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!
Wednesday, 2 July 2025
Hopper fest
Ground deserves a team
Friday 27 June 2025, Abergavenny Town 1 AFC Llwydcoed 0 - PSF, ICI Rifle Grounds (North)
Impressive set up but no longer a First team to play here as it seems the home team Merthyr Saints have had their 1st team pack up, but still run a junior set up and are hoping another team will move in here.
Large changing room building with clubhouse on top, closed tonight but a burger van was selling teas and burgers. Two pitches- North and South. South has a small bit of cover however North has a a more substantial stand, but closed today even thought it drizzled throughout the game.
Abergavenny got a late winner, however the away team should be pleased with their performance.
Saturday, 31 May 2025
Season over, and even got an ice cream
Saturday 31 May 2025, Beacon Hill Rovers 1 Herongate Athletic 2 - Essex Olympian League, Division One, Wickham Bishops Sports Ground
Another Essex Olympian game watched this month, watched Herongate beat the Champions last week (easily) and today they were the away team. Herongate dominated the first half but unlike last week, they could not convert any of the chances they made, a few headers just went over the bar, keeper made a few good saves and the final cross was poor at times.
Beacon Hill did not offer much but worked hard and were always in the game. Second half was more even but Herongate still lacked the final ball, and it was Beacon Hill who took the lead after 55 minutes, it did look like the forward had pushed the defender but the ref waved the protests away.
This upset the Herongate players and resulted a few minutes later, one ending in the sin bin.
After the good result last week it looked like Herongate would end the season with a defeat but in the first minute of added time they got back on terms and 4 minutes later they got the winner. They had probably been the better team over 90 minutes but I for one thought Beacon Hill deserved at least a point.
Large sports field with the pitch close to the car park, roped off on 2 sides and permanent dug outs, small club house selling beer but a sit was a fun day, we also had a number of bouncy castles, food and ice cream sellers and a tent showing boards marking the history of the Beacon hill club, including a copy of their first ever programme from a cup game v Heybridge Swifts in 1949.
Friday, 30 May 2025
Not a great last day as a Senior Club
Thursday, 29 May 2025
Quality finish
Second half was more scrappy not helped by numerous subs, AFC Kesgrave saw more of the ball in the second half and were the better team for the last 15 minutes of normal time, but Wanderers weathered the storm and had most of the ball in the 6 minutes of injury time ( well 6 minutes added on but Ref ended up allowing 8 minutes of injury time).
Tuesday, 27 May 2025
At least Bungay scored!
Monday 27 May 2025, AFC Sudbury Women 5 Bungay Town Ladies 1 - Suffolk FA, Women's Cup Final, Portman Road
Expected this game to be one sided, and was worried when Sudbury went ahead after just tow minutes that thus game would become a hammering - after 34 minutes it was 4-0 but Bungay kept working and with the keeper making some good saves and the woodwork also helping, no further goals were added in the first half.
Sudbury added a 5th goal in the 50th minute but Bungay had improved defensively and the biggest cheer of the night was in the 75th minute when Bungay got their (well taken) late consolation.
Sunday, 25 May 2025
Bye, bye
Saturday, 24 May 2025
Lost today but Champions
Herongate thought they had a 4th goal in the second half but the Corinthians linesman had seen an infringement, and the Ref took his word for it and disallowed the goal, this led to some ill feeling and some shouting between various players/managers/coaches - and ended up with the Ref ( who had a good game) sending off the Corinthians linesman!
The Corinthians management were not prepared to replace him, but in the end one of the Corinthians supporters took the flag, so at least the game could continue.
I thought we would have more bother but word came through that Harold Hill were also losing so the result would not matter, this seemed to calm things down and in injury time, Corinthians got a consolation with a low driven shot into the corner of the net.
So Corinthians put in a poor display, seemed to be missing numerous players, their first league defeat of the season, but they were still crowned champions, with one game to go.
Like last week at least two Essex Olympian League Officials were present, this time wearing EOFL Logo fleeces, too cold for Polo shirts, but again did not seem to be concerned about the ill discipline of Corinthians, I did stand near them at one stage and they seemed more concerned that they were not given enough free hospitality tickets at a recent cup game! Priorities!!
Saturday, 17 May 2025
No need for it
Second half was still very even, then Corinthians got a penalty, on 57 minutes, but that was well saved, however this did seem to cause Harold Hill to lose their shape and Corinthians got on top and went ahead with a cracking direct free kick on 69 Minutes, scored by their skipper, who many may think was lucky to still be on the pitch.
Corinthians now had full control and added a second goal on 79 minutes, but the game had now got very niggly and there was still time for a Corinthians player to get a red card in injury time.
Game over and Corinthians now just need 2 points from 2 games to win the league , but no time to celebrate as both teams now decoded to have a brawl with one Corinthians player wanting to fight every one.
Even with the skirmishes it was a good football game, and not sure why both teams thought they needed to behave like this, Corinthians being the worst offenders - For me what was the most disappointing aspect of the day, was present at the game were 2 or 3 senior officials from the Essex Olympian League, wearing their branded ( free?) Polo shirts, but none had the moral courage to step in and help the match officials, part of the game they spent by the home dig out and would have witnessed 40 plus minutes of abuse coming from the bench, including the constant intimidation of the young linesman. They could and should have told the bench to behave.
Thursday, I witnessed a game that was a great advert for this league, but today, stills aw a good game but ruined by the poor behaviour of the Corinthians team and coaching staff and compounded by the presence of weak league officials, who lacked moral courage to step in when they should of.
Thursday, 15 May 2025
Quality at the bottom of the pyramid
South Essex are to of the league and unbeaten but Ekco gave them a a very good battle. Only surprise, just the one goal and that took 51 minutes for South Essex to get that, they also missed a penalty after 77 minutes.
This game was certainly a great advert for the league.
Wednesday, 14 May 2025
Game of two halves and a strange penalty
Sunday, 11 May 2025
Finals day - Ipswich and Cambridge
Sunday 11 May 2025
Portman Rovers 0 Kitchener Taverners 1
Peter Cocker Senior Cup Final
Whitton Sports Centre, Pitch 'A', Ipswich
Ipswich Sunday Morning League, finals day with the Junior Cup Final being played on Pitch 'B'. A competitive game which was quite even with Taverners having the best chances but after half and hour a Portman Rovers player got a straight red for a nasty challenge. Just before the break Taverners went ahead, with a great free kick from just outside the box, with the ball being curled low round both the wall and the keeper.
Second half, Taverners had most of the ball but could not make the advantage of having an extra man pay. Portman Rovers actually had most of the ball in the last 15 minutes as some of their more experienced players came on from the subs bench and they really went for it as they attempted to get back on level terms. Taverners managed to hold on for the victory.
Sports centre has 3 pitches, the sports centre is now past its best.
A short drive up to Cambridge:
Jesus College 0 Trinity College 0 ( Jesus win 5-4 on penalties)
Cuppers Cup Final
Grange Road (Cambridge RUFC)
Football skill may have been lacking in the game, but we did see some fantastic penalty kicks, but we then had a couple of misses and Jesus won it with probably the worst penalty of the shoot out!
Cracking venue with a very large wooden stand with bench seating, other side of the pitch is the pavilion/bar and that also had covered seats in front of that and further seats on the roof of the building. A small terrace to one side and some rake seating the other side. before 1970 this ground would have seen some of the greatest Rugby players show their skills off and can imagine there were some quite big grounds.
I have been for Rugby Union before, but very few football games played here and even the Cuppers Cup Final is not played here every year.
Saturday, 10 May 2025
VAR Killing the game
The Brentford goal came from a 3 times taken corner, Brentford certainly know how to get the most out of set pieces. But the Ref was so poor that even the Ipswich manager for once was critical and he is right- VAR is destroying football.
However as seen at Orient today, officials make mistakes, but what is unacceptable is the misuse of VAR, going to VAR after being surrounded by visiting players then ignoring our players as they did not surround him.
The we have the failure to add on time for time wasting - this Ref was certainly the worst we have seen this season and it was a very low bench mark in the first place
Just please do not introduce VAR to the Championship