Thursday, September 13, 2007
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Monday, September 10, 2007
Goodrich cover all the corners
Rothley Imperials 1 Goodrich 5
08/09/07
I normally miss this first preliminary round of the Vase due to an annual golfing weekend. Due to a date change, I had a rare opportunity o fit in a game from this round. I have a happy evening when the cup draws are made in July pouring over the fixtures, searching for games that take my fancy. I like to visit a new ground from as many different leagues as I can throughout the season. The only Leicestershire senior side I’d visited before was Friar Lane & Epworth, they then had the audacity to get promoted. I chose Rothley Imperials so that I could get a ground once again ticked in this league. I chose to go via London as a frequent service runs from St Pancras with Leicester as the first stop. St Pancras is very well run for a London terminus with covered walkways, good facilities & escalators. The hardest job is finding the platform and trains. On boarding my train, I took a seat only to notice that the LED showed it as reserved from London to Nottingham, this was the same for about 75% of the seats, I eventually found an unreserved seat. When the train departed, there were only about 20 people on the carriage, why were all these seats showing as reserved? I was feeling a bit peckish having reached Leicester, so I went into Smiths to buy a kitkat. 65p they were charging and I’m sorry, but these chains should not take advantage of having a captive audience by charging way over the odds for a standard chocolate bar. Needless to say, they ended up getting nothing from me.
I arrived at Barrow upon Soar, a delightful village. No eating places in the village centre, so I set off on my route. I quickly came across a canal with a couple of riverside pubs. I chose the Riverside inn, an inspired choice. I had to wait a while for my bacon & mushroom baguette, but it was gorgeous. Well cooked, lean bacon. Plump, tasty mushrooms and bread as fresh as could be. It came with chips cooked in fresh oil that were piping hot and just dissolved in your mouth. Visit this pub if you get the chance! I washed it down with a bottle of Magners, the brand that has made cider trendy again and is on a mission to take over the World. Nice as it is, why has this drink become so popular? I watched some of the rugby World cup over lunch as the All blacks took apart Italy. I’m not a great watcher of rugby. I’m not sure if I’m imagining it, but the game seemed to be twice as fast from when I last saw it & was quite entertaining. I set off for the ground following my walkit.com directions. Thanks to whoever sent me along the side of the A6 for a mile, talk about taking your life in your hands. I arrived eventually at the destination according to the postcode in the Cherry red handbook, no sign of a ground. I asked a couple of people who had no idea what I was talking about, so I rang the club. The call went to voicemail & I had that sinking feeling. Not knowing what to do, I was about to ask again in a farm shop when my mobile went. A lady from the club had just missed my call, had dialled 1471 & called me back. It turned out I was a 20 minute walk away from the club although on the right road. Many thanks to that lady for taking the effort to call me, I’m not sure I would have got there without her assistance & precise directions. I arrived with 3 minutes to spare before kick-off.
I received a warm welcome at this club which was already in my good books. There is an end to end slope on the pitch which is surrounded by a white rail. The one downside is the hedges surrounding the pitch in which balls were frequently being lost although there’s not a lot you can do about that. The clubhouse is a good size with a nice bar and halftime tea quaintly served from a table in mugs looking suspiciously like they’d come from ICEA. Not that I’m knocking them, the tea was top draw.
The game itself was certainly watchable. Rothley were as keen as mustard but Goodrich were always in cruise mode. They were 3-0 up by halftime, all goals coming from corners, 2 from headers and one that went straight in. A couple of tap ins in the second half gave Goodrich a more than comfortable lead before Rothley scored a consolation on 90 mins with a bullet header by Wignall. Rothley, with a bit of composure in front of goal, could have made this a tighter game.
I decided to call for a taxi back to the station but of course, there were non available. I decided to chance walking into Silesby, an inspired ide which only took about 30 mins. A train delayed by 20 mins arrived almost straight away & they were serving complimentary coffee on the train back to London.
Certainly not a dull start to my Vase journey & I’ve made a mental note to visit Barrow Town & Silesby FC in the not too distant future.
What I love about this competition, is that it will finish in front of thousands of people at Wembley stadium and started for me, behind a kindergarten in front of about 50 people, in deepest Leicestershire.
08/09/07
I normally miss this first preliminary round of the Vase due to an annual golfing weekend. Due to a date change, I had a rare opportunity o fit in a game from this round. I have a happy evening when the cup draws are made in July pouring over the fixtures, searching for games that take my fancy. I like to visit a new ground from as many different leagues as I can throughout the season. The only Leicestershire senior side I’d visited before was Friar Lane & Epworth, they then had the audacity to get promoted. I chose Rothley Imperials so that I could get a ground once again ticked in this league. I chose to go via London as a frequent service runs from St Pancras with Leicester as the first stop. St Pancras is very well run for a London terminus with covered walkways, good facilities & escalators. The hardest job is finding the platform and trains. On boarding my train, I took a seat only to notice that the LED showed it as reserved from London to Nottingham, this was the same for about 75% of the seats, I eventually found an unreserved seat. When the train departed, there were only about 20 people on the carriage, why were all these seats showing as reserved? I was feeling a bit peckish having reached Leicester, so I went into Smiths to buy a kitkat. 65p they were charging and I’m sorry, but these chains should not take advantage of having a captive audience by charging way over the odds for a standard chocolate bar. Needless to say, they ended up getting nothing from me.
I arrived at Barrow upon Soar, a delightful village. No eating places in the village centre, so I set off on my route. I quickly came across a canal with a couple of riverside pubs. I chose the Riverside inn, an inspired choice. I had to wait a while for my bacon & mushroom baguette, but it was gorgeous. Well cooked, lean bacon. Plump, tasty mushrooms and bread as fresh as could be. It came with chips cooked in fresh oil that were piping hot and just dissolved in your mouth. Visit this pub if you get the chance! I washed it down with a bottle of Magners, the brand that has made cider trendy again and is on a mission to take over the World. Nice as it is, why has this drink become so popular? I watched some of the rugby World cup over lunch as the All blacks took apart Italy. I’m not a great watcher of rugby. I’m not sure if I’m imagining it, but the game seemed to be twice as fast from when I last saw it & was quite entertaining. I set off for the ground following my walkit.com directions. Thanks to whoever sent me along the side of the A6 for a mile, talk about taking your life in your hands. I arrived eventually at the destination according to the postcode in the Cherry red handbook, no sign of a ground. I asked a couple of people who had no idea what I was talking about, so I rang the club. The call went to voicemail & I had that sinking feeling. Not knowing what to do, I was about to ask again in a farm shop when my mobile went. A lady from the club had just missed my call, had dialled 1471 & called me back. It turned out I was a 20 minute walk away from the club although on the right road. Many thanks to that lady for taking the effort to call me, I’m not sure I would have got there without her assistance & precise directions. I arrived with 3 minutes to spare before kick-off.
I received a warm welcome at this club which was already in my good books. There is an end to end slope on the pitch which is surrounded by a white rail. The one downside is the hedges surrounding the pitch in which balls were frequently being lost although there’s not a lot you can do about that. The clubhouse is a good size with a nice bar and halftime tea quaintly served from a table in mugs looking suspiciously like they’d come from ICEA. Not that I’m knocking them, the tea was top draw.
The game itself was certainly watchable. Rothley were as keen as mustard but Goodrich were always in cruise mode. They were 3-0 up by halftime, all goals coming from corners, 2 from headers and one that went straight in. A couple of tap ins in the second half gave Goodrich a more than comfortable lead before Rothley scored a consolation on 90 mins with a bullet header by Wignall. Rothley, with a bit of composure in front of goal, could have made this a tighter game.
I decided to call for a taxi back to the station but of course, there were non available. I decided to chance walking into Silesby, an inspired ide which only took about 30 mins. A train delayed by 20 mins arrived almost straight away & they were serving complimentary coffee on the train back to London.
Certainly not a dull start to my Vase journey & I’ve made a mental note to visit Barrow Town & Silesby FC in the not too distant future.
What I love about this competition, is that it will finish in front of thousands of people at Wembley stadium and started for me, behind a kindergarten in front of about 50 people, in deepest Leicestershire.
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Monday, May 21, 2007
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Friday, May 18, 2007
Truro write their place in history
AFC Totton 1 Truro City 3
For the last few seasons, I’ve started my FA Vase journey dreaming of a trip to the new Wembley stadium. I don’t need to document the whole Wembley saga other than to say that, when I started my Vase journey this season at Frimley Green, I was expecting the final to once again be held at a mid-table premiership club. The intensity of this competition increased hugely once Wembley was confirmed as the final venue & Billingham Synthonia fans and players were inconsolable when they fell at the cruelist of hurdles.
But off I went leaving myself loads of time to soak up the atmosphere. I was surrounded by Chelsea fans whilst travelling to London all bemoaning what a lousy season they’d had, I wonder if AFC Totton fans will now talk the same way?
A special mention to the gentleman on the tube playing loud rap music to which he sung along, sucked through his teeth & flicked his fingers. I know we all have different tastes in music but did he have to have it playing at full blast? I suppose I did learn some new swear words.
Wembley Park station has been revamped. You now descend a large concrete staircase to Wembley way. There were several station staff with megaphones telling people not to take photographs. It hadn’t entered my head until they started screaming this out, I must confess that this brought to my attention what a good photo it would make, so I sneaked a quick photo in whilst nobody was looking. It’s only when you get about 100 yards away that you actually notice any effect that the megaphones were having.
I wondered whether I’d still get the buzz when walking down Wembley Way. Fear not, it actually sent a shiver up my spine. I’ll always be a twin turret rather than an arch man, but the place looked magnificent.
A focal point just outside the stadium is the statue of Bobby Moore, an extremely good likeness despite a friend telling me to look out for the statue of Booby Charlton! A good meeting point & photo opportunity.
My only complaint for this trip was that the loos on the exterior of the stadium were flooded, meaning you had to wade ankle high through water if you needed to use these, not a great first impression.
The fountains below the stadium concourse are a nice touch, there are loads of catering outlets all grossly overpriced but subsequently, the queues were short.
About 90 minutes before kick-off, we were treated to an almighty thunderstorm, the thunder seemingly rocking the foundations, the heavy rain did nothing to improve the smell coming off the ridiculous number of police horses in attendance.
On entering the stadium, you go up an escalator. If like me, you’re in the top tier, you go up 3 escalators, a unique almost eerie sensation inside a football stadium. You then reach the main interior of the ground where there are ample facilities and a good amount of space. I headed straight for the inside of the ground. I have to say, it took my breath away. IT IS HUGE! Loads of leg room, terrific views and a great atmosphere. I cannot put into words what it is truly like, but I cannot recommend it highly enough, well worth the wait. A slightly strange atmosphere as you cannot hear the players shouting being so far away, instead you just have the constant sound of those horns which are readily available down Wembley way.
The game after a cautious start, lived up to all expectations. An open attacking game with loads of chances and excitement. Truro to be honest, were clearly the better side and nobody could begrudge their victory.
Totton scored first when Potter spun and hit a nice finish into the top corner after the Truro keeper spilt a cross. Truro equalised on halftime as Wills brilliantly brought down a high ball, beat 2 men and drilled a low shot home. Wills scored again on 56 mins hitting a low shot under the keepers outstretched arm. There were a couple of almighty goalmouth scrambles which Truro were lucky to clear but they wrapped it up on 84 minutes when Broad exchanged passes with a team-mate and finished well.A far cry from the sunny start I made to this competition this season in front of about 30 people at Frimley Green. I guess that’s half the joy of it.
For the last few seasons, I’ve started my FA Vase journey dreaming of a trip to the new Wembley stadium. I don’t need to document the whole Wembley saga other than to say that, when I started my Vase journey this season at Frimley Green, I was expecting the final to once again be held at a mid-table premiership club. The intensity of this competition increased hugely once Wembley was confirmed as the final venue & Billingham Synthonia fans and players were inconsolable when they fell at the cruelist of hurdles.
But off I went leaving myself loads of time to soak up the atmosphere. I was surrounded by Chelsea fans whilst travelling to London all bemoaning what a lousy season they’d had, I wonder if AFC Totton fans will now talk the same way?
A special mention to the gentleman on the tube playing loud rap music to which he sung along, sucked through his teeth & flicked his fingers. I know we all have different tastes in music but did he have to have it playing at full blast? I suppose I did learn some new swear words.
Wembley Park station has been revamped. You now descend a large concrete staircase to Wembley way. There were several station staff with megaphones telling people not to take photographs. It hadn’t entered my head until they started screaming this out, I must confess that this brought to my attention what a good photo it would make, so I sneaked a quick photo in whilst nobody was looking. It’s only when you get about 100 yards away that you actually notice any effect that the megaphones were having.
I wondered whether I’d still get the buzz when walking down Wembley Way. Fear not, it actually sent a shiver up my spine. I’ll always be a twin turret rather than an arch man, but the place looked magnificent.
A focal point just outside the stadium is the statue of Bobby Moore, an extremely good likeness despite a friend telling me to look out for the statue of Booby Charlton! A good meeting point & photo opportunity.
My only complaint for this trip was that the loos on the exterior of the stadium were flooded, meaning you had to wade ankle high through water if you needed to use these, not a great first impression.
The fountains below the stadium concourse are a nice touch, there are loads of catering outlets all grossly overpriced but subsequently, the queues were short.
About 90 minutes before kick-off, we were treated to an almighty thunderstorm, the thunder seemingly rocking the foundations, the heavy rain did nothing to improve the smell coming off the ridiculous number of police horses in attendance.
On entering the stadium, you go up an escalator. If like me, you’re in the top tier, you go up 3 escalators, a unique almost eerie sensation inside a football stadium. You then reach the main interior of the ground where there are ample facilities and a good amount of space. I headed straight for the inside of the ground. I have to say, it took my breath away. IT IS HUGE! Loads of leg room, terrific views and a great atmosphere. I cannot put into words what it is truly like, but I cannot recommend it highly enough, well worth the wait. A slightly strange atmosphere as you cannot hear the players shouting being so far away, instead you just have the constant sound of those horns which are readily available down Wembley way.
The game after a cautious start, lived up to all expectations. An open attacking game with loads of chances and excitement. Truro to be honest, were clearly the better side and nobody could begrudge their victory.
Totton scored first when Potter spun and hit a nice finish into the top corner after the Truro keeper spilt a cross. Truro equalised on halftime as Wills brilliantly brought down a high ball, beat 2 men and drilled a low shot home. Wills scored again on 56 mins hitting a low shot under the keepers outstretched arm. There were a couple of almighty goalmouth scrambles which Truro were lucky to clear but they wrapped it up on 84 minutes when Broad exchanged passes with a team-mate and finished well.A far cry from the sunny start I made to this competition this season in front of about 30 people at Frimley Green. I guess that’s half the joy of it.
Monday, April 09, 2007
Thursday, April 05, 2007
Sunday, April 01, 2007
Totton - Pretty in pink!
Billingham Synthonia 1 AFC Totton 2 aet
Totton won 5-4 on pens.
I thought long and hard about going to this game as it was a hell of a long journey. In the end, my lack of Northern clubs visited and the fact that I love this competition won me over, I took a deep breath and went for it. The hardestt hing was getting to Stevenage, the annual 2 months of weekend work on the rails have arrived again & it's replacement bus service time yet again. Fortunately, the wife took pity & probably because she wanted to watch Paint your wagon in the afternoon, gave me a lift. The journey then went like clockwork and I was more than pleased when the first train turned up 6 mins early. The coach I got a seat on was right next to the buffet area, convenient, but extremely noisy. A group of Geordies decided to camp out there for the whole journey and basically treated it like a bar. It did add a bit of colour to that leg of the journey and the train had a real buzz about it with always something going on. The connection to Thornaby from Darlington was fine. I then had to spend 35 minutes waiting for my final train at Thornaby. Never have a been to a place with so little to do & so little going on. I went and asked the ticket office clerk what platform to stand on just for the company. Desperately boring. The final leg was only two stops, the train stopped at signals for a minute conveniently right next to Billingham Towns ground, strangely they were also at home. If they'd bought their kick-off forward by three hours, they probably would have had a good sized crowd, I'd have certainly gone to both. The one positive thing to come out of Thornaby was when I heard two guys talking about the game. I discretely followed them from Billingham station therefore not having to worry about finding the way. They never sussed me, maybe I should go into detective work. The ground is only about a 10 minute walk and on a main road. I queued at the only burger van & was fascinated to see that it had cooked an actual beef & pork joint. I selected a meat sandwich which was a load of beef & gravy piled into a roll. Fantastic! as a well known TV programme says, Northern boys love gravy. The ground at Billingham is just spectacular for this level. A huge, huge stand along 1 side which must have had about 1500 fans into it. very imposing & extraordinary for this level although when all the fans cheered it made a thunderous sound. There's also raised grass banks around the rest of the pitch. There were 2300 people there and everyone had a good view. I don't normally like running tracks around football grounds, this ground has a dirt track around it but it works due to the height of the viewing areas. A special mention to the ballboys who all stayed as keen as mustard throughout despite the biting wind. A request to however is in charge of weather, Could we place have semi finals next year without 30mph winds. It came very close to spoiling both legs of this tie. I'm not sure how many times the ball went out for a throw over the far side but it must have been around 40! Totton appeared sporting shocking pink shrts much to Billingham fans merriment. It was Totton who were smiling though as Osman headed home after only 2 mins to level the tie. Aftert his, the team kicking with the wind were well on top in both halves. There were several near misses until Stevens converted a low cross with only 9 mins to go. You knew that wouldn't be the end of it & Wells chipped in deep into stoppage time to take us into extra time. Billingham won a penalty for a trip on the substitute which was brilliantly saved by the legs of McCormack. Billingham thought the tackler should have been red carded as last man, they had a fair point but it would have been desperately hard on the Totton defender who had been immense all afternoon. Both keepers made spectacular saves as the game went to penalties. It's never fair to state who scored and missed, Totton though came out 5-4 winners. A fabulous two-legged tie that had just about everything and was a credit to both teams. Synthonia have a ground to be proud of & it was a fitting setting for the conclusion of this contest.
Totton won 5-4 on pens.
I thought long and hard about going to this game as it was a hell of a long journey. In the end, my lack of Northern clubs visited and the fact that I love this competition won me over, I took a deep breath and went for it. The hardestt hing was getting to Stevenage, the annual 2 months of weekend work on the rails have arrived again & it's replacement bus service time yet again. Fortunately, the wife took pity & probably because she wanted to watch Paint your wagon in the afternoon, gave me a lift. The journey then went like clockwork and I was more than pleased when the first train turned up 6 mins early. The coach I got a seat on was right next to the buffet area, convenient, but extremely noisy. A group of Geordies decided to camp out there for the whole journey and basically treated it like a bar. It did add a bit of colour to that leg of the journey and the train had a real buzz about it with always something going on. The connection to Thornaby from Darlington was fine. I then had to spend 35 minutes waiting for my final train at Thornaby. Never have a been to a place with so little to do & so little going on. I went and asked the ticket office clerk what platform to stand on just for the company. Desperately boring. The final leg was only two stops, the train stopped at signals for a minute conveniently right next to Billingham Towns ground, strangely they were also at home. If they'd bought their kick-off forward by three hours, they probably would have had a good sized crowd, I'd have certainly gone to both. The one positive thing to come out of Thornaby was when I heard two guys talking about the game. I discretely followed them from Billingham station therefore not having to worry about finding the way. They never sussed me, maybe I should go into detective work. The ground is only about a 10 minute walk and on a main road. I queued at the only burger van & was fascinated to see that it had cooked an actual beef & pork joint. I selected a meat sandwich which was a load of beef & gravy piled into a roll. Fantastic! as a well known TV programme says, Northern boys love gravy. The ground at Billingham is just spectacular for this level. A huge, huge stand along 1 side which must have had about 1500 fans into it. very imposing & extraordinary for this level although when all the fans cheered it made a thunderous sound. There's also raised grass banks around the rest of the pitch. There were 2300 people there and everyone had a good view. I don't normally like running tracks around football grounds, this ground has a dirt track around it but it works due to the height of the viewing areas. A special mention to the ballboys who all stayed as keen as mustard throughout despite the biting wind. A request to however is in charge of weather, Could we place have semi finals next year without 30mph winds. It came very close to spoiling both legs of this tie. I'm not sure how many times the ball went out for a throw over the far side but it must have been around 40! Totton appeared sporting shocking pink shrts much to Billingham fans merriment. It was Totton who were smiling though as Osman headed home after only 2 mins to level the tie. Aftert his, the team kicking with the wind were well on top in both halves. There were several near misses until Stevens converted a low cross with only 9 mins to go. You knew that wouldn't be the end of it & Wells chipped in deep into stoppage time to take us into extra time. Billingham won a penalty for a trip on the substitute which was brilliantly saved by the legs of McCormack. Billingham thought the tackler should have been red carded as last man, they had a fair point but it would have been desperately hard on the Totton defender who had been immense all afternoon. Both keepers made spectacular saves as the game went to penalties. It's never fair to state who scored and missed, Totton though came out 5-4 winners. A fabulous two-legged tie that had just about everything and was a credit to both teams. Synthonia have a ground to be proud of & it was a fitting setting for the conclusion of this contest.
Thursday, March 29, 2007
All still to play for
AFC Totton 1 Billingham Synthonia 2
I won't dwell too long on this match. A return trip to the ground I'd visited only three weeks earlier as I like to try and do both legs of a semi final.. Only difference was a replacement bus service from Southampton Central to Totton, only a 10 minute ride. Nice to know where a ground is without pouring over maps. I also ate from the food van in the ground. GREAT CHIPS!!!! I had the first batch cooked in fresh oil, worth the trip alone. Similar sized crowd from the last match and a pretty similar game. Both sides were clearly nervous but up for it and the tie was even throughout. Billingham scored on 14 mins when a flicked header gave the keeper no chance from a free kick. Osman equalised for Totton latching onto a through ball, avoiding the keeper on the way out and slipping it into an empty net. Billingham deserved the winner if anyone did and it came on 86 minutes when their striker just got his head to the ball before the keeper could collect and the ball crept in, a real goal from nothing. Replacement bus service was 25 minutes late arriving on the way home and the train to Waterloo crawled all the way arriving 45 minutes late. But all still to play for in the second leg. Am I going to Billingham next week? Well, I'm going to try.
I won't dwell too long on this match. A return trip to the ground I'd visited only three weeks earlier as I like to try and do both legs of a semi final.. Only difference was a replacement bus service from Southampton Central to Totton, only a 10 minute ride. Nice to know where a ground is without pouring over maps. I also ate from the food van in the ground. GREAT CHIPS!!!! I had the first batch cooked in fresh oil, worth the trip alone. Similar sized crowd from the last match and a pretty similar game. Both sides were clearly nervous but up for it and the tie was even throughout. Billingham scored on 14 mins when a flicked header gave the keeper no chance from a free kick. Osman equalised for Totton latching onto a through ball, avoiding the keeper on the way out and slipping it into an empty net. Billingham deserved the winner if anyone did and it came on 86 minutes when their striker just got his head to the ball before the keeper could collect and the ball crept in, a real goal from nothing. Replacement bus service was 25 minutes late arriving on the way home and the train to Waterloo crawled all the way arriving 45 minutes late. But all still to play for in the second leg. Am I going to Billingham next week? Well, I'm going to try.
Friday, March 09, 2007
Thursday, March 08, 2007
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
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