Like rain it sounded till it curved
And then I knew ’twas wind –
It walked as wet as any Wave
But swept as dry as sand –
When it had pushed itself away
To some remotest Plain
A coming as of Hosts was heard
That was indeed the Rain –
It filled the Wells, it pleased the Pools
It warbled in the Road –
It pulled the spigot from the Hills
And let the Floods abroad –
It loosened acres, lifted seas
The sites of Centres stirred
Then like Elijah rode away
Upon a Wheel of Cloud
by Emily Dickinson (1830 – 1886)
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Wednesday 1st November 2023
United Counties League Division 1
Blackstones 4
Birstall United 0
Referee: Ryan Allison. Attendance: 94
Admission: OMGDS £4.00 (£6). Programme: £2.00
The floodlights glowed down from the treetops and leaves scattered the field like a golden harvest of poppies. Blackstones have an atmospheric ground which stirs the spirit and, tonight, their team were electric, too. Both of these teams are there or thereabouts in the play-off places and it was the hosts who leapfrogged their rivals with a stunning and decisive victory.
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Atmospheric as the moon glows behind the giant triffids rising above the trees to light the game!
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Tuesday 7th November 2023
Northern Premier League Midlands Division 1
Spalding United 1
Jordan Graham 21,
Corby Town 2
Connor Tomlinson 33, Daniel Gordon 73,
Referee: Dan England. Attendance: 279
Admission: OMGDS £5.00 (£10). Programme: £2.00
On a mild November evening at the well appointed Sir Halley Stewart Field, something had to give. Five home wins for the hosts in second place in the table, five away wins for the mid-table visitors. It was the Steelmen who took the honours, coming from behind to take a winning lead from a free kick in the 73rd minute following the dismissal of the offender for a second yellow card. With grand son, Freddie.
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A large contingent of Corby Town supporters cheered their side on!
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Saturday 11th November 2023
West Midlands (Regional) League Division 1
Wyrley Juniors 0
Wellington Amateurs 2
Rune Corinaldi 32, Joshua Wycherley 50
Referee: Mark Owen. Attendance: 34
Admission: £5.00. Programme:- NONE
Barely a hundred yards away, across the road and over the railway bridge from Sikh Hunters’ Long Lane Park, is … Long Lane, home of today’s hosts, Wyrley Juniors, sadly struggling in this division, with only one league win all season. Their opponents, sit proudly atop the league, with a couple of games in hand. A goal in each half was enough to garner a regulation victory for the visitors, but they really should have scored more!
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Monday 13th November 2023
Birmingham FA Senior Cup 2nd Round
Coleshill Town 0
Redditch United 0
(Coleshill Town won 4-2 on penalties)
Referee: Lewis Smith. Attendance: 144
Admission: OMGDS £8.00 (£10). Programme: NONE
An eminently forgettable game on the Pack Meadow 3G surface, where defences dominated and chances were extremely thin on the ground. The visitors had two spot kicks saved, the hosts scored all of theirs! With John Main and Lee West.
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Tuesday 14th November 2023
Northants Senior (Hillier) Cup 2nd Round
Kettering Town 4
Will Mellors-Blair 65, 76 (pen), Huw Dawson 81, Kieran Dawes 87,
Corby Town 2
Daniel Gordon 4, Toby Hillard 48,
Referee: Harry Price. Official Attendance: 183
Admission: OMGDS £10.00 (£15). Programme: NONE
A pricey night out at Kettering Town’s shambles of a stadium in Burton Latimer. The visitors were good value for a half-time lead which they doubled at the start of the second period. They then gave away a silly goal from a custodian’s error and shortly afterwards, the referee intervened to award the hosts a dubious penalty. It was more than the visitors could bear and two late strikes sealed the victory for The Poppies.
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Wednesday 15th November 2023
Eastern Counties League Division 1 North
FC Peterborough 3
Holbeach United 1
Referee: Rhys Taylor. Attendance: 162
Admission: OMGDS £3.00 (£5). Programme: £2.00
The last time I was at Chestnut Avenue, Peterborough Northern Star (now defunct) were the hosts and FC Peterborough were plying their trade in the lower echelons of the PDFL. This evening, I was gifted a club badge on entry and accosted (in good heart) by a batsman I’d given out LBW last May! The hosts were clearly the superior side and it was only after they introduced a plethora of substitutes that the visitors were able to claim a consolation strike.
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Saturday 18th November 2023
Southern Counties East League Premier Division
Hollands & Blair 2
Dean Grant 12, Frankie Griffin (pen) 48,
Rusthall 1
Jesse Hammond 3,
Referee: Kristian Kaczala. Attendance: 115
Admission: OMGDS £5.00 (£8). Programme: on line
Not a fan of 3G, but this small, cramped ground with hardstanding all the way round, cover behind the near goal and covered seating down each side, was quite attractive, despite black being the dominant background colour. These two teams occupy places in the bottom half dozen of the division yet, surprisingly they produced a competitive and evenly matched contest. A goal apiece at the interval, the hosts scored from the spot almost immediately after the break and just about deserved the victory and the points. With John Main.
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The penalty, just after half-time which sealed the victory for the hosts.
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Tuesday 21st November 2023
Southern Combination League Premier Division
Crawley Down Gatwick 3
Sam Clements 30, Oli Leslie 56, 59,
Shoreham 0
Referee: Patrick Joliffe. Attendance:- 61
Admission: OMGDS £4.00 (£7). Programme: NONE
Fine repast at The Duke’s Head, prior to the match, then onwards to the ground hidden behind The Haven pub cum cafe in the village of Crawley Down. There is a substantial seated stand down the near side, covered standing behind one goal and hard standing all the way round the pitch. The visitors are rock bottom of the division and the wonder is how they managed to escape with a mere 0-3 defeat! The hosts were profligate and wasteful and that piece of tautology is nearly as bad as the title of the competition.
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Number 4 for the away side is: Tom Bold.
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Wednesday 22nd November 2023
Norfolk FA Senior Cup 2nd Round
Dussindale & Hellesdon Rovers 0
Heacham 1
Nathan Davies 8, Nathan Davies s/o 39. Charlie Royle s/o 78,
Referee: James Sneddon. Attendance: 106
Admission: OMGDS £4.00 (£7). Programme: £1.00
The hosts play their home matches at “The Nest”, a community hub and sports centre close to Norwich airport. There are two floodlit 3G pitches and a host of other sporting facilities and opportunities. Dussindale are newly arrived in the Eastern League, whilst Heacham, in only their second season, are already a division above them. A single goal separated the sides, the visitors had a player dismissed in each half, yet were still able to keep the hosts at bay and defend an eighth minute lead to proceed to the next round. With John Main, Paul Proctor and Chris Garner.
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Saturday 25th November 2023
Isthmian League South East Division
Broadbridge Heath 0
Burgess Hill Town 0
Referee: James Kerten. Official Attendance: 228
Admission: OMGDS £6.00 (£10). Programme: £2.00
The hosts moved into their purpose built stadium just four years ago. Previously, they had been playing at the athletics stadium adjacent to their present new ground. There is an extensive club house with changing rooms and social/catering facilities, a stand with a hundred seats on the opposite side of the ground, and a small covered area behind one goal. The game was competitive and entertaining, but chances – never mind goals – were few and far between!
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Tuesday 28th November 2023
NCEL League Cup 2nd Round
Louth town 5
Sam Swinn 45+1, Bailey Wright 74, Harry Crawford 79, Reece Southwood 84, Harry Jacklin 86,
Armthorpe Welfare 0
Referee: Robert Nunn. Official Attendance: 105
Admission: OMGDS £3.00 (£5). Programme: £1.00
The last time I saw Louth town play was at Park Avenue, back in 2009, when a crowd more than twice the size of tonight’s gathering saw a thrilling FA Vase tie which Sleaford Town won, after extra time, by the odd goal in seven. It is quite a story how Louth United went out of action in 2007, reformed and continued to play at Park Avenue, lost their ground and reformed again to play at their present location. When I first came to see them, I happened on this ground before being directed to their then ground! Tonight was Louth Town’s first match under floodlights at their new ground, which, sadly, is not even in Louth, but down the road at Saltfleetby. In a lacklustre first half they laboured against relegation threatened Welfare, but four second half strikes sealed the tie decisively. Nice touch in the urinals in the men’s loo!
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The only available seating was in a 50 seater Meccano stand down one side.
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Improving accuracy in the loo!
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Originally, when I asked at the turnstile for a programme, they told me programmes were “on line only”. Then I discovered this sitting behind the bar and purchased the official matchday programme for £1.00. Free team sheets were also available.
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