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January 2020

Posted in Uncategorized | February 19th, 2020

The Football Pitch That dad Built (continued)

Often the net broke, even with our shots,

but it was worth spending time

knotting the net together again

just to see that one shot

hit the top left hand corner

leaving the goalie helpless

just like Goal of the Month

on Match of the Day.

by Paul Cookson

Wednesday 1st January 2020
Bet Victor Southern League Premier Division South

Weston-super-Mare 3

Scott Laird 38, 90+2, Mike Symons 90+5

Truro City 2

Daniel Rooney 14, Ryan Dickson 73,

Referee:- Andrew Sheppard Attendance:- 602
Admission:- OMGDS £7.00 (£11) Programme:- on line only
On a grey, murky day, Woodspring stadium did not look its best. There was an impressive covered area behind one goal with standing and crush barriers – and seating for around 200. The rest of the ground was hardly distinguishable from any well kept step 5 or 6 stadium, except, perhaps, for the extensive club facilities. On the pitch, Truro were the better side and were a tad unlucky, after leading 2-1 on ninety minutes, to concede two goals in added time! With Graeme Askham.

Thursday 2nd January 2020
Sky-bet EFL Championship

Derby County 2

Jack Marriott 45, Martyn Waghorn 57,

Barnsley 1

Elliot Simoes 51,

Referee:- Dean Whitestone. Attendance:- 27,782
Admission:- OMGDS £28.00 (£38). Programme:- £3.00
There was a pretty sizeable audience for this bottom of the table clash – but it was the debut of Wayne Rooney in his first match since leaving DC United last October! To be fair, he did ping one or two sublimely accurate long passes, but most of his work was sideways or backwards – although he did have a hand in the first goal. To be honest, it was a poor game of football between two struggling teams, but my grandson enjoyed it, as he added another league ground to his growing list! With Mike and Freddie McGeown.

Saturday 4th January 2020
Cherry Red Records Combined Counties League Division 1

Cove 0

Jersey Bulls 1

Fraser Barlow 51,

Referee:- Jarnail Singh. Attendance:- 153
Admission:- OMGDS £3.00 (£5). Programme:- £1.00
A sparsely equipped ground with perhaps one hundred seats and shelter only down the far side of the pitch and a pitch that undulated alarmingly and defied the best attempts of both sides to play constructive football saw The Bulls maintain their 100% record in this division, but the game was not a spectacle! With Graeme Askham.

Saturday 4th January 2020
Cherry Red Records Combined Counties League Division 1

Ash United 3

Ben Wyatt 35, Matthew Pearse 47, 60,

Chessington & Hook United 1

Jordan Vidal 45+1

Referee:- William Siegmund. Attendance:- 76
Admission:- OMGDS £3.00 (£5). Programme:- £1.00
The last time I was here, Badshot Lea were the tenants, so it was good to see the landlords playing. There is cover behind one goal and covered seating down one side. This was a much better contest than the morning offering and after a slow start, the hosts gradually gained the ascendancy with Matthew Pearse scoring two pretty impressive second half goals – one with each foot to ensure a comprehensive victory. With Graeme Askham.

Sunday 5th January 2020

Emirates FA Cup 3rd Round

Crewe Alexandra 1

Paul Green 50

Barnsley 3

Jacob Brown 31, Conor Chaplin 75, Luke Thomas 90+3

Referee:- James Linington. Attendance:- 5,158
Admission:- OMGDS £10.00 (£15). Programme:- £2.50
It was good to bump into Tony Morehead in the club shop prior to the match! I was there with my eldest son, James, and my three grandsons to enjoy an afternoon of cup football. Alex gave it a real go, after conceding and early strike and equalised just after half time. Even a second Barnsley strike did not deter them, but it did undo them in the 93rd minute when their goalkeeper joined the attack for a corner and they were stranded when the ball was cleared to Luke Thomas who ran the length of the pitch to seal the victory and the tie!

Monday 6th January 2020
JW Hunt Cup 2nd Round

Coleshill Town 6

Amarvuir Sandhu 7, Ethan Mannion16, 55(pen),

Edilson Panzo-Antonio 22, 42, George Washbourne 90+3

Darlaston Town (1874) 0
Referee:- Richard Booth. Attendance:- 74
Admission:- OMGDS £7.00 (£10). Programme:- £1.50
Thank god for teams that play on Mondays!!! Fresh from their defeat of league leaders, Corby Town on Saturday, Coleshill were utterly dominant in this cup tie against much lowlier opposition. Pack Meadow is not the most photogenic of stadia and I’m usually suspicious of 3G surfaces, but tonight was a good game and the hosts deservedly progressed!

Monday 6th January 2020

First walk of the new year and this medium journey from The majestic Byzantine parish church in Irthlingborough across the lakes and The River Nene to Rushden Lakes Shopping Centre and then on to Rushden town centre and railway station, which was once a bustling stop on The Northampton to Peterborough line. We had coffee in Higham Ferrers before returning across the A45 and back to Irthlingborough. No stiles and 7.8 miles with Alison Merricks and Maureen Owens.

Saturday 11th January 2020
Sky Bet EFL League 2

Crawley Town 2

Ollie Palmer 21, 40,

Bradford City 1

Aramide Otah 85,

Referee:- Neil Hair. Attendance:- 2,361 (509)
Admission:- hospitality. Programme:- included. (£1.00)
A really cracking day out for our party of seventeen at Crawley Town’s Broadfield Stadium and really excellent hospitality. Bad news for highly placed Bradford City who just didn’t turn up until the last ten minutes and deservedly forfeited the points. Crawley were the hungrier and more determined of the two sides and scored two first half goals. The Bantams late strike was a mere consolation!

Saturday 18th January 2020
Cherry Red Records Combined Counties League
Premier Division

Banstead Athletic 0

Southall 3

Aaron McLeish 6, 72,Sandio Fernandes 83,

Referee:- David Payne. Attendance:- 38
Admission:- OMGDS £4.00 (£7). Programme:- NONE
Not the most alluring of arenas on a bright sunny, but cold afternoon. The ground is surrounded by a substantial metal fence and has cover on three sides, but only, maybe, fifty seats. There is a very pleasant clubhouse, but it is outside the ground footprint AND there was no programme! The hosts, fourth from the bottom of the table were well beaten by the visitors who lie fourth from top and possibly the most entertaining incident was the first half melee which saw a member of the visiting management team dismissed! With Graeme Askham and John Main.

Monday 20th January 2020

On a cold morning, the ground was crunchy underfoot – except where the sun had got to it and softened it up! We walked from Exton village green past the private RC cemetery on the Exton Estate and up to Greetham and then, onto Greetham Valley Golf Club for a welcome cup of coffee. The return route took in the folly known as Fort Henry and then round the lake and back to Exton village green. Four stiles and 7.2 miles with Maureen Owens and Alison Merricks.

Tuesday 21st January 2020
Surrey Senior Cup 2nd Round

AFC Croydon Athletic 2

Nahum Green 7, Jake Rose 19,

Guildford City 0
Match abandoned at half-time because of frost
Referee:- Stephen Matthews Attendance:- 49
Admission:- OMGDS £6.00 (£8). Programme:- £2.00
A difficult journey and a ground that was hard to find – even with sat-nav, but it was well worth the visit. Mayfield Stadium has a fine stand with seats for, maybe, 400 spectators and cover on two other sides of the ground and hard standing all round. The pitch was hard, but not dangerous and The Rams secured a very deserved 2-0 half time lead, but then the referee dropped a bombshell and abandoned the match because of hard frost in one corner of the pitch and despite both teams being prepared to carry on. Very friendly club and even teamsheets could be had! With John Main.

Saturday 25th January 2020
Cherry Red Records Combined Counties League
Premier Division

Frimley Green 2

Sammy De St Croix 20 (pen), Connor Holland 71,

Egham 1

Jake Sobalak 18,

Referee:- Neil Keirs. Attendance:- 86
Admission:- OMGDS £5.00 (£7). Programme:- £1.50
After a fine repast at The Old Wheatsheaf we repaired to the Frimley Green Recreation Ground, close by the hostelry. It was a tight arena surrounded by green railing and difficult to negotiate with the dug-outs hard against the club house wall. On the opposite side of the ground was a Meccano stand with seats for around 100 spectators and there was narrow hard standing all the way round. These two teams were placed comfortably in the upper echelons of the table and after an entertaining first half, the score was level at 1-1. The hosts got the break through late in the second half and just about deserved their victory.

The Old Wheatsheaf in Frimley Green prior to the match between Frimley Green and Egham – with Graeme and John.

Sunday 26th January 2020

A little diddy walk from East Carlton Country Park, taking the Ashley road and then cutting back along the path that leads to Middleton. Onwards into Cottingham and up to and past the village shop (open on Sundays) and the across the front of the parish church, up the steep field and back into East Carlton along the walled road. Dull but dry, 3.25 miles, no stiles, with Charlotte.

Tuesday 28th January 2020
East Midlands Counties League
Jenkins & Jenkins League Cup Quarter Final

Barrow Town 2

Bryce White 73, Ashley Way 77,

Sherwood Colliery 2

Gareth Curtis 35, Klarke Greenham 83,

No extra time. Barrow Town won 7-6 on penalties.
Referee:- Alec Simpson. Attendance:- 18
Admission:- OMGDS £3.00 (£5). Programme:- Free
It is more than four years since my last visit to Riverside Park with its distinctive footbridge behind the far goal which climbs across the A6 dual carriageway, running adjacent to the ground. A paltry attendance for tonight’s fixture, but the two teams served up a cracker of a match – end to end stuff with the lead changing hands throughout the match. It was very cold but there was a warm welcome and even free refreshments at half-time in the club house. Each side took nine penalties and it was the hosts who narrowly squeezed through to the semi-final.

Wednesday 29th January 2020
Uhlsport United Counties League Division 1

Bugbroke St Michael’s 4

Dan Quigley 34 (pen), Dan Porter 45, 56, Jake Beatles 77,

Rushden and Higham United 2

Jory Mann 31, Jake Reynolds 90+2

Referee:- Scott Hanna. Attendance:- 48
Admission:- £5.00. Programme:- NONE
Futbolog awarded me a recognition of my tenth match at Bugbrooke since 2000 – something I hadn’t realised – and it was good to see the hosts, perennial members of the lower division of the UCL, riding high at the top of the table! They had to survive an early scare as the visitors scored the opening goal, but four unanswered strikes either side of half-time took the game away from Rushden and Higham and their second goal was a mere added time consolation.