The Way Through the Woods
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They shut the road through the woods
Seventy years ago,
Weather and rain have undone it again,
And now you would never know
There was once a road through the woods
Before they planted the trees.
It is underneath the coppice and heath
And the thin anemones
Only the keeper sees
That, where the ring dove broods,
And the badgers roll at ease,
There was once a road through the woods
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by Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936)
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Saturday 7th December 2024
Eastern Counties League Division 1 North
Needham Market U23 1
Seth Chambers 3,
FC Parson Drove 3
Corey Kingston 31, 45, 87,
Referee: Jarrod Dobing. Official Attendance: 45
Admission: Concession: £5.00 (£7). Programme: on line
The wind and the rain increased in ferocity as the afternoon wore on. The National League North match on the adjacent (grass) pitch fell to the weather, but, on the 3G, the match went ahead. The hosts, with but one victory in twenty one league outings this season, went ahead after only three minutes, but were behind at the interval and, despite a spirited second half performance, were killed off by a third goal from the visitors three minutes from the final whistle!
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Tuesday 10th December 2024
Isthmian League Division 1 North
Cambridge City 0
Brentwood Town 1
Mekhi McKenzie 51,
Referee: Oliver Morris-Sanders. Attendance: 322
Admission: OAP £5.00 (£10). Programme: £3.00
Impressive new arena, but a great deal still to be done. Plenty of refreshment facilities, but only a portakabin wherein to enjoy them. Cover on all four sides and an impressive 500 seater stand. Sadly, the team couldn’t match the facilities and subsided to a single goal defeat which which was more emphatic than the scoreline suggests. With John Main, Dave Wooding and Martin Hollands.
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Friday 13th December 2024
Northern League Division 2
Washington FC 0
Ryton & Crawcrook Albion 5
Matthew Hayton 20, Fergus Lynch 22, Glenn Caygill 24, Louis Calvert 45 (pen), 57 (pen),
Referee: Lewis Chirnside. Attendance: 93
Admission: OAP £3.00 (£5). Programme: NONE
A comfortable club house festively decked out, but the rest of the ground was fairly basic. A substantial plastic rail surrounded the pitch with hardstanding all round. A small 50 seat stand and an even smaller covered terrace were the only other furniture. Bottom of the table and eight points adrift, Washington were plucky in defence, but well placed Albion scored four first half goals and rounded off with a fifth on the hour mark to complete a comprehensive rout.
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Saturday14th December 2024
Northern League Division 1. kick-off 12 noon
West Allotment Celtic 0
Easington Colliery 5
Thomas Hunter 2, Christopher Trewick 28, Bradley Hird 54 (pen), James Fairley 90+2 (pen), Reece Kenney 90+7,
Referee: Ben Whitfield. Attendance: 104
Admission: OAP £4.00 (£7). Programme: £2.50
West Allotment Celtic have a ground containing hard standing on three sides a metal fence around the pitch and two fifty seater stands down one side and a covered terrace behind one goal, with additional catering facilities outside the ground. It was a cold midday kick off and the hosts were never at the races. A goal down inside two minutes and two down by the interval, they conceded three second half strikes interrupted by a medical emergency when the father of one of the players collapsed and had to be hospitalised.
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Saturday 14th December 2014
Northern League Division 2 kick-off: 3.00pm
Prudhoe Youth Club 0
Jarrow 0
Referee: A Duffy. Attendance: 82
Admission: OAP £3.00 (£6). Programme: FREE
Kimberley Park is an old fashioned stadium at the bottom of the hill below the town of Prudhoe and with a pronounced slope from goal to goal. There is hard standing all round and covered seating for around one hundred souls and further standing cover. The matchday programme comes free with entry which is a bonus for an OMGDS like me! No goals, today. Second in the table, Jarrow had the better of the encounter, but were unable to break down a determined home defence. With John Main.
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