Welcome to my blog that concentrates on my love of sports grounds, from the new stadia like the Millennium to the quant non league grounds of rural Engalnd. Thank you Arcibald Leitch!
Tuesday 23 April 2024
In the box
Saturday 20 April 2024
Surprise win
Saturday 20 April 2024, East Harling 3 Norwich CEYMS 2 - Anglian Combination, Premier Division, East Harling Memorial Field
East Harling are bottom of the table but somehow after 44 minutes they found themselves two up! Norwich got back on terms and looked the team more likely to win the game but East Harling never gave up and got a cracking winner in injury time.
Friday 19 April 2024
Mountain views
17 April 2024, CPD Llanuwchllyn 0 Dolgellau AA FC 2 - Ardal North East, Cae Gwalia
My annual walking trip to Wales allowed me to catch yet another Welsh non-league game, and another venue with cracking mountain views. a Welsh speaking village, however I was made very welcome and watched a surprising away win.
Saturday 13 April 2024
Wednesday 10 April 2024
Going to the wire
Tuesday 9 April 2024
Windy game
Very windy Bent Lane, but it did help keep the rain off, An entertaining game and one the players still managed to play some good football, even with the strong wind.
Ipswich dominated the first half and were 3-0 up after 23 minutes but after some sloppy play, Burnley got one back before the break.
The visitors then had a player sent off after 47 minutes and it was game over, only surprise was that Ipswich only added one further goal.
Monday 8 April 2024
Sunny for a change
Colchester hit the post twice in the second half but in the last 10 minutes of the game Birmingham stepped up the pace and were awarded a penalty after 85 minutes but a poor kick was easily saved, so a point for each team.
Tuesday 2 April 2024
At least the sun came out.
Entertaining game at Bent Lane and for once it was both dry and sunny!
Ipswich started on top and took the lead after 28 minutes and added a second 4 minutes later. Millwall then got back into the game after the Ipswich keeper was caught off his line and lobbed.
Second half saw Ipswich miss numerous chances but they did add a third in the 58th minute.
Ipswich had a young side out with a number of schoolboys playing and all the subs also being school kids. Guess with Millwall it was a similar aged team.
Monday 1 April 2024
Does it get any better?
Saturday 30 March 2024
Goals aplenty
Hard ground to find as postcode took me up some cul de sac, but found it in the end, very basic ground, small car park, hard standing on two sides, clubhouse (hot drinks and beer but no hot food) and a small seated stand.
After all the recent rain, the pitch played well and helped produce an entertaining game. Hardly a foul in the game, but when he was needed the ref stepped in and sorted out any issues quickly.
Forest Row went ahead after 13 minutes and doubled their advantage after 24 minutes. Mile Oak pulled one back after 39 minutes.
Second half saw more goals, the host were slightly lucky with one as their 5th goal should have been disallowed for offside, but who can complain about 9 goals in the game.
Wednesday 27 March 2024
Barry Fry- the film! Plus a Felixstowe cup upset
Tuesday 26 March 2024, Peterborough United U21 2 Ipswich Town U21 1 - Professional Development League, Peterborough Utd Training ground
Barry Fry was watching and being followed by a camera crew, as they seem to making a documentary about him!!
Then home and:
Felixstowe and Walton United 2 Leiston 1 - Suffolk Premier Cup, Semi Final, Humber Doucy Lane (Ipswich Wanderers)
A poor game football wise, played in constant heavy rain. Leiston who play a step higher than Felixstowe, took a first half lead and seemed in control and looked like they could step up a level, however in the second half Felixstowe started to dominate and got themselves in front, Leiston did not seem to have a Plan 'B' and no real sense of urgency, game got niggly with one Leiston player getting a late red card whilst 8 other players saw yellow. But Felixstowe saw the game out to make their way to the final.
Saturday 23 March 2024
Natasha Thomas show
Tuesday 19 March 2024
At least it was free
Stiffs at Portman Road
Saturday 16 March 2024
Best display of the season ... so far!
Tuesday 12 March 2024
Winning in the rain
Saturday 9 March 2024
At least the second half was better!
Wednesday 6 March 2024
Poor display at times, but great night
Monday 4 March 2024
Local side dominate
Monday 4 March 2024, Trimley Red Devils 6 East Bergholt United 0 - Suffolk Senior Cup, Semi-final @Felixstowe and Walton United
Local football watches had informed me that Trimley had been the pick of the local league, one of the best teams in a weak Suffolk Ipswich League and they started as if they were in a hurry to get this game over and done with.
Second half started and again Trimley dominated but this time they kept the pressure on and got the goals there play deserved, they scored at regular intervals and added the last in injury time after the Bergholt just managed to keep out a back pass/deflection only for the ball to fall at the feet of a Trimley player.
Wednesday 28 February 2024
East Anglian Double
1pm
Colchester United Under 18 2 Charlton athletic Under 18 4
Professional Development League
Florence Park (Col Utd Training Ground)
Played on pitch furthest from office block- so a boggy walk to pitch, pitch fully railed and portable dug outs on far side. Plenty of chances in first 5 minutes for both sides so expected plenty of goals but we only got one in the first half with the hosts going in front after 34 minutes.
Second half did see plenty of goals with Charlton getting back on terms after 48 minutes then going in front after 64, only to be pegged back to 2-2 after 77 minutes. However Charlton were now dominating and went back in front after 82 minutes and added a 4th in injury time.
7.45pm
Ipswich Wanderers 2 Lowestoft Town 1
Isthmian League, North Division
Humber Doucy Lane
Big crowd for the Suffolk derby match - Lowestoft were sitting at the top of the division, whilst Wanderers have struggled in their first season at this level. First half was a close contest without either team looking close to scoring, with the visitors having most of the ball. Not sure anyone was expecting what happened in the second half.
Within a minute of kick off Wanderers had taken the lead and then added a second 3 minutes later- no need for the Trawlermen to panic, with 40 minutes left to get back in the game. Wanderers left Blake up front but everyone else was now back and Lowestoft laid siege to the Wanderers goal. But the home team held on and it was not till the 79th minute did they get a goal back, but they could not get the second, so a shock win for Wanderers and one that would have pleased their closest rivals, Felixstowe, who sit second in the Division. Ipswich Town now have a policy of loaning out as many of their U18 and U21 players as possible to local teams, and the very young Ipswich Town keeper, Danny Cullum was man of the match for the Wanderers.
Monday 26 February 2024
Windy Essex
He was wrong! Thought Colchester would struggle with the wind in their faces in the second half but in fact they came closer to scoring that Cardiff but the game ended up with a comfortable win for United.
Sunday 25 February 2024
A short trip to Croatia to catch the Dinamo Zagreb - European Conference League Play-Off game but managed a bonus game.
National U19 League
G3 Pitch- next to Stadion Sv, Josip Radnik
Attendance: 152 h/c (Official attendance on website of 50)
Arrived at the game with 45 minutes to spare and spotted the U17 game between the same teams, disappointingly it was on a G3 pitch behind one of the goals, the U19 game was also on the same pitch , a small open stand was on side of pitch, with a few benches behind one corner flag, however the game could also be watched from the left hand side of the main stand.
Lokomotiva dominated the game but were only one up at half time, they went 2-0 up after 65 minutes then it was all about penalty kicks, The home team missed one after 72 minutes, then they scored from teh spot after 75 minutes then Lokomotiva missed a penalty after 77 minutes. Good sized crowd for an entertaining game.
As I went to catch my tram to the ground, it happened to be the same time as 300 Betis fans were being escorted to the tram to get to the ground, so jumped on the same tram.
Dinamo Zagreb 1 Real Betis 1
European Conference League, play-off
Stadion Makismir
Admission: 20 Euros, print at home
Ground - what can you say, Croatian FA have done well financially from FIFA and UEFA from runs in the World Cup, but other than the outside façade, nothing seems to have been spent on the ground. All stands in the open, concrete in poor condition and one stand still closed after an earthquake. However, still a great atmosphere and with a (rare) full house it was even better.
Zagreb had shocked many by winning at Betis and they were on top in the first half but it was the visitors who took the lead after 38 minutes.
Many thought that the Spanish team would now show their class, however Zagreb kept pressing and got back on terms after 59 minutes and saw the game out quite easy, they even had a penalty awarded but turned down after a VAR check.
Got to the tram stop quickly after the game, but a long wait still as the roads were closed till all fans had left the stadium.
Great city and two good games.