Soham Town Rangers FC 

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.

Didcot Town FC as seen from the 'Big hill' 

Didcot Town FC 

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.

AFC Newbury FC - In the fog 

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.

Enfield Town FC

FA Vase Diary

Haringey Borough 2 London Colney 3

I missed the first set of Vase games due to a holiday, so I was really looking forward to this one. I chose this match, as it had a local team away at a ground that I’d never ‘hopped’. As I alighted the tube at Wood Green to be confronted by a pack of girls positively screaming at a hapless couple who’d happened to bump into them, I thought that maybe this wasn’t my wisest choice. But fortunately, once out of the station, the journey passed without incident. It’s about a 15 minute walk to the ground, most of which is along White Hart Lane. This is actually quite an interesting road, housing the impressive looking New River sports complex, home to the Haringey Rhinos rugby team. When you reach the ground, there is no entrance as such. You can walk through the car park to the white rail of the ground, which I did to have a first look at my surroundings for the next few hours. I was covering this game for my local radio station and was pleasantly surprised when the gate man bustled up to me and on discovering who I was, said he was expecting me! I was shown to the boardroom situated under the stand and offered coffee and biscuits by the club secretary. For such a small club, I was made to feel extremely welcome. A separate building houses the bar and other facilities, including a fruit machine, something you don’t often see or notice at a ground. The linesmen on arriving at the ground, were invited into the boardroom, one of whom seemed to delight in telling everyone that he was in enemy territory, as he was a Chelsea fan and had always referred to this part of London as ‘Three point lane’. As he lit up a fag and told everyone how Chelsea had been robbed against Spurs the previous week, I had a bad feeling about him. The stand at Haringey is very high up, similar to Edgware for those in the know, but it does give you an excellent view of the pitch and appreciated cover from the heavy drizzle. I couldn’t believe the amount of people flocking up the street; Unfortunately 99% of the people kept on walking, as Spurs were hosting Man U less than a mile away. The rest of Haringey’s ground is a bit run down, but the stand was more than adequate to house the crowd, which numbered no more than 25. Shame because this was a hugely entertaining match. London Colney ran out on to the pitch 3 times before the start of the game. First they were called back for the officials to check their boots, then they were called back again for the officials to parade them out with the home team. All this meant that the game kicked off three minutes late. So to the game itself. I’d been asked on air for a prediction and as London Colney had won 6 of 6 league games, I went for a 3~0 win in their favour. So it was no surprise when my prediction was proved wrong within 90 seconds, Haringey scoring with their first attack. You can hear the roar at Haringey when Spurs score a home goal, I don’t think those at White Hart Lane were disturbed by this early score, but the home support was delighted. The rest of the first half was short on skill, but end to end with the Haringey keeper making a couple of fine saves. Then right on half time, our Chelsea fan Linesman, incidentally wearing a different shade of top to the other officials, awarded London Colney a penalty following a free kick. Why, well who knows? Half time discussion established that it was for a Haringey player apparently slapping a London Colney man. Decision was to say the least harsh, but penalty was put away at the second attempt after the keeper had saved the first shot well. London Colney were energised by this stroke of luck and scored early in the second half with a deflected shot looping over the keeper. The rest of the half was end to end with London Colney missing a hat full of chances. The game was rounded off with 2 goals in stoppage time, London Colney taking a deserved 3-1 lead and then Haringey going straight up the other end and winning a penalty for a trip which our linesman decided was just in the area. This penalty proved to be the last goal and action in an enjoyable cup-tie.
Shame that more people weren’t here to see it, but if you get the chance to visit Haringey Borough, make the journey. They are a friendly bunch and you’ll get a warm welcome.

FA Vase diary

Enfield Town 2 London Colney 0

Enfield Town ground share at Brimsdown. I was given a lift which never enables you to gain a proper feel for the surrounding area, but multi-map suggests that this ground is easily enough reached by public transport. We had non-stop 24 hour rain 2 days before this game, on top of snow and frost. I had my doubts as to whether the game would be on, but to be fair it wasn’t an issue and the pitch was in excellent nick.
I arrived at the ground about 13:30. Normally at this sort of time there’s a couple of people milling around at best. But on arrival, I discovered a packed clubhouse. My initial thought was that we’d arrived early enough to see the tail end of a previous function. But no, Enfield Town’s fans clearly turn up early and were enjoying the premier plus game on 2 giant screens. The bar served AK bitter, hot food was served inside and outside the ground and there was ample space for the pool table.
Now I’m honest enough to admit that I’m not a great one for buying raffle tickets, particularly at grounds that I’m visiting. But the young lady drifted up to our table in the clubhouse and asked in such a way and with such a smile, that I was rendered totally helpless and had bought 2 strips before I knew what had hit me. The guy selling programmes also came round to your table, they certainly believe in the personal touch.
I was also covering this game for the radio and was therefore invited into the boardroom. It is quite simply the biggest boardroom I have ever seen. On walking to the bar, I had to stop halfway for a rest! This boardroom was bigger than some clubs bars! Has its benefits, but it does mean that you’re not able to socialise with everyone in the room.
On leaving the clubhouse, you walk past the largest collection of porta-cabins that I’ve ever seen at a football ground. Not sure why they’re all there; Most of them didn’t seem to be in use.
The ground staff at Enfield Town offered me a very warm welcome and have certainly seemed to make the most of their temporary home. There’s a small stand, which is fine, although you’re only able to hear the tannoy if you’re next to the entrance gate. I only found out about the bread pudding and gingerbread sold in the tea hut after I’d left, but was informed that it is legendary.
The ground itself has a large grey fence surrounding it, along with strong chicken wire. This is actually quite a nice ground and the playing surface appeared to be excellent. One small down point is the floodlights situated only in the corners. This means that there’s a dim patch in the middle of the pitch when daylight has disappeared.
There was an excellent crowd at this game who were in good voice.
One question I do hav,e is that having seen Enfield Town and Enfield this season, I recognised several faces who were at both games, supporting Enfield both times. This totally confused me as to why Enfield Town were set up, if the fans were going to end up following both teams. I’m sure this didn’t happen at Wimbledon even before their move to Milton Keynes.
The game itself was a one-sided affair. Enfield Town were on top from the first whistle and could easily have won by 5 or 6, They scored in the 8th minute when Riley hit a speculative 25 yard effort which completely fooled the keeper as it flew under his body. Negus hit the inside of the post before in the 54th minute, Ndombe scored the second after good work by Campbell. The linesman then awarded about 10 offside decisions in a row to frustrate Enfield Town and keep the score at a respectable level for London Colney.
An interesting ground to visit and nice to see such a good sized crowd at this early stage of the Vase.

FA Vase

Hertford Town 2 Long Melford 3 aet

It’s very difficult to write objectively about a club that I know so well, but I obviously follow Hertford until they’re knocked out of the Vase, so here goes.
As you enter the ground, there’s a good sized stand ahead of you and this, along with a completely covered end, gives adequate shelter against the elements and boy was it needed at this game. Hertford’s clubhouse burnt down about 10 years ago, but a new building housing a bar and pool table has been built, an absolute necessity at a football club. The most unique feature is a five-a-side pitch with 2 goals alongside the clubhouse. This is perfect for kids to use whilst their parents watch the game and more importantly, it doesn’t irritate anyone.
I read other people’s accounts of ground hopping with great interest. What gets me, is how they visit obscure little grounds on a Tuesday night and claim that there were 3 or 4 other hoppers there. Why then, do I never see any at Hertford? I man the tannoy, so meet a lot of people, but last season was only aware of 1 hopper. Hertford is a 20 minute walk from two stations, perfect then for ground hopping by public transport. The ground is a little way out of the town and down a track off West Street. There are 2 sorts of coach drivers from visiting teams. Those who like to play it safe and park on the street and those who like to live on the edge and tackle the track. At least half a dozen have never been seen again!!
Have you noticed how Saturdays follow a pattern? It’s grey with a few blue patches when you wake up. The wife drags you round John Lewis for 2 hours, even though you only need a couple of pints of milk and some cheese that they don’t even sell. By this time, the blue sky has gone. It starts drizzling about 13:30 and by kick-off it’s belting down. On this particular Saturday, the weather was simply atrocious.
When the draw was made, I had to look Long Melford up on a map. I’d heard of them, but had no idea where they were based. For those ignorant like me, it’s just above Sudbury in Suffolk.
"You should have seen the pitch on Thurdsday" the chairman’s wife said to me on my arrival. It’s fair to say that Long Melford weren’t impressed with the pitch. The problem is that the ground lies next to a river and floods very easily. A lot of work has been done on it and it does drain well, in fact last season, not a single first team game was postponed. But it does gather surface water quickly. However, the pitch was definitely playable and the game went ahead.
You know you’re in trouble when one of your best midfielders wins the raffle, it means he’s not on the pitch! When two of his midfield colleagues are sitting next to him drinking lager, you realise that you’re going to be short in that particular area.
After a slow start, with both teams looking bedraggled and thoroughly miserable, Hertford took the lead on 20 minutes. Prolific striker Kevin Cooper hooking in a shot that had rebounded from the crossbar. Kevin Cooper along with Andy Gray, must be the most common name in football, they seem to crop up all over the place!
Long Melford made a substitution at half time and this played immediate dividends when he scored within 5 minutes, volleying home a cross from 10 yards. Hertford had the best of possession, frequently getting in behind the defence, but they couldn’t create any clear cut chances. So, as the rain became truly torrential, extra time arrived, neither team looked impressed! It made a change to have extra time at a club near my home. Normally, I’m in the middle of Suffolk and end up having 3 minutes to cover a 10 minute walk to the station, only getting there in the nick of time by sprinting down the road and diving through the closing train doors (Yes, Lowestoft, I am talking about you!)
All the action came in the second period. Long Melford, against the run of play, scored twice in two minutes following a quick break and a defensive howler. There was still time for Hertford to win a dubious penalty for handball. The keeper went the right way and seemed to have saved this, but the ball emerged from under his body and trickled over the line.
This however, proved to be just about the last kick of the game. Fair play to Long Melford who took their chances well
. Disappointing to see my team out of the Vase, but on the bright side, I should have the opportunity to visit several other grounds in the forthcoming rounds.