Goal fest

Tuesday 2 September 2025, Stony Stratford Town 5 Caddington 1 - Spartan South Midlands Lge, Div 2, Ostler's Lane

An entertaining game with two mainly young teams, who both wanted to play football, game far closer than the final score suggests.

The home team were two up within 7  minutes, however Caddington came back into the game and got a goal back just after the half hour and looked the stronger team as the half ended.

Second half was even then a number of subs were made and that seemed to give the home team a boost as they added a third after 57 minutes then were awarded a penalty on 70 minutes, Caddington keeper saved it but the Stony forward put in the rebound, a 5th goal was added in the 88th minute.

Ground is good for this level, fully railed, hard standing on 3 sides, concrete dug outs and a small stand with terracing and a few odd seats. Tea bar also open, the ground is approached via the cricket club.

Club is based in small village on edge of Milton Keynes .

No football to be played

Saturday 30 August 2025, Ipswich Town 2 Derby County 2 - Championship, Portman Road

Birmingham, now Derby - we are ending up with a league full of teams who just do not want to play football -  and that is no football at all! their aim to have the ball in play as little time as possible. The Refn had a nightmare, but one thing he did get right was the amount of time added on for all the Derby time wasting/cheating and at the end of that injury time we got an equaliser.

We do need to find a way to keep the ball in play and destroy these teams - and we need to find that way fast.

Two games, 12 goals

Tuesday 26 August 2025, Colchester United Under 21s 3 Coventry City Under 21s 2, Professional Development League, Florence Park

1pm - but kicked off closer to 1.20pm

Colchester back at their training ground after a couple of seasons at Maldon. Played on pitch closest to Changing room/office block, surprised no dug outs for teams ( and it rained,) also spectator area very cramped.

Coventry arrived late so game kicked off 15 minutes late with Coventry having little time to warm up, Colchester took advantage of this and were one up after 8 minutes and had numerous other chances but Coventry grew into the game and went in at the break 2-1 up after goals in the 21st and 29th minute. Second half saw Colchester take charge and equalised with the best goal of the game on 52 minutes, an acrobatic effort by Kaion Lisbie ( son of former Col Utd player, Kevin). Colchester then got a winner after 62 minutes, making it 3 wins out of 3 so far this season. Good to meet the author of 'European Football's Greatest Grounds' so second half was spent taking about Moldova, Serbia and Argentina!

Then off to Cambridge

Hardwick 7 Orwell 0, Cambridgeshire County League, The Recreation Ground

6.15pm

Small public recreation ground in a small village north west of Cambridge, seemed to be mainly a modern housing development. Small car park but plenty of on street parking either side of the Rec. The surprise was to find a large club house/community centre with a full bar and in the car park a 'posh' burger van - both doing good business. The pitch was roped off on both sides.

Hardwick were far the better team and took the lead on 20 minutes, with a header from a corner. Orwell had a few chances but Hardwick should have been at least 2 or 3 goals up at the break.

Second half was still mainly Hardwick and the goals started to flow from the 65th minute as Orwell tired and their offside trap failed numerous times - with goals on 65, 66, 68, 77, 88 and 89 minutes.

Surrey Double

Monday 25 August 2025, Cobham 5 Guilford City 2 - Combined Counties League, Premier Division, South- Reg Madgwick Stadium

Our morning Bank Holiday game was close to M25 and also the Chelsea Training Ground, the stadium is situated down a small lane that is part of a public park, the G3 pitch and small kit built stands means that Cobham seem to always having some one else share with them, which helps pay the bills, currently they have another club sharing for the whole of the season and another club sharing for the first few months of the season.

Small clubhouse but a full bar and catering service in operation.

Football wise, Cobham totally dominated the first half, three up after 27 minutes and this forced Guilford to sub both full backs after just 32 minutes!

Cobham added a 4th 58 minutes and was expecting this to be an easy win but Guilford had also now subbed two forwards and this made a big difference as they pulled a goal back after 60 minutes and then another goal back on 63 minutes, It was now Cobham who were hanging on as Guilford seemed to be full of running, however on 86 minutes, Cobham scored again and that was it, a very entertaining game with a second half that no one would have expected after the first half display by Guilford.

It was then the short drive down the A3 to our second game in Woking.

Westfield 1 South Park Reigate 0 - Isthmian League, South Central Division, Woking Park

Obvious a game was on by the number of cars in the  car park and fans with shorts on and scarfs showing but that was not for our game, but for Woking who were playing York City the other side of the road, It seemed at first that very few people were going to see our game, a ground that was hard to find as it is hidden behind the sports centre. In the end just under a hundred turned up to see the visitors dominate most of the play only for the home team to score just after the hour, to scrape home with all the points.

Not croquet

Saturday 23 August 2025 - Winslow United 6 New Bradwell St Peter 0 - FA Vase, 1st Qualifying Round, Elmfields Gate

Easy win for the home team, who dominated from the start, and they scored some great goals both team goals and a cracking individual goal from distance.

Ground is very open, with a cricket field one side and a croquet green the other! Game could easily be watched from the public Park next door.

Two small stands, one seated and one standing plus a small club house mean the ground is great for this level but may struggle if they get promoted.

Rub of the (village) Green

Tuesday 19 August, Great Bentley 4 AFC Pegasus 0 - Essex and Suffolk Border League, Premier Division

An early opportunity to recomplete my second closest Step 7 league, small village. south east of Colchester. Very large village green, dissected by at least two roads. Two pitches, the one used by Great Bentley and one closer to the cricket pavilion/square. The pitch was roped off on one side (but you could watch, from all 4 sides) and two small tent like dug outs. Plenty of parking on the Green, the club house and changing room block were on the other side of the road, club house small but had a good bar and a friendly welcome.

Football wise, Great Bentley dominated from the start and soon found themselves in front after 10 minutes, adding a second after 34 minutes (whilst Pegasus were down to 10 men after one of their players ended up in the sin bin). A third goal was added in first half injury time.

It could have been much more than 3, with Great Bentley creating a number of good chances, whilst Pegasus offered very little.

Great Bentley added a 4th goal at the start of the second half and the only real surprise was that the home team could not add any further goals, in fact Pegasus had more of the ball in the last 20 minutes than they did in the first 70 minutes. 

Still looking for a home win

Sunday 17 August 2025, Ipswich Town 1 Southampton 1 - Championship, Portman Road

Better display but still looking for a home win!