Soham Town Rangers FC
Tuesday, May 24, 2005
Soham Town Rangers 0 AFC Newbury 1
Soham Town Rangers 0 AFC Newbury 1
12/02/05
The trickiest journey of the season but worth the effort. It’s a train to Ely followed by a bus to Soham. I asked for directions on Soham’s website and was amused when I was told to jump in a taxi and ask for the best club in Cambridgeshire. The problem with getting a bus, is you’re never sure where to get off. This slight worry was the only thing to spoil a delightful bus ride across the fens, very picturesque. I used what directions I had to make an educated guess of where to get off the bus and was pleased to get it right. This gave me an hour to have a nose about the town and find something to eat. Everywhere you go in Soham, you come across signs for the ‘Millennium walk’. I’m sure if you did this actual walk, it would take at least 2 days. Soham is quite a small town and was not particularly busy. I crossed a road called White Hart Lane. So my Vase journey this season has taken me from White Hart Lane to White Hart Lane via White Hart Lane. I was interested when passing a phone box to see a poster advertising the match, nice to see such a game promoted in the town. I was very tempted to have my lunch in ‘Saucy Megs’ restaurant, but I didn’t have time for a sit down Liver & bacon meal and also, in view of others entering the restaurant, I felt decidedly under dressed. So I made do with a chippy. On entering the shop, a guy looked up and yelled customer in a loud voice. When nothing happened, he repeated his cry. On the 4th shout I was beginning to wonder whether anyone else was actually in the shop. Eventually, someone appeared and seemed vaguely surprised to have a customer. This unnerved me slightly, but the food was very good. I looked for somewhere to sit and eat my meal, the only bench I could find was on the edge of a graveyard. Again, slightly unnerving, but nobody gave me a second look so I clearly wasn’t doing anything unusual. I reached the ground in good time and found a typical Eastern league club. Excellent facilities with a big bar and function room and a nice ground with cover at both ends and along one of the sides. The £4 entrance was terrific value. The most notable part of the day was the extraordinary strength of wind, it was always going to cause havoc with the ball and th most amusing part of the day was a bird shooting over our heads at about 90mph, clearly caught in a gust and completely out of control. The clubhouse has a balcony, but anyone sitting up there would have been taking their life in their hands. The game itself was quite entertaining, taking into account the conditions. Newbury scored on 23 mins when Cundy beat 2 players on the right, cut inside and hit a wind assisted shot into the top corner sending the noisy Newbury fans ecstatic. Soham were well on top in the second half but couldn’t find a finish despite several golden chances. It’s not easy to reach Soham by public transport but is certainly possible as was proved by the fellow groundhopper that I met from Nottingham whilst standing at the bus stop after the game. The journey home was uneventful apart from the 10 minute wait at a level crossing in Ely for the slowest freight train ever to travel the British railways.
A thoroughly enjoyable Vase trip in every way.
12/02/05
The trickiest journey of the season but worth the effort. It’s a train to Ely followed by a bus to Soham. I asked for directions on Soham’s website and was amused when I was told to jump in a taxi and ask for the best club in Cambridgeshire. The problem with getting a bus, is you’re never sure where to get off. This slight worry was the only thing to spoil a delightful bus ride across the fens, very picturesque. I used what directions I had to make an educated guess of where to get off the bus and was pleased to get it right. This gave me an hour to have a nose about the town and find something to eat. Everywhere you go in Soham, you come across signs for the ‘Millennium walk’. I’m sure if you did this actual walk, it would take at least 2 days. Soham is quite a small town and was not particularly busy. I crossed a road called White Hart Lane. So my Vase journey this season has taken me from White Hart Lane to White Hart Lane via White Hart Lane. I was interested when passing a phone box to see a poster advertising the match, nice to see such a game promoted in the town. I was very tempted to have my lunch in ‘Saucy Megs’ restaurant, but I didn’t have time for a sit down Liver & bacon meal and also, in view of others entering the restaurant, I felt decidedly under dressed. So I made do with a chippy. On entering the shop, a guy looked up and yelled customer in a loud voice. When nothing happened, he repeated his cry. On the 4th shout I was beginning to wonder whether anyone else was actually in the shop. Eventually, someone appeared and seemed vaguely surprised to have a customer. This unnerved me slightly, but the food was very good. I looked for somewhere to sit and eat my meal, the only bench I could find was on the edge of a graveyard. Again, slightly unnerving, but nobody gave me a second look so I clearly wasn’t doing anything unusual. I reached the ground in good time and found a typical Eastern league club. Excellent facilities with a big bar and function room and a nice ground with cover at both ends and along one of the sides. The £4 entrance was terrific value. The most notable part of the day was the extraordinary strength of wind, it was always going to cause havoc with the ball and th most amusing part of the day was a bird shooting over our heads at about 90mph, clearly caught in a gust and completely out of control. The clubhouse has a balcony, but anyone sitting up there would have been taking their life in their hands. The game itself was quite entertaining, taking into account the conditions. Newbury scored on 23 mins when Cundy beat 2 players on the right, cut inside and hit a wind assisted shot into the top corner sending the noisy Newbury fans ecstatic. Soham were well on top in the second half but couldn’t find a finish despite several golden chances. It’s not easy to reach Soham by public transport but is certainly possible as was proved by the fellow groundhopper that I met from Nottingham whilst standing at the bus stop after the game. The journey home was uneventful apart from the 10 minute wait at a level crossing in Ely for the slowest freight train ever to travel the British railways.
A thoroughly enjoyable Vase trip in every way.
Thursday, May 19, 2005
Didcot Town 2 Ledbury Town 0
Didcot Town 2 Ledbury Town 0
22/01/05
Little did I know just how well I’d get to know Didcot’s team over the forthcoming months.
Another very easy ground to reach. You can literally see the station from the ground.
Didcot is famed for its railway museum. On reaching Didcot parkway, I was trying to find my friend who claimed he was in the back car park and inadvertently went in the museum entrance. Not my cup of tea, but I raised a smile as I thought of all the ‘Anoraks’ who must have paid this a visit.
We decided to visit the local Sainsbury’s for lunch in their café. The surrounding site was clearly in the later stages of re-development and the hardest thing was finding how to reach the entrance. After what seemed a heck of a long walk around the outside, we found a way in. I didn’t fancy anything on their menu and asked the waitress whether they could do me sausage, chips and beans. This caused a major staff conference. Eventually, she returned and told me that I would have to order all 3 things separately as they didn’t do this as an actual meal. I agreed to this and asked if all three items could be put on the same plate. This was agreed to and my sausage, beans and chips turned up and was very nice. Interestingly, when I returned a few weeks later and ordered the same thing, the very same waitress took my order without problem. (Maybe, the people of Didcot have something to thank me for). The third time I returned, the order went through again but turned up with double baked beans for the same price, clearly they were starting to enjoy this.
Anyway, the walk from Sainsbury’s to the ground is short. Didcot is a quiet sort of place and there were not hoards of people to follow. We stopped an old boy and asked him if we were taking the correct path. He seemed genuinely shocked that anyone would want to visit the town football club but pointed us in the right direction (I wonder if he went to the final?)
The ground is reasonably new. The pitch was in excellent condition. The only cover is one reasonably sized stand. There is a pleasant backdrop with a large sized hill that overlooks the ground. We visited the clubhouse for a drink, which was quite busy. The walls were decorated with framed football shirts, a nice touch.
The game itself was not bad. I ended up seeing Didcot four times in the Vase this season and they were always pleasing on the eye. Ledbury played well in the first half and the Didcot keper had to make one flying save. Didcot finally got on top in the last quarter. First, Concannon timed a nice run into the six yard box to side foot home a free kick and then Powell broke into the box and cut the ball back for Ward to hit a delightful first time finish.
A brave effort by Ledbury.
A sleepy sort of town but very pleasant. Only the freezing conditions and second half sleet spoilt an enjoyable trip.
22/01/05
Little did I know just how well I’d get to know Didcot’s team over the forthcoming months.
Another very easy ground to reach. You can literally see the station from the ground.
Didcot is famed for its railway museum. On reaching Didcot parkway, I was trying to find my friend who claimed he was in the back car park and inadvertently went in the museum entrance. Not my cup of tea, but I raised a smile as I thought of all the ‘Anoraks’ who must have paid this a visit.
We decided to visit the local Sainsbury’s for lunch in their café. The surrounding site was clearly in the later stages of re-development and the hardest thing was finding how to reach the entrance. After what seemed a heck of a long walk around the outside, we found a way in. I didn’t fancy anything on their menu and asked the waitress whether they could do me sausage, chips and beans. This caused a major staff conference. Eventually, she returned and told me that I would have to order all 3 things separately as they didn’t do this as an actual meal. I agreed to this and asked if all three items could be put on the same plate. This was agreed to and my sausage, beans and chips turned up and was very nice. Interestingly, when I returned a few weeks later and ordered the same thing, the very same waitress took my order without problem. (Maybe, the people of Didcot have something to thank me for). The third time I returned, the order went through again but turned up with double baked beans for the same price, clearly they were starting to enjoy this.
Anyway, the walk from Sainsbury’s to the ground is short. Didcot is a quiet sort of place and there were not hoards of people to follow. We stopped an old boy and asked him if we were taking the correct path. He seemed genuinely shocked that anyone would want to visit the town football club but pointed us in the right direction (I wonder if he went to the final?)
The ground is reasonably new. The pitch was in excellent condition. The only cover is one reasonably sized stand. There is a pleasant backdrop with a large sized hill that overlooks the ground. We visited the clubhouse for a drink, which was quite busy. The walls were decorated with framed football shirts, a nice touch.
The game itself was not bad. I ended up seeing Didcot four times in the Vase this season and they were always pleasing on the eye. Ledbury played well in the first half and the Didcot keper had to make one flying save. Didcot finally got on top in the last quarter. First, Concannon timed a nice run into the six yard box to side foot home a free kick and then Powell broke into the box and cut the ball back for Ward to hit a delightful first time finish.
A brave effort by Ledbury.
A sleepy sort of town but very pleasant. Only the freezing conditions and second half sleet spoilt an enjoyable trip.
Tuesday, May 17, 2005
AFC Newbury 2 Sandhurst Town 3
AFC Newbury 2 Sandhurst Town 3 – Match abandoned 73 mins.
11/12/04
I left my home in Hertfordshire to glorious sunshine for what turned out to be a remarkably easy journey. Very straightforward and the ground is only a pleasant 5 minute walk from the station. As I passed through Reading the sun was still shining. No more than a minute later, it had gone, to be replaced by thick fog. I was slightly concerned as I reached Newbury as visibility was suddenly very poor.
The ground is situated within a park and is next to the river. Known as Newbury wharf, this was remarkably attractive and must be the swan capital of England, they were everywhere!
I had arrived in good time and was wondering how to kill an hour. As my wife will confirm, I have the ability to hear a referees whistle from a good half mile distance and heard a distant peep. I set off in the direction of the noise and was pleased to find a game of park football. The standard was terrible, but every single player was giving 120% and the passion was commendable. No goals were scored in my time there, mainly because the 18 stone forward was constantly being caught offside.
I returned to the ground at 14:30 and was slightly dismayed to find the gates shut. There were a few other fans there and we were all wondering whether the game had been called off. But eventually the gates opened and I entered for my first view of the ground which includes an excellent stand with a very effective portable PA system. The tea hut is behind the stand, my one quibble as you can’t see the action if you visit the hut before half time in an attempt to beat the crowds.
The fog was by this time, not so much a pea souper, more like a country vegetable. By 15:00 you could barely see the other side of the pitch and kick-off was delayed by 15 mins. As soon as the referee made this decision, the fog lifted. Why then did it take him virtually the entire 15 mins to start proceedings?
When the players did come out, the referee lined all 22 up in the centre circle so that he could check their studs delaying proceedings yet further.
The game finally started and although foggy, visibility was not too bad. The match started at a cracking pace and Sandhurst stunned the hosts by scoring on 25 mins as Anderson hammered a square pass into the roof of the net. Sandhurst also hit the post and Newbury missed a couple of good chances. The fog worsened during half time as darkness descended but the game re-started. On 50 mins, Sandhurst scored again as Mulvaney nipped in front of his defender to tuck away a cross. I was standing near the Sandhurst manager who after jumping up and down for a few seconds, turned to his assistant and said "Who scored then"! Sandhurst’s third came on 50 mins although the fog was so bad, I couldn’t see it. Apparently, Anderson burst through the middle and scored at the second attempt. Newbury then started a come back. A fluffed defensive clearance fell to Taylor who scored from 15 yards. We were treated to the strains of "Ain’t no stopping us now" from the P.A. Then 5 mins later, Vine deflected in a shot following a deep cross from the right. A grandstand finish was in order, but on 73 mins, the referee suspended the game. He really had no option, you couldn’t see the stand from the other side of the pitch. He waited 10 – 15 mins and then abandoned the match. The second abandoned game I’ve ever been to, both for fog.
Who knows how this game would have ended, but arguable, the whole destiny of the Vase was changed as Newbury easily won the re-match 2~0.
So home I went and yes, you’ve guessed it. The fog had completely cleared by Reading.
A great game of football, I just wish I could have seen it.
11/12/04
I left my home in Hertfordshire to glorious sunshine for what turned out to be a remarkably easy journey. Very straightforward and the ground is only a pleasant 5 minute walk from the station. As I passed through Reading the sun was still shining. No more than a minute later, it had gone, to be replaced by thick fog. I was slightly concerned as I reached Newbury as visibility was suddenly very poor.
The ground is situated within a park and is next to the river. Known as Newbury wharf, this was remarkably attractive and must be the swan capital of England, they were everywhere!
I had arrived in good time and was wondering how to kill an hour. As my wife will confirm, I have the ability to hear a referees whistle from a good half mile distance and heard a distant peep. I set off in the direction of the noise and was pleased to find a game of park football. The standard was terrible, but every single player was giving 120% and the passion was commendable. No goals were scored in my time there, mainly because the 18 stone forward was constantly being caught offside.
I returned to the ground at 14:30 and was slightly dismayed to find the gates shut. There were a few other fans there and we were all wondering whether the game had been called off. But eventually the gates opened and I entered for my first view of the ground which includes an excellent stand with a very effective portable PA system. The tea hut is behind the stand, my one quibble as you can’t see the action if you visit the hut before half time in an attempt to beat the crowds.
The fog was by this time, not so much a pea souper, more like a country vegetable. By 15:00 you could barely see the other side of the pitch and kick-off was delayed by 15 mins. As soon as the referee made this decision, the fog lifted. Why then did it take him virtually the entire 15 mins to start proceedings?
When the players did come out, the referee lined all 22 up in the centre circle so that he could check their studs delaying proceedings yet further.
The game finally started and although foggy, visibility was not too bad. The match started at a cracking pace and Sandhurst stunned the hosts by scoring on 25 mins as Anderson hammered a square pass into the roof of the net. Sandhurst also hit the post and Newbury missed a couple of good chances. The fog worsened during half time as darkness descended but the game re-started. On 50 mins, Sandhurst scored again as Mulvaney nipped in front of his defender to tuck away a cross. I was standing near the Sandhurst manager who after jumping up and down for a few seconds, turned to his assistant and said "Who scored then"! Sandhurst’s third came on 50 mins although the fog was so bad, I couldn’t see it. Apparently, Anderson burst through the middle and scored at the second attempt. Newbury then started a come back. A fluffed defensive clearance fell to Taylor who scored from 15 yards. We were treated to the strains of "Ain’t no stopping us now" from the P.A. Then 5 mins later, Vine deflected in a shot following a deep cross from the right. A grandstand finish was in order, but on 73 mins, the referee suspended the game. He really had no option, you couldn’t see the stand from the other side of the pitch. He waited 10 – 15 mins and then abandoned the match. The second abandoned game I’ve ever been to, both for fog.
Who knows how this game would have ended, but arguable, the whole destiny of the Vase was changed as Newbury easily won the re-match 2~0.
So home I went and yes, you’ve guessed it. The fog had completely cleared by Reading.
A great game of football, I just wish I could have seen it.
Tuesday, May 03, 2005
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