Ode to Everton

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When at Thy call my weary feet I turn
The gates of paradise are opened wide
At Goodison I know a man can learn
Rapture more rich than Anfield can provide.
In Coulter’s skill and Geldard’s subtle speed
I see displayed in all its matchless bounty
The power of which the heavens decreed
The fall of Sunderland and Derby County.
The hands of Sagar, Dixie’s priceless head
Made smooth the path to Wembley till that day
When Bolton came. Now hopes are fled
And all is sunk in bottomless dismay.
And so I watch with heart and temper cool
God’s lesser breed of men at Liverpool.

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Michael Foot (1913-2010), himself a famous Plymouth Argyle fan, sent this poem into The Liverpool Daily Post in January 1935 following an FA Cup tie he witnessed at Goodison Park, where Everton, the hosts, defeated Sunderland 6-4 after extra time. It was said to be one of the greatest  games ever staged at Goodison Park, and Michael Foot  – lucky enough to have been there – called his poem “Ode to Everton” (Courtesy of “The Guardian”).

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Trent Bridge 2nd August 2022

Brilliant day’s cricket in The Royal London One Day Cup, where Nottinghamshire Outlaws defeated Sussex Sharks by 65 runs, with sons, Jim, Mike and Liam and grandsons, Freddie, Sonny and Kingsley, and, the icing on the cake, was a chance meeting with …. Joe Root. Great day Out.

Nottinghamshire Outlaws (won toss) 290 for 6 (50 overs) defeated Sussex Sharks 217 all out (43 overs) by 73 runs

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Grandsons, Sonny and Kingsley with Joe Root, former England Cricket Captain.

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Grandson, Freddie, with Joe Root. 

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Wednesday 3rd August 2022

Pre-Season Friendly

Milton 2

Tom Blake 10, Ethan Collett 24,

Cottenham 1

Jack Leeks 70,

Referee: Richard May.                                 Attendance:- 47

Admission: F.O.C.                                        Programme:- NONE

A pleasant evening in Cambridgeshire, a flaxen coloured pitch, hard as concrete, the home team looked the better side, but could have been undone at the end! With John Main, Peter Miles and Brian Buck.

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Friday 5th August 2022

EFL Championship

Birmingham City 2

Scott Hogan 5, Przemyslaw Placheta 45,

Huddersfield Town 1

Danny Ward 61,

Referee: Gavin Ward.                                     Attendance: 17,065

Admission: OMGDS £10.00 (£15)               programme: NONE

A rare visit (and a first in seven years) to St Andrews Stadium for a meeting between the hosts and Yorkshire rivals, Huddersfield Town. Much of the stadium – the lower tier on three sides – was out of commission and the arena looked in need of a healthy dose of improvement. Birmingham bossed the opening period and deserved their two goal interval advantage, but they had to dig deep to hold out against a spirited second half riposte from the visitors.

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The lower tier of accommodation out of use!

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Saturday 6th August 2022

Emirates FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round

Abbey Hey 0

Congleton Town 4

Daniel Needham 21, 45+2, Darren Chadwick 49, Thomas Pope 57, Paul Taylor s/o 40,

Referee: Daniel Sims.                                Official Attendance: 131

Admission: OMGDS £3.00 (£6).            Programme: £2.00

A first visit to The Abbey Stadium in East Manchester, a neat arena with cover and minimal seating and an upstairs bar and downstairs refreshments (tea/coffee and cheese and ham rolls). Today, the visitors were Congleton Town, a division higher and the gulf in class showed. The visitors went into the interval with a one goal lead and one man short, the player having been dismissed for violent conduct. It made no difference, the ten men struck three more times in the second period for an emphatic victory. With John Main and Chris Berezai.

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Sunday 7th August 2022

East Midlands Women’s Cricket League

Division 2 South (at Houghton & Thurnby)

Houghton & Thurnby (won toss) 283 for 1 (40 overs)

defeated

Bowden 56 all out (15.3 overs) by 227 runs.

Umpires: Simon Clark & Eddie McGeown

This was a battle of the basement teams and the hosts made the most of it, posting a challenging total with Elizabeth Page notching an unbeaten century (102no). She then proceeded to demolish the visitors batting, taking five wickets and playing a hugely influential part in her team’s emphatic victory!

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Tuesday 9th August 2022

United Counties League Division 1

Aylestone Park 3

Matt Langham 26 (pen), Louis Samuels 30, 53,

Saffron Dynamo 0

Referee: Matthew Basterfield.                              Attendance: 180

Admission: OMGDS £3.00 (£6).                         Programme: incl.

Aylestone continued their impressive start to the season with a regulation victory over their mid-table rivals, and this, despite the dismissal of defender, Justin Peace, just after half-time! Good to see Rose Askham and her daughter Kate and grand daughter, Nova. With John Main and Jack Warner.

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Saturday 14th August 2022

Eastern Counties League Division 1 North.

Heachem 3

Nathan Davies 24, 49, 59, 

Great Yarmouth Town 1

George Couzens 81,

Referee: Andy Wilson.                            attendance: 141

Admission: OMGDS £3.00 (£6).         Programme: £2.00

A strong Heacham team started their home campaign with the visit of once mighty Great Yarmouth Town. The ground is a work in progress, but lacks floodlights and any seating of note. On the pitch, the newcomers easily dominated the match with a hat trick from Nathan Davies, seeing off The Bloaters, whose only response came from an 81st minute George Couzens strike. With John Main and Cliff and Margaret.

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John Main, trying out the Heacham dug-outs!

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Sunday 14th August 2022

Rutland League Division 2. (at Market Deeping)

Werrington (won toss) 322 all out (45 overs)

defeated

Market Deeping 181 all out (34.3 overs)

by 141 runs

Umpires: Pete Burrell & Eddie McGeown

On a boiling hot day in Lincolnshire with a flaxen playing surface, this top of the table clash saw a decisive victory for second placed Werrington over table topping Market Derping. The visitors won the toss and smote their way to a formidable total which included a last wicket stand of 62. The hosts were never in the hunt, losing wickets regularly, and fell far short of the required target!

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Monday 15th August 2022

Northern Premier League Division 1 Midlands

Coleshill Town 2

Liam Molesworth 45, Kai Tonge 49,

Gresley Rovers 0

Referee:- Richard Walker.                                  Attendance: 206

Admission: OMGDS £8.00 (£10).                    Programme: £2.00

A plastic pitch, an early season match, that got better as the game wore on, and the hosts came out comfortably on top after two defeats to their opponents in their last two encounters. With John Main.

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Tuesday 16th August 2022

Midland League Division 1

Droitwich Spa 3

Connor Collins24, 70, Haydn Morris 88,

Cradley Town 1

Jake Crackett 19,

Referee: Alex Shaw.                                   Attendance:- 510

Admission: OMGDS £3.00 (£5).            Programme: £1.00

Nobody in the large shirt-sleeved crowd, who had come to welcome back their home team after a four year absence, could have expected the monsoon conditions which dominated much of this match. Unrelenting, heavy precipitation from early in the first period right through until the final whistle and after, made for difficult conditions for players – and spectators, for whom there was very little cover! The hosts fell behind, but equalised by the interval and dominated proceedings in the second period, with Haydn Morris rounding off the scoring in the 88th minute.

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Saturday 20th August 2022

Thurlow Nunn Eastern Counries League premier Division

Harleston Town 1

Nathan Stone 13,

Ely City 1

Jordan Foster 59,

Referee: James Ludlam.                                      Attendance: 107

Admission: £5.00.                                                Programme: £1.00

On a warm sunny afternoon in Norfolk, the hosts, who had opened the season with four victories (three away from home), lost their 100% record in a tense dual with mid-table Ely City, who came from a half time deficit to garner a well deserved draw and, maybe should have taken all three points. Heather Hughson, an artist from British Colombia was at the match. Her father, Ken Dean, played for Harleston Town in the 1960s, but then emigrated to Canada with his family. This was Heather’s first visit to Harleston in almost sixty years!

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Sunday 21st August 2022

East Midlands Women’s Cricket League Division 2

at Houghton & Thurnby

Kettering (won toss) 162 all out (39.1 overs)

Houghton & Thurnby 74 all out (24.3 overs)

Kettering win by 88 runs

Umpires: Alan Pearce & Eddie McGeown

Hard by the A47 Leicester to Peterborough main road lies the host’s cricket ground screened by a high fence to keep the cricket balls in! Champions elect, Kettering won the toss and posted a relatively challenging total, that was eventually beyond the host’s batting capabilities. Competitive match played in a good spirit.

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Monday 222nd August 2022

Midland League Division 1

Hinckley AFC 2

Joe McNulty 50, James Reid 54,

Paget Rangers 1

Harry Jackson 90+3,

Referee: Harry Organ.                                 Official Attendance: 196

Admission: OMGDS £4.00 (£6).              Programme: £1.50

Sadly, Hinckley are reduced to playing their home matches on the 3G surface at Barwell’s ground after the major upheavals of recent years. Tonight, however, both teams put on an entertaining encounter which the hosts won, narrowly, after seemingly cruising at 2-0. There was raucous comment in the stand and the referee bore the brunt of it. It was unnecessary but didn’t spoil a good game! With John Main.

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Wednesday 24th August 2022

Northern Premier League Division 1 Midlands

Corby Town 1

Daniel Collins 70, 

Cambridge City 1

Ryan Sharman 52,

Referee: Matthew Jackson.                              Attendance: 548

Admission: OMGDS £6.00 (£10).                  Programme: £2.00

A balmy evening in Northamptonshire and these two teams were unbeaten in the league this season. The hosts dropped their first points, whilst the visitors manage a third draw in a row! It was a run of the mill match and Cambridge were marginally the superior team. They opened the scoring via a penalty, shortly after half time and the hosts equalised with twenty minutes remaining. With son, Mike and grandson, Freddie, Gary Miller and Paul Beatty.

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Welsh Hop 2022

This year marks the twentieth year of ‘hopping’ in Wales and once again, we were staying at The University of South Wales at the students accommodation in Treforest, with its steep climb up the hill and the excellent beer at the bottom in The Otley Arms. John Main and I had decided to go “off piste” for three games, so that we could take in three games in The JD Cymru South, which is the second tier of football in Wales. Each morning, we left the student accommodation and had breakfast at ‘The Hollybush”, some five miles away! The first of the matches was ………..

Friday 26th August 2022

JD Cymru South k.o.: 7.45pm

Cambrian & Clydach Vale 3

Liam Eason 17, Josh Bull 63, Ryan Prosser 70,

Ammanford AFC 1

Matthew Fisher 83,

Referee: Jordan Harman.                         Attendance:- 221

Admission: OMGDS £3.00 (£5).            Programme: on line

Lee Trundle, who started his career at Chorley and went on to become a star player for Swansea City, captained the visitors this evening at the ripe old age of forty-five! Nestling in a valley with hills all round, the hosts play on a 3G surface with substantial cover and seating, although not all of it is in use! Tonight, they were too strong for their opponents and garnered three strikes before an Ammanford consolation on 83 minutes from … not Lee Trundle, but Matthew Fisher! With John Main.

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Saturday 27th August 2022

Highadmit South Wales Alliance Division 2 k.o.:11.00am

Fairwater 2

Jack Coles 31, Jonathan Jeffries 68,

Penygraig 3

Keiran Tann 14, 63 Ashley Langford 25,

Referee: Charles Thomas.                            Attendance: 201

Admission :- £3.00.                                      Programme: £1.00

On a very warm morning, these two teams served up an entertaining encounter which the hosts were a tad unfortunate to lose. There was not much by way of furniture, and out of the shade, the sun beat down mercilessly. Round the corner at the back was a club house with food, drinks and even second hand books! Good game of football!and A minute’s silence before the match to remember club players, staff and supporters who died due to COVID-19.

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Saturday 26th August 2022

JD Cymru Premier League k.o.: 2.30pm

Pontypridd United 2

Owain Jones 26, Benjamin Ahmun 74,

Aberystwyth Town 1

Alexander Darlington 85,

Referee: Thomas Owen.                                  Official Attendance: 311

Admission: OMGDS £5.00 (£8).                  Programme: £3.00

Newly promoted Pontypridd play at the University of South Wales Sports Centre, a soulless cage with a 4G pitch and a couple of hastily erected Meccano stands. The game was almost as bleak as the stadium, but it picked up in the final quarter of an hour, when the hosts added a second and then Aberystwyth pulled one back. Interesting colour scheme for the officials! With John Main.

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The officials were bedecked in a rather fetching purple for this match!

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Saturday 26th August 2022

Highadmit South Wales Alliance Premier Division k.o.:5.00pm

Bridgend Street 1

Callum Taylor 90+8 (pen)

Cardiff Corinthians 1

Aaron Davies 80,

Referee: Andrew Wallen.                       Attendance: 264

Admission: £3.00.                                  Programme: £1.00

Formed in 1889, the club have long outlasted the street in Cardiff that they were named after! Today, they endured a bruising encounter with Cardiff Corinthians, seemingly heading towards 0-0, until the visitors snatched the lead with a scant ten minutes remaining! It took until the eighth minute of added time for the hosts to grasp an equaliser from the penalty spot!

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Sunday 27th August 2022

Highadmit South Wales Alliance Premier Division k.o.: 11.00am

Merthyr Saints 1

Andre Maia 38 (pen)

Aber Valley 5

Nathan Radzimierski 3, 45+1, 63, Jacob James 22, Tom Neville 81,

Referee: Mark Boucher.                            Attendance:- 302

Admission: £3.00.                                     Programme: £1.00

The beautifully appointed ICI Rifle Ground is enjoying its first full season, having moved across the field from the former stadium which is still extant. Sadly, The Saints are enduring a tough start to the season and this was their fifth consecutive league defeat. It could have been much worse, but Valley spurned several acceptable opportunities.

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Sunday 27th August 2022

Highadmit South Wales Alliance Division 1 k.o.: 2.00pm

Aberdare Town 6

Kian Johnson 12 (pen),Owen Jones 15, 62, Evan Olsen 19, Cory Thomas 22, Shay Welch 68,

AFC Penrhiwceiber 0

Referee: Graham Evans.                          Attendance: 305

Admission: £3.00.                                   Programme: £1.00

Seven devastating minutes from the fifteenth to the twenty second minute decided this contest. In that time the hosts scored four times without reply. Two further strikes around the hour mark were academic, the match was already won and several further straightforward opportunities were spurned by the hosts in a match somewhat eccentrically officiated.

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Sunday 27th August 2022

Highadmit South Wales Alliance Division 2 k.o.: 5.00pm

Nelson Cavaliers 0

Cwmbach Royal Stars 3

Matthew Jones 19, Jenson Price 43, Liam Price 50,

Referee: Daryl Jenkins.                               Attendance: 254

Admission: £3.00.                                       Programme: £1.00

Top of the table Royal Stars won this game at a canter at Wern Field, the site of a former coal mine and now a country park near Treharris. There was little to see in the way of football furniture, a field with a metal rail round it, set in a natural bowl and a couple of plastic “dug-outs”. The visitors were impressive and quickly established a two goal advantage. A third strike early in the second period was the icing on the cake!

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Monday 29th August 2022

Highadmit South Wales Alliance Division 1

Maesteg Park 2

Lewis Kingdon 26, Paul Evans 42,

Vale United 2

Daniel Hanson 39, Arran Jeffries 67, Steven Gauci s/o 53,

Referee:- Keith Redford.                                      Attendance: 302

Admission: £3.00.                                                Programme: £1.00

A lovely morning with a cooling breeze at Tudor Park, where memories of the host’s former glories are somewhat scarce and (in the case of the stand), roofless following a mini tornado! Vale looked the better side early on, but then conceded a bizarre goal and found themselves 1-2 down at the interval. Early in the second half, they were a man down, too following a DOGSO offence. They recovered to equalise and a draw was probably a fair result.

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Monday 29th August 2022

JD Cymru South

Taffs Well 0

Swansea University 0

Referee: Michael Ford.                                  Attendance:- 161

Admission: OMGDS £3.00 (£5).                Programme: on line

A very pleasant rural ground, with a couple of raised, seated stands, one to each side of the pitch. Today’s match saw two sides cancel each other out in a dour encounter which had little to recommend it! it was all the more surprising, because the hosts were joint top of the league and the visitors were one place off the bottom!

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Monday 29th August 2022

Highadmit South Wales Alliance Division 1

Clwb Cymric 4

Rhys Withers 18, Aled Hughes 61, Thomas Roberts 77, 90+2,

Grange Albion 0

Referee: Michael Ford.                                Attendance: 226

Admission: £3.00.                                       Programme: £1.00

A metal cage painted green, a 3G pitch, with viewing behind one goal and along one side with two seated Meccano stands. Despite the unappetising surroundings, the welcome was warm and this from a club organised for Welsh speakers in Cardiff. The hosts started slowly, but grew into the game scoring three goals after the interval to add to an initial strike in the first period. The last match of a very successful “hop”!!!

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Other Matches:

Monday 1st August

U11 Girls T20 Matches at Kettering CC

Umpires: Alan Pearce & Eddie McGeown

Leicestershire 68 all out (17 overs)

Northamptonshire 71 for 4 (12.2 overs)

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Northamptonshire 99 for 7 (20 overs)

Leicestershire 98 for 9 (20 overs)

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Monday 8th August 2022

FA U21 Premier League 2 Division 1

Leicester City 2 Tottenham Hotspur 2              attendance: 310

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Wednesday 10th August

Under 18 Girls “Hundred” Tournament at Northampton Saints

Umpires: Steve Dickinson & Eddie McGeown

Worcestershire 99 for 4 (100 balls)

Warwickshire 96 for 8 (100 balls)

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Northamptonshire 125 for 4 (100 balls)

Worcestershire 126 for 5 (97 balls)

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Thursday 11th August 2022

County U-14s match at Oundle School

Umpires: Alan Pearce & Eddie McGeown

Northamptonshire (won toss) 189 all-out (35.2 overs)

Middlesex 190 for 5 (42.5 overs)

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Friday 12th August 2022

County Girls U-15 match at Oundle School

Umpires: Colin Megennis & Eddie McGeown

Middlesex (won toss) 182 all out (38 overs)

Northamptonshire 162 all out (30.4 overs)

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Thursday 18th August 2022

U-11 District Development Match at Wellingborough Old Grammarians

Umpires: Roger Barker & Eddie McGeown

Kettering & District (won toss) 42 all out (22.2 overs)

East Northants 44 for 3 (11 overs)

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Friday 19th August 2022

FA U21 Premier League 2 Division 1

Leicester City 3 West Ham United 1        attendance:- 338

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Tuesday 23rd August 2022

U15 Girls T20 Matches at Oundle School

Umpires: Martyn Dobbs & Eddie McGeown

Northamptonshire 74 for 9 (20 overs)

Middlesex 76 for 1 (9.1 overs)

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Middlesex 106 for 7 (20 overs)

Northamptonshire 107 for 8 (19.3 overs)

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Wednesday 31st August 2022

Northants U-11 Development T20 at Burton Latimer CC

Kettering & District U-11 123 for 4 (20 overs)

Northampton & South U-11 101 for 7 (20 overs)

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Kettering & District U-11 98 for 3 (16 overs)

East Northants U-11 87 all out (13.4 overs)

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