Springtime casts a spell of green,
Paints flowers opening to the sun,
Rains falls softly, saying ‘Wake’,
In a fresh world just begun.
Grow and burst, hatch and run.
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From “Seasons’ by Jo Peters.
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Friday 1st March 2024
Premier League 2
Manchester United u21 2
Zac Baumann 31, Ethan Williams 67,
Derby County u21 4
Tony Weston 22, 38, Cruz Allen 44, Bayo Fapetu 45+2
Referee: Elliot Bell. Attendance: 956
Admission: F.O.C. Programme: NONE
On a bitterly cold evening at Leigh Sports Village, Manchester United’s youngsters were well beaten by a rampant Rams team who might easily have added to their already emphatic victory. Entry was free, but complicated by having to acquire an on line ticket. There were no programmes or teamsheets, nor was the official attendance available. Made me quite pleased that Derby County won!
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Saturday 2nd March 2024 11.00am.
North West Counties League Premier Division
Longridge Town 2
Morgan Homson-Smith 20, Mitchell Marshall 45+1
Padiham 3
Jack Price 27, Joel Brownhill 38, Tyler James 78,
Referee: Joe Hind. Attendance: 438
Admission: OMGDS £4.00 (£7). Programme: £2.00
Cold and wet, but a great welcome from the club and a pretty good match with a decent atmosphere. Padiham probably deserved the victory, but the hosts made them work hard for it. All square at 2-2 at the interval, Padiham struck a late winner around ten minutes from time.
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On the far side of the ground was the cricket pavilion with the foothills of the Pennines looming behind.
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There was snow on the hills in the distance, but no more than a thin drizzle below!
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Saturday 2nd March 2024, 2.00pm
East Lancashire League, Bob Little Trophy – Group B
Peel Park 4
Joe Shaw 17, Ryan Bramley 36, Ash Adair 74, Jimmy Broadhurst 85,
Hapton 4
Shane Kennedy 40, 64, Charlie Trickett 70, Steve Burbeck 81,
Referee: James Sykes. Attendance: 31
Admission: F.O.C. Programme: NONE
A first visit to Peel Park, former home of Accrington Stanley FC, on a wet, rainy afternoon. The referee had teamsheets, but none of the numbers corresponded to the numbers on the players shirts! This was step ten or eleven, after all. There was some small evidence of the old ground and The Peel Park Inn was serving drinks to take to pitch side. The match was a rip roaring tussle with neither side managing to gain the upper hand on a mud encrusted match. In this trophy, these two teams are 3rd and 4th out of five, so not a lot rested on the outcome, but both sides gave it their all in an eventful match.
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The Peel Park Hotel
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The forbidding brick built changing rooms with not a window in sight!
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Accrington Stanley FC played in The Football League from 1921 until 1962. Their predecessor, simply named Accrington, were founder members of The Football League in 1888, but resigned in 1893 rather than accept relegation to Division 2. They folded in 1896. Accrington did not have a Football League club again until in 1921/22, when the Lancashire Combination’s Accrington Stanley, who used to be rivals of the original Accrington, were promoted to Football League Division 3 North. Accrington Stanley resigned from The Football league in March 1962 (before the end of the season) with debts of around £60,000. The present club were founded in October 1968 and regained Football League status in 2005/06 following promotion from Conference National. Peel Park is the original home of Accrington Stanley, though little now remains to identify it as such.
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Sunday 3rd March 2024 11.45am
North West Counties League Division 1 North
Euxton Villa 3
Dan Singleton 24, 63, Joshua Briggs 37,
Darwen 0
Referee: Sam Oldfield. Attendance: 618
Admission: OMGDS £3.00 (£6). Programme: £2.00
Spelt “Euxton” pronounced “Exton”, three or four miles from the great metropolis of Chorley, they moved to their present ground in 1986, a gift from a benefactor and joined The NWCL in 2022. The attendance today set a new record for the club, who are presently ensconced in mid-table security. On the other hand, Darwen have the pedigree of being a former football League club, but today it was the parvenu who had the upper hand with a convincing victory on a fine sunny morning.
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Sunday 3rd March 2024, 2.30pm
North West Counties League Premier Division
Charnock Richard 7
Luke Power 5, Spencer Bibby 32, Nathan Nickeas44, 55, 64, Fenton Davies 79, Kevin Spinelli 87,
Skelmersdale United 1
Jacob Rodrigues 89,
Referee: Thomas De Prez. Attendance: 534
Admission: OMGDS £4.00 (£6). Programme: £2.00
More than just a motorway service station on The M6 and more than just whipping boys for Chorley’s pre-season preparations, Charnock Richard were promoted to the NWCL in 2016 after several very successful seasons in the West Lancashire League. They were immediately promoted to the Premier Division and have remained there ever since gradually improving facilities at their Mossie Park home. Skelmersdale United, despite the inclusion of former Wigan Athletic, Tottenham Hotspur, Sunderland (amongst others) defender Pascal Chimbonda in their defence, as player coach, were no match for the home sides clinical and devastating attack. Seven goals were plundered before the visitors purloined their 89th minute consolation!
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Monday 4th March 2024, 7.00pm
Premier League 2 (at Seagrave Sports Complex)
Leicester City u21 2
Silko Thomas 15, 45+1,
Leeds United u21 0
Referee: Greg Rollason. Attendance: 260
Admission: OMGDS £3.00 (£5). Free team sheet
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Saturday 9th March 2024
Western League Division 1
AEK Boco 1
Sam Thomas 25,
Cheddar 0
Referee: David Trevaskus. Attendance: 82
Admission: OMGDS £2.00 (£6). Programme: £1.00
The hosts, with their Greek/Argentinian derivation, too esoteric to explain concisely, are enjoying only their third season at Step 6, and have constructed a small, but comfortable stadium which sadly will not support the team above Step 5. They hope to gain promotion to The Southern League and have plans for an alternative stadium and a 3G surface. Today’s contest was not a classic. Cheddar, along with Bishops Sutton, are well adrift at the foot of the table, but they fought well and the hosts were restricted to a single early strike. The groundsman and Trustee, Jack Winter, was very forthcoming on information about the club and its ambitions. He also gave both me and John Main a club badge!
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The ground (True Clarity Walton Pavilion) is owned by South Gloucestershire Council and leased at a peppercorn rent to the club, who have built the club house and erected floodlights. However, it is in a public park and rights of way have to be observed, so, should the club reach a higher standard than Step 5, they will need to find a new home!
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Yours truly, captured from behind by John Main!
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The 2024 Scottish “Hop”
Took a hire car – a little one litre VW Golf – up to Scotland with John Main doing most of the driving, because I was not feeling particularly well. I’ve had a bad chest for a couple of weeks and I just can’t seem to shake it off! We had booked in at The Premier In south Stirling at junction 9 on The M9 motorway for two nights, but before that we went to the first match!
Friday 15th March 2024 7.45pm
East of Scotland League Division 2
Armadale Thistle 3
Kameron Jackson 13, Colin Strickland 83, Declan Wood 85,
Ormiston Primrose 2
Jacob Riley 11, 42,
Referee: David Gallagher. Attendance: 436
Admission: OMGDS £5.00 (£8). Programme: £2.00
Armadale FC once graced the Scottish second tier, but they faded and Thistle took over the mantle without ever reaching those dizzy heights. They presently ply their trade in the eighth tier of Scottish football at their eccentrically named Volunteer Park. This season, they are pushing for promotion, whilst their opponents are several points adrift of safety at the foot of the table. It was squeaky bum time tonight. The visitors, demolished 5-0 by tonight’s hosts on their own ground, twice took the lead, deservedly, in the first half and only succumbed to two very late strikes to save the host’s blushes. They deserved better! Good game, good to see so many friends once again.
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Saturday morning at 9.15am we set out for the first game of the day at Luncarty, north of Perth. It lies between the A9 to the west and The River Tay to the east.
Saturday 16th March 2024 11.15 am
East of Scotland League Premier Division
Luncarty 5
Kyle Woolley 21, Ross McLachlan 33, Jamie Mackie 34, Rhys Davies 41, Ben Scarborough 82,
Crossgates Primrose 3
Jake Sutherland 3, Cameron Muirhead 31, 74,
Referee: Daniel Graves. Attendance: 386
Admission: OMGDS £4.00 (£7). Programme: £2.00
Nestling in the morning sunshine, but with minimal facilities and cover (gravel behind the near goal, the only hardstanding), Scotrail trains chuntering over the viaduct down one side, this match between two of the graveyard sides turned into a thriller, 4-2 to the home side at the interval and a mere two second period strikes provided a healthy crowd, (some eight times the clubs average attendance this season), with a very entertaining encounter!
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A Scotrail DMU passing by on the embankment!
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Michael Squires sitting in noble splendour!
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Saturday 16th March 2024 2.00pm
East of Scotland League Premier Division
Kinnoull 0
Pencuik Athletic 0
Referee: Robert Bowie. Attendance: 356
Admission: OMGDS £3.00 (£7). Programme: £2.50
A very basic ground on Tulloch Road in Perth with no cover, no hardstanding and no floodlights (although new ones have been acquired and will be installed when funds allow). There were no goals, either, in a poor match where neither side seemed to be able to shoot accurately and the home side gained only their fifth point of the season from twenty-one games. The final whistle was a relief!
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Saturday 16th March 2024 4.45pm
East of Scotland League Premier Division
Jeanfield Swifts 1
Fraser Smith 6,
Dunbar United 1
Taylor henry 90+2 (pen)
Referee: Terry Ormiston. Attendance: 385
Admission: OMGDS £4.00 (£7). Programme: £2.50
A compact ground with good facilities, but still no hardstanding round the pitch, apart from a fine covered terrace down one side. This was a dour encounter between two sides on the fringe of the promotion race. The hosts struck early in the sixth minute and the visitors replied late with a penalty right at the death. A fair result. Towards the end of the match, ominously, the rain began to fall.
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The away team strip was turquoise and navy
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The heavens opened on a foul evening and the drive to the final match – maybe an hour in the dark and wind and rain and pot-holed roads was very challenging.
Saturday 16th March 2024 8.00pm
East of Scotland League Premier Division
Sauchie Juniors 3
Danny Smith 10, 35 (pen), 45, Ross Kavanagh s/o 43
Hill o’ Beath Hawthorn 2
Daniel Watt 46, Jordan Tosh 83,
Referee: Chris Hobbs. Attendance: 447
Admission: OMGDS £5.00 (£10). Programme: £2.00
In filthy weather and on a seriously waterlogged pitch, at Sauchie Juniors fine Beachwood Park stadium, these two teams played out a rumbustious encounter with the hosts establishing a three goal first half advantage despite the dismissal of one of their players. Hill o’ Beath started the comeback within seconds of the restart and attacked the ten men with determination. Sadly, their only reward was a Jordan Tosh strike in the 83rd minute and Sauchie narrowly took the points and the victory.
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Sunday 17th March 2024
East of Scotland League Division 1
Whitburn 1
Darren Liddell 65,
Whitehill Welfare 0
Referee: Richard McCartney. Attendance: 540
Admission: OAP £5.00 (£8). Programme: £2.00
Central Park in Whitburn is a generic junior Scottish football ground. Indeed, Whitburn were a junior side until a couple of seasons ago, since when they have enjoyed two promotions. The pitch was heavy and undulating and not conducive to good football as these two sides slogged it out, aided and abetted by a concatenation of drum beating. A 65th minute strike settled the encounter in the host’s favour and they just about deserved it! Many thanks to Chris and the team for a very enjoyable weekend!
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Craig Dabbs at the entrance to Whitburn
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The main drum band whose cacophony was kept up throughout the match
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Matchday programme
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Sunday 17th March 2024
Scottish AFA Inter League Trophy 1st Round
Scottish Premier AFA 13 (thirteen!)
Connor McCabe 3, Shaun Rodgers 25, 34, Danny McBath 30, Mark Taylor 33, 37, 49, Liam Rowan 56, 86,Brandon Carmouche 60, 67, Connaire Dawson 80,
Andy Gilmartin 83
Dundee Saturday Morning League 0
@ New Tinto Park
Referee: Joe Cheney. Attendance: 52
Admission: F.O.C. Programme: NONE
Scott Struthers found this little tit-bit to round off the weekend oop north and it was a first visit to New Tinto Park, home of Benburb, after visiting the original ground almost exactly ten years ago. Houses cover the earlier footprint and the new home of Benburb is little more than a 3G pitch with no seating and a small covered stand on one side of the ground. The contest was a mismatch. Scotland’s premier amateur association demolished a pedestrian Dundee side with six first half goals and seven second half strikes.
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Saturday 23rd March 2024
Velocity Wessex League Premier Division
Hamble Club 1
Clayd Roach 77,
Brockenhurst 1
Ronan Moore 90+3
Referee: Christopher Cass. Attendance: 95
Admission: £7.00 (£4). Programme: On Line
Twelve years ago, I went to see GE Hamble play Fareham Town at Folland Park. Today’s team have no connection with that side (who are now called Folland Sports). Hamble Club play at The Abbey in Hamble-le-Rice in Southampton and are nicknamed (not surprisingly), ‘The Monks’. Brockenhurst, the visitors, are considerably higher in the league, but, today, they were fortunate to escape with a point, garnering an equaliser in the third minute of added time at the end of the match, having had a first half penalty saved.
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Tuesday 26th March 2024
Northern Premier League Midlands Division 1
AFC Rushden & Diamonds 4
Cairo Taylor 31, Tarik Dallas 35, Ryan Inman 69, Scott Jacob 79,
Cambridge City 1
Ryan Ingrey 6
Referee: Manesh Gupta. Attendance: 269
Admission: OMGDS £8.00 (£11) Programme: On Line
The heavens opened on approach to the ground and the precipitation continued all evening. Hayden Road has been considerably improved by the hosts, but the iconic main stand is still out of use. Diamonds have endured a hellish season and before the match were rock bottom of the division. They went behind early on, but recovered to take a 2-1 interval lead. Cambridge then lost a player to a second yellow and the hosts drove home the advantage to win deservedly and convincingly …… but they only moved up one place and the threat of relegation still hangs over them!
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The South West Peninsular ‘Hop’
Thursday 28th March 2024. 250 miles to Exeter, booked into hotel. 25 miles to Honiton Town v Sidmouth Town. Arrived in plenty of time. Despite torrential rain, earlier in the day, the pitch looked perfectly playable. A lot of work had been undertaken by club volunteers, and yet, the referee called the match off at 6.45pm. He should have been at Sauchie juniors or Whitburn Juniors, two weeks ago. THEY PLAYED on surfaces substantially inferior to Honiton’s pitch. He could AT LEAST have started the match and called it off if conditions demanded. Was he frightened of a league referee’s assessor?
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Friday 29th March 2024 – 11.30am
South West Peninsular League
Premier Division East
Torrington 1
Tom Davey 19,
Crediton United 0
Referee: David Middleton. Attendance
Admission: OMGDS £4.00 (£6). Programme: £2.00
The parish church of St Michael and all the angels commands the skyline at Vicarage Field. In 1646, after the Roundhead capture of Torrington, the Royalist captives were imprisoned in the church …. along with 80 barrels of Royalist gunpowder. Sadly for the captives, they were blown to kingdom come when somehow, the explosives ignited! The hosts – The Supergreens – considerably lower in the division, nonetheless took a deserved interval lead. They contrived to miss a penalty in driving rain in the fiftieth minute, but hung on till the end for victory and the points. Yours truly won the raffle worth£50.00!!!
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Eddie McGeown at the gates of Vicarage Field, Torrington.
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Eddie McGeown adorned in his Doctor Who scarf
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Friday 29th March 2024 – 3.00pm
South West Peninsular League
Premier Division East
Torridgeside 0
Okehampton Argyle 3
Brad Ausden 8, 12, Luke Mortimore 23,
Referee: Krzysztof Wegrzynowski. Attendance: 451
Admission: OMGDS £4.00 (£6). Programme: £2.50
The only hard standing at the ground is down (most) of the near side, but there is a good covered area and a small seated stand. Torridgeside are the junior of the two Torrington sides having been formed in 1989 and the major improvements to the ground were begun in 2020. They are struggling however around the foot of the table and a first half comical error by the home custodian started a mini goal spree for the visitors who held a three goal advantage at the interval. In the second half, the hosts were considerably more competitive, but the damage had been done and the hosts, try as they might could not pull back even one strike!
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Laurence Reade, right next to the stand with his satchel.
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Friday 29th March 2024 – 7.00pm
South West Peninsular League
Premier Division West
Holsworthy 0
Bude Town 0
Referee: Luke Dennis. Attendance: 906
Admission: OMGDS £4.00 (£6). Programme: £1.00
The ground staff worked wonders on the sodden turf and the referee allowed play on a pitch that was not as good as Honiton, last evening. These two teams, less than ten miles apart served up a rip roaring first period, but lacking in goals despite the visitors having the edge, playing up the slope. The second period was more of the same, except that the hosts contrived to fluff two clear cut chances. Good game, despite the lack of goals!
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Saturday 30th March 2024 – 11.30am
South West Peninsular League Premier Division West
Liskeard Athletic 2
Ruben Kane 23, Max Gilbert 50
Dobwalls 0
Referee: Paul Redding Attendance: 508
Admission: OMGDS £4.00 (£6) Programme: £1.00
Liskeard are flying high in the West division and took this game very comfortably despite the match opening with a monsoon of Biblical proportions. That had died away by the time the hosts scored the opening goal. After that, it was all plain sailing.
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Saturday 30th March 2024 – 3.00pm
South West Peninsular League
Premier Division East
Elburton Villa 1
Bentley Alcantara 56 (pen), Bentley Alcantara s/o 90+10
Bovey Tracey 2
Josh Haynes 15, 31, Mitch Thomas s/o 56, Neil Last s/o 90+10
Referee: Murat Kaymaz. Attendance: 311
Admission: OMGDS £4.00 (£6). Programme: £2.00
A minimalist ground with no cover, except that provided by a fifty seater Meccano stand. Two mid table teams and the visitors were comfortable winners despite having a man dismissed around the hour mark. The referee was exceptionally fussy and did not endear himself to a host of hoppers, and there were a further two dismissals deep into stoppage time!
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Saturday 30th March 2024 – 6.30pm
South West Peninsular League
Premier Division East
Ivybridge Town 6
Connor Rush 40, 90+3, Owen Pritchard 64, 74, 82, Bailey Mabin 79,
Dartmouth 0
Referee: Brandon Hawkins. Attendance: 388
Admission: OMGDS £4.00 (£6). Programme: £1.00.
At half-time you would not have thought that more than 70 points separated these teams as top of the table Ivybridge held a slender single goal advantage over a spirited and challenging Dartmouth. The second half was a completely different kettle of fish. First of all, the rai s came and livened up the pitch, the visitors got tired and towards the end, the hosts piled on the pressure and the goals. They deserved to win, but one felt a certain admiration and sympathy for the visitors
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Sunday 31st March 2024 – k.o. 10.15am
Exeter & District Sunday League
Premier Division Cup Group B
Ide Green Rovers 3
Logan Burns 7, Sam Chapman 32, Jack Pullman 49,
St Martins AFC 2
Jake Langmaid 52, Matt Titmarsh 64,
Referee: Ashley Horn. Attendance: 11
Admission: F.O.C. Programme: NONE
Played at St Martins Minster Park ground which hosted a ‘hop’ match exactly six years ago today. The match had been switched because Ide Green Rovers haven’t been able to play a home match since January! It was a very good match. The hosts took a two goal interval lead and increased it within five minutes of the re-start and then had to withstand heavy St Martins pressure. Indeed, it is a miracle how they survived to achieve the victory. With five minutes to go, a St Martin’s player suffered a broken leg.
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Sunday 31st March 2024
FA Women’s National League
Division 1 South West
Torquay United Women 2
Kate McKane 32, Anthea Kaptein 45,
Maidenhead United Women 3
Izzy Stockton 22, Jade Hockney 82, Trinity Esprit 84,
Referee: Nuria Bonet. Attendance: 98
Admission: £5.00. Programme: NONE
This match was played on the 3G surface at The Devon FA County Ground on Coach Road in Newton Abbot. The hosts are firmly ensconced in the relegation places whilst the visitors are ten points and four places better off. The visitors opened the scoring, however, against the run of play, but back came the hosts for a 2-1 interval advantage. The second half was an entirely different matter. The visitors ran the show, but it took two late goals to @claim the victory!
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Tuesday 2nd April 2024
Staying at Garth Ucha, a lovely, but lonely old farmhouse near Llanyblodwel in The Welsh Marches, south and west of Oswestry. Our walk took us down to the fast flowing river and across a rickety footbridge. A false turn brought us into contact with an alpaca, before we encountered a steep bridleway with a bubbling stream cascading downwards which making the footage fairly risky. High up at the top was the tiny hamlet of Soar with its own Methodist Chapel … whilst far away, across the valley, we could espy another, much more conventional religious establishment. We descended by waterlogged fields and a narrow road which drew us toward the church of St Michael the Archangel. The rector, Kathy Trimby, has been in charge for ten years, but is shortly moving to Australia. Across the narrow bridge over Afon Tanat (River Tanat), is “The Horseshoe Inn”, but, sadly there was no sign of life. A mile and a half along the riverside and a steep rise brought us back to Garth Ucha. 6.2 miles and three stiles.
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Tom Parkin & Matt Knowles
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Tom Parkin & Matt Knowles
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Eddie at the front and Matt behind
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