When You Are Old

William Butler Yeats (1865 – 1939)

When you are old and grey and full of sleep,

And nodding by the fire, take down this book,

And slowly read, and dream of the soft look

Your eyes had once, and of their shadows deep;

How many loved your moments of glad grace,

And loved your beauty with love false or true,

But one man loved the pilgrim soul in you,

And loved the sorrows of your changing face;

And bending down beside the glowing bars,

Murmur, a little sadly, how Love fled

And paced upon the mountains overhead

And hid his face amid a crowd of stars.

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Sunday 1st September 2024

English Schools Cricket Association

National T20 FINALS Day (@Arundel Castle)

First Semi-final

Scarborough College (won toss) 162 for 7 (20 overs)

defeated

Shrewsbury School 136 for 6 (20 overs)

by 26 runs

Umpires: Matt French & John Tomsett. Scorer: Eddie McGeown

Second Semi-final

Harrow School 161 for 4 (20 overs)

defeated

Kings College Taunton 116 all out (15.2 overs)

by 45 runs

Umpires: Terry Barstow & Martin Bodenham.  Scorer: Eddie McGeown

FINAL

Harrow School (won toss) 195 for 8 (20 overs)

defeated

Scarborough College 132 all out (17.0 overs)

by 63 runs.

Umpires: Matt French & John Tomsett.    Scorer: Eddie McGeown

A fine day’s cricket, with Harrow School (perhaps not unexpectedly) head and shoulders above the rest of the competition. The day was overshadowed by the passing of Richard Somerford. He worked for ESCA for many years, nationally, regionally and also for Surrey and Norfolk.

Richard played an important part in the running of  the National School rounds. He was well liked and respected for all his hard work. Despite not being in the best of health,  he was determined to attend Finals day, but sadly passed away during the competition.

He was a valued member of The National Executive and will be sorely missed by all who knew him.

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Chorley gained some small measure of revenge this evening at St James’ Park in Brackley for their play-off defeat in May. In a closely fought contest, two second half penalties were enough to gain victory and the points for the visitors. With son, Jim and grand sons, Freddie, Sonny and Kingsley.

The last time I was here, some fifteen years ago, the attendance was nineteen and that was for a UCL match! Much has changed in the meantime. There is a new club house, cover behind the goal and down the far side, a seated stand for maybe two hundred souls and a marquee pitch side for half-time refreshments. The club have also added “Leicester” to the front of their name. This may have been the FA Youth Cup, but there was a great deal of local pride at stake as both clubs come from the Aylestone area of Leicester. The visitors had the edge against a determined and enthusiastic home side and with two first half strikes and a third eight minutes from time, they garnered the victory despite the dismissal of their number seven with twenty minutes to go. With John Main..

Saturday 7th September 2024

Wessex League Division 1

Romsey Town 4

Alex Wilson 11, Craig Bryant 63, H Russell 73, Robbie Stapleton 84,

Cove 2

Armani Riley 26, George Usuwu 90+1,

Referee: Lee Nowacki.                                  Attendance: 80

Admission: OMGDS £3.00 (£7).                Programme: on line.

A fine repast at the superbly appointed hostelry: “The Duke on The Test”, just outside the town of Romsey (pop: 15,000), in Hampshire. The Bypass Ground is full of character – if a little eccentric – with cover on three sides and seating along each flank. There is an adequate club house and a refreshment hut. In a dull opening period, both sides managed a single strike, but the second half perked up considerably. The visitors were down to ten men around the hour mark following a bad tackle. The hosts capitalised five minutes later and almost immediately, the visitors captain was invited to warm the bench for ten minutes after a furious altercation with the referee. The hosts extended their lead before his return and scored a fourth six minutes from the end. The visitors had the last word, however, with a strike deep into added time. With John Main.

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Monday 9th September 2024

Midland League Division 1

Chelmsley Town 0

Coton Green 3

James Henry 27, Matt Hunt 75, Luke Fox 79,

Referee: Okran Beedre.                                   Attendance: 175

Admission: £6.00.                                           Programme: NONE

Chelmsley Town are the tenants at Pack Meadow, home of Coleshill Town of the NPL. Tonight they were thoroughly outclassed by a workmanlike Coton Green who struck once before the interval and twice after half-time. The hosts had their chance to reduce the first half arrears but had a penalty saved four minutes after the break. With John Main, Lee West and Mike Dean.

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Tuesday 10th September 2024

Northern Premier League Division 1 Midlands

Loughborough Students 5

Marcus Gilipin 12, Quinton Zowani Dlodlo 44, 78, 86, Josh Strouts 58,

Rugby Town 1

David Kolodynski 72,

Referee: Brandon Scaife.                                     Attendance: 186

Admission: OMGDS £5.00 (£8).                       Programme: ON LINE

Another visit to the Holywell Sports Complex at Loughborough University. It is a majestically impressive stadium, but the students are finding the step up to the NPL difficult to adjust to, with three defeats from their four league games. Until tonight, that is. Rugby were cut to ribbons by some swift and incisive counter attacking from the hosts in a fine game of flowing football and if they keep this up, their position in the league will be secured! With John Main.

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Wednesday 111th September 2024

United Counties League Premier Division South

Rugby Borough 1

Cyrus Bruce 64,

Lutterworth Town 2

Louis Samuels 82, Abdul Summon 86,

Referee: Ali Cera. Official                          Attendance: 156

Admission: OMGDS £4.00 (£7).             Programme: £2.00

Ten years ago, there was very little on this site, now, it is virtually impossible to get a parking place, even on the vastly enlarged car park. All the clubs pitches are in full use late into the evening in what seems to be a highly profitable enterprise. The first team had a chance to go top of the league this evening and they blew it. After an hour’s dour struggle, the hosts took the lead, then had a player sin-binned for an over enthusiastic conversation with the referee. During his period off the pitch the visitors struck twice and claimed the victory!

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Isle of Man

We – John Main and I – boarded the ferry from Liverpool on Friday 13th September for the three hour crossing to Douglas on The Isle of Man. Whilst the primary object of the list was the football matches, it would be churlish not to include some of the island’s attractions.

The Liver Birds

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The Isle of Man Steam Packet Company entrance

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A small castle (folly?) in the bay off the beach at Douglas

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The horse drawn tram

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The magnificent sweep of Douglas Bay

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One of the electric trams

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Saturday 14th September 2024

Isle of Man League Premier Division

Onchan 0

Josh Kennedy s/o 44,

Peel AFC 5

Ben Woodbridge 4, Tomas Brown 37, 81, Rhys Oates 45, Daniel Pickering 89,

Referee: Peter Greenhill.                       Attendance: 57

Admission: F.O.C. Programme:           NONE

A morning spent on horse drawn and electric trams to Laxey and its giant wheel and then onto Nivision Park for this fixture at a stock car racing venue. Onchan (pronounced”Onkan”) are newly promoted to the premier division, but they were no match for their seasoned premier division rivals from Peel on the other side of the island. They were three goals and a man dismissed by the interval. The only question is how did the visitors only managed two second half strikes? With John Main.

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The Laxey Wheel, viewed from the station at Laxey

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The Manx Electric Railway to Laxey

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The excellent horse drawn tram on Douglas Bay.

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Saturday 14th September 2024 k.o.: 6.00pm

North-West Counties League Premier Division

FC Isle of Man 2

Stephen Whitley 4 (pen), 20,

Cheadle Town 0

Referee: Sam Leonard.                                 Attendance: 795

Admission: Hospitality£90 included return ferry from Liverpool, burger & chips, a beer and a programme and team sheet. Programme: included (£2)

The King George V Bowl is the IoM’s national stadium built recently for the “Island Games”. It is nominally an all seater stadium, but there was a lot of standing this evening and with only half the ground covered, lots of empty spaces in the rain! The game was pretty ordinary. Two first half goals and a sending off for the home manager (a technical offence – delaying the restart of play). In the second half, the away team manager was booked, but not much else happened. With John Main.

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Sunday 15th September 2024

Isle of Man Women’s League

Peel AFC Women 16

Becky Cole 6, 36, 51, 54, Lisa Contain 12, 20, 35, 39, Jenny Metcalfe 18, 23, 24, 63, Diniella Bethridge 31, Lucy O’Connor 58, Emma Gale 60, Aimmee Dentith (og) 78

Onchan Ladies 0

Referee: Sam Palmer.                                   Attendance: 31

Admission: F.O.C.                                         Programme: NONE

Peel, on the west side of the island is the third largest town, with a population of 5,700. There is a castle and a lifeboat station and a football ground full of character and quaintly appointed just outside the town. Today’s encounter in the island’s women’s league was a huge mismatch. The opposition were demolished, but the defeat should have been much greater. Friendly welcome and plenty of enthusiastic effort, but only one team in it, really.

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The castle at Peel

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And then ……………… like a whirlwind hurtling on, the weekend was over! We stayed the night, but on walking down to the beach the following morning after breakfast in the hotel, the horse drawn tram was not working. It seemed that all the tourism was closing down for the season and we were swept away on the afternoon ferry, back to Liverpool. and the onward journey back to. the Midlands!

But it hadn’t all been football. We especially enjoyed the horse drawn tram and the electric train ride to Laxey, where we caught a glimpse of The Laxey Wheel – apparently, the largest working wheel in the world! We took a bus ride to Peel and explored the area around the castle, and we walked. It must have been a mile and a half along the see front at Douglas and we walked that a few times! Excellent weekend.

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Wednesday 18th September 2024

United Counties League Division 1

Blackstones 0

Gedling Miners Welfare 1

Courtney Hastings 51 (pen),

Referee: Richard Doorbar.                                  Official Attendance: 65

Admission: OMGDS £4.00 (£6).                       Programme: £2.00

The “other” team in Stamford, formerly known as Mirrlees Blackstone after the engineering company, is a wonderfully atmospheric arena, especially at evening games in the Autumn with the floodlights peeping out of the trees like John Wyndham’s triffids. Both these teams are doing well this season, however, in a dour, but entertaining encounter, the visitors were narrow victors with a somewhat dubious penalty five minutes into the second period.

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Saturday 21st September 2024

FA Vase 2nd Qualifying Round

Rochester United 4

Tom Loynes 13, Mack Reilly 55, 67, Lucas Payne 58,

Welling Town 0

Referee: Lee Jarvis.                                   Attendance: 73

Admission: Concession £5.00 (£8).      Programme:£2

Bit of an uphill hike for nearly two miles from the station, Rochester United’s homely ground on Rede Court Road was a welcome sight. A stand with some two hundred seats, a small covered terrace and hard standing on three sides with a small bar and refreshment facilities. On a warm afternoon, the hosts swatted their opponents away like dealing with an annoying wasp. One goal in the first period, but three more after the interval saw them into the next round of The Vase.

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Monday 23rd September 2024

Premier League 2

Leicester City U21 3

Josh King 25, 29, Old Ewing 78,

Middlesbrough U21 1

Haleem Bakre 4 (pen), Harley Hunt s/o 64,

Referee: Jason Richardson.                                    Attendance: 174

Admission: concession £3.00 (£5).                      Free Team Sheet

Unremitting precipitation shrouded the host’s victory, but they went a goal behind early on only to bounce back for an interval lead. A dismissal for the reds and a final goal for the blues wrapped it all up!

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Tuesday 24th September 2024

Uhlsport Hellenic League Premier Division

Hartpury University 4

Tomos Shyamapant 24, Cheick Kone 70, Luke Salter 72, Louis Manning 90,

Hereford Pegasus 1

Carlos Moreira 3,

Referee: Richard Wood.                                      Official Attendance: 268

Admission: OMGDS £5.00 (£8)                       Programme: on line

At least the weather had improved and the pitch, despite the recent heavy rain and flooding, was in good condition. The students were back for the start of term and their numbers swelled the attendance (224 students and 44 paying customers!). These two teams are hovering in the play off positions and Pegasus took a very early lead. The sides were level by the interval, but three second half strikes by the increasingly rampant students saw them claim a decisive and well deserved victory. With Jack Warner and Graeme Holmes.

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Saturday 28th September 2024

Southern League Division 1 South

Bideford AFC 2

Finn Roberts 27, Jack Windsor 31, Jack Windsor s/o 88

Evesham United 1

Levi Steele 68,

Referee: Luke McFarlane.                                 Attendance: 267

Admission: OMGDS £6.00 (£8).                     Programme: £2.50

The Sports Ground in Bideford, home to the hosts for over a century, is a vast arena with covered seating on both sides of the ground, but no other cover. The floodlights are products of a bygone era, four mighty pylons dominate the stadium. However, Bideford AFC are languishing this season with four defeats out of their opening five league matches. The visitors are riding much higher in fifth position, but found themselves two goals adrift by the interval. They were much more effective after the break and pulled a goal back after the hour mark. However, despite heavy pressure, and a man dismissed for the home side, they were unable to draw level and the hosts took the victory and the spoils.

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Wednesday 2nd October 2024

Devon St Luke Challenge Cup 2nd Round

Cullompton Rangers 4

Aiden Horne 7, Harry Varnas, 37, Lucas White 66, Lewis Hill 86,

Teignmouth 3

Ashley Donohue 31, 42, 57,

Referee:: Dillon Gascoigne.                                                  Attendance: 56

Admission: OMGDS £3.00 (£6).                                        Programme: NONE

Rangers’ neat and welcoming home just off Duke Street, has hard standing all round a solidly fenced pitch, a seated stand on the far side of the pitch with seating for maybe sixty souls, but no other cover, except for a canopy outside the impressive bar and refreshment facilities. Behind the near side touchline, Express trains from Paddington to Exeter, thunder past. The hosts are enjoying this season from their lofty position atop the league table, but this evening they were made to work very hard for their victory. 2-2 at the interval, the visitors twice coming from behind … before they took the lead, early in the second period. The hosts regained parity just after the hour, but it took a goal four minutes from time to seal the victory and all the efforts of the visitors hat-trick hero, Ash Donohue, were in vain! Great Match!

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These last two matches were taken in during an annual holiday which this year was at Yarford in Somerset some four miles north of Taunton. Besides the football, we also took in Hestercombe House and Gardens, Dunster Castle and The West Somerset Railway from Bishops Lydeard to Minehead as well as visiting Watchett and Pitney where there was a farm shop. So I have kept them together even though they are in separate months!