Symphony in Yellow
An omnibus across the bridge
Crawls like a yellow butterfly,
And here and there a passer-by
Shows like a little restless midge.
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The barges full of yellow hay
Are moored against the shadowy wharf,
And, like a yellow silken scarf,
The thick fog hangs along the quay.
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The yellow leaves begin to fade
And flutter from the Temple elms,
And at my feet the pale green Thames
Lies like a rod of rippled jade.
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Oscar Wilde (1854 – 1900)
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Saturday 5th October 2024
League One
Bolton Wanderers 2
Kyle Dempsey 47, Szabolcs Schõn 61,
Shrewsbury Town 2
Josh Feeney 20, Jordan Shipley 28,
Referee: Scott Oldham. Attendance: 19,765
Admission: hospitality (£150). Programme: £3.50
Family day out with hospitality for all my sons and three of my grandsons at Bolton Wanderers inaptly named “Toughsheet Stadium”. The hospitality was excellent, but the hosts first half performance was woeful and they found themselves two goals adrift. The second half was an immeasurable improvement, parity was restored, but the deserved winner proved elusive despite the heavy assault.
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Sonny, Daz and Ed outside the ground
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From left: Mike, Liam, Jim and Daz, the sons and son-in-law
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Grand sons: Kingsley, Sonny and Freddie
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Sonny and Kingsley under the statue of one of Bolton Wanderers “Greats”, Nat Lofthouse.
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Monday 7th October 2024
Northern Premier League Division 1 Midlands
Coleshill Town 0
Sporting Khalsa 2
Andre Landell 12, Simeon Cobourne,
Referee: Brandon Scaife. Attendance: 138
Admission: OAP £8.00 (£10). Programme: ON LINE
Not much of a game to write home about on the 3G at Pack Meadow. These two mid-table teams fought a dour duel and it was the visitors who triumphed with two goals in the first twelve minutes. We might just as well have gone home at that point! With John Main and Mike Dean.
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Tuesday 8th October 2024
Hellenic League Floodlit Cup
Ludlow Town 6
Harry Jones 19, Ryan Lewis 28, 71, Ryan Clarke 43, Sean Evans 84, Kieran Dover 90,
Wellington 0
Referee: James Whittington. Attendance: 73
Admission: OMGDS £3.00 (£5). Programme: ON LINE
A pretty impressive stadium at Bromfield Road which included a two sided stand so that matches could be watched on the 3G ground adjacent to the main pitch. The stand included a substantial bar and catering facility and upstairs viewing from a balcony. The hosts were just too good for the visitors, scoring three goals in each half and even having a penalty well saved by the opposition custodian.
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Wednesday 9th October 2024
Northern Premier League division 1 Midlands
Corby Town 0
Quorn 2
Ryan Berwick 31 (pen), Paddy Webb 76,
Referee: Jamie Stevenson. Attendance: 594
Admission: OMGDS £7.00 (£12). Programme: £2.00
A short trip down the road to Steel Park for a top of the table clash (1st v 2nd) that fizzled out into a damp squib in front of a healthy congregation. Quorn were far superior and kept a tight control on the game scoring a goal in each half. The Steelmen were largely clueless and paid the price for maintaining only one striker for the majority of the match. The game would have benefited from a stronger referee.
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Saturday 12th October 2024
Velocity Wessex League Premier Division
Portland United 2
Freddie Beale 3, Greg Northwick 37,
Hamble Club 4
James Johnson 69, Harry Hamilton 74, William Gange 81, 90+3
Referee: Karl Stephens. Attendance: 201
Admission: OMGDS £5.00 (£7). Programme: £1.00
Portland is on a tiny nipple of land extending into The English Channel south of Weymouth. The Camp and Satherley Stadium (named after former players) is a neat and pleasantly arranged arena with a hundred seater stand down one side and a sixty seater stand behind the near goal. Steep grassed banking opposite the main stand has benches for a scenic view of the match and there is a large club house with an extensive bar and refreshment facilities. Special mention for the programme, only £1 and very informative with a free team sheet as an added insert. The hosts dominated the first half, striking as early as the third minute and adding a confident second eight minutes before the break. The score remained so until twenty minutes from time, when Hamble Club suddenly woke up and punished their complacent hosts with a barrage of four goals. With John Main.
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Monday 14th October 2024
Walsall Senior Cup 1st Round
Coleshill Town 2
Joe Palmer 24, 65,
Walsall 0
Referee: Greg Rollason. Attendance: 124
Admission: OMGDS £8.00 (£10). Programme: £2.00
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Tuesday 15th October 2024
FA Cup 4th Qualifying Round Replay
Peterborough Sports 0
Rushall Olympic 0 after extra time
Referee: Robert Ellis-May. Attendance: 621
Admission: OMGDS £11.00 (£15). Programme: £3.00
Rushall Olympic won 5-4 on penalties.
The hosts ramshackle stadium was heaving this evening with their biggest crowd of the season and there were high hopes of a first appearance in The FA Cup first round proper. It was not to be. After 120+ minutes of dour struggle and very few opportunities – and a sending off to each side, Sports had their fifth penalty saved and Olympic gleefully shot home all of their five spot kicks, to take the tie by the narrowest of margins and to welcome Accrington Stanley in the first round proper.
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Italy
I drove down to Stansted airport on the morning of Monday 21st October with son, Mike, grand son, Freddie and Alan Eathorne who is Mike’s brother-in-law and Freddie’s uncle. We caught the 07.40 Ryanair flight to Milan Bergamo and arrived after a trouble free crossing to catch a bus (seven euros) to Verona, a journey of over two hours! We don’t realise just how big Italy is! Beautiful city with extensive Roman remains and, of course Shakespearian connotations. We had a tiny Airbnb off the main roads and a bus ride away from the stadium.
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Monday 21st October 2024
(Italy) Serie A
Hellas Verona 0
Monza 3
Dany Mota 9, 74, Alessandro Bianco 79,
Referee: Federico Dionisi. Official Attendance: 23,500
Verona, founded by Greek students in 1903 and it was their professor who asked them to add the word “Hellas” (Greece) to the title of the club. They won The Scudetto (Italian Championship) exactly forty years ago (1984/5) but have flirted with Serie B and even Serie C during this century. The city of Romeo and Juliette has some amazing Roman remains and the weather was more akin to mid June than mid October. Monza scored their first victory of this season’s campaign with a consummate and commanding victory striking in the first half and two more in the second period against their mid-table hosts to the great delight of the 347 travelling supporters.
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from left: Ed, Freddie, Mike, Alan Eathorne.
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Freddie and Dad,Mike
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Tuesday 22nd October 2024
European Champions League Phase
AC Milan 3
Christian Politic 34, Tijjani Reijnders 61, 71,
Club Bruges 1
Kyrian Sabbe 51, Raphael Onyedika s/o 41
Referee: Felix Zwayer. Attendance: 58,649
Admission: €37.00. Programme: NONE
The Rossoneri (“red and black”) fans were not happy this evening and, indeed, the attendance was some 10/15,000 down on league fixtures. Milan have raised ticket prices for the next home match against Napoli, so that the cheapest ticket will be €100 rising to €479. There were long periods of silence in the stadium as the supporters showed their ire. There is still some dispute about replacing the iconic San Siro Stadium with a smaller version, but one that will have considerably more hospitality facilities! Now why does all this sound familiar??? As for the match, a 41st minute dismissal for the visitors was key to a home victory, but only after a ten man equaliser and a spate of substitutions. Good match! With son, Mike, grand son Freddie and Alan Eathorne.
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Freddie and Ed
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Ed, Freddie and Mike
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Freddie and Alan Eathorne
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Wednesday 23rd October 2024
(Italy) Serie D Girone B
ACD Pro Palazzolo 6
Fabio Ceravolo 19, 45, 54, Giovanni Alessandro 35 (pen), Nicolo Ciccone 62 (pen), 90+1
AC Crema 2
Pierpaolo Longo 12 (pen), Vincenzo Guarino53,
Referee: Gabriele Iorfida. Attendance: c400
Admission: OMGDS €12.00 (€15). Free Team Sheet
All of the eight divisions in Serie D had afternoon kick-offs today and The Stadio Communale in Palazzolo Sulli Oglio hosted the highest scoring game in Girone B! There was plenty of cover on both sides of the pitch, which was useful because the precipitation was heavy and unremmitting. Some friendly locals shared their knowledge, apparently all the teams in this league have full time players, others refused admission to the stand on the opposite side of the ground. The opposition scored first, but found themselves 3-1 down at the interval. The scoring was similar in the second period and, by the end, Crema were a well beaten side. Mario Balotelli’s brother came on for the hosts as a 71st minute substitute. With son, Mike, grand son, Freddie and Alan Eathorne.
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from left: Freddie, Ed, Mike
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Freddie and dad, Mike with the “Steelmen on Tour” banner!
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It was a magical three days in Italy. We enjoyed Verona immensely, the city of Roman remains and Romeo and Juliette. Milan, of course we were re-visiting, but the accommodation was reasonably priced and comfortable in both Verona and Milan. It was good to see my sister, Maggie, albeit for a far too short a period and I am hoping to return in February, for another visit!
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The Colosseum in Verona
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Our Airbnb in Verona was just up a side street on the right of this picture.
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The River Adige in Verona was swollen form recent heavy rainfall in parts of Norther Italy.
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Ed and Freddie
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Freddie on the train
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Wednesday 30th October 2024
Notts Senior League Junior Cup 2nd Round
Trent Vineyard 5
Ross Adamson 11, 55, 57, Immanuel Dube 25, James Beavan 80 (pen),
Pegasus 4
Charlie Jones, 53, Joe Orville 60, 64, Charlie Wilson 82,
Referee: Simon Watt. Attendance : 16
Admission: F.O.C. Programme: NONE
On a dank, drizzly evening, the 3G cage at Carlton le Willows Academy in Gedling near Nottingham served as the home venue for Trent Vineyard, whose own ground has no lights, but is situated by the weir on the banks of The River Trent. In a rip roaring encounter. The home goalkeeper with three injured fingers, played up front and acored a hat trick. His replacement as custodian, fumbled the ball at every opportunity! Good match, but not much to see inside the cage. With Chris Berezai and several other hoppers.
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