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!

Suffolk double

 Suffolk Double

Deciding t stay local to complete my closes Step 7 division meant I could start the day watching the Ipswich Town U 18 team

Ipswich Town Under 18 0 WBA Under 18 5

Under 18 Premier League

Bent Lane Training Ground

First chance to see the Ipswich Academy team play as a Cat 1 Academy team, the U21 team started with a win last night but we knew it would be more difficult for the Under 18 team as they  have not had a great number of wins over the last 2 years.

WBA Looked bigger, stronger and faster and were on top from the start and went ahead after 10 minutes, they added a second on 37 minutes then another in first half  injury time.

Ipswich were far better in the second half but still found the going tough, it looked like WBA should have had a stonewall penalty but instead the Ref booked the Albion player for diving. Albion did add two further goals in the 50th and 82nd minutes.

Building work is continuing both on the Playford Road and Bent Lane sites, fir those who count pitches, the U16 pitch has been dug up plus all the grass that was used for training, just the U18 pitch left, this meant all spectators were grouped together by one corner flag! It will be interesting to see if as well as a new U16 pitch if another pitch is added when the building work is done . Would expect once Town get the set up organised, teamsheets may be produced in future.

It was then just the short drive up the A12 to Saxmundham:

Saxmundham Sports 2 Henley Athletic 3

Suffolk and Ipswich League, Premier Division

Saxmundham Sports Club

Visit today meant I recompleted my closes Step 7 division, and I was impressed with the set up. The ground is to the north of the village, his behind a caravan park. Small pavilion that hosted the changing rooms and the club house which was small but had a full bar. the veranda gave some cover and a couple of benches to sit on, but because of the size of the crowd today, you would have to stand to see. The pitch was roped on 3 sides with the cricket green on the 4th side, you could watch from all 4 sides. Obvious a well run club, new goal nets, modern wheeled dug outs and the pitch well marked out and in great condition, if needing some water.

The home side started on top and had numerous chances, one nil up after 5 minutes after a great team move then adding a second on the 35th minute with a goal direct from a free kick, Henley pulled one back 2 minutes later.

Second half saw Henley dominate and they got back on level terms after 61 minutes and they continued to put pressure on the hone team, then we had the controversial end to the game, on 88 minutes, Henley had a number of shots on target and they claimed one shot had gone well over the goal line, the Ref just played on, two Henley players came over to remonstrate wit the lino, she then flagged and the Ref came over, I thought it was to book the Henley players for having a go at her but she told the Ref that the ball had crossed over the line and it should be a goal, the Ref then gave the goal and it was the turn of Saxmundham to remonstrate with the officials, the goal still stood but one of the home players either got a red card or was sent to the sin bin.

2-3 was a fare result but I can't understand why the lino did not flag when the ball went over the line if she thought it was goal! 

Start with a win

Friday 15 August 2025, Ipswich Town Under 21s 4 Derby County Under 21s 3 - Premier League 2, Community Stadium, Colchester United

Now Ipswich have Cat 1 Academy, we are now in Premier League 2, good news football wise not great for supporters as games having to be played at Colchester United. Fans were outnumbered in the stand by club staff, stewards, fringe players and parents!

After 36 minutes, Ipswich were 2 nil down, we did not win many games last year and was starting to think this season will be even worse, will we even win one game! How wrong I was.

Second half, Ipswich were far more aggressive with Tudor Mendel starting to beat the Derby left back every time. Ipswich got a goal back after 51 minutes and a minute later were back on level terms. 3 minutes later Derby were back in front thanks to a scrappy goal but Ipswich were not done yet. 61 minutes they were back level and 2 minutes later were in front.

Great entertainment, pity so far from Ipswich that so few fans were there to witness it.

Why bother?

Tuesday 12 August 2025, Bromley 1 Ipswich Town 1 (Bromley win 5-4 on pens) - LC, Round 1, Hayes Lane

If we are not going to take cup games seriously, why bother entering? Think the first half training game display by Leif Davis summed the whole night up! 

Danish weekend Game 4 & 5

Final two games of the weekend and both games at the Valby Sports complex

Saturday 2 August 2025, Vigerslev BK 0 IF Skjold Birkerod 5 - Friendly, Opvisningsbanen  i Valby Idraetspark

Easy metro trip to Copenhagen South Station, then just a 10 minute walk to the Valby Sports complex, very large with 2 sports halls, an indoor Handball arena, the main stadium of BK Frem, BK Frem clubhouse ( about 200 metres from stadium and numerous grass and G3 football pitches plus an American Football pitch and a cricket pitch ( with a game being played on their today).

3 of the outside pitches are on the Futbology App, 1 Grass and 2 x G3. I was off to see Frem at 2pm and spotted two Pre-season games being played by Regional League sides at 12 noon, trouble is App had them both down as on same pitch. On arrival quickly realised it was Fremad Valby were playing on the pitch indicated and that the other home team, down to play - Vigerslev BK were playing on another pitch and one right next to BK Frem stadium and the one used by Fremad Valby and Vigerslev BK for league games. Both pitches were G3 but the Opvisningsbanen pitch ( think a rough translation is Exhibition Pitch) had an area for spectators on one side inside the cage, railed and two small stands of bench seating, two wooden dug outs, now converted to small stands if wet and a tea/beer hut ( not open today). The other pitch being used today by Fremad, was just a cage with no spectator area.

Game started quite even with both teams having chances, with the visitors managing to convert one chance on 32 minutes. Second half was a different game with the visitors dominating and adding a further 4 goals. After 62 minutes the Ref disappeared, again lightning seemed the reason, but we had no rain, both teams stayed on the pitch and the other football ame and the cricket game continued to play on!

The match officials returned and the game continued, then we did get the rain- plus thunder and the game was quickly stopped and agreed that the score would stand as there were only a few minutes left. 

It was then just a 2 minute walk to the BK Frem stadium for a 2pm kick off but because of rain and possible lightning, kick off was put back to 2.30pm. 

BK Frem 3 Sundby Boldklub 2 - Danish 3rd Division, Valby Idraetspark

Left the best game to last, and liked the ground best and a good atmosphere - hard to think this was a Third Division game whilst the the day before a 1st division game did not even get a 1,000 fans.

One large seated stand, also housed the changing rooms, but you could watch games from all 4 sides but because of the rain, in the first half most just watched from the main stand behind one gaol, was bench seating , where the ultras would normally stand plus food, beer, souvenir huts - other end some terracing. Far side was terracing with grass bank above and a hut selling beer, where I positioned myself for the second half! Only downside is the pitch was a distance from this stand, guess before plastic pitch was put down, there had been an athletics track round the pitch.

BK Frem had a greats start to the game, numerous chances and they managed to convert two of those within the first 4 minutes! They added a a third on 27 minutes, but it had not been all one way traffic with Sundby getting a goal back on 32 minutes.

Second half more even, and with Sundby getting a second goal on 75 minutes, it was a nervy last 15 minutes for the home supporters.

Team celebrated the win on the pitch, then many of the fans made their way to the clubhouse which is about 200 metres from the ground.