham. Past Morcott, to the windmill on the A47 and down to Barrowden, The Exeter Arms, the duck pond and the church of St Peter with its fine, delicate spire. The track bed of the old railway line to Peterborough (from Rugby) is still visible on the path leading to Turtle Bridge, whilst on the river itself, swans glide sedately by. The church of St John the Baptist, in Harringworth, had a seasonal tree at its entrance and on the way out of the village, there was a small abandoned hut between the legs of the viaduct. Back, high above Harringworth, Seaton was just visible across the valley and then, finally, back in Gretton, the new houses, adjacent the pocket park, are nearing completion. Three stiles and 14.14 miles.
Gretton Play Area
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St James’ Church, Gretton
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All Hallows Church, Seaton
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Thursday 23rd December 2021
Worcestershire Senior Cup Quarter-final
Redditch United 3
Tali Jallow 45, Romario Martin 46, TiagoNassunculo
Stourport Swifts 2
Lee Hughes 33, Connor Gator 70,
Referee:- Craig Thompson. Attendance:- 525
Admission:- F.O.C. Programme:- “on line”
In a highly entertaining encounter, the lowly placed visitors, some two steps below the hosts in the pyramid, put up spirited resistance and even took the lead midway through the first period. United equalised on the stroke of half-time and added a further two strikes within ten minutes of the restart. Swifts struck again on 70 minutes, but they were unable to conjure up the equaliser and the hosts progress to the semi-final.
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Sunday (Boxing Day?) 26th December 2021
Toolstation Western League Division 1
Sherborne Town 4
Tom Budden 36, Dec Cornish 50, Ollie Hubbard 58, Anth Herrin87,
Radstock Town 0
Referee:- Darren Geay. Attendance:- 211
Admission:- OMGDS £4.00 (£6). Programme:- none
What a gem of a football club! The weather helped, mild and sunny, and a good turn out for this hastily rearranged fixture. There was no programme because the match had only been arranged 48 hours earlier after the original team had dropped out. Radstock were worthy opponents, but high flying Sherborne showed them no mercy and efficiently dispatched them with a brace of goals in each half. Very friendly club, teams and attendances provided! With John Main.
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Monday 17th December 2021
Combined Counties League Premier Division South
Horley Town 1
Chad Goulter 86,
Redhill 3
Jawarie Brissett 9, Sam King 39 (pen), Billy Frost 71,
Referee:- Josh Osofa. Attendance:- 203
Admission:- OMGDS £4.00 (£7). Programme:- £1.00
Miserable murky, wet morning in Surrey for this local Derby at the well appointed New Defence, stadium, home of Horley Town. Excellent viewing from the upstairs glassed in bar and a good stand for around 100, just below as well as cover behind each goal. In a match strangely lacking in atmosphere for a local derby, the visitors imposed themselves early and never gave the hosts a look in until they allowed them a consolation goal in the last five minutes!
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Monday 27th December 2021
Southern Counties East League Premier Division
Rusthall 0
Bearsted 2
Referee:- Steven Goldup. Attendance:- 246
Admission:- OMGDS £5.00 (£8). Programme:- F.O.C.
A long, winding, narrow, mysterious and treacherous route eventually arrives at the rustic Jockey Farm Stadium, home of Rusthall on a very wet and muddy afternoon. Despite a pretty poor season, (the hosts lie third from bottom in the table), there was a healthy and vociferous reception for the home side who conceded after only two minutes and went two down before the half hour mark. That was the end of the match as a contest and a turgid second half was thankfully consummated after three added minutes!
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Latin(?) a bit rusty, but … “Only the best can survive”?
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Thursday 30th December 2021
Sky-Bet EFL Championship
Nottingham Forest 0
Huddersfield Town 1
Referee:- Gavin Ward. Attendance:- 27,159
Admission:- OMGDS £20 (£30). Programme:- £3.00
A mild evening and a pretty well filled stadium for a match, whilst short on goals, was nonetheless an enthralling encounter. The visitors struck on the half hour mark and had to withstand some sustained second half pressure. You got the feeling that if Forest could get one goal, they might go on to win, but determined Huddersfield withstood the onslaught and just about deserved the victory and the spoils. With grand son, Freddie and John Main.
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Freddie at Nottingham Forest, high up in The Brian Clough Stand. His 78th new ground and his 28th League ground.
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Other Matches:
Wednesday 1st December 2021
BUCS Women’s Midland Tier 2 2.00pm
Loughborough University Women’s Third 13 Leicester University Women’s First 1
Attendance:- 17
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Wednesday 1st December 2021
BUCS Women’s Midland Tier 3
De Montfort Univ Women’s First 0 Birmingham Univ Women’s Third 15 Attendance:- 9
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Thursday 9th December 2021
Leicestershire Midweek Floodlit Youth League Central Division
GNG Oadby Town U18 3 Anstey Nomads U18 9 Attendance:- 19
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Wednesday 15th December 2021
Women’s FA Premier League Intercontinental Tyres Cup Group C
Coventry United Ladies 2 Tottenham Hotspur Women 3 Attendance:- 220
This was Coventry United Women’s final match before liquidation
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Thursday 16th December 2021
Leicestershire Midweek Floodlit Youth League Central Division
GNG Oadby Town U18 0 Anstey Nomads U18 Swifts 9 Attendance:- 20
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Monday 20th December 2021
Midland Floodlit Midweek Youth League Premier Division South
Rugby Town U18 1 Halesowen Town U18 3 Attendance:- 104
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