Football – The Most Beautiful Game
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After stepping into the field
there is no way out
even before you start the game
you hear the fans shout
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The players then sings their anthem
its football……
the most beautiful game…..
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And when the whistle blows
the crowd starts their roar
in the 90 tensed minutes
the players got to score
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Football is friendly only in name
because friendliness is not meant for football….
the most beautiful game….
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So when the hard tackles go in
and injured fellow goes out
the crowd becomes furious
and starts to shout
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Even after breaking one’s leg
there seems to be no shame
because its football….
the most beautiful game….
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by Rohan Roy
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Tuesday 1st January 2019
Welsh Premier League
Connahs Quay Nomads 4
Michael wilde 15,
Michael Parker 38,
Andrew Owens 59,
Michael Bakare 62,
Bala Town 1
Henry Jones 31,
Referee:- Kevin Parry. Attendance:- 374
Admission:- OMGDS £3.00 (£7) Programme:- £2.00
A good start to The New Year! I am still like a cat on a hot tin roof! On Wednesday 9th January, I will be up in court in Northampton and could lose my driving licence for six months as well as incurring a fine. This was because last May 30th I was caught speeding for the fourth time in three years and that meant twelve points on my licence and a driving ban!!!
Connahs Quay Nomads sit proudly at the top of the pyramid after years of domination by TNS. On a mild day on the banks of The River Dee, they demolished mid-table Bala with a very comfortable victory in their impressive little stadium which, apparently, has a capacity of only 420. They’ll have to play their European matches elsewhere if they qualify next season!
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Saturday 5th January 2018
Buildbase FA Vase 4th Round
Cray Valley PM 3
Francis Babalola 44,
Kevin Lisbie 49,
Denzel Gayle 64,
Baffins Milton Rovers 1
Jason Parish 87 (pen),
Referee:- Elliott Kaye. Attendance:- 139
Admission:- OMGDS £5.00 (£8) Programme:- £1.00
Down in darkest Eltham at the bottom end of The Blackwell Tunnel, is Badger Park, home of Cray Valley Paper Mills (and Greenwich Borough). It was very cold and a large gathering of Baffins fans were making themselves heard in the bar. Free team sheets were available, but the home side decisively scotched any hopes the noisy visiting supporters may have harboured. They missed a penalty and several other very good chances and thoroughly deserved to make it to Round Five! With Graeme Askham!
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Graeme Askham
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Sunday 6th January 2019
FA Buildbase Vase 4th Round
Biggleswade 1
Pat McCafferty 83,
Stowmarket Town 0
Referee:- Sunny Gill. Attendance:- 527
Admission:- OMGDS £4.00 (£6) Programme:- £1.00
Recently formed Biggleswade FC play at Biggleswade Town’s ground and become the third team to play in the small town. Today, they faced wealthy Stowmarket who are high up in The Eastern League and whose supporters had all come wearing gold hats to match their team’s colours. It was a very close contest and the hosts shaded it with a goal only six minutes from time.
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The hats, the hats worn by the visiting supporters!
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Tuesday 8th January 2019
Essex Senior League
Saffron Walden Town 3
Spike Bell 14,
Charlie Portway 27, 78,
Redbridge 1
Conner Okus 84,
Referee:- Max Pond. Attendance:- 123
Admission:- OMGDS £4.00 (£7). Programme:- £1.00
The only County in the entire country with its own step 5 League, another example of The FA’s asinine pyramid building. Along with John Main and Graeme Askham, I enjoyed a very acceptable fish ‘n’ chip platter in the centre of town before we moved onto The Meadow, home of tonight’s hosts. Seating on three and cover on four sides, this traditional ground had much to recommend it. The home side deservedly took the points over opponents well down at the bottom end of the table, but in a lacklustre second half, the visitors dominated for long periods.
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Somehow, in memory, the church was far better lit than this photograph shows!
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There was good news on the motoring front! On 9th January, I attended Northampton Magistrates Court regarding a speeding offence which brought my total speeding points to twelve and in line for a driving ban! The magistrates were lenient and they let me off with a fine, but did not enforce the driving ban!
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Saturday 12th January 2019
FA Premier League
Crystal Palace 1
Craig Cathcart (og) 38,
Watford 2
Craig Cathcart 67,
Tom Cleverly 74,
Referee:- Paul Tierney. Attendance:- 25,010
Admission:- Hospitality. Programme:- incl. (£3.50)
A good day out at Selhurst Park – well, perhaps not for the hosts – but certainly for our party of football enthusiasts! Young Freddie reckoned that it was his eighth Premiership ground – one for each of his years – and eight more than I’d got by his age! Palace led at half time and even early in the second half, they looked the team most likely. Two goals from the waspish visitors, saw them off and one couldn’t help feeling that the hosts had tossed it away!
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Besides Freddie (pictured), also there were:- Jim, Mike, Liam, Daz, Graeme Askham, Chris Berezai, Phil Evans, Rob Hardcastle, Gary Miller, Ian Widdows, Jonny Crane, Aman Singh, John Lord – and, of course, me!
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The eagle that was released before the match – very impressive!
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Sunday 13th January 2019
FA Women’s Championship
Leicester City Women 3
Melissa Johnson 4,
Libby Smith 36,
Ella Franklin-Fraiture 53,
Millwall Lionesses 2
Evie Clarke 31, 74 (pen),
Referee:- Gareth Davis. Attendance:- 284
Admission:- OMGDS £2.50 (£5) Programme:- £2.00
With grandson, Freddie at Quorn FC where Leicester City Women play their home fixtures. Bottom of the table and without a win, The Lionesses put up a good fight, but in truth, the hosts were lacklustre, having a penalty saved and casual in defence. The sun came out and there were five goals!
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Freddie Arthur McGeown – match number 112
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Saturday 19th January 2019
Welsh National League (Wrexham Area) Premier Division
Rhos Aelwyd 2
Ieuan Jones 31,
James Haynes 34,
Corwen 3
Harry Pooler 39,
Joe Williams 44,
Sam Henry 51,
Sam Henry s/o 58,
Referee:- Steve Taylor. Attendance:- 63
Admission:- F.O.C. Programme:- £1.00
On a dank, dismal, dark and dirty day in North Wales, Ponciau Park did not look its best. The pitch was heavy and the dark green of the small stand and changing rooms did little to brighten the scenery!
picture courtesy of Graeme Askham
Before the match, we adjourned to Rhostyllen where we found Eddie’s Chip Shop and dined sumptuously – in my case I had fish cake and chips with mushroom and onion gravy!!!
There was a warm welcome, programmes and badges were available and the match, itself, was a breezy affair with the lowly placed hosts taking a surprise two goal lead playing up the hill in the first half. Corwen were level by half time and took the lead themselves, early in the second half. Then, they had a man dismissed and spent the rest of the game defending what they had – deservedly taking the victory and the points! With Graeme Askham.
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Matchday programme
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Sunday 20th January 2019
The FA Sunday Cup 4th Round
Birstall Stamford 5
Rikki Bates 7,
Paul Pallett 61,
Adam Parry 69,
Ryan Seal 82 (pen), 90 (pen),
Old Southall 1
Bilal Butt 38,
Referee:- Elliott Kaye. Attendance:- 181
Admission:- £3.00. Programme:- NONE
This match was played at United Counties League, Birstall United’s Ground on Meadow Lane in Birstall, a small suburb of Leicester. A large, good humoured crowd seemed intent on drinking the bar dry and the visitors arrived late and with a history of a brawl in an earlier round. Nothing like that, today! Until half time the game was very even and even early in the second half, the visitors were extremely competitive, but then the hosts exerted themselves and four goals from the hour mark ensured their progress to the next round!
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Tuesday 22nd January 2019
Essex Senior League
Stansted 3
Billy Coyne 25,
Connor Hammond 60,
Paul Clayton 89,
Enfield 1893 1
Nathan Cook 20,
Referee:- Mark Pond. Attendance:- 54
Admission:- £5.00. Programme:- included
There was snow around tonight at Hargreave Park and it was touch and go whether the game went ahead. Eventually, the referee made the correct decision and the match started as the snow relented. Top of the table, Stansted, made heavy weather of this victory against lowly opponents. They fell behind, but were level by the interval. A horrendous error by the visiting keeper who palmed a regulation shot into the net, gifted the league leaders the advantage and in the final minute, they added a third. With Graeme Askham and John Main and good to see Daniel Turner there as well!
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Thursday 24th January 2019
The Smedley Crooke Memorial Charity Cup Quarter Final
Loughborough University 1
Harry Bayles 44,
Mitchell Welch s/o 90+3
Malvern Town 2
Finley Clift 62,
James Febery 89,
Referee:- Ravel Cheosiaua Attendance:- 117
Admission:- OMGDS £2.00 (£5) Programme:- NONE
There was a good turn out for this Charity cup tie and a good selection of hoppers. I had come with John Main and Graeme Askham and Peter Ford, Dave Woodings, John Hague were there among others. Holywell Stadium is a fine venue and worthy of a much higher status of football. A VERY scratch looking university team took a rather undeserved half time lead but the visitors came back in the second half, equalised after an hour and scored the winner with but a minute to go! There was still time for a home substitute to be dismissed for some angry retaliation in added time.
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All pictures from this match, courtesy of John Hague
Saturday 26th January 2019
Sky-Bet EFL Championship
Rotherham United 1
Semi Ajayi 29
Leeds United 2
Mateusz Klich 51, 86,
Referee:- T. Robinson. Attendance:- 11,259
Admission:- OMGDS £17.00 (£27) Programme:- £3.00
The New York Stadium is an impressive arena – particularly in the eyes of my two young grandsons – but surprisingly, it wasn’t full for this juicy Yorkshire Derby! Leeds United fans made enough noise in letting us all know that they are top of the league, but, in truth, this was a poor game and Leeds trailed for a great portion of it. They scored the winner in added time, which was hard on the hosts who had matched them every stride of the way. Sometimes, being top includes a large dose of luck! With son, Jim and grandsons, Sonny and Kingsley.
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One minutes silence for the player from Nantes, Emiliano Sala, who disappeared over The Channel Islands during a light aircraft flight from Nantes to Cardiff.
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Kingsley, with Sonny behind him – my two grand sons and Dad, Jim
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OTHER MATCHES
Monday 7th January 2019
Premier League 2 Division 1
Leicester City U-23 1 Everton U-23 0 Attendance:- 209
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Tuesday 15th January 2019
FA Youth Cup 4th Round
Leicester City 4 Crewe Alexandra 0 Attendance:-360
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Wednesday 16th January 2019
Premier League 2 League Cup Group Stage
Leicester City U-23 1 Exeter City U-23 1 Attendance:- 120
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Monday 28th January 2019
Northants Senior Youth League Jaymann Cup Group Stage
Stamford AFC Young Daniels U-18 4 Rothwell Corinthians U-18 4 Attendance:- 38
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Tuesday 29th January 2019
Premier League 2 International Cup Matchday 3
Leicester City U-23 3 Feyenoord U-23 1 Attendance:- 56
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Thursday 31st January 2019
Thurlow Nunn Youth League West Division
Peterborough Sports U-18 6 Godmanchester Rovers U-18 0 Attendance:- 46
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