And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made.
Nine bean rows will I have there and a hive for the honey-bee,
And live all alone in the bee loud glade
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And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow
Dropping from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings,
There midnight’s all a glimmer, and moon a purple glow,
And evening full of linnet’s wings.
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I will arise and go now, for always night and day
I hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore,
While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements grey,
I heat it in the deep heart’s core.
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William Butler Yeats (1865 – 1939)
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Tuesday 1st August 2023
United Counties League Premier Division South
Desborough Town 0
GNG Oadby Town 1
Lamar Parkes 86,
Referee: Ryan Allison. Attendance: 89
Admission: OMGDS £4.00 (£7). Programme: £1.00
Fresh from a 5-1 thrashing at home to Godmanchester Rovers on the opening day of the season, GNG were in determined mood this evening. Ar Tarn started their season with a creditable 2-2 draw at Racing Club Warwick, but tonight in a tense, determined encounter, they lost to a Lamar Parkes 86th minute strike.
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The new stand built to replace the famous old structure and brought into use in August 2022.
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After the old stand and club house at the near end of the ground were destroyed by fire in 2009, a new structure was completed by 2014 and “bricks” were available for purchase and installation at the entrance to the new building
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Saturday 5th August 2023
Emirates FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round
Sutton Coldfield Town 3
Rhys Hilton 53, 69, Lamin Ceesay 90+3,
Wolverhampton Casuals 1
Max Lee 85,
Referee: Joel Kinghorn Attendance:- 125
Admission: OMGDS £7.00 (£10) Programme: £2.50
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Tuesday 8th August
Midland League Division 1
Sutton United 2
Joe Gildea (pen) 71,Thomas Cullen 90+1,
Nuneaton Griff 2
Archie Gallacher 16, Kaine Donald 45+3 (og)
Referee: Jake Richards Attendance: 109
Admission: OMGDS £3.00 (£5) Programme: £1.50
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Friday 11th August 2023
Premier League 2
Aston Villa U21 0
West Bromwich Albion U21 3
Rayhan Tulloch23, Jamie Andrews 69, 83,
Referee: Andrew Humphries. Attendance: 298
Admission: £5.00. Free Teamsheet
The opening game of a strangely structured Premier League 2, with twenty six teams seemingly in one division. Villa were swept away by a powerful Albion side, but were not helped by a two yellow card dismissal just after the hour mark. With John Main.
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John Main at Bodymoor Heath
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Monday 14th August 2023
Premier League 2
Leicester City U-21 2
Amani Richards 34, Zach Booth 45+7,
Derby County U-21 1 Owen Oseni 82,
Referee: David Richardson Attendance: 201
Admission: OMGDS £3.00 (£5) Free Team Sheet
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Tuesday 15th August 2023
Hertfordshire Senior County League Premier Division
Cuffley 0
Hinton 2
Cameron Hough 32, Fabian Brown 87,
Referee:- Les Moody. Attendance:- 56
Admission: F.O.C. Programme: NONE
These two teams are barely five miles apart, the hosts near Potters Bar and the visitors from Enfield. The rivalry is intense, but there was only one winner and with a goal in each half, the visitors, comfortably, took the victory and the spoils!
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Wednesday 16th August 2023
Noerthern Premier League Division 1 Midlands
Corby Town 0
Shepshed Dynamo 1
Reece Morris 89,
Referee: Harley Hetherington. Attendance: 570
Admission: OMGDS £6.00 (£10). Programme: £2.00
A large gathering watched the hosts striving mightily to make an impression on this game and they kept the visitors penned in their own half for long periods without ever looking likely to score. Smash and grab in the 89th minutes and the visitors went away considerably the happier!
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Saturday 19th August 2023
Emirates FA Cup Preliminary Round
Stockton Town 2
Adam Nicholson 73, Kevn Hayes 90+6,
Ashington 1
Jordan Summerly 53,
Referee: Sam Ross. Attendance: 321
Admission: OMGDS £7.00 (£9). Programme: £2.00
A modest 3G caged arena that nonetheless boasts two seated stands down one side and a hospitality suite as well as a small covered area behind one goal. Two cans of beer/lager/cider for a fiver was a bonus! Today, the hosts were a tad fortunate. They fell behind to a 53rd minute strike which looked likely to win the game, huffed and puffed to equalise with ten minutes remaining, and scored the winning goal in the 97th minute after their opponents had been reduced to ten men.
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Thursday 24th August 2023
Anglian Combination Premier Division
Aylsham 0
Yelverton 2
Jack Watson 13, Dan King 81,
Referee: Leon Howard. Attendance: 94
Admission: F.O.C. Programme: NONE
Aylsham first played at their new home – Youngs Park – in the 2016/17 season and already plans are afoot for a £1.25 million 3G stadium to be constructed adjacent to the present site. After tonight’s performance and a pointless three game opening to the season, they may have been relegated from the premier division when they take possession of their new arena! Paul Proctor, Martin Hollands and mxhornet were also in attendance for this league match, unusually played on a Thursday.
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Saturday 26th August 2023
Isuzu FA Vase 1st Qualifying Round
Sutton Athletic 1
Jack Kirby 27,
Pagham 1
Dan Simmonds 57,
Sutton Athletic won 4-3 on penalties
Referee: Bruno Marques. Attendance: 59
Admission: OMGDS £5.00 (£10). Programme: £2.00
Unusual to find such a rustic arena so close to the capital and just over the Thames crossing at Dartford. There was a small scaffolded covered area down the near side and seating (also scaffolded) for around 100 souls on the far side. A small club house, (with changing rooms)and bar completed the amenities. Not a great advert for teams from The SCEL and The SCL, this was a dour contest of few opportunities and the penalty lottery shoot-out was won by the hosts!
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Monday 28th August 2023
Hellenic League Division 1
Tytherington Rocks 1
Kyle Head 43,
FC Bristol 2
Rick Davis 14, Kristian Miller 77,
Referee: Simon Turner. Attendance: 88
Admission: OMGDS £4.00 (£6). Programme: On line
Tytherington, a small village in south Gloucestershire of less than a thousand souls, does very well to support a step six club. The ground, visible from the M5, is situated at the end of a very narrow single track road, with a moderate stand of maybe 50 seats and a small club house with changing rooms and a bar behind the far goal. Today’s visitors, FC Bristol, we’re formerly known as Lebeq and play at the Glos FA HQ in Almondsbury. Today, they had the measure of the hosts and won more easily than the score suggests. The referee added on a total of 25 minutes added time!
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John Main at the entrance to The Harwicke Playing Field
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Tuesday 29th August 2023
Peterborough & District League Premier Division
Stanground Sports 5
Louie Venni 14, 38, 48, 75, James Stainsby 72,
Ramsey Town 0
Referee: Neil Smith. Attendance: 52
Admission: F.O.C. Programme: NONE
A railed pitch with substantial dug-outs and a minimum of cover from the persistent precipitation. The hosts were in total command throughout with three second half strikes to add to their 2-0 half time lead. With John Main.
On their 3G pitch on the night of the super moon, the hosts were given a footballing lesson from a very composed GNG side. The 38th minute sending off, for a second yellow card, of the home captain contributed to the heavy defeat, but in truth, the visitors were always the better side. With John Main.
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CRICKET
Tuesday 1st August 2023
District Pathway Cricket at Wellingborough Old Grammarians CC
Kettering & Corby U-11 211 for 7 (35 overs)
defeated
East Northants U-11 (won toss) 61 all out (17.4 overs) by 150 runs
District Pathway Cricket at Rushden & Higham Town CC
East Northants U13 (won toss) 77 for 6 (20 overs)
lost to
Kettering & Corby U-13 78 for 4 (16.1 overs) by 6 wickets
Umpires: Keith Timpson & Eddie McGeown
In a rain affected match reduced fro the original 35 overs per side, East Northants U=13 were worst affected as the had already completed 10.1 overs when persistent rain showers reduced the match overs.
Northants U11 Girls 118 for 2 (16.4 overs) by 8 wkts.
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Northants U11 Girls 125 for 4 (20 overs)
lost to
Herts U11 Girls 128 for 5 (18.1 overs) by 5 wkts.
Umpires: Alan Pearce and Eddie McGeown.
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Barby is on the Northants and Warwickshire border, and their main team play in The Warwickshire League Division 2. They do, however, amongst their many other teams, have a side in Division 13 of the Northamptonshire League. It is a lovely ground with two full sized pitches separated by a line of trees, a club house with changing rooms and a bar and a substantial score box. Today’s matches were played by enthusiastic sides from Herts and Northants and it was fitting that each team had a victory. Better than that, it was good to see so many talented and enthusiastic young cricketers!
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