UK Groundhop debut

Sunday 28 July 2019

Cogenhoe United 0 Loughborough University 1 - Compton Park, UCL Premier Division

Irchester United 3 Wellingborough Whitworths 3 - Alfred Street, UCL Division One

Whittlesey Athletic 1 Huntungdon Town 2 - Feldale Field, UCL Division One

My first UK groundhop - and I enjoyed it - OK, the rain made it not the best day to watch football but that was just a glitch.

3 good games - all very different, the first saw a good half of football with both teams attempting to pass the ball and once at full strength, Loughborough will cause a number of teams a problem.

Game 2, was a typical local derby, some good football, some poor football, strong tackles and  a cracking equaliser in a high scoring game.

The last game did not see much good football other than again a cracking final goal but this was about a young club finding their feet in a higher division, a club where it was the volunteers and helpers who were rightfully in the limelight not the players.

Then we had the 'groundhoppers' many I knew,. some from Romania and Serbia but others I have seen at games all over the country but they are/ we are a strange lot - those who must have a programme or/and a badge, the rush to get the teams written down and then the bit I do not understand the large number who do not even seem to watch the game, but will I go gain - simple answer, yes!

Hard lessons

Tuesday 23 July 2019, Felixstowe and Walton United 1 Ipswich Town Under 18s 1 - PSF, Dellwood Avenue

Early goal for a young and inexperienced team and an equaliser from an ex Academy player then we had some bad tackles, shoving and pushing - but Ipswich stood up to the bullying well and in the second half it was a young Ipswich sub who got his marching orders for 2 yellow cards.

Decent crowd at the seaside for what might be  a hard season for Felixstowe.

New hero

Friday 19 July 2018, Colchester United 0 Ipswich Town 5 - PSF, Jobserve Community Stadium

The Colchester programme was asking who would be the new Hero in the Essex town from their new arrivals, not sure they spotted one last night but Ipswich seem to have found one - a hat trick for James Norwood - on his first game for the Town in the UK.

He seemed to me to be a mixture of Waghorn and Garner and I think if we had kept at least one of them last season we would not have gone down.

Only one team bothered!

Wednesday 17 July 2019, Boston United 4 Scunthorpe United 2 - Lincolnshire senior Cup, York Street.

Boston were impressive, fit, strong, good passing, stylish and great team ethos, on the other hand Scunthorpe were poor- disorganised, little effort and going no where, only salvation for the 'Irons' is this was probably just a team of fringe players.

Loved the ground, old school and maybe only here for one more season.

Part time Ref

Saturday 13 July 2019, Coggeshall Town 4 Ipswich Town Under 23s 2 - PSF, West Street

A good competitive game that Coggeshall deserved to win, Ipswich did help them by missing an early penalty.

Ipswich side very young as many of the Under 23 set up area way with the 1st team in Germany.

Both sides decided to play 3 x 30 minute periods and Ipswich also wanted to have rolling subs, so we ended up with two 30 minute periods with 3 match officials then the last 30 minutes saw a member of the Ipswich coaching staff having to take the whistle, two subs had to run the line and they did not even have flags!! Strange way to end the game.

Right way to run a football club

Saturday 6 July 2019, Needham Market Reserves 5 Brantham Athletic Reserves 2 - Pre-season friendly, Bloomfields G3

Some supporters are not fans of G3/G4 pitches, however you cant knock the way Needham have built theirs, they have built it next to the main ground so have kept their grass pitch for the 1st team. They have built a changing room complex with a café, which gives you an elevated view of both grounds.

they have invested heavily in their Academy - both boys and girls and have got ex Pro, Kevin Horlock back to run the academy.

From the game today they have plenty of players, being able to field two separate teams of 11 and some good football was played, thanks to a Brantham team that also want to play the right way.

However not always easy for a club to be run like this, when just up the road their neighbours Stowmarket Town, playing two leagues below them but have a larger playing budget. Stow may get promoted but for me it is clubs like Needham and Sudbury that are going round running  football clubs the right way.