Todays match is Old Southendians versus Castle United at Warners Bridge
Park in the Olympian League Division 2.
With a National League 2 Rugby match being played plus Hockey as well
as Football parking was at a premium today.
Fortunately, on this sunny day I had taken the motorbike so didn't have
issues parking.
To reach Old Southendians (OS) social club you climb stairs where a
large clubhouse awaits complete with verandah.
There are 2 football pitches which back onto each other.
The Senior pitch is roped off with a few advertising hoardings. There
is a slight bit of banking behind the nearside goal. With the teams in
second and third pace in the league, both chasing for promotion this
looked on paper an interesting match. Sadly, however, in truth OS dominated the match from start to finish and won the match 4 - 0.
Goals came from Sheikh,Woodman,Warrington and McHugh.
Final score 4 - 0
Attendance 25
Programme good
Food and drink available in clubhouse.
Wednesday, 28 March 2012
Langford versus Ampthill Town
Today I am at Langford versus Ampthill Town at Forde Park in the South
Midlands Division 1.
There are times when my enthusiasm for my hobby wanes particularly as I
am always the neutral fan at the matches I attend.
There are times like tonight though, that completely rejuvenate me.
Forde Park is situated between Langford and Henlow in a countrified
setting. There is a large car park outside the ground and a large
surrounding field of mostly flat standing inside the ground.
The clubhouse is opposite the pay box. On the left hand side of the
pitch is a small stand, 2 dug outs and a small terrace.
The rest of the ground is fixed rail.
The ground is set amongst Fir Trees.
Ampthill start the match in second place in the league, but both sides
were out for a win in this highly entertaining match.
Langford struck first after 5 minutes through Moulton from a corner.
The visitors equalised on 20 minutes through a Lester volley.
Half - time 1-1
Peters volleyed home on 60 minutes for Langford and Garrett put the
homesters 3-1 up on 71 minutes.
As I said earlier an excellent game with the birds singing in the
background and the smell of the countryside, Spring has truly sprung!
Final score 3 - 1
Attendance 76
Complementary programme good
Food and drinks available in club house.
Midlands Division 1.
There are times when my enthusiasm for my hobby wanes particularly as I
am always the neutral fan at the matches I attend.
There are times like tonight though, that completely rejuvenate me.
Forde Park is situated between Langford and Henlow in a countrified
setting. There is a large car park outside the ground and a large
surrounding field of mostly flat standing inside the ground.
The clubhouse is opposite the pay box. On the left hand side of the
pitch is a small stand, 2 dug outs and a small terrace.
The rest of the ground is fixed rail.
The ground is set amongst Fir Trees.
Ampthill start the match in second place in the league, but both sides
were out for a win in this highly entertaining match.
Langford struck first after 5 minutes through Moulton from a corner.
The visitors equalised on 20 minutes through a Lester volley.
Half - time 1-1
Peters volleyed home on 60 minutes for Langford and Garrett put the
homesters 3-1 up on 71 minutes.
As I said earlier an excellent game with the birds singing in the
background and the smell of the countryside, Spring has truly sprung!
Final score 3 - 1
Attendance 76
Complementary programme good
Food and drinks available in club house.
Welcome to Paradise!
Today I am at Writtle versus Debden Sports at the Paradise Playing
Fields, in the Olympian League Division 3.
At the end of Paradise road lies the car park clubhouse and football
pitch of Writtle Football Club.
The pitch is fully roped off, the clubhouse unfortunately shut on this
damp day.
Writtle will be glad to see the back of this season, lying bottom of
the 3rd division as they are.
The last time I watched them play they turned up with 10 players only.
This time they started with 11 but ended up with 9.
To their credit, they never stopped battling, even when down to 9
players. Matt Crick scored their lone goal from a twice taken free kick
to bring the score to 2-1.
Half-time score 1-3
In the end Debden ran out 5-1 winners, 2 of their goals coming from
penalties.
Matt Dodd scoring 4 goals and a goal from Dave Limber.
For the first 15 minutes, I was the lone spectator, however, the crowd
had swelled at one time to 5 and 1 dog!
For the final 15 minutes I was, back on my own again as they didn't
have my staying power!
Final score 1-5
Average attendance (see above) 3
No programme
No drinks or food.
Fields, in the Olympian League Division 3.
At the end of Paradise road lies the car park clubhouse and football
pitch of Writtle Football Club.
The pitch is fully roped off, the clubhouse unfortunately shut on this
damp day.
Writtle will be glad to see the back of this season, lying bottom of
the 3rd division as they are.
The last time I watched them play they turned up with 10 players only.
This time they started with 11 but ended up with 9.
To their credit, they never stopped battling, even when down to 9
players. Matt Crick scored their lone goal from a twice taken free kick
to bring the score to 2-1.
Half-time score 1-3
In the end Debden ran out 5-1 winners, 2 of their goals coming from
penalties.
Matt Dodd scoring 4 goals and a goal from Dave Limber.
For the first 15 minutes, I was the lone spectator, however, the crowd
had swelled at one time to 5 and 1 dog!
For the final 15 minutes I was, back on my own again as they didn't
have my staying power!
Final score 1-5
Average attendance (see above) 3
No programme
No drinks or food.
Friday, 16 March 2012
St. Margaretsbury V Haringey Borough
Today I am at St. Margaretsbury V Haringey Borough at Station Road
in the South Midlands Premier league.
I nearly missed the ground as it is set in total darkness up a lane.
Only distant training lights lured me up to investigate and lo and
behold I find the ground by a fluke.
On entering the ground, there is a makeshift covered stand and terrace
set atop of grass banking.
Also situated here is a food and tea bar. The other three sides are
railed off with hard standing with a river or canal running close to
the ground.
This entertaining game, was played at a very fast pace in the first
half.
'Bury' were 2 goals down in 15 minutes as they failed to deal with the
long ball over the top.
Darrell Cox was the scorer of both goals for Haringey.
Leigh Rose got a goal back for 'Bury' after some slick interchanging
moves.
Half Time 1 - 2
Haringey were defending for most of the second half and had a player
sent off for committing 2 bookable offences.
9 bookings altogether made this a hot tempered match.
Final score 1 - 2
Attendance 22
Programme free with admittance - very good
Food and drinks available
Final Note: The pre-match and half time country and western music was
the most depressing I have ever heard at a football match.
in the South Midlands Premier league.
I nearly missed the ground as it is set in total darkness up a lane.
Only distant training lights lured me up to investigate and lo and
behold I find the ground by a fluke.
On entering the ground, there is a makeshift covered stand and terrace
set atop of grass banking.
Also situated here is a food and tea bar. The other three sides are
railed off with hard standing with a river or canal running close to
the ground.
This entertaining game, was played at a very fast pace in the first
half.
'Bury' were 2 goals down in 15 minutes as they failed to deal with the
long ball over the top.
Darrell Cox was the scorer of both goals for Haringey.
Leigh Rose got a goal back for 'Bury' after some slick interchanging
moves.
Half Time 1 - 2
Haringey were defending for most of the second half and had a player
sent off for committing 2 bookable offences.
9 bookings altogether made this a hot tempered match.
Final score 1 - 2
Attendance 22
Programme free with admittance - very good
Food and drinks available
Final Note: The pre-match and half time country and western music was
the most depressing I have ever heard at a football match.
Tuesday, 13 March 2012
Hyde v Fc Halifax Town
Today I am at Hyde v Fc Halifax Town at the Ewan Fields in the Conference North.
A ground I have long held in esteem as I have always wanted to visit and it didnt disappoint me.
There is cover on all sides with a unique Main Stand. The ground is situated amongst terrace housing as all traditional football grounds should be in my opinion.
There are views of the Pennines as an attribute to the ground which is full of character.
James Dean opened the scoring early in the first half for the 'Shaymen' (Halifax).
Half time 0 - 1
Hyde equalised moments into the second half when a defensive mix-up left Chris Worsley unmarked at the back post to power in a header.
Full time 1 - 1
Hyde have now a 10 point lead at the top of the table.
Halifax had brought a large contingency of fans to the match a few of whom were out to make trouble and attacked Hyde's supporters
after kicking down ground barriers. At half time secuirty police arrived armed with Tazers, such was the seriousness of the fracas.
Attendance 1,364
Programme dotted with spelling errors and mistakes
Clubhouse closed due to crowd trouble.
Forest Glade V Roydon
Today my visit is to Forest Glade V Roydon at the Springhouse ground, Corringham in the Essex Olympian League Division 2.
A visit to Corringham would only be recommended if you lived or worked there or were visiting friends or relatives.
The shopping centre was built in the sixties with the proverbial Betting Shop, Morrisons, a drab looking pub and some 'cheapie' shops.
On the opposite side of the road is the Springhouse Club, behind which
Forest Glade play their matches.
Forest Glade play their matches.
The interior of the club is spacious, the staff friendly and a cooked meal is available if required.
The football pitch is partially roped off and with little else to talk about, quite non-discript as pitches go.
Last week, Forest Glade failed to raise a team for their match. This week, however, they were more successful and managed to furnish a side.
Roydon looked the better side in the first half and were leading 2-1 at half time. The second scored just a minute before the half time break but it was Forest Glade's lone strike that was the most memorable of the day scored by Jack Davidson from an acute angle.
Half Time score 1-2
Early in the second half, Roydon got a third goal and from then on it was 'game over'!
Final score was 1-4
Roydon's goals - a brace from Steve Banks and one each from Evan Coleman and Martin O'Rourke.
Final Score 1-4
Attendance 4
No programme
Food available
Sunday, 4 March 2012
Leigh Ramblers V Springfield
Today I am at Leigh Ramblers V Springfield at Belfairs Park in the Essex Olympian League Division 2.
On an almost Spring like morning, I got the motorbike out to give it its first airing of the year and head for Leigh-on-Sea.
The football ground here is one side of the riad while on the other side Belfairs Park continues with stables, bowling green and 18 hole golf course.
This is by far the biggest park in the Southend area.
At the football pitch the changing rooms are situated behind the nearside goal with a large club house above the changing rooms including a verandah so spectators have a choice between keeping up with the scores indoors or watching the match outside.
The pitch is roped off and well maintained.
The match was played at a fast pace, table-topping Springfield had lost their last 2 matches so could not afford any more hiccups. However, they went a goal down early on in the match but pulled level by half-time.
Half-time score 1-1.
In the second half, the 'Ramblers' increased their lead, but Springfield equalised towards the end of the match, making the score a fair result of a draw.
Full time score 2-2.
Attendance 26
No programme
Drinks available in club house.
Ramsden v Chingford Athletic
Today I am at Ramsden v Chingford Athletic at the Nursery Sports Ground in the Essex Olympian League Division 3.
Another out of the way place, Ramsden Heath lies amongst country roads between West Hanningfield and the village of Stock. The village is larger than expected and the Nursery Ground has ample parking and Tennis Courts facing the car park.
The pitch is fully railed off, the dug-outs however, are on the spectators side
of the railing.
Ramsden started the match with great gusto and were a goal up in the first
/minute of the match.
As the wind started to get up, Ramsden scored a second.It then started to
rain and Chingford opened their account minutes before half-time.
Half-time 2-1
With the rain continuing
in the second half, Chingford equalised then went 3-2 ahead and then 4-2.
Ramsden were awarded a late penalty which was saved but minutes later scored to make it 4-3, which led to a tense finish.
Final score Ramsden 3 Chingford 4.
Attendance, first half 8 second half 4
No programme
Complimentary tea at half-time.
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