The game that divided the town

Friday 23 September 2016, Haverhill Borough 1 Haverhill Rovers 0 - FA Vase 2nd Qualifying Round - New Croft (3G)

Not sure if the town was divided, but made a good slogan for the programme cover and rather than divided it seemed to bring the town out together as 654 (plus loads of freebies) turned up at the new G3 ground next to the existing home of Rovers.

A bit feisty on the pitch as the Borough captain saw red, this was the first ever local derby between the teams and to make it even more spicier, most of the Rovers team and their manager were at Borough last year!

The new ground, is better than I thought for a G3 stadia, small seated stand, small terrace and hard standing on one side - you can only view the pitch from two sides, and even with the changing rooms shared they have built their own small club house/tea bar and to top the night off the FA even had the Vase along to witness this memorable night in West Suffolk.

A stadium with Salmon in the title- you would expect it to be wet

Saturday 4 October 2014, Bowers & Pitsea 4 Haverhill Rovers 0, FA Vase 2nd Qualifying Round - Len Salmon Stadium

Agains the odds the Essex Senior League team won - and deserve to be in the hat for the 1st round on Monday

Might be a basic ground - but dry and out of the wind!

Saturday 18 January 2014 - Gorleston 1 Haverhill Rovers 0, Thurlow Nunn Premier Division - Emerald Park

Some may say that Emerald Park is basic, 3 of the stands almost identical and few portakabins on the other side – but what do you want at a non-league ground? For me it is to be dry and out of the wind and keeping your shoes clean is a bonus- so Gorleston ticks all those boxes. Plus you do not need to look far to see some quirky bits that all non-league followers seem to like.

On one side you have the greatest Directors Box you could ask for.

And then on the other side, you have the subs sat within the Sailor Brown stand – another nice touch.

The game itself, not great thanks to a muddy pitch, but as so many clubs have been even able to put a match on over the last few weeks because of rain you can only play tribute to those behind the scenes who have made it even possible to just play a game at Emerald Park.

#NonLeagueday

Saturday 3rd September 2011 Haverhill Rovers 3 Brantham Athletic 2 FA Cup Preliminary Round - The New Croft




Last Year I saw my first FA Cup game at Clacton on the Essex coast, a midweek evening fixture as it was a replay. This season my first FA Cup match was played on a Saturday with weather more suitable for cricket.




The venue was The New Croft at Haverhill. One of the many new grounds that have popped up over the country, this one just a couple of seasons old.




There is criticism of certain new grounds, all built the same, pre fab, no character, dull but lets also be honest, they provide better facilities for spectators, a bar to raise funds and on top of that close to a school so Youth football can also get it's chance. Well done Haverhill a real community club.




The game, two teams who have started the season well, with Brantham fielding one of the top rated goalscorers in the region with Ollie Mann up front but it was Havehill who came out on top and deservedly so. Good football played by both sides with Brantham going ahead early on but in reality only getting on top at the start of the second half. But how much closer to Wembley will Haverhill get?







I am sure many fans of Premier league and Championship clubs (on their international weekend break) attended non league games today, who ever came up with the idea of Non League Day last season deserves a medal!