When You Are Old

William Butler Yeats (1865 – 1939)

When you are old and grey and full of sleep,

And nodding by the fire, take down this book,

And slowly read, and dream of the soft look

Your eyes had once, and of their shadows deep;

How many loved your moments of glad grace,

And loved your beauty with love false or true,

But one man loved the pilgrim soul in you,

And loved the sorrows of your changing face;

And bending down beside the glowing bars,

Murmur, a little sadly, how Love fled

And paced upon the mountains overhead

And hid his face amid a crowd of stars.

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Sunday 1st September 2024

English Schools Cricket Association

National T20 FINALS Day (@Arundel Castle)

First Semi-final

Scarborough College (won toss) 162 for 7 (20 overs)

defeated

Shrewsbury School 136 for 6 (20 overs)

by 26 runs

Umpires: Matt French & John Tomsett. Scorer: Eddie McGeown

Second Semi-final

Harrow School 161 for 4 (20 overs)

defeated

Kings College Taunton 116 all out (15.2 overs)

by 45 runs

Umpires: Terry Barstow & Martin Bodenham.  Scorer: Eddie McGeown

FINAL

Harrow School (won toss) 195 for 8 (20 overs)

defeated

Scarborough College 132 all out (17.0 overs)

by 63 runs.

Umpires: Matt French & John Tomsett.    Scorer: Eddie McGeown

A fine day’s cricket, with Harrow School (perhaps not unexpectedly) head and shoulders above the rest of the competition. The day was overshadowed by the passing of Richard Somerford. He worked for ESCA for many years, nationally, regionally and also for Surrey and Norfolk.

Richard played an important part in the running of  the National School rounds. He was well liked and respected for all his hard work. Despite not being in the best of health,  he was determined to attend Finals day, but sadly passed away during the competition.

He was a valued member of The National Executive and will be sorely missed by all who knew him.

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Chorley gained some small measure of revenge this evening at St James’ Park in Brackley for their play-off defeat in May. In a closely fought contest, two second half penalties were enough to gain victory and the points for the visitors. With son, Jim and grand sons, Freddie, Sonny and Kingsley.

The last time I was here, some fifteen years ago, the attendance was nineteen and that was for a UCL match! Much has changed in the meantime. There is a new club house, cover behind the goal and down the far side, a seated stand for maybe two hundred souls and a marquee pitch side for half-time refreshments. The club have also added “Leicester” to the front of their name. This may have been the FA Youth Cup, but there was a great deal of local pride at stake as both clubs come from the Aylestone area of Leicester. The visitors had the edge against a determined and enthusiastic home side and with two first half strikes and a third eight minutes from time, they garnered the victory despite the dismissal of their number seven with twenty minutes to go. With John Main..

Saturday 7th September 2024

Wessex League Division 1

Romsey Town 4

Alex Wilson 11, Craig Bryant 63, H Russell 73, Robbie Stapleton 84,

Cove 2

Armani Riley 26, George Usuwu 90+1,

Referee: Lee Nowacki.                                  Attendance: 80

Admission: OMGDS £3.00 (£7).                Programme: on line.

A fine repast at the superbly appointed hostelry: “The Duke on The Test”, just outside the town of Romsey (pop: 15,000), in Hampshire. The Bypass Ground is full of character – if a little eccentric – with cover on three sides and seating along each flank. There is an adequate club house and a refreshment hut. In a dull opening period, both sides managed a single strike, but the second half perked up considerably. The visitors were down to ten men around the hour mark following a bad tackle. The hosts capitalised five minutes later and almost immediately, the visitors captain was invited to warm the bench for ten minutes after a furious altercation with the referee. The hosts extended their lead before his return and scored a fourth six minutes from the end. The visitors had the last word, however, with a strike deep into added time. With John Main.

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Monday 9th September 2024

Midland League Division 1

Chelmsley Town 0

Coton Green 3

James Henry 27, Matt Hunt 75, Luke Fox 79,

Referee: Okran Beedre.                                   Attendance: 175

Admission: £6.00.                                           Programme: NONE

Chelmsley Town are the tenants at Pack Meadow, home of Coleshill Town of the NPL. Tonight they were thoroughly outclassed by a workmanlike Coton Green who struck once before the interval and twice after half-time. The hosts had their chance to reduce the first half arrears but had a penalty saved four minutes after the break. With John Main, Lee West and Mike Dean.

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Tuesday 10th September 2024

Northern Premier League Division 1 Midlands

Loughborough Students 5

Marcus Gilipin 12, Quinton Zowani Dlodlo 44, 78, 86, Josh Strouts 58,

Rugby Town 1

David Kolodynski 72,

Referee: Brandon Scaife.                                     Attendance: 186

Admission: OMGDS £5.00 (£8).                       Programme: ON LINE

Another visit to the Holywell Sports Complex at Loughborough University. It is a majestically impressive stadium, but the students are finding the step up to the NPL difficult to adjust to, with three defeats from their four league games. Until tonight, that is. Rugby were cut to ribbons by some swift and incisive counter attacking from the hosts in a fine game of flowing football and if they keep this up, their position in the league will be secured! With John Main.

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Wednesday 111th September 2024

United Counties League Premier Division South

Rugby Borough 1

Cyrus Bruce 64,

Lutterworth Town 2

Louis Samuels 82, Abdul Summon 86,

Referee: Ali Cera. Official                          Attendance: 156

Admission: OMGDS £4.00 (£7).             Programme: £2.00

Ten years ago, there was very little on this site, now, it is virtually impossible to get a parking place, even on the vastly enlarged car park. All the clubs pitches are in full use late into the evening in what seems to be a highly profitable enterprise. The first team had a chance to go top of the league this evening and they blew it. After an hour’s dour struggle, the hosts took the lead, then had a player sin-binned for an over enthusiastic conversation with the referee. During his period off the pitch the visitors struck twice and claimed the victory!

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Isle of Man

We – John Main and I – boarded the ferry from Liverpool on Friday 13th September for the three hour crossing to Douglas on The Isle of Man. Whilst the primary object of the list was the football matches, it would be churlish not to include some of the island’s attractions.

The Liver Birds

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The Isle of Man Steam Packet Company entrance

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A small castle (folly?) in the bay off the beach at Douglas

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The horse drawn tram

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The magnificent sweep of Douglas Bay

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One of the electric trams

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Saturday 14th September 2024

Isle of Man League Premier Division

Onchan 0

Josh Kennedy s/o 44,

Peel AFC 5

Ben Woodbridge 4, Tomas Brown 37, 81, Rhys Oates 45, Daniel Pickering 89,

Referee: Peter Greenhill.                       Attendance: 57

Admission: F.O.C. Programme:           NONE

A morning spent on horse drawn and electric trams to Laxey and its giant wheel and then onto Nivision Park for this fixture at a stock car racing venue. Onchan (pronounced”Onkan”) are newly promoted to the premier division, but they were no match for their seasoned premier division rivals from Peel on the other side of the island. They were three goals and a man dismissed by the interval. The only question is how did the visitors only managed two second half strikes? With John Main.

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The Laxey Wheel, viewed from the station at Laxey

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The Manx Electric Railway to Laxey

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The excellent horse drawn tram on Douglas Bay.

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Saturday 14th September 2024 k.o.: 6.00pm

North-West Counties League Premier Division

FC Isle of Man 2

Stephen Whitley 4 (pen), 20,

Cheadle Town 0

Referee: Sam Leonard.                                 Attendance: 795

Admission: Hospitality£90 included return ferry from Liverpool, burger & chips, a beer and a programme and team sheet. Programme: included (£2)

The King George V Bowl is the IoM’s national stadium built recently for the “Island Games”. It is nominally an all seater stadium, but there was a lot of standing this evening and with only half the ground covered, lots of empty spaces in the rain! The game was pretty ordinary. Two first half goals and a sending off for the home manager (a technical offence – delaying the restart of play). In the second half, the away team manager was booked, but not much else happened. With John Main.

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Sunday 15th September 2024

Isle of Man Women’s League

Peel AFC Women 16

Becky Cole 6, 36, 51, 54, Lisa Contain 12, 20, 35, 39, Jenny Metcalfe 18, 23, 24, 63, Diniella Bethridge 31, Lucy O’Connor 58, Emma Gale 60, Aimmee Dentith (og) 78

Onchan Ladies 0

Referee: Sam Palmer.                                   Attendance: 31

Admission: F.O.C.                                         Programme: NONE

Peel, on the west side of the island is the third largest town, with a population of 5,700. There is a castle and a lifeboat station and a football ground full of character and quaintly appointed just outside the town. Today’s encounter in the island’s women’s league was a huge mismatch. The opposition were demolished, but the defeat should have been much greater. Friendly welcome and plenty of enthusiastic effort, but only one team in it, really.

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The castle at Peel

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