Slingo

Saturday 31 March 2018, Glebe 0 Chatham Town 2 - Foxbury Avenue, Southern Counties East, Premier Division

SLINGO! I did not know what it meant, but it was on the home team shirts! Google tells me it is an on-line bingo company!

Not sure about bingo but the last few weeks choosing a football game has been a lottery with all the snow and rain but today heard the game was on and when we arrived the sun came out!!

A modern ground, cracking clubhouse but the best bit was the pitch, a slight slope but a surface that drains well as you would not even have noticed we have had heavy rain recently.

Both teams can play football but they would rather argue and moan at the ref, the match officials did well to keep the game under control but a number of yellow cards were shown. Chatham won but just think how good the game could have been if both teams could learn to keep their mouths shut!

Rain and then more rain!

Friday 30 March 2018, Dunstable Town 0 Slough Town 3 - Creasey Park, Southern League, Premier Division

Both clubs, teams and the ref deserve a big round of applause - one, for starting the game and then secondly finishing it!

Conditions were bad but the pitch played quite well, the tackles were hard but players kept their heads and did not use the conditions as an excuse for bad tackles.

Slough were cruising at half time, 2-0 up and their keeper having little to do, Dunstable improved in the second half with their young subs making a difference. They even almost scored! But it was Slough who finished the stronger and got a third goal in the last minute.

Ground is modern and probably OK on a dry day but little cover which was needed today with all the rain, and the food was OK but not worth the 30 minute queue to get served!

Most boring semi-final ever

Tuesday 27 March 2018, Tooting & Mitcham United 0 Cray Valley PM 2 - Imperial Fields, London Senior Cup, semi-final

Nice grounds, cracking stand, friendly fans, good programme, a club with history - all good so far then the game kicked off! Boring, little skill and most of those present worried we may have an extra 30 minutes of boredom.

But step up ex Orient (and Ipswich and Colchester) player, Kevin Lisbie - with two bits of class - but even they will be forgotten but maybe not as quick as the other 88 minutes of the game.

 

 

Not a bad game of football but the stand steals the show

Saturday 24 March 2018, Wingate and Finchley 2 Tonbridge Angels 1 - Bostik Premier, Maurice Rebak Stadium

The main thing I want when going to a game, is to see good football with a at least a couple of bits of outstanding class. This game gave me all that, both teams playing good football, both wanting to pass the ball and both the Wingate goals were outstanding, but what stood out today was the ground - the main stand and mix that up with a great football game plus the history of the clubs Jewish roots then your left with a day to remember.

The game was great and after it I was surprised how poorly Wingate had been playing over the last 4 weeks, they were hanging on at the end and Tonbridge did improve in the second half when they had the slope with them but in the end Wingate did deserve the win.

But to visit here and get the full benefit of the day you need to k now the history of the club, of its Jewish roots, of mergers and moves, success and failure. Whilst currently my own political party struggles with its connection to the Jewish community, here you still have an example of the Jewish community being such an integral part of the whole area.

When you arrive you are met by the youngest turnstile operators around, guess they are junior players with the club, then your met with two senior citizen fans, jacket and tie on, selling the draw tickets. This is a club that ahs dedicated supporters plus a youth set up that is one of the best in North London - but unfortunately, crowds of just over 100 each week means they do not get the support of local residents they should and deserve to get.

The turnstile block and the gates give you a sense that you are walking into stadium with character, then you see the main stand - it is just magnificent and to top it off, an almost matching stand is built on the back of it, for sue by the neighbouring rugby club. It is slightly more ramshackle but does have similarities to its North London rivals ground at Enfield.

The rugby stand

 

So get yourself on the North Circular and visit this lovely club, learn its history ( I for one, thought Wingate was some part of North London suburbia not knowing the club took its name from General Orde Wingate) and just stand and stare at this fabulous example of a footballs stand.

Still have great away support

Tuesday 20 March 2018, Sawbridgeworth Town 4 Clapton 0 - Essex Senior League, Crofters

Two down within the first few minutes, and the home side missed a penalty but that did not stop the Clapton fans turning up and supporting their players throughout the game. This club could go so far if they could sort out the mess that is the owning/running/managing of this club.


If you get a chance to see them away, take it - the fans may be boycotting home games but their attendance at away games always make it an event you will not forget.

Football survives the mini Beast of the East

Saturday 17 March 2018, Felixstowe and Walton Utd 1 Newmarket Town 2 - Dellwood Avenue, Thurlow Nunn, Premier Division

I like going to Felixstowe, know a number of their fans, easy trip and it is even better now with a cracking new clubhouse, good catering and the team are top of the table - but I am not sure I will go again!

First, it was bloody cold, as mini Beast of the East hit East Anglia. The club are organised and that showed as the pitch was in good condition, an early pitch inspection and blue lines painted - only fault was a white not yellow match ball.

But the main reason I may not go again is that I am not sure I will be made welcome, I just seem to be a jinx - seen the home team play 3 times this year and twice they have been defeated and in the third game they were lucky to win.

So it is not the 'mockney's' in the bar who are putting me off it is I do not want to upset my mates, and jinx another Felixstowe game and in doing so hand the title to an Essex team.

Toxic

Tuesday 13 March 2018, Ipswich Town 0 Hull City 3 - Championship, Portman Road

Not a nice place to be tonight

Sub the sub

Saturday 10 March 2018, Ipswich Town 0 Sheffield United 0 - Championship, Portman Road

Even if we had played all night not sure we would have scored - Mick even substituted the sub, but even that could not improve our chances of scoring.

Rain did not stop play

Friday 9 March 2018, Deeping Rangers 0 Yaxley 1 - United Counties Premier Division, Outgang Road

I have always liked visiting United Counties league games, not that far but I like comparing it with my own local Ste5 and 6 league- Eastern Counties League. I have found the overall standard of football to be higher in the ECL and the clubs on average better supported.

Some of the UCL clubs have little support and the standard of football is not great but that is not the case at the top of the UCL, and this game certainly had plenty of skill, competitive and a good crowd - even if it did not stop raining the whole game. Big thanks must go to the ground staff at Deeping who had the pitch is such a good condition even with the heavy rain.

This was a top of the table clash and both teams were up for the game, but even with the rain, mud and the tension of the game, it was not a dirty game thanked also by some good officiating. Yaxley started like a house on fire and went ahead through Sparrow their winger who had impressed throughout the half, giving the Deeping left back a hard time every time he got the ball.

Expected the same second half but Yaxley seemed happy to sit back and Deeping had most of the possession but even with the amount of time on the ball they had, they did not threaten the Yaxley goal.

Yaxley ended up winning and inflicting the first home defeat on Deeping for over 12 months, both teams will be in the mix for promotion at the end of the season. Great advert for non-league football. Also good to see such a big crowd (225), I am sure it would have been closer to 400 if the rain had not arrived. Would like to see more teams try Friday night football, the amount of Peterborough fans at the game does indicate it is worth trying.