29/08/16 Review: Matlock Town vs Ilkeston

Matlock Town 0-0 Ilkeston (Evo-Stik Premier Division)

Causeway Lane

August's Bank Holiday Monday fixture list, one of the biggies in the non-leagues, also doubles-up as the proverbial nightmare in terms of traffic on the roads and would therefore mean that any plans made for ground-hopping should be thoroughly researched to avoid busy patches. In future I must remember that!

2 Hours, 45 Minutes later!

Setting off at 11:45am from Stoke, with a plan to visit the Heights of Abraham and grab lunch before the game, the horrible Bank Holiday reality was that my Girlfriend and I would instead slowly drive passed the wonderful looking cable cars and many a scrumptious Pub with Beer Gardens galore on the miles and miles of sublime rural roads. We eventually pulled up at Causeway Lane around 2:30pm knowing that the harsh reality of a Greggs sausage roll would be our destiny. Alas, the sun was shining and we had at least made it in time for a cheeky pre-match pint before seeing what the Gladiators and the Robins could serve up for us.

Here we go again

Today's opponents were fellow Derbyshire side Ilkeston. Despite this being Matlock's 6th game of the season in the Evo-Stik Premier, this afternoon was only match number 2 of a very tough start following much off-the-pitch drama. The biggest non-league scandal of the 2016-17 season so far, thankfully, seems to have been partially resolved in some way as the Robins finally kicked-off their campaign on Saturday with a 0-2 defeat against Ashton United, however with all that's gone on you can't help but think it's going to be a long one. I have actually had the privileged of seeing Che Adams play some stunning football in a pre-season friendly for the Blades at Moss Rose last season and I had thought then that he'd be destined for big things- and the 20-year old had actually managed his first Birmingham City goal before Ilkeston had kicked a ball.

They'd be looking to give the Gladiators a fight today though in the Derbyshire Derby

Matlock's game just two days ago had been a 5-3 thriller, albeit a defeat they would not have wanted against the league's new boys Warrington. Today's game would be likely to be more of a close affair though, and looking through the match programme, Matlock had won the previous two encounters by 1-0. This would be my pre-match prediction for the game this afternoon too.

plenty in attendance for this one

As the match began, I glanced around the stands and noticed one thing in particular. Considering Matlock is probably about as far away from the sea as you can get in England, there seems to be a hell of a lot of options to get yourself some Fish and Chips! With the catering in the ground following the trend too, I found myself bemused by how much battered cod was on display and I felt like I should've been back home watching Whitby Town rather than the landlocked Gladiators. On the pitch, the action was pretty end-to-end and the Matlock skipper almost gave his side an early lead, only to be denied by a defender on the line. The flow continued in this style for most of the first-half, with Ilkeston forging a long-range chance of their own on the 16th minute. Both sides were playing some quality football, but neither were looking likely to get clear chances- with the long-ball technique up to the pacey striker being a favoured tactic for the two teams.

The away fans were piping up at this point

Ilkeston's fans had come out in force today and made the 20 mile journey through to Causeway Lane, which was great to see. With over 500 overall in the ground, it was the away following who were offering the chanting so far, pelting out the classic "can you hear the Matlock sing? No, NO!" and general referee hatred that is a feature of any non-league match. The game was still tense, with not many chances falling in either direction and it was clear to see that today's game would not have the goalmouth action that my Tuesday trip to fellow Evo-Stik side Rushall Olympic had.

Still, at least there was the backdrop to look at

It is worth noting at this point that 75% of the 0-0's I'd encountered on my travels were whilst my Girlfriend was in attendance, and it was no surprise that at half-time the same score was on the board here. It certainly wasn't the worst goalless draw I'd seen so far, that award is firmly in the hands of Scarborough Athletic and Glossop North End from last season, but I must admit that the highlights of the afternoon so far were the ice-cream and the scenery. I quickly popped over to the pleasantly busy Clubhouse at half-time to grab a beer and on my way back around I got myself a classic tourist shot as the polite Steward offered to take a snap of me in front of the player entrance.

The Summer specials were up for grabs

The day had initially started off with the hope of going down to Solihull to see the mighty Silkmen, and in fairness I was still at a ground, watching a team in blue who have the initials MTFC, but with the sun beating down, a beer in my hand and a feeling of being by the sea, I was glad at this point to be at Matlock ready for the second-half. Despite this, I couldn't help but check my phone around the hour-mark and somewhat regret missing what was so far a 2-2 stalemate. Here at Causeway Lane, the reds were starting to edge possession and seemed eager for their first points of the season. The main inspiration for the home-side was when fresh blood entered the pitch in the form of Jake Green, who almost made an instant impact with a couple of half-chances. In a match that was becoming all crackle and no pop, it seemed likely that if a winner was to come that it would be from a defensive error, an inspired move from a set-piece or perhaps a ruthless break. With 85 minutes on the clock, the latter came and should have seen the Gladiators crush the Robins and take the spoils. The number 4 for Town, a lookalike of Macclesfield's Kingsley James, made a surge into the box and was found unmarked in the box. A misplaced shot was unfortunately scuffed wide though, and that was to be the cause of the largest cheer of the day for the fans as they prepared to head home with a point on the board. As a chorus of "you're shit, and you know you are" flowed from the away end, the game played itself to a goalless end and it was all-square for today.

Game over, 0-0

With a post-match date lined-up at Nando's in Stoke, it was time to take on the journey home. Seeing the Macc had taken a late 3-2 win against the Moors, I wasn't too down-heartened to travelled almost 3 hours to a 0-0 display and knowing that juicy chicken was to follow, I left Matlock with a smile. This atmospheric ground with the most amazing of backdrops is certainty one I'd recommend highly- as long as you don't do it on a Bank Holiday Monday!

23/08/16 Review: Rushall Olympic vs Grantham Town

Rushall Olympic 3-1 Grantham Town (Evo-Stik Premier Division)

Dales Lane

Olympic, Olympic, OLYMPIC!!! Although some may be sick of the sight of this word by now, there are others like me who are still on the Team GB buzz. So much so, that tonight I jumped in my car and headed down to Walsall for an evening at Rushall Olympic.

Dales Lane, home to Rushall Olympic and WBA Ladies

The team, known as the Pics, were to be the second West Midlands team visited in successive Tuesdays with my good pal Mikey, who up until last week's jaunt to Castlecroft Stadium was a non-league virgin. Alas, he was back for round 2 and he even convinced his Dad to pop along for the ride too. Meeting at the ground around 7pm, I had already had a good snoop around and observed yet another decent West Mids ground. With everything from a nice couple of new stands, an olden-style Clubhouse and even a Club Shop, this was what I would describe as a "proper" non-league ground. It had the mishmash appearance of a club that was slowly but surely on the up, which as readers of my Blog will have seen, is not always the case. One highlight on the walk around was when I accidentally walked into the loosely guarded Board Room whilst looking for the bar. Oops!

A decent pitch at this early stage of the season

And a character-filled clubhouse to boot

Tonight's opponents were Grantham Town, a club that I was only vaguely familiar with due to a recent interest I had developed when I met their management team at Wembley back in May at "Non-League Finals Day". I had felt a need, on this occasion, to join allegiance with the home-side thanks to one person. José Veiga, former Macc Town Keeper and Cape Verde International veteran, is a chap who I have always followed since he left the Silkmen in 2012 and I was thrilled when I found out he'd made the move from Redditch United to the team I'd be watching tonight. Despite the personal links, I realistically expected a close game and looking at the early formed League Table both sides were level with 4 points each before the start of play. My pre-match prediction, based on my expectations that Veiga would pull out a top-notch showing, was for an exciting but ultimately goalless game.

Get out of the bar folks, it's time to get started

I am studying the League with interest this season, having seen Warrington Town, Stafford Rangers, Nantwich Town and Coalville Town fairly recently, and I was therefore happy to be visiting yet another team at this level. For Mikey, it was his first trip to a ground from this division, and I imagine that after the night we had it would not be his last.

Lovely evening again

It didn't start out as a perfect trip though, with a deafeningly loud speaker blurting out Chuck Berry's "Go Johnny Go" from one side, and the sun (I know, shouldn't complain!) providing a blinding backdrop from the other for a scorching opening to the match. Before play could begin, I quickly darted into the Club Shop and was astounded to see a few Grantham followers looking for pens. With the question on the tip of everybody's lips, one fan explained that when they travel to grounds, they buy a pen as memorabilia. I preferred to get a scarf, but each to their own I suppose.

The Media Tower was all set-up and ready

Just before the teams entered the field, the music died down and there was a silence that could only be rivalled by that of a theatre audience awaiting the start of a play. And in tune with this, the actors, sorry, players, walked out on to the field accompanied by the most dramatic trumpet-led instrumental music ever composed. Feeling like we'd walked in to Odeon for a second, the players took their place on the field and finally the crowd noise level picked up a bit.

And we're off

The match started with much gusto and passion, which saw many an early well-nourished challenge and plenty of attacking intent. The linesman on the side nearest us had his early feelings summarised by one loud-mouth local, who shouted out to him "yaw need a cap on lino!"

He wasn't lying

Within the opening 5 minutes I had already singled out Rushall's Henry Eze, who I'd seen and enjoyed playing for Chasetown last season, and it was his solid defensive play that enhanced my thoughts on the game potentially looking at a 0-0. However, as the game panned out, it seemed that the team who would be likely to score first would be the Pics. With an ambitious Alex Reid commanding the left-wing he almost showed why he'd been the top-scorer for Olympic so far by hitting the first chance low, but this time into the Grantham keeper's hands. Grantham, aka the Gingerbread's, were looking a tad crumbly and only forged a couple of long-range half-chances from the opening 30 minutes. With the classic three wise stalwarts, that every non-league club has, stood just a few feet away we were also treated to some sarky chants towards the officials and opponents, as well as some inaudible Midlands talk that usually ended with the word "Toss-pot".

There is a third chap stood there, somewhere

Back on the pitch Rushall were giving the lads a frustrating time as they failed to capitalise on the early dominance. After a slide into the box from an attacker saw the ball lift up on to the bar, and a rabona cross from Reid that could've quite easily crept into the danger zone, it was going to take a moment of magic to defeat a gritty Grantham defence. Between more rants from the Pics trio, including one fairly unimaginative call of "bloody school boy!" towards the lino, we were getting closer to the goal. And on the 40th minute it eventually came, and it was well worth the wait. Zak Martin, who had played very well and showed the passing range of a young Danny Murphy mixed with the skillful movement of a non-league Pavel Nedved, took his chance well with a spinning, twirling, whirling volley that flew across the body of the keeper and past him into the goal- very nice indeed and a funky celebration to match. Rushall 1-0 Grantham. The half had a much needed goal at a crucial time and the half would end at 1-0, with Grantham looking rather toothless and somewhat disappointing so far.

Half-time and the sun had seen enough of this one

The half had not lacked entertainment at all, and in the midst of the funny jibes being given from the lads to our left, the numerous chances from the Pics, and the thrill of seeing José Veiga make a couple of nice saves, I forgot to mention earlier that there was some very good defensive play going on from both teams. It's the sort of footy I love to see- solid heading ability, the odd heavy lunge and general power from both defences against quick attackers. As darkness arrived and the floodlights came out to play, the sides came back out and we headed back to the stand to see what the second-half may bring.

No time to eat your pie Jim, it's time for the second-half

The penultimate 45 minutes of the game started very slowly compared to the first-half, and the majority of the opening 15 were spent chatting to a member from the club who was telling us about the upgrades that will be going on over the next year or so. It's always nice to chat to people involved with a club and this Hulk Hogan lookalike was very friendly and gave us a great insight into what life was like here at Dales Lane. Despite this, we were gagging for another goal though and it finally came around the hour-mark. Alex Reid was the man to add the second, his fourth of the campaign, with a nice finish after rounding the keeper and having the empty net at his disposal. Rushall 2-0 Grantham. And with that it was time for Grantham to stick or twist, however their opposition held all the cards at this point and promptly added a third. With free-kicks and corners coming in left, right and centre, Zak Martin added his second volley of the game with a simpler finish this time. Rushall 3-0 Grantham. For the Gingerbread's fans reading this thinking the evening was all doom and gloom for them, they can at least enjoy this next bit. A reasonably well hit strike from Ben Saunders went into, and then back out of, the arms of so-far-safe Veiga and the ball rolled into the net to give the travelling fans a glimpse of a comeback with 20 minutes to go. Rushall 3-1 Grantham.

Still a wee bit of hope for the Gingerbread's

The unfortunate howler for Veiga did inspire a bit of zest for Grantham, and they looked likely to grab another before the end as they pushed on. One woman nearby, who had offered exceedingly obvious advice to the home-side's players throughout the match, decided to do her deed by shouting out "come on Pics" in such a way that it sounded like "come on Pigs", and to top this she single-handedly warned the lads that the away side were going for it by playing three upfront. Not that Henry Eze needs advice or warning from everyone, the lad was having a solid game and within the final 5 minutes he showed the burst of pace from the back that you'd expect to see from the likes of deep midfielder. He picked up the ball around the half-way line, before skinning two of his opponents, laying the ball off to a mate, making a long run out wide and eventually getting the ball back again. The only reaction that the opponents could have was to take the lad out and prevent the potential of another goal. As it happened, there weren't any more goals and the ref finished the game off swiftly. A solid win for Rushall that sees them leap into the higher end of the division, albeit at an early stage. Whilst Grantham would face a tiring 70+ mile ride back to Lincolnshire with defeat upon them, the home side were in a buoyant mood after a second win of the season.

Good night Dales Lane, it's been an eventful night

16/08/16 Review: AFC Wulfrunians vs Stourport Swifts

AFC Wulfrunians 0-3 Stourport Swifts (Midland Football League Premier)

Castlecroft Stadium

In the midst of the Premier League's much anticipated return, paired with Team GB's Olympic sweep over in Rio, it has been hard to keep the eyes off the TV screen over the past week or so. However, there's only so much of Usain Bolt's magic and Paddy McNair madness that one can take and it was time to get back out and watch a live game of non-league football.

Best get myself down to Castlecroft Stadium then

Tonight's plan was simple. Finish work, drive to Wolverhampton and meet up with my pal Mikey to steal his non-league virginity in a hopefully-not-too-dreadful match taking in the joys of the Midland Football League. Having visited two outstanding grounds from this division last season in Brocton's Silkmore Lane and the truly delightful Aspray Arena, I did not expect to be met by yet another great little ground. Alas, I was, and with a very early arrival I found myself practically knocking on the door to get into the Castlecroft Stadium. Initial points of note at the ground were firstly that it was in a posh area surrounded by luxury housing, second that the stadium's stand had the England Rugby badge on the side, and finally that I was arriving at the same time as the players. In an attempt to find out more about where I was and what it was, I got talking to the chap who would eventually sell me my ticket, and he was explaining briefly that the ground was used by England Rugby in the early 2000's and when AFC Wulfrunians were formed in 2005 they moved in following the Rugby folk to the more appropriate home of Twickenham. This would explain the posh nature of the area and the appearance of turf sprinklers at this level!

The Wulfs are on to a good thing by the looks of it

A reasonably new club, AFC Wulfrunians have sat in the higher mid-table area of the Midlands Premier since the 2013-14 Season and it seemed fitting that we would today be seeing them take on a club of over 130 years in the form of Stourport Swifts. The Swifts haven't always played at this level, but they have been there or thereabouts and have had a fairly average time of it since forming in 1882. Still, that didn't stop fans arriving and this midweek fixture slowly started to have people flocking, with Mikey included as he arrived to see what all of the fuss was about. Having spent his life as a Wolves fan, he had never entertained the thought of visiting the Wulfs and this would prove to be a fascinating evening for him. My initial aim once stepping into the ground was to head over to the food van and taste the local cuisine, and of course I promptly saw off a Cheeseburger with onions. With business taken care of, I did my typical walk around the ground and grabbed myself a nice view of the green-seated stand which seemed in fine condition. Mikey wasn't having such a good time of things though, and upon my return from ground scouting he was attacked by the aforementioned sprinkler. With a vast amount of force and a minor dose of wind proving to be a lethal combo, Mikey took a fair drenching from the water and was powerless to resist his first taste of the good stuff. He told me at the time that if he came down with pneumonia that he would blame me for bringing him along.

Brolly at the ready

After drying off in the Midlands sun we continued to watch the warm-up and had a quick peruse of the programme. With no experience of football at this level, Mikey seemed confused to see the Number 13 shirt space blank on the Team Sheets and I had to explain to him that the ability to fill a bench as a part-time club is a mere luxury. And with that it was time to grab a quick beer from the fairly well attended bar at the back of the Stand, before heading back out for the start of the match. The teams marched out, with the Wulfs in Red and the Swifts in Blue.

Let's ave it then you Wulfs!

My opening scouting observation was the Wulfrunians right-winger, Demetri Brown, and his bursting start to proceedings. Despite often over-running the ball, he was a real bright spark and seemed the most likely to be the outlet for the home-side's strikers. Having predicted a 2-1 win for Wulfs before the game, we watched on as more fans entered within the opening 10 minutes and grabbed various drinks for the game- it was nice to see at this point that we weren't South enough to be at a ground where Bovril was off the menu. On the pitch the game had started well for the travelling Stourport team and they pressed the ball well and looked to open the scoring with some good wing play of their own. This was halted though as a crunching early challenge flew in from Joel Caines at left-back for the Wulfs. The tempo was set by this point and although the ref's decisions seemed to favour the Swifts, it must be said that the home side were pushing their luck a bit with some of the challenges. Around the 20 minute mark the first real chance came as Reece Shilvock danced past the keeper and attempted to tap home the opener, only for a well-placed Nick Dodds to deny him with his mighty chested block. The pressure continued from there on and another chance was hit from a Stourport set-piece, this time the Wulfs keeper Josh Moreton slung an arm out to tip the ball away with a great save. With a goal seeming likely at any time, Marvin Robinson, formally of Stoke and Derby, seemed to be having a very frustrating evening up top for the hosts. Having scored his first goal for the club on Saturday, the club's historic 1000th, he was not having much fortune so far and seemed to be loathing every whistle blow from Mr. Warren.

The away fans were eager to see a goal

With 36 minutes gone, the opener finally came. Andrew Hudson, the left-winger who had a cracking game, took control of a long-range pass before twisting and turning his way through the home defence and then unleashing a wicked left-footer which curled precisely into the net with the keeper standing no chance. Wulfs 0-1 Swifts. I was worrying that Mikey's first outing to a non-league fixture would be a 0-0, so in some ways it was nice to see the opener before the break. Still, it would've been nice to see it go to the home team who we had decided we would be supporting for the day.

Half-time, pint-time

As always, half-time came and went in a flash, and before we knew it the game was back on it's feet. Stourport's trip from Worcestershire had so far been a success and the second 45 would prove to be even better. With just a couple of minutes passed, it was yet again Hudson cutting across from the wing to pop the ball into the goal. Another prance through the box and past the defence yet again punished the reds and gave the Swifts a clear advantage. Wulfs 0-2 Swifts. By this point a few fans had turned focus elsewhere.

Time for the floodlights

One fan got chatting to his mate and shouted out that he had "got his tickets for the Curry Night!", which seemed to be a clear relief to those who'd overheard. Just before the hour mark the Wulfs made a change and brought on a replacement striker. The lad almost made an instant impact on more than one occasion, but his first tame effort was cleared off the line after passing the keeper, and his second, a header, was fluffed over the bar. Had any of those chances made it in to the net, it would've been game on again, however it wasn't to be on this occasion and the Swifts started to pressurise again in the search of a third.

Goodbye sunshine

And the goal almost came in bizarre circumstances too as the Swifts right-back hit an ambitious 35-yarder toward the keeper, which seemed to give him a surprising amount to do as he flapped it to safety. The resulting corner came to nothing and Wulfs survived the threat. As time went on the legs became tired, most of the lads no doubt had work in the morning and the thought of a final push to get back in the game was potentially a bit much to ask at this stage. The tiredness was seen across the pitch, and even off it, as a lazy slide tackle went in to an off-the-field player by the stand. Somewhere there was a shout from a distant player of "it can't be a foul if it's off the pitch, ref."- they are all heart at Castlecroft. This theme continued into the latter stages and with just over 80 minutes gone a penalty was awarded for a push in the box. Reece Shilvock popped up to convert calmly and that was the three points secured too. Wulfs 0-3 Swifts. The ref had been poor overall in my eyes, and I think the home team's players were in agreement. After another decision went against them and delayed play, the lads started to fling an insult or two around, to which the Ref eventually reacted too. In a 'flinging his toys out of the pram' reaction, Josh Warren turned to the players and shouted "I've gotta wait for my assistant!"

Get em told, lad

There was to be no more goal action and the game saw itself out to end 0-3 to Stourport Swifts. A good win for the away side and they had avenged themselves after a 1-5 away loss at Long Eaton United over the weekend. The fans promptly departed and the caterers were on the way too, so quickly in fact that within 4 minutes of the game ending the lights were switched out on us.

I suppose they've gotta think of the leccy bill!

So that was it, the evening had drawn to a dark close. Wulfrunians had today fallen in Mikey's first day out to the good stuff, non-league football. The next question of course is whether he is hooked, and I guess that remains to be seen when Pint of Football makes another outing to the glamorous West Midlands! Until next time, cheers Castlecroft for showing me another delightful ground, my 40th visited so far.

06/08/16 Review: London Bari vs Clapton

London Bari 1-3 Clapton (FA Cup Qualifying Extra Preliminary Round)

Old Spotted Dog Ground

An FA Cup match on the 6th August- yup, you are reading right! Today marked the start of the World's greatest Cup and for teams like Jarrow Roofing Boldon CA, Cockfosters FC and Billingham Synthonia (they're all in there!) it was time to begin the road to Wembley. For many, the thought of a big draw against Manchester United or an away day at Stamford Bridge would be an ultimate dream for fans and for some club owners it could mean the difference between paying the gas bill and having a whip-round amongst the fans. However, those who know the FA Cup know that to even get to the Third Round to have a chance to face the "big boys" means the clubs from today playing at least 8 rounds. Does it stop them dreaming though? I dare you to ask any Biggleswade United supporter.

The Clapton Ultras were, of course, hit by FA Cup fever

I was starting my FA Cup adventure too, and after hearing of this tie being on whilst I was in Essex for a family wedding, I grabbed my keys and jumped in the car to head out to the almighty London. With a surprisingly clear route from Southend, I made it to Clapton and began my search for the Spotted Dog Ground. Despite this being Clapton FC's home, today they were the away side as London Bari hosted the tie in the ground that they share. Think of it like the San Siro derby, minus about 79,900 of the seats and fans!

I heard rumours that this section of the 1878 build was used to form the model of the San Siro

Since London's oldest ground was opened in the 19th century, Clapton have played their football here and have no doubt seen some great moments and some poor one's too. London Bari, however, have only been moved in to "the Dog" as of 2012 and are a fairly new club in the Essex Senior League too. Still, that wouldn't stop both teams wanting the win in this rivalry match and with a potential tie in the next round against Ipswich Wanderers or Sporting Bengal United on the cards, all guns were blazing from the off in this one.

You could cut the pre-match tension with a butter knife

With what I can only assume are some of the ground's original features on display, I made my way around the ground and in certain areas I felt like I should've asked for a shovel to give them a hand to sort out the rubble! I appreciated the ground as being a relic within East London's suburbs, but it was just a bit unnecessarily messy. The stand, taken today largely by Bari fans, was decent and the sun was pure glory- meanwhile the rustic "Tons End" bar did the trick and was well stocked with reasonably prices beverages. But it was the "Scaffold" stand, home to the nationwide famous Clapton Ultras, that was the draw for me, and any other ground-hopper. Even before getting settled in, I was approached by a chap who was telling me that most ground-hoppers don't consider themselves true until they have visited the Old Spotted Dog, and I can understand why. Not only is the ground a classic, but it is known for having outrageous fans who sing ALL OF THE TIME.

20 mins until KO, the tunes were blasting out of the Scaffold

Having seen Besiktas and the crazy fans they brought to Stoke, as well as the Hereford masses at Wembley back in May, I would say that these guys were well up there with some of the most insane (in a good way) fans I'd ever witnessed. Last season I was highly impressed with the commitment of the Glossop North End away following at a very cold Scarborough midweek game, but this was even better. In order to show my incredibly jealous friend Tom (Partizan Bristle) what a great time I was having at a ground right at the top of his "to do list", I attempted to mix in with the Ultras and get a cheeky vid to show what he was missing. This didn't go down to well, as one man explained to me that the Ultras are just here to watch the game and want no publicity or social media footage putting on the line, which is fair enough. I then saw a sign which explained that they preferred not to be photographed or videoed as they do what they love, which I could understand also.

In fairness, this is more my scene anyway

With the temperature almost reaching 30 degrees and the sun hitting every blade of grass, it was 3pm and time for the game to commence. The two Essex Senior League teams, who were 7th and 8th in the 2015/16 Season, marched out and with that the fans turned it up yet another notch and belted out some of the classics. "The Bari are shite, the Bari are shite. You're at the Dog, you pay your money, the Bari are shite!" was the opening chorus number, followed by "We're the Clapton, the mighty Clapton. We're gonna win away!" to the tune of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" by the Tokens. The match kicked off and the Lions certainly were not sleeping, but I think Bari still were. Within 40 seconds of the kick, number 9 Reece Hewitt finished well despite the possible shock of such an early chance and Clapton were off to a flyer. Bari 0-1 Clapton.

Not a great start for London Bari

Bari were unnerved to say the least in the opening minute, but around the fourth minute it could've been even worse! After the Bari keeper found himself in no-mans land the ball made it's way to a sharp looking Tony Cookey latched on to a pass and hit his shot unfortunately against an on-the-line Bari defender.

Time to wake up, Bari!

And that's just what they did. Around the 10 minute mark they carved their first chance and were it not for such a tame hit, the home team's striker could've perhaps got an equaliser. As time past me by, we were all of a sudden up to 30 minutes gone. The match wasn't of a great standard, but it was of a fast-pace and both sides did look to work chances well. Often the passing was poor and flat, but with pacey wingers queuing up to make some magic happen, it was always likely to be a game with more goals. Two latecomers asked me, the guy in the Macclesfield Town jersey, who had scored the opener, to which I gave them the surprisingly useful answer of "Reece, I think?" and they marched on. So far I had managed to have numerous interactions at the Old Dog, which isn't always the case at some grounds I'd visited. As Bari pressed, but lacked the quality in crucial threw-balls, and Clapton looked to add a second through the impressive Cookey, the game was well poised. I carried on patrolling the ground, listening out for more chants from the Scaffold, such as a rendition of "Sweet like Clapton" in the style of the Shanks and Bigfoot floor-filler "Sweet Like Chocolate", and when I took temporary base by the Bari fans, I spotted a lot of fans with fancy cameras. Perhaps more ground-hoppers getting their fill?

Lovely afternoon in the Capital

With half-time approaching and the beer calling me, I started to edge closer to the clubhouse. On my way there I got chatting to Leyton Orient season ticket holder, who was wearing a Sydney FC sunhat and a Melbourne Victory top- a man after my own heart! We had a good chinwag for the remainder of the half about all things Macclesfield, A-League and Orient. Luckily I was more informed on the Australian League than some he's spoken too, so I think he enjoyed the chat. Bless.

That'll probably be me in 40 years time

The bar then provided another friendly chat with a non-regular, I must attract them! This time it was with the ex-secretary and super fan of Ipswich Wanderers, the potential opponents for one of these sides today, who had come out on unofficial scouting business to report back to the gaffer there. Once a scout with then non-league Stevenage, the chap spoke of his friendship with ex-Macc Assistant Manager Efe Sodje and also provided some great conversation to see me through the break. Before I knew it, it was time to head back out for the second-half, where I was rejoined by my new mate in his A-League attire.

This is what they call "the life"

The second-half provided a few early chances and on 56 minutes there was to be a second goal. With another case of hack and slash defending, this time the Bari striker left the defence on the floor and slotted in past the keeper to level things up- a thrilling moment with the FA Cup tie being brought back to lift. Bari 1-1 Clapton. The leveller wasn't to last long though and within 5 minutes of the equaliser Clapton moved up a gear. With a corner from the right, the ball was swung in and met well by an eager Freddie Morris thumping in a header that was well out of the keepers grasp. Bari 1-2 Clapton. As a security guard applauded the goal, the chap I was sat with sprung up to ask if "that goal was gonna be on Match of the Day tonight", to which the security guard replied mockingly with "probably!".

All still to play for, including the prime spot on MOTD

To prevent a replay, ironically at the same venue in two days time, Clapton would this time have to press on to seal the game off. They looked able to do it, and in the 66th minute the crucial goal came. The Bari defence were panicking against a high offensive Clapton line and they were forced into error, which led to the Ton's forward picking out substitute strike-mate Fahad Nyanja who eventually popped the ball into the empty net- game over. Bari 1-3 Clapton. My mate beside me took this time to tell me about a darker time at the Old Spotted Dog, and reminisced to a time when he witnessed Arlesey Town beat Clapton 8-2- despite the Arlesey striker only having one arm!

Strangely enough- no mention of players with missing limbs in the Ground Rules

This guy was an absolute hoot! He had some great stories of his days watching games in Australia and Singapore, as well as at Brisbane Road. The stories continued to expand as an Australian lad spotted him in the A-League merch and came over to tell us about his exploits as a Sydney FC fan. I was glad to finally meet a fan of an A-League team so I could quiz him over the odd structure of the league (I won't bore you with them in this post!) and the long and the short of it was that he agreed that the system over there is "a little odd, I suppose!". Ha, knew it!

A Macc fan, an Orient supporter and a Sydney lad having a great chat

Back on the pitch, the action had all but fizzled out. Pretty much the last kick of the game saw Morris hit the post from a scramble, but other than that it was a placid ending. Not that Clapton would mind though, as they ploughed through to the next phase and would continue to believe the Ultras chants of going to Wembley could happen. I departed fairly promptly to get back to Southend, having had a top afternoon in the sun at a historic ground. Was it the best game I'd seen? No. Was it a nice, well-maintained ground? No. Was it a place I'd recommend anyone who loves the game to visit? Yes! With the atmosphere being nothing short of electric all afternoon, and the non-Ultra fans providing good company, it was certainly my kind of ground- and one I'm thrilled to have ticked off my list. Cheers Clapton, see you at Wembley in May!