How to Score Goals
Approach with the ball
Sudden Sound of bagpipes
(For this you will need an accomplice)
Goal
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Approach with ball
Plus cake
Sing “Happy Birthday to you!”
Invite goalie
to blow his candles out
etc.
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Approach with ball
Point skywards
Say,”Oh look – a vulture!”
(he will have forgotten the rabbit by this time)
Goal
by Allan Ahlberg (1937 – )
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Thursday 1st November 2018
FA Youth Cup 1st Round
Peterborough Sports 0
Barnet 1
Dimeji Adeniran 9,
Referee:- Brian O’Sullivan. Attendance:- 122
Admission:- £3.00. Programme:- £1.00
This enthralling encounter was settled in the first ten minutes! Firstly, the hosts broke through and a gilt edged chance was rifled just wide of the near post. Then the visitors took the lead with a goal from a corner which was smashed into the roof of the net! Thereafter, the visitors held out and though both sides had chances, it was that one early strike that settled the tie. Good to see a programme for the match and a healthy attendance!
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Saturday 3rd November 2018
Bostik Isthmian League Division 1 South East
Ashford United 2
Danny Parish 21,
Sam Come 26,
Horsham 3
Chris Smith 65,
Tyrell Richardson-Brown 80, 90+6,
Referee:- Jack Fagg. Attendance:- 296
Admission:- OMGDS £6.00 (£9) Programme:- £2.00
Homelands Stadium has been the impressive home of Ashford United for the last dozen years or so. It has a 3G surface and cover on three sides with a comfortable bar and viewing area behind the main stand. Mind you, if you want a lesson in how to lose a match, this was the place to come! The hosts led 2-0 at the interval and that was the score with but twenty-five minutes to go. Sitting back on a lead is never a good tactic and three goals from Horsham deservedly snuffed out the home side’s hopes of victory.
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Sunday 4th November 2018
FA Women’s Championship
Sheffield United Women 1
Bex Rayner 83,
Leicester City Women 0
Referee:- Elizabeth Simms. Attendance:- 458
Admission:- OMGDS £3.00 (£5) Programme:- £2.00
A first visit to The Sheffield Olympic Legacy Stadium built on part of the site of The old Don Valley Stadium. This was the first match that Sheffield United Women had played there, but it is to be their home from now on. It was not the most riveting of contests and the hosts won with a goal after 83 minutes, just when we were resigning ourselves to a goalless encounter, but they deserved their victory!
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Tuesday 6th November 2018
Cherry Red Records Combined Counties League Premier Division
Spelthorne Sports 1
Jake Flatman 1,
Balham 2
Jack Robinson 28,
Tino Carpene 78,
Referee:- Connor Fannelli. Attendance:- 47
Admission:- OMGDS £4.00 (£7) Programme:- £1.50
I’ve seen this ground several times on the way to other venues and eventually – and not without difficulty in finding a way in – I got to see a game at Staines Road West! The pitch is tucked away some hundred yards from the club house with its own changing rooms and refreshment facility. A couple of quirky stands with yellow seats – one behind the goal and one down the side – and a covered standing area with crash barriers, take up two sides of the ground, with nothing except dug-outs around the other two sides. The hosts took an early lead, were pegged back by half time and despite having 75% of play in the second half, they managed to concede a second strike which settled the match in the visitors favour.
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This was not a ground to instantly grip the first time visitor, indeed, our hearts sank when we first got there, but it grows on you and is quite quirky with its yellow seats in a wooden stand and a seriously warm welcome from the locals!
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Wednesday 7th November 2018
Future Lions United Counties League Division 1
Blackstones 2
Matthew Simpson 68,
Lee Clarke 87,
Long Buckby 0
Referee:- Ashley Yeomans. Attendance:- 49
Admission:- OMGDS £3.00 (£6) Programme:- £1.00
“Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness” – late Autumn, dank November is the time to visit Blackstones, when the floodlights reveal the foliage in all its golden glory. Tonight, the visitors proved a hard nut to crack and it was only two strikes in the final twenty minutes that settled the contest in the host’s favour.
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Saturday 10 November 2018
Total Motion Midland League Division 2 k.o.:- 2.00pm
Boldmere S&S Falcons 4
Reece Gibson 36, 89,
Kyle Hudlin 57, 71,
Earlswood Town 1
Ben Cox 63,
Referee:- Samantha Thomson. Attendance:- 19
Admission:- OMGDS £1.00 (£3) Programme:- incl.
On a showery West Midlands afternoon that grew increasingly chilly, the leaders of Division 2 had a comfortable victory over mid table Earlswood Town. The ground is tucked away behind the Main Street in Boldmere and accessed by a narrow entrance which leads to a congested car park. There are two full sized pitches and a 3G area and the main pitch has hard standing on three sides. No floodlights or seating which precludes them from using this venue if they gain promotion. With Graeme Askham who completed this division on this visit!
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Sunday 11th November 2018
FA Cup 1st Round
Chorley 2
Josh O’Keefe 2,
Courtney Meppen-Walter 42,
Matt Challoner sent off on 72 minutes for dangerous play
Doncaster Rovers 2
Herbie Kane 12, 77,
Referee:- Ross Joyce. Attendance:- 3,239
Admission:- £12.00. Programme:- £5.00
Another visit to one of the great homes of non-League football with sons, Jim and Mike and grandson, Freddie et al! Managed to down TWO butter potato pies (if ever you go, they are a speciality!) and enjoyed a pretty entertaining tussle with the hosts leading twice and at 2-1 having a man sent off, and having to settle for the draw with a really sweet strike from Doncaster’s Herbie Kane (no relation) just ten minutes from the end! Still, in the draw for Round 2 on Monday!!
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The away support in The Pilling Lane end.
Remembrance Day Silence prior to the match.
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Andy Teague, the Chorley captain at the post match interview.
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Grandson, Freddie collating the teams prior to kick-off!.
Grandson, Freddie, after the match – it looks like he is holding the FA Cup.
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Grandson Freddie with his Grandad Ed.
From the left, eldest son, Jim, son-in-law, Daz and budding football hopper, grandson Freddie.
Wednesday 14th November 2018
Essex Senior League
Stanway Rovers 4
Jay Nash 30,
Joe Irnti 50, 62,
Gaz Dauti 75,
Ilford 2
Danny Haigh 53,
Callum Maltese 87 (pen),
Referee:- Robert Claussen. Attendance:- 83
Admission:- £6.00. Programme:- included
On a dank, dismal November evening, The Hawthorns did not look its best. True, there was cover on all four sides and a seated stand down the far side. True, also, there was a very good club house and a refreshment hut of wide variety, but it all looked tired and careworn. Quite unlike the team, who are currently languishing in the nether regions of their league. Opponents, Ilford, several of whose players were late arriving, causing an 8.15pm kick-off, were shown no mercy and a 1-0 half-time lead reached 4-1 after seventy-five minutes. Ilford’s second was no more than a consolation!
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Friday 16th November 2018
Friendly International
Brazil 1
Neymar 76 (pen)
Uruguay 0
Referee:- Craig Pawson. Attendance:- c35,000
Admission:- OMGDS £17.50 (£35) Programme:- £5.00
A very occasional visit to Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium – easily accessible by train to Finsbury Park – to see a very different game of football from the game we see in England. It was engrossing, enthralling – like watching a chess match – but it lacked the hard rush and tumble of the English game – not that there weren’t some tasty tackles by both sides!!! Brazil just about edged it, but the penalty that won it was a dubious decision!
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Saturday 17th November 2018
Sky-Bet EFL League One
Shrewsbury Town 3
Ollie Norburn 32 (pen), 72,
Fejiri Okenarbirhie 66,
Rochdale 2
Brad Inman 45+1,
Jordan Williams 59,
Referee:- Lee Swabey Attendance:- 5,861
Admission:- OMGDS £15.00 (£20) Programme:- £3.00
My son and two of my grandsons treated me to a birthday outing by rail to Shrewsbury. Needless to say, the rail journey was awful! However, these two teams served up a really tasty encounter. Rochdale, in their fetching all cherry strip, were worthy opponents and even led midway through the second half. They were undone by two late strikes when a draw may have been a fairer result.
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Son, Jim and grandsons, Sonny and Kingsley.
Rochdale had a very fetching away kit.
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Tuesday 20th November 2018
FA Cup 1st Round Replay
Doncaster Rovers 7
Alfie May 7, 30, 36, 81,
Matty Blair 21,
Herbie Kane 29,
John Marquis 85
Tom Anderson sent off on 59 minutes – second bookable offence
Chorley 0
Referee:- Darren Drysdale. Attendance:- 3,047
Admission:- Hospitality £30.00 Programme:- incl. (£1.50)
Chorley’s FA Cup run came spectacularly unstuck at The Keepmoat Stadium on a cold and very wet evening. Rovers came out of the starting blocks like thoroughbreds and scored five unanswered first half goals. Chorley recovered very well in the second half, managed to have a penalty awarded against them, brilliantly saved, but then conceded two late goals when their influential defender, Courtney Meppen-Walter limped off and could not be replaced because all three subs had been used.
An excellent hospitality package, very reasonably priced, included a lovely two course meal and half-time refreshments plus the usual padded seats, teamsheets, car parking space, Sky TV etc.!
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There were 599 Chorley supporters in the away end.
Wednesday 21st November 2018
Future Lions United Counties League Division 1
Rushden & Higham United 2
Nat Gosnal Tyler 25,
Ben Aidulis 80,
Blackstones 2
Lee Clarke 36 (pen),
Joseph Papworth-Moore 88,
Referee:- Tom Martin. Attendance:- 43
Admission:- OMGDS £2.00 (£5) Programme:- none
Free teamsheet.
On the coldest night of the season so far (the gritters were out in force on The A14), Hayden Road looked considerably more neat and tidy since my previous visit! New tenants, AFC Rushden&Diamonds have certainly put their mark on the ground. New covered areas – both standing and seated behind the goals and additional hard standing on the far side of the pitch have been installed along with new toilets and a new refreshment kiosk. However, it was the hosts who were playing this evening and in a lively encounter, a draw was probably the right result.
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The main stand is still out of use being deemed dangerous to accommodate spectators.
A new covered terrace behind the goal.
Friday 23rd November 2018
Future Lions United Counties League Division 1
Lutterworth Athletic 3
Barnes Gladman 28, (penalty saved on 7 minutes)
Jeff Woodward 82, 90,
Aylestone Park 0
Referee:- John Bullen. Attendance:- 85
Admission:- £5.00. Programme:- £1.00
Lutterworth Athletic enjoyed a fine triumph here at Hall Park, this evening. Going into the match they were in fifth place, level on points with their fourth placed opponents. They had an early penalty saved and then took a half-time lead. Aylestone pressed hard for most of the second half, but to no avail. The hosts missed several good opportunities on the break, but eventually wrapped the match up with two late goals! With grandson, Freddie and a good gathering of hoppers!
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Saturday 24th November 2018
Eco-Stik Northern Premier League Premier Division
Scarborough Athletic 0
Gainsborough Trinity 2
Simon Russell 74,
Ashley Worsfold 77,
Referee:- James Westgate Attendance:- 1,096
Admission:- OMGDS £5.00 (£10) Programme:- £2.00
A fairly gentle trip up to Scarborough, stopping off for an excellent fish and chip dinner at Harper’s on The A64 some five miles short of the ground. Scarborough’s new ground is a work in progress. At present they have only 250 seats and all are taken by season ticket holders and directors, however, there are plans to build a new stand opposite with both seats and covered standing areas. On the field, they sit proudly at the top of the table, but they were defeated today by a more determined Trinity team in a dour game of few chances.
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Flamingo Land is a theme park between Pickering and Whitby.
The area opposite is designated for a new covered seated and standing area.
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Wednesday 28th November 2018
Birmingham FA Midweek Cup
Dudley Town 3
Sean Geddes 12,
Jordan Davies 16,
Kartell O’Neill-Martin 88,
Cradley Town 0
Referee:- Charlie Dickens. Attendance:- 49
Admission:- £5.00. Programme:- NONE
A gaunt, soulless stadium at York Road was formerly the residence of Oldbury United. Until recently, Dudley Town had been playing at The Dell, with an athletics track around the pitch. That was until the local badgers unearthed a particularly tasty worm which lived underneath the pitch. The pitch became unplayable and Dudley moved to Oldbury. This evening, the hosts had little difficulty in seeing off a pretty lightweight Cradley side with two goals in the first quarter of an hour and a third just before the end!
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Other Matches:-
Wednesday 7th November 2018
National League U-19 Alliance League Cup 2nd Round k.o.:- 1.00pm
Rugby Town 2 Rushden & Diamonds 2
no extra time,Rugby Town won 6-5 on penalties Attendance:- 23
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Thursday 8th November 2018
Thurlow-Nunn Youth League West Division
Peterborough Sports 10 Downham Town 2 Attendance:- 30
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Friday 9th November 2018
Future Lions United Counties League Premier Division
Oadby Town 4 Wellingborough Town 2 Attendance:- 76
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Monday 12th November 2018
Premier League 2 Division 1
Leicester City U-23 1 Nottingham Forest U-23 2 Attendance:- 286
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Tuesday 13th November 2018
Smedley-Cooke Memorial Charity Cup 2nd Round
Loughborough University 3 FC Darlaston 1 Attendance:- 161
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Thursday 15th November 2018
Thurlow-Nunn Youth League West Division
Peterborough Sports 2 Peterborough Northern Star 1 Attendance:- 45
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Monday 26th November 2018
Thurlow Nunn Youth League Cambridge Division
St Neots Town U-18 1 Ely City U-18 0 Attendance:- 74
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Wednesday28th November 2018
National League U-19 Alliance Group G
Rugby Borough U-19 7 Norwich City (Cambs RDP) U-19 1 Attendance:- 5
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Thursday 29th November 2018
Premier League 2 International Cup Matchday 2
Leicester City U-23 1 Sparta Prague U-23 0 Attendance:- 122
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MATCHES
This month:- Matches:- 24 New Grounds:- 8
This Season:- Matches:- 117 New Grounds:- 49
TOTAL:- Matches:- 4,049 New Grounds:- 1,501
