Soccer Girl
She gets out there and hustles
She does her very best
It’s all about the teamwork
And winning is her quest
.
Pretty as a picture
She could be most anything
But for now she’s chosen soccer
And working hard for her team
.
Pony-tail is flying
The ball is flying too
She’s got those rules down good
And she knows just what to do
.
So come on folks and watch the game
If you want to see the best
A girl who could be a beauty queen
But soccer is her quest!
.
by Marilyn Lott
.
.
Tuesday 3rd May 2022
Abacus Lighting Central Midlands League
Premier Division South
Mickleover RBL 4
Owen Brader 26, 45, Lewis Durow 41, 86,
Arnold Town 0
Referee:- Ryan Kelly. Attendance: 38
Admission: OMGDS £1.00 (£3). Programme: £1.00
Sad to see Arnold Town fall so low. Twenty years ago, I saw them playing at their well appointed old ground in the centre of Arnold which they also shared with the town cricket club. This evening on RBL’s overgrassed and bumpy playing surface, they were taken apart by a side at the other end of the table and the score line was generous in Arnold’s favour! Will they survive the drop? It looks increasingly unlikely. With John Main, Chris Berezai and Tony Morehead.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Wednesday 4th May 2022
Wharfside Electrical Milton Keynes Sunday League
Sherington Athletic 8
George Chappell 2, 16, 56, Nathan Clarke 14,Dylan Cunningham 35, 38, Jade Aris 39, Luke Garner 61,
MK City ‘A’ 1
Tate Burns 29,
Referee: Kyle Wells. Attendance: 25
Admission: F.O.C. Programme: NONE
I know that this is the ‘silly season’ and matches are hard to find, but nothing could be sillier than this evening’s weird encounter. We turned up at Perry Lane for a North Bucks Premier Division match. However, the two teams playing …. It gradually emerged … were from The Milton Keynes Sunday League. We only found out – largely by accident and default – when we tried to decipher the FA Full Time website information on the original game … which we gather, was postponed, and this one hurriedly arranged in its place. The hosts, top of the table and unbeaten drubbed their mid-table opponents. With John Main and David ‘DJ’ Johnston.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Saturday 7th May 2022
Southern Combination League
Division 1 Play-off FINAL
Midhurst & Easebourne 1
Marcus Bedford 69,
Shoreham 0
Referee:- Daniel Austin. Attendance: 511
Admission: OMGDS £2.50 (£5). Programme: £2.00
The Stag’s rustic little arena was accessed by a narrow entry through which at least a couple of hundred cars passed today, all efficiently parked between pitch and club house/ changing rooms. There was a wooden stand with benching for perhaps a hundred spectators and a tiny covered standing area behind one goal. Teams were displayed outside the club house, but the catering was basic – or it would have been, but for a travelling burger van. As for the game, the hosts deservedly won a dour contest with a trickle of a goal after seventy minutes which barely crossed the line before a defender forlornly hooked it away! With Jon Main.
.
.
.
.
.
.
..
.
.
.
.Sunday 8th May 2022
Rutland & District Cricket League Division 1 (at Burghley Park)
Burghley Park (won toss) 143 all out (37.5 overs)
Lost to
Peterborough Town 147 for 2 (25.4 overs)
Umpires:- Katherine Coultate and Eddie McGeown
Burghley Park have been playing cricket here for over 150 years. The pitch is within the grounds of Burghley House where the famous horse trials are held and within sight of Burghley House itself, and with a fine view of three of Stamford’s five churches. The hosts were indebted to a fine knock from Ben Woodward who scored 77 of his teams total, but it wasn’t enough to halt a Peterborough rampage to victory!
.
.
.
.
Tuesday 10th May 2022
Peterborough & District League Cup FINAL
Warboys Town 1
Ben Duncan 13,
Deeping Rangers Reserves 3
Rajan Badiani 19, 37, Scott Waumsley 90,
Referee:- Ben Woodward. Attendance:- 287
Admission:- F.O.C. Programme:- On Line
This was a feisty, bone crunching encounter in the 3G cage at Netherton United. A handsome crowd was there to see the reserves lift the trophy, but only after Warboys had taken the lead early on, found themselves behind at the interval, but then, late in the second half, they lost their custodian, dismissed for a dogso offence, and their resistance was quashed with a third strike right at the death. Man of the match from last Sunday’s cricket match at Burghley Park, Ben Woodward, was tonight’s referee!
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Wednesday 11th May 2022
National League North Play-off Eliminator
York City 2
Level John-Lewis 10, Mitch Hancox 49,
Chorley 1
Connor Hall 26,
Referee:- James Westgate. Attendance:- 6,394
Admission: Hospitality (£45). Programme (incl) £2.50
Quite a crowd for this play-off first round at The LNER Community Stadium, but comparatively few (319), from Chorley. It was a nervy and tense encounter, with neither side able to stamp any authority on the contest. After each side had scored in the opening period, the match hinged on a goalkeeping howler which gifted York their second goal in the 49th minute and put the hosts into the next round. Cue massive pitch invasion at the final whistle!
.
.
.
The bright sun that shone right into our eyes for the first half, gradually subsided and made the se4cond half much easier viewing!
.
.
.
Thursday 12th May 2022
JW Hunt Cup FINAL
Lye Town 2
Adam Meacham 14, Ben Billingham 74,
Boldmere St Michaels 1
Lewis Archer 54,
Referee:- Kevin Williscroft. Attendance:- 288
Admission: by invitation (£6/4). Programme: incl (£2)
I was delighted to receive and accept an invitation from Alex Hamil MBE, the president of the JW Hunt Cup to this years final tie at The Castlecroft stadium, home of Old Wulfrunians. Both sides were playing in their first final in the competition and both play in the top division of The Midland League. Indeed, Boldmere recently won a resounding 4-0 play-off victory at Chalfont St Peters. This evening, in a spirited contest, however, they were undone by a determined Lye Town, who snatched victory with a 74th spectacular free-kick winner from Ben Billingham!
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Saturday 14th May 2022
Northants County Cricket League Division 1
At Brixworth
Loddington (won toss) 226 for 8 (50 overs)
defeated
Brixworth 146 all out (38 overs) by 80 runs
Umpires: Graham Abbott and Eddie McGeown
On a warm, sunny and cloudless day in Northamptonshire, Loddington started well but then gave away a flurry of wickets which saw them reduced to 88 for 6 after 15 overs. They recovered well with some watchful batting to reach 226 for 8. In contrast, Brixworth also lost early wickets and were reduced to 42 for 5 after 15 overs. They were never really able to recover and slumped to an eighty run defeat.
.
.
.
.
.
Some oriental plant life in the grounds of Brixworth Park!
.
Monday 16th May 2022
Spartan South Midlands Division 1 Cup FINAL
Shefford Town & Campton 1
Jake Renney 90+2,
Stotfold 0
Referee:- Toby Carlisle. Official Attendance:- 147
Admission: OMGDS £3.00 (£7). Programme:- £1.00
This match was played at Manor Fields in Bletchley, the home of The Milton Keynes Irish Centre, which was opened by Uachtaran Na hEireann (President of Ireland), Mary McAleese in 2007. Champions, Stotfold had already defeated Shefford by 6-1, 4-0 and 3-0 this season, but in a lethargic encounter this evening, it was their opponents who took the spoils with a goal in the 92nd minute. They deserved their late victory having struck the woodwork three times in the second half!
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Saturday 21st May 2022
Montgomeryshire League Cup FINAL
Trewern 2
Tobias Dival 81, Joe Beddoes 90+1,
Meifod 1
Philip Hughes 42,
Referee:- Roy Ingram. Attendance:- 191
Admission: F.O.C. Programme:- £2.50
Llanymynech, who hosted today’s final, in the warm sunshine, lay claim to being the oldest football club in Wales, having been founded, they claim, in 1858. Today’s encounter saw champions elect, Meifod take on third place Trewern (orange & black). It was a game of few chances, one of which, Meifod took just before half-time. It looked like that would be the only strike, until Trewern scored twice in the final ten minutes, the second one in the last minute of added time, to take a deserved victory and carry off the trophy. Excellent organisation by the hosts!
.
.
.
.
.
At the far end, behind the trees is a culvert that once took the railway line to Oswestry
.
.
.
An opportunity (not to be missed) to put my hands on the trophy
.
Sunday 22nd May 2022
East Midlands women’s Cricket League
Division 2 South (at Kibworth)
Kettering Women 338 for 2 (40 overs)
Defeated
Kibworth Women 125 for 7 (40 overs)
by 213 runs
Umpires Rodger Barker and Eddie McGeown
Some excellent batting by the visitors, who amassed a prodigious innings at more than eight runs an over. Their bowling was less impressive and the hosts salvaged some pride by batting out their forty overs, albeit for a somewhat meagre total.
.
.
.
Tuesday 24th May 2022
Cambridge & District Sunday League Division 2
Haddenham Rovers 5
King Bill 0
Referee:- Ceredig Cottanch-Chell. Attendance:- 93.
Admission F.O.C. Prog. NONE
In the dying embers of the season, when all that is left are the very lower leagues, it is sometimes possible to unearth a gem, and so it proved this evening. The hosts, from deep in the Fenlands and striving to become divisional champions, were held for all but the final twenty minutes to a single goal advantage, but then the floodgates opened and King Bill from The King William IV tavern in Histon (although they play their home matches at Girton Recreation), were finally dismantled!
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Saturday 28th May 2022
Cherwell Cricket Leavue Division 3B
at Kingston Bagpuize, who won the toss
Kingston Bagpuize 173 all out (44.2 overs)
lost to:
Chipping Norton 174 for 8 (43.2 overs)
In a tense match which climaxed towards an enthralling finish, the visitors prevailed, despite losing a hat trick of victims on 39 runs (39 for 2 to 39 for 5). Thereafter, Riasat Ali held the innings together with a fine, unbeaten 66 and with 8 wickets down, Chippy, well captained by Jim McGeown, crawled over the line. Good match! Kingston Bagpuize, meanwhile are awaiting the construction of a splendid new clubhouse.
.
.
.
The visiting team captain, Jim McGeown, who managed a couple of wickets and nine runs with the bat before a somewhat dubious LBW decision!
.
.
Sunday 29th May 2022
Rutland & District Cricket League Division 2
at Stamford. Stamford won the toss
Stamford 250 for 6 (45 overs)
defeated Werrington 215 all out (40.3 overs)
Umpires: Chris Gilham & Eddie McGeown
On a good batting strip, the hosts made the most of winning the toss, and Andrew Hulme smote an unbeaten 112. The visitors pursued the target with vigour, but lost wickets regularly and fell 35 runs short. The Danish Invader is a hostelry in Stamford and it appears that they sponsor the cricket team. The Hansel and Gretel house behind the sight screen looks faintly sinister, but to get to it, you would need to cross the busy main road between Stamford and Market Deeping!
.
.
.
.OTHER MATCHES:-
Sunday 15th May 2022
Rutland Cricket League Division 2 (at Ketton)
Ketton (won toss) 197 for 8 (45 overs)
lost to:
Werrington 200 for 4 (28 overs)
Umpires: Mark Poucher and Eddie McGeown
___________________________________________
Tuesday 18th May 2022
Sherington AthleticMidland Regional Alliance Division 1
Burton United 4 Mickleover RBL Reserves 5 Attendance: 12
___________________________________________
Wednesday 19th May 2022
Leicestershire Midweek Floodlit Youth League Cup FINAL
Harborough Town u18 3 Aylestone Park u18 3 Attendance:- 204
Aylestone Park won 5-4 on penalties
____________________________________________
Monday 30th May 2022
U-13 Cricket at Uppingham School
Northants U-13 129 all out (28.3 overs)
defeated Beds & Hunts U-13 50 all out (19.4 overs) by 79 runs
Umpires: Simon Clark and Eddie McGeown
_____________________________________________
Tuesday 31st May 2022
U-13 Girls Cricket at Thrapston
Cambridgeshire U-13 Girls 121 for 8 (20 overs)
defeated Northants U-13 Girls 88 for 5 (20 overs) by 33 runs
Umpires: Simon Clark & Eddie McGeown
_____________________________________________
Tuesday 31st May 2022
U-13 Girls Cricket at Thrapston
Cambridgeshire U-13 Girls 66 for 8 (16 overs)
defeated Northants U-13 Girls 47 for 6 (16 overs) by 19 runs
Umpires: Simon Clark and Eddie McGeown
_____________________________________________
