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Wednesday 28 September 2011

Penzance FC 0 Saltash United 7

Penzance FC 0 Saltash United 7
SWPL
Admission £4
Programme £1
Hot Dog Large £1.50
Coffee 50p

After spending the morning at Sennen Cove and having some rather dodgy sausage & chips from the chip shop there, whilst Mrs H and Shawn played on the beach and in the sea in the lovely sunshine, me and my stepson took refuse in the sea front pub, but a seaside resort without a fruit machine, is this unheard of..well at about 3pm we headed to Penzance and to Penzance FC where we asked the groundsman if it was ok to leave the car in the car park, whilst we went for wander around.

On returning, the kind groundsman told me to go in via the Officials entrance as the gateman wasnt ready yet and someone would be round to collect my admission. It didnt take long to find and say hello and have a good chat with Penzance Sec John Mead. It was then time for a cuppa and hot dog and what excellent value they were, the lovely tea hut lady was telling me she had been with the club for 25 years!

Then along came SWPL League Sec Phil Hiscox, talk about dedication, this guy puts in to this league is remarkable. To come to this match, he had travelled  6 hour round journey by train ad wasnt getting home until well past 1am!

The next person to meet was old friend Tim Lancaster, who used to be Programme Editor of Yeovil Town when they were a on League club..The three of us along with David(my stepson) and Shawn(my 7 year old with Autism) watched the match, apart from when Shawn was chating up the beautiful Saltash physio.

The game began quite even, but as soon as the 1st goal went in, there was only going to be one winner tonight, the 2nd goal before half time was sweetly struck from outside the area with the keeper unsighted. In to the 2nd half and as the 3rd Saltash goal went in, luck seemed a bit cruel on the homesters as this was turning in to men versus boys and the away side were even guilty of firing over from a open goal situation inside the 6 yard area.

Penzance FC Website

Saltash United FC

Saturday 24 September 2011

St Day FC 4 Kilhampton FC 2

St Day 4 Kilhampton 2
Cornwall Senior Cup
Admission £2 with very good programe




This is a venue I had been intending to visit for quite a few years now but everytime I go on holiday to Cornwall, they seem to be away, well 2 surprises this year came in that they were at home and the second being they produce a programme.

With 1 1.30pm kick off, we arrived at 12.30 and was met by Mark who had been in touch with me all week, he is the Groundsman and also the Programme Editor and I must say at this stage to you paper chasers, if you havent got a St Day Programme, then get along there to visit and get one. 

A really warm welcome from the time I arrived to the time I left  even though it was bucketing down with rain..The club houses a lovely clubhouse within you will find a bar and also a teabar that does pasty's and all served with a smile.

St Day started on the front foot and it was only a matter of how long before the 1st goal went in to the net, soon as it was 1, it became 2 via a penalty, at this stage it looked as if the visitors from Northern Cornwall may just crumble but all credit to them, they battled and got a penalty back themselves to reduce the arrears. The Saints were in no mood for any shocks in rain and restored the 2 goal cushion, again via a penalty.


After a nice half time Black coffee and dry out, it was back out in to the swirling rain under the cover to watch the homesters pour forward and  make it 4-1..With time running out, the St's keeper left a ball he felt was going wide and was shocked to see it bounce full off the post and hit a defender and out for a corner..From the resulting corer, the visitors completed the scoring, but it was St Day who progress to travel in the next round to St Teath on Saturday 8th October.


Photo's from todays match can be found on


http://s1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc460/Midlandsman/St%20Day%204%20Kirkhampton%202/


St Day's Website
http://www.stdayafc.co.uk/

Wednesday 21 September 2011

FA Youth Cup:Teversal 2 New Mills 0

FA Youth Cup: First Qualifying Round
Teversal 2 New Mills 0
Admission £2 including programme
Teamsheet- Free
Attendance - 59

I didnt intend to go to a midweek match this week, but when the offer came from Richard Lane, I couldnt turn it down. I've never been to a FA Youth match even when I used to go the Hawthorns when I used to go and support West Brom in the 1970's, so this was a new adventure for me tonight.

On the gate, was cheerful Tevvie Biker Keith Parnell who greeted us and I was surprised that it was only a couple of quid to get in and that included the programme. Then I went and saw Mr Tevvie, yes the man himself  Kev Newton who was dishing out FREE teamsheets and also found out a few 1st team programs for Richard. The thing about Kev is that he runs the club so professionally and a lot of clubs could well learn from him..it's the manner of the way he greets people, to the way he reads out the teams and makes the job look so simple and easy.

Whilst chatting away to Luke Stafford and his dad, in wheels our mate Trevor, where I put my foot straight in it and ask hiow things are at Blidworth..well no one told me he wasnt there any more and is now at Carlton Town lol To save my embaressment I sneaked off and got him a free teamsheet!

The game started with both sides pushing forward but the visitors not really shooting on target, as Teversal looked a bit more direct, as we sat back, then came along promoted Referee Sean Richardson who sat with us and told us about his London Marathon run/injury struggle, but how he go round..amazing bloke!

Then went in the 1st goal as ichard was praying it wasnt going to extra time, as he kept reminding me how it went to extra time and pens the night before at Arnold Town and how cold it was, New Mills pushed forward but to be fair never looked like scoring as the Teversal boys worked a lot better and looked a lot more hungry for this tie, so as he rain lashed down and with only a few minutes to go, Teversal finally sealed their place in to the next round when scoring a second goal to set up a second round qualifying tie away at Matlock Town or Spalding United.

Teversal Website

New Mills Website

Saturday 17 September 2011

Saturday 17th September

SATURDAY 17th SEPTEMBER

NOTTS POLICE 2 SOUTHWELL CITY 1


This being Notts Police's First ever home match in Pyramid Football, I had this fixture pencilled in some weeks ago. The two sides had met in the league only a couple of weeks ago with the Southwell running out3-1 winners, so were possibly favourites going into todays game.


With the Non League Directorys arriving earlier in the week, it meant a detour of dropping some off at Forest Town and at Rainworth before reaching Calverton Miners Welfare, where Notts Police play.


On arrival, I'm met by Police Manager Steve Clifford, who directs me to get a complementary cuppa inside the clubhouse and on the way I say hi to the gateman who I've know for several years and asked if he would be kind enough to put me a programme to one side incase they sold out, to which he did.


The game kicked off with the home side doing the pressing and soon found them selves 1 goal to the good after a excellent strike from just outside the area..Southwell then began to press Police, but then came a funny part of the game when a shot from quite a distance out by a Police player bounced off the crossbar and the referee blew his whistle and showed the player a red card..most in the crowd of ome and away supporters had no idea what for.


With half time looming, Southwell pushed on and got a nice equaliser and deserved to be level at the break. The Second Half saw Southwell do most the attacking but their finishing was shocking today when they found a way through on goal and didnt test the home keeper.. Then midway through the half, a free kick from the Police back to the left winger saw him collect the ball and shoot it direct past the southwell keeper, talk about route one, but it worked! Though Southwell pressed, the Police defence stood firm and took the three points.


For More Pics from the match click:
http://s1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc460/Midlandsman/Notts%20Police%202%20Southwell%20City%201/

Notts Police Website:
http://www.clubwebsite.co.uk/nottspolicefc01/

Southwell City Website:
http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/southwellcity/

Saturday 10 September 2011

Blackstones FC 5 Kimberley Town FC 2

BLACKSTONES FC 5 KIMBERLEY TOWN FC 2
FA VASE



Well I've been to Stamford quite few times over the years but never visited Blackstones FC, so when the draw for the FA Vase was made and Central Midlands Club Kimberley Town were drawn away to them and a kind offer of a lift by Kimberley Town's Grahame & Pat Critchley came my way, then there was no way I was going to turn this down.

Pat and Grahame picked me up at 10am and we headed off to the Stag Ground, where I ate my breakfast whilst watching the Rugby, whilst the players had a short training session on the pitch before having a pasta lunch.

We then headed to Stamford and found Blackstones Ground very easy amongst a housing estate and I spoke to the club Sec and then to a Committee Member who as telling about the hard work they have recently had to do to keep the club afloat with their main sponsor of 14 years having gone bankrurpt. The club had held a mega raffle and had done very well and I hope this continues for them for the future.

The game kicked off in a swirling wind and to everyones surprise, it was a wind assisted fluke goal that gave Kimberley Town the lead after "The Stones" had possibly had the better of the first few exchanges. The home side kept to their plan and kept attacking but a mixture of poor finishing and a couple of good saves by the away keeper and you may well have thought there may just be a shock on the cards here, but fairytales are hard to write and eventually Blackstones scored twice very quickly to turn things around and to lead. I actually thought at this stage that Kimberley may well just collapse, but to their credit, they fought back and a superb individual goal made things level, but just on half time, lack of concentration, saw a quick free kick and the away side left asleep as the Homesters marched back in front.

The Second Half and Kimberley had the advantage of the wind behind their backs, but instead of being direct and having a few shots at the home goal, they seemed to want to play attractive football, on 70 minutes a attack broke down and a quick break saw Blackstones from 2 levels higher in the Pyramid go 4-2 up and within a minute make it 5-2.

Kimberley Town can be proud of their FA Vase efforts and I wish Blackstones FC well in the next round away at Holwell Sports.

A few things I must say about Blackstones, a lovely committee, from Chairman, Secretary, tea lady who also sells bits and bobs from behind the refreshments bar, where I bought the UCFL Review 2011 Book for only £2, which if you have never seen, is well worth a read. The Programme is £1 and is a good effort and a good read.

For more pics please click:

Blackstones FC Website:
Kimberley Town FC Website

Saturday 3 September 2011

South Normanton Athletic 4 Pinxton FC 1

SOUTH NORMANTON ATHLETIC 4 PINXTON 1
This is a Local Derby game that has been waiting for years in pyramid football and what a good game it was to watch as a neutral in front of a approx crowd of 250 people on Non League Day across the Country.


As I stepped in to the ground, I was followed in by good friends Malc Storer and Kev Goodman, after a cup of coffee and a few hello's to a few friends from South Normanton and Pinxton folks, I took up a position with Malc, Kev and another chap on the halfway line.


We didnt have to wait long for our first goal, when new signing for this season Briscoe volleyed home from about 25 yards after just 4 minutes. Pinxton were having their share of play but not testing the home keeper at this stage and when a miscued overhead kick fell to Riley, he doubled the home advantage.


The Second Half kicked off with Pinxton taking the game to South Normanton and on 55 minutes Brady headed home to reduce the arrears. The game was now on edge with some meaty challenges going in and it could well have gone over the top, but credit to both sets of players who wanted to play football and both kept creating chances as the game went from end to end.


As I strolled down to the bottom end of the ground, a superb overhead kick by Nicholls restored Normo's two goal advantage on 70 minutes, there was no stopping that from flying in to the net.


In to injury time, Nicholls raced away for his second and Normo's 4th goal of the game to cap a fine performance and well deserved victory for them.


To see pics from the match please click on link:
http://s1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc460/Midlandsman/South%20Normanton%20Athletic%204%20Pinxton%201/


South Normanton Athletic FC's Website address is:
http://snafc.net/default.aspx


Pinxton FC's Website address is:
http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/pinxtonfc/