Easy start on the path to Portman Road

Saturday 14 October 2017, Haughley United 0 Whitton United 9, Suffolk Senior Cup, 2nd Round, King George Playing Field, Green Rd.

Of all the local non-league cups, it is the Suffolk Senior Cup that is my favourite. The players seem to care about winning this and they all want the chance to play on the Portman Road turf.

The senior teams in the cup are from the Thurlow Nunn, Eastern Counties, Division One, however they have not won it for a couple of seasons and already this year, Suffolk & Ipswich side, Achilles have sent Framlingham packing.

I was interested to see how Eastern Counties side, Whitton United would do against their junior opponents. They certainly were coming into the game in form after winning their last league game, 8-0.

I was impressed with the welcome at Haughley, a full bar, cheap beer and then a mug of tea and a hot sausage roll at half time but they may have made their opponents too welcome on the pitch as Whitton went one better than last week and won this game 9-0.

Will the North West Ipswich lads make it to Portman Road? They have a great chance but they will have far harder tests ahead of them in the later cup rounds.

Top defence

Monday 28 December 2015, Felixstowe and Walton United 2 Whitton United 0 - Thurlow Nunn Premier Division, Dellwood Avenue

I expected goals and maybe quite a few but they were all expected to come from the Seasiders - Felixstowe were second whilst Whitton were bottom and leaking goals in every game whilst the Felixstowe defence is the 3rd best through out level 5 football (378 teams). But we only got two goals thanks to a sterling rearguard display by the Ipswich side, with their keeper in sparkling form.

No bottle!

Wednesday 8 May 2013, Suffolk Senior Cup Final, Whitton United 1 Ipswich Wanderers 1 (Wanderers win 3-2 on penalty's) Portman Road


I like a bit of non league football but sometimes get annoyed when many journalists use the non league as some great example to the professional game. Pretending that all in the non league game is great.

Now this final had some pluses, a good crowd, local rivals and plenty of goalmouth action but also highlighted that not all is rosy in the non league garden.

Arguments between fans and stewards (not helped by a number of jobsworth stewards) arguments and threats from committee members from one of the competing clubs and then quality forwards not having the bottle to take a penalty in the shoot out and leaving the task to two 16 year olds!

Then we had a terrible refereeing display - hardly spotted a foul but then ended up sending off a Whitton player in extra time - but I am still glad I went and will be at the Premier Cup Final next week.