The Football Pitch that Dad Built (continued)
At last they arrived.
Dad unwrapped the parcel
and unravelled the nets.
He stretched them between his vice like hands
testing their strength and smiling his approval.
Eventually the bright orange nets hung over the posts.
He put the ball down, took three paces back
ran… and then…thump!
The ball flew into the top corner.
The net billowed gracefully.
Then broke
and the ball went twenty yards behind the goal.
by Paul Cookson
Monday 2nd December 2019
Bet Victor Southern League Premier Division Central
Hitchin Town 1
Jacob Hutchinson 44,
Lowestoft Town 3
Jake Reed 39, Malachi Linton 48 (pen), Marcus Wilkinson 65,
Travis Cole s/o 81
Referee:- A List Attendance:- 214
Admission:- OMGDS £8.00 (£12). Programme:- £2.00
Match:- 99. New grounds this season :- 48
It’s Monday, so it must be Hitchin! On a very cold evening, some of the iconic wooden terracing was closed – and some of it was covered in sand, and some had hoar frost visible! Lowestoft were the better of the two sides and after reaching the interval at 1-1 courtesy of a penalty saved by the visiting keeper, they bossed the second half even when they had a man dismissed with ten minutes to go!
Tuesday 3rd December 2019
Uhlsport United Counties League
Kitmanuk Cup Quarter-final
Loughborough University 2
Jack Turner 5, Kamen Cashmore 88,
Leicester Nirvana 1
Deen Mastler 46,
Referee:- Lauren Impey Attendance:- 70
Admission:- OMGDS £3.00 (£6). Programme:- £1.00
Always a pleasure to visit Holywell and the university’s well appointed stadium. The club are ever helpful with things like team sheets and the official attendance and tonight’s programme was even reduced due to a typing error! An early home goal suggested an easy victory, but no further score came until the first minute of the second half when a rejuvenated visiting side scored following a goalkeeping error from a corner. Nirvana were good value, but just as we were preparing g for penalties to decide the tie, the hosts scored a second and decisive strike to take them through to a semi final against Holbeach United!
Wednesday 4th December 2019
Uhlsport United Counties League Premier Division
Northampton ON Chenecks 1
Matty Reeve 9,
Lutterworth Town 1
Marshall Keenan 57,
Referee:- Georgia’s Markov. Attendance:- 22
Admission:- £6.00. Programme:- £1.00
On a freezing night with frost clearly visible across the pitch, it was hardly surprising that there was such a sparse attendance for this match. ONs (Old Northamptonians) play their matches on a corner of the extensive Billing Road site mainly dedicated to rugby. Theirs is really only a two sided ground with a couple of covered areas down one side offering a restricted view. Tonight’s match was a close affair with the visitors equalising the hosts first half opener, but only after spurning a penalty opportunity. Good to see Mike Dean there!
Saturday 7th December 2019
Combined Counties League Premier Division
Knaphill 0
Banstead Athletic 0
Referee Karl Parker. Attendance:- 67
Admission:- OMGDS £4.00 (£7). Programme:- online
The Surrey Hire Stadium at Reddings Lane is a ground of contrasts with the rustic charms of autumnal trees overhanging the floodlights down one side and the Teutonic red and black flags and staff uniforms – yes, and even the stand seats are red and black. This was a truly awful game where, despite several opportunities neither side looked remotely like scoring. The final whistle came as a blessed relief – and then, and only then was the online programme available from 5.00pm! With Graeme Askham and John Main.
Tuesday 10th December 2019
Leicestershire & Rutland FA Challenge Cup
Quarter-final
Loughborough Dynamo 3
Tyreece Robinson 14, 25, Bradley Fortnam-Tomlinson 38,
Anstey Nomads 4
Michael Reeve 55, Tom Mangan 76, 90+3, Reece Medway 77,
Referee:- M. Karia. Attendance:- 65
Admission:- OMGDS £3.00 (£5). Programme:- NONE
Not the plush opulence of Loughborough University’s Holywell Stadium but the more prosaic residence of The ATM Stadium, home of The Dynamo! By half time, the hosts who ply their trade two steps higher than the visitors, had built a commanding 3-0 lead. It only seemed a question of ‘how many’? What a turn around! Nomads changed their formation, brought on two substitutes and Dynamo, shortly after half time lost their main striker. The result was a tense finale as the visitors grew in confidence, drew level and then, in a grandstand finish, scored the winner in the third minute of added time!
Saturday 14th December 2019
Buildbase FA Trophy 1st Round
Dorking Wanderers 3
Jake Barham 33, Tom Richards 53, Jason Prior 73,
Bromley 0
Referee:- Samuel Allison. Attendance:- 759
Admission:- OMGDS £9.00 (£12). Programme:- £3.00
On a cold, clear and bright afternoon at Mill Road, a healthy crowd came to support the locals in their tussle with a team vying for promotion to The Football League! The ground was less impressive than I had expected, being cramped and tightly appointed with around 300 seats and a couple of covered terraces – one at each end of the ground. The floodlights were dim and underpowered – surprising for a club of this stature! The team, however, made mincemeat of the opposition, hardly allowing their illustrious opponents a sight of goal and advanced deservedly to the next round! With Graeme Askham.
Monday 16th December 2019
Emirates FA Cup 2nd Round REPLAY
Boston United 1
Jordan Thewlis 48,
Rochdale 2
Ian Henderson 4, Aaron Morley 79 (pen),
Referee:- Ollie Yates. Attendance:- 4,190
Admission:- OMGDS £10.00 (£13) programme:- sold out
This was my 97th visit to York Road (over a period of 42 years) and at the end of this season, it will be no more, as the club move to a new purpose built complex on the edge of the town. Tonight, the old stadium was heaving and the fireworks were plenty in evidence! The crucial goal came in the third minute when a mistake by the home custodian gifted the visitors the lead. Right at the start of the second half, the hosts drew level following a slick and incisive attack. The game was won with a penalty to the visitors just after the hour mark, but despite the result, the huge crowd left, happy with the efforts of their team, even in defeat!
Tuesday 17th December 2019
Bet Victor Southern League Premier Division Central
Coalville Town 1
Kairo Mitchell 38,
Peterborough Sports 2
Dion Sembie-Ferris 32, Joshua McCammon77 (pen),
Referee:- Andrew Ellis. Attendance:- 116
Admission:- OMGDS £7.00 (£10). Programme:- £2.00
On a bitterly cold evening with the frost glistening on the pitch, these two teams served up a cracker, despite the Stygian gloom created as the fog increased in intensity throughout the match. The Ravens will be scratching their heads in wonderment at how they contrived to lose this game, they had several clear cut opportunities which they either spurned or were saved by the outstanding display of The Turbines’ custodian. The winning goal came courtesy of a penalty strike after the Ravens captain was dismissed for his part in the incident leading to the penalty award! With Graeme Askham.
Saturday 21st December 2019
Bet Victor Southern League Premier Division South
Dorchester Town 1
Klaidi Lolos 65,
Tiverton Town 5
Chris Shepard 7, 43, River Allen 55, Alex Fletcher 67, Jordan Bastin 72,
Referee:- James Robinson. Attendance:- 247
Admission:- OMGDS £8.00 (£12). Programme:- £2.00
The rain came down in Biblical proportions on the impressive Clayson Stadium, built some thirty years ago and just beginning to show some rough edges like the water pouring off the stand roof onto the access steps. We were given a very friendly reception and enjoyed the hospitality of the bar, but we were surprised by the food kiosk which was quite outrageously expensive. As for the match, the gulf between second top visitors and second bottom hosts was immense and Tiverton polished off a very comprehensive victory! With Graeme Askham and Jack Warner.
Boxing Day Thursday 26th December 2019
Skye-Bet EFL Championship
Stoke City 3
James McLeam 11, Tyrese Campbell 90+3, Sam Vokes 90+7
Sheffield Wednesday 2
Morgan Fox 67, Tom Lees 74,
Referee:- John Brooks. Attendance:- 25,359
Admission:- OMGDS £22.00 (£33) programme:- £3.00
First visit in five years to Stoke City and in the rain and the cold, an unlikely but deserved win for the hosts who scored first, but went a goal behind midway through the second half and then scored two goals deep into added time to claim the victory and the points! With Graeme Askham.
Friday 27th December 2019
Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division
Biggleswade United 3
Dave Parkinson42, 90+2 (pen), Charlie Clayton 60,
Potton 1
Tony Williams 27,
Referee:- Connor Griffin. Attendance:- 141
Admission:- OMGDS £4.00 (£7). Programme:- NONE
This local derby between A1 rivals featured the hosts who are well placed this season and Potton who struggled early on but have been on a recent running streak! The visitors opened the scoring and looked sprightly early on, but United grew into the game, equalised by half time and ground down their opponents (who also had a man dismissed) and rounded off the game with a last minute penalty!
Saturday 28th December 2019
Cherry Red Records Combined Counties League Division 1
Farnham Town 0
Jersey Bulls 2
Karl Hinds 28, Harry Cardwell 85,
Referee:- Ben Wright. Attendance:- 232
Admission:- OMGDS £4.00 (£7). Programme:- £1.00
The scheduled 12.30pm start was put back and put back as the Jersey Bulls struggled to get from airport to ground. The Bulls raced from coach to pitch already changed and play began at 1.29pm. Farnham’s tightly enclosed ground is an absolute gem, with seats behind one goal and covered standing down one side. Most of the big seasonal crowd watched from high up behind the goal with the covered seats. The Bulls have won every league game this season and lead the division by more than twenty points! Farnham ran them close however in a very entertaining encounter which was only settled when the second goal went in with around five minutes to go!
Saturday 28th December 2019
Cherry Red Records Combined Counties League
Premier Division
Guildford City 2
Benga Ogunseye 3, 39,
Sheerwater 1
Luke Taylor 81,
Referee:- Peter Georgiou. Attendance:- 112
Admission:- OMGDS £4.00 (£7). Programme:- £2.00
Not much of a stadium (an Athletics stadium) and two teams struggling in the lower reaches of the Premier Division of The Co-Co League! Two first half goals from Benga Ogunseye won this match, but the visitors had plenty of second half chances to snatch at least a draw!
Other Matches:-
Sunday 1st December 2019
FA WSL Championship
Leicester City Women 2 Blackburn Rovers Women 0 attendance:- 125
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Thursday 5th December 2019
Leicestershire Midweek Floodlit Youth League South Division
Lutterworth Athletic u-18 1 Oadby owls u-18 0 attendance:- 35
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Monday 9th December 2019
Barclays Premier League 2 Division 1
Leicester City u-23 2 Everton u-23 1 attendance:- 218
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Wednesday 11th December 2019
FA Womens Super League Cup Group C
Leicester City Women 0 Everton Women 3 attendance:- 174
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Sunday 15th December 2019
FA WSL Championship
Leicester City Women 1 Sheffield United Women 4 att.:- 129
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Boxing Day Thursday 26th December 2019
Midland League Division 2
Solihull United 9 Lane Head 0 attendance:- 40
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Matches:-
This month: 19 matches 5 new grounds
This Season: 116 matches 53 new grounds
Total: 4,286 matches 1,608 new grounds
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