21/08/21 Review: Basildon United vs White Ensign

Basildon United 1-0 White Ensign (FA Cup Qualifier, Preliminary Round) Gardiners Close

Amongst the many great traditions in this country there is one that still excites me to this day- The FA Cup. No, I'm not a hopeless romantic hoping to go to Wembley one day and see minnows Port Vale lift the cup at Wembley, nor am I the guy who looks forward to a Manchester derby in the Semi-Final. For me, the magic of the cup is that everybody is in the hat (up until a certain level). As slim as the chances are, Chelsea COULD end up playing Chorley, or Liverpool MAY come up against Ludlow Town. Who knows, if Basildon United play their cards right they MIGHT get a trip to Brentford? Again, it seems almost impossible at this very early stage of local qualifying, but whilst there is even a 1% chance of clubs like Basildon United and White Ensign reaching the Third Round proper of the FA Cup, that is what they will be fighting and hoping for in these qualifiers. Oh yeah, and the much needed prize money for competing in the world's most famous cup competition.

Not that the ground is in bad shape at all

And speaking of tradition, the mid-August weekend outing to an FA Cup Qualifier in this area of the world has sporadically become a nice little bonus for me personally as I tend to usually spend a bit of time in Essex over August for a family member's birthday. In 2016, I ticked off one of London's most famous non-league grounds as I went to watch London Bari vs Clapton at the Old Spotted Dog Ground. Meanwhile at the start of the 2018/19 season there was a double-header to observe as I did a Friday night trip to Coggeshall Town versus Witham Town followed by Great Wakering Rovers big win against Leyton Athletic at Burroughs Park- the current home of White Ensign! Aside from these FA Cup bouts, I've also had the privilege of doing many of Essex's locals during my 206 total, having knocked off Roots Hall and Southchurch Park in Southend, as well as further afield classics such as Park Lane in Canvey Island and Ship Lane for the 2017 BBC Essex Cup Final.

But how would this one compare?

Basildon United's Gardiners Close is one that has been on my radar for such a long time but much like with many of my locals back home in Staffordshire, they are so close-by that I tend not to rush to get to them as they are really handy and easy when in a rush. Last weekend would prove to be that rush as I arrived in Leigh-on-Sea at 2:45pm after the long trek down from Stafford. I quickly chucked my partner out at her mum's house and then shot back up the A127 with my ETA showing as 3:03pm. It wouldn't be the first time I've missed kick-off for a match, but with my sights set on a game regardless, I just about made it into the ground by about five past. No time to grab a beer yet, but I did at least make note of the layout of Gardiners Close. Hidden just off the dual carriageway and behind a few trading estates, United's home lives next to the Ford Sports & Social Club and this means that for the true sports fanatics you could make the most of watching a game of rugby concurrently with the footy if you stand in the right place. The brutish egg fight isn't for me, so I resisted that urge and instead took up a pew in the main stand to watch Basildon and Ensign try to forge the early advantage.

No idea what that is behind the stands though? Maybe a bee hive...

For me, the best thing about Basildon's ground is its identity. A proudness to be called the bees and an equal emphasis on the club colours makes it a sight to behold in an otherwise pretty standard non-league football ground. Everything from the goal nets through to the media hut have the yellow and black theme and I for one am a huge fan of it. A lot of non-league clubs will let their grounds get run down and rusty, but that doesn't mean they have to look run down and rusty. With a bold paintjob and a good graphic designer in your midst you can achieve a very smart and compact look to your ground, which Basildon United have done oh so well. In terms of actual structure, the ground has three decent stands along the one side. A substantial seating stand, which includes the entrance tunnel for players and officials, sits dead central in the ground. At the far side there is a smaller seating area and near the punter entrance is a mini-terrace suitable for the standing supporters. Behind both goals they have a scruffy standing area which is sheltered and finally at the opposite end there is just a railed standing area running the length of the pitch and a nice backdrop of trees. I'm not sure if it's incidental, but it is quite common to see the built-up areas of a ground furthest away from the dugouts and I imagine that this is to reduce the amount of annoying fans standing and pestering the gaffers during a match.

An interesting badge, too

On the pitch the action was well underway and although the opening twenty minutes were lively enough, the only real goal threat that I saw came in the shape of a well-worked corner. Both sides played decent enough football in the first-half, but there was a distinct lack of quality and communication between the midfield and forwards on this occasion. The hosts were favourites for the game and play in the division above White Ensign, who have just joined the Essex Senior League for the 2021/22 campaign, but I wasn't expecting a goal fest from this encounter and as a result I'd made a pre-match prediction of 1-0 to the hosts. Let it go on the record now, that I make pre-match guesses for each game and on average I think I get one or two right per season... this is not me trying to appear like some sort of non-league psychic, more just a way of adding a bit of extra spice to the game from a neutral's point of view.

Speaking of extra spice...

The locals were fairly standard footy fans across the board and as I looked around I spotted all of the usual suspects. Half the fans had one eye on the match and the other on their phones, checking out their fantasy football teams or the scores for their accumulators. Loads of kids were knocking about from the youth team, which is always good to see in a community football club, whilst the rest of the majority were friends, families and locals. My only real interaction was with one kid, who looked about twelve years old, walking past me with a pint in his hand and as our eyes met he just said "alright, boy?" and carried on walking. No judgement on my part, I'll just put it down to a cultural exchange. At half-time I joined a good chunk of the crowd in the clubhouse for a beer and again the indoor facilities were as bold and beautiful as the outside. A smart and sporty look was complimented by a couple of big TVs showing the half-time scores from around the grounds, whilst over to the left of the bar was a vast yellow room which I imagine would be used post-match for the teams and officials. As I mentioned before, a big fan of the presentation of the ground and it really did standout compared to many of the similar sized clubs I've visited over the years. Even the little club shop hatch and entry to the ground are pleasant and offer a good first impression.

Function Room

Bar/Clubhouse

Turnstile

Club Shop

Back outside I wandered over for the second-half and thankfully I would get to witness a goal- AND WHAT A GOAL IT WAS! Following a Bees corner, the ball made its way to substitute Nathan Fuma and as players from his Southend opposition approached, he hit a whistling strike which flew through the air into the White Ensign goal. The crowd nearest me went into frenzy and Fuma ran over to them to celebrate what would prove to be a worthy winner. Basildon 1-0 Ensign.

The Bees are buzzing by now

It is fifty-one years since Jimmy Greaves and Geoff Hurst officially opened the stadium and although this match hadn't lived up to the heights they may have dreamed of for the Essex club, Basildon United fans were more than happy at the ref's final whistle as they'd survived a potential banana skin of a fixture by overcoming White Ensign and securing themselves a place in the First Qualifying Round. Their Southend based opponents journey ended ten days after it began with the impressive win away at Sporting Bengal, however for the hosts it is onwards and upwards. They smashed their way through Stansted two weeks prior and next up will be a tough visit to Wingate & Finchley from the division above. After today, I'll definitely be cheering them on from afar in the next round. A great afternoon out for anybody looking for a character-filled afternoon of football fun.

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12/09/20 Review: RC Warwick vs Bedworth United

Racing Club Warwick 1-1 Bedworth United (FA Cup Qualifying Preliminary Round) Townsend Meadow

In this new mad world we live in, it is so pleasing to be able to still see The FA Cup going on just like normal and although both of my competitive outings so far this season have been in the nation's favourite cup, I still remain confident of travelling the world during 2020/21 and all being well I'll be doing it all. From Warwick to Italy, from Crewe to Jamaica, I have massive ambitions for this season and I hope you all follow me along the way.

Before all of that though, it's time for more FA Cup action

Today's game, which would allow me to hop over to my 194th ground, came as a nice surprise as I finished work in Coventry nice and early at around half 1. Initially, I had expected to be lingering in my deserted theatre until half 2 and so hadn't committed to anything, so when I locked up and sodded off in good time I made the decision to seek out another ground nearby to the West Midlands city and despite the temptation to pop over to Coventry Sphinx, a match that would inevitably also go to penalties, I instead spread my wings a bit further to head to Warwick in search of action. Aside from the fact that this was a new ground for me, it is also my first venture to Warwickshire's county town- and considering I live in Staffordshire's, I know how exciting it is to head to a county town!

Old equals fancy- we all know that much

And in what is becoming a surprising new trait for 'Pint of Football', I yet again made it to a game in an early fashion. ONE WHOLE HOUR before kickoff, I found myself parked up at Townsend Meadow next to Warwick Racecourse and so the natural thing was to a) grab my ticket, b) visit Warwick Castle, and c) find a pub. Step A was pretty easy and although I think I caught the Warwick team off-guard with my premature arrival, I did manage to get a hold of a ticket and even got the chance to take some photos of an empty Townsend Meadow before exiting the ground and walking into town to see what the fuss was all about with the castle. As I mentioned earlier, I live in Stafford and am lucky to walk up to the castle their at least once a week, so Wazza Castle would have to be something special to impress. Unfortunately for me, being a tight wod on a time limit, I couldn't be bothered to pay to get in to the castle itself and instead just walked around the town and the grounds, enjoying the stunning architecture of the town rather than risking missing kickoff a pre-match pint and therefore I found myself sat in LEIF Tearooms & Piano Bar on West Street for a delicious Bierra Moretti and a chance to think about some pre-match predictions. Having watched today's visitors Bedworth United, just over a year ago over at The Oval against Cov Sphinx, I knew that they would be pre-match favourites and although there would be a feel of cup magic in this gorgeous town, I stuck my neck out with a prediction of 3-1 to the side who are higher ranked on the pyramid. Don't get me wrong, my heart was always with Warwick from the moment I set foot in the town, but my head had to go with the visitors on this occasion and with my early pint supped up, it was time to head back over to the ground in time for the big FA Cup bout. Forget the final at Wembley next year, I'm all about the early rounds and was so excited to check this one out.

Almost match time, let's ave it then

Having spoke about the town more than the ground by this point my spotlight now points on to this Midland Football League Premier stadium, which just so happens to by ninth of the nineteen. In truth, it's not the best I've been to, however I will say that it does resemble one of the country's most famous non-league grounds- and London's oldest. Much like The Old Spotted Dog, a ground I visited for more FA Cup nonsense back in August 2016 to watch London Bari versus Clapton, the main feature is a long-standing scaffolding built stand and across from that lives a more generic seating area, again like at London's oldest ground. I suppose the reason that The Dog is world renowned is because it is so historic and also because up until recently they had some of the maddest fans around, yet Warwick's routes lie elsewhere, however I'd still say it is a worthwhile visit and even though the bar isn't always people's main factor in going, I would certainly recommend popping over via public transport so that you can take part in their £2 pilsner offering. In a word, delicious, and with the match setting off I was in prime position for a delightful afternoon of football.

Pint, check! Early goal, TBC...

Bedworth United, playing in their classic green strip, got off to a good start in the afternoon's action and although ultimately we'd come away applauding Warwick's ball playing defenders, the early signs were not good for the hosts and it was that, paired with an unfortunate bobble on the pitch, that led to the opener through Liam Truslove. He snatched the ball of the RC defence, struck the ball against Brandon Ganley, and then had time to tap in his own rebound. Warwick 0-1 Bedworth. With the early goal secured to settle the game into an attacking rhythm, I decided to give my ears a bit of a run out by wandering around the pitch to see what the fans were thinking of the action so far. After briefly conversing with a local, exchanging a look with an AFC Wimbledon fan and watching two volunteers searching through the bushes for a lost ball, I eventually found myself standing behind the Warwick goal and that would be where the real classics would emerge. It started off with me having to repeatedly listen to a guy randomly saying "well, at least Vale haven't scored yet", before eventually progressing to me standing next to an Irish Magician! More to come on that bit of gold, shortly.

Lovely bit of seating in the scaffold stand

Bearing in mind my last competitive outing ended up being a bit of a whitewash, as AFC Bridgnorth battered Highgate United, this match was proving to be a proper cup clash with the underdogs spending much of the game on top of their higher tier opponents. Every time Bedworth got into the final third, they looked threatening, but with the game closing at 1-0 at half-time it was still anyone's game and if Warwick could maintain their momentum in the second-half they would have a great chance. At this point, I got chatting to "Mad Dominic" the aforementioned magician who lives in Birmingham and from then on I'd made a new friend. The guy, who was watching Warwick because his son is a coach there, was pure gold and made for great conversation throughout the rest of my time at the game. As a lover of the game and a former Tamworth player, he entertained me thoroughly with his anecdotes, constant commentary and in a script that practically wrote itself he would go on to miss Tom Smith's leveller as he popped in for a coffee. The well deserved Warwick goal was taken really well by Smith and it set the lads off for hope of progression into the next round of the tournament and the slight whiff of a big non-league side in the hat. Warwick 1-1 Bedworth.

The magic of the cup is real

There would be no more goals in the game, despite the lack of trying from the underdog home side, and due to COVID-19 rule #67814577 there are no replays, meaning the excitement of penalties. With the spot kicks being lined up right in front of us, everyone watched on as Bedworth's Daniel Crane saved Warwick's first two attempts, leaving them two up early doors. Warwick got back on track and with United's third flying over the bar we found ourselves watching in anticipation as centre-back Fortune Maphosa stepped up knowing that he had to score to keep RC in it. Unfortunately the dream was shattered as the big number 4 saw his shot saved by Crane, who had made a magnificent performance in the shootout. As I left the ground, I could hear the relief-filled roaring coming from the visiting changing rooms which shows just how fortunate they must have been feeling to squeeze into the next round. Great scenes to see the shootout win, but unfortunately it would be defeat for the plucky Warwick side. Hopefully I'll get to see them in a couple of weeks as I intend to watch their game against my MFL side, Sporting Khalsa, and I look forward to seeing how they get on this season. A good team that should do well in the league, based on this display.

See you there, Mad Dom!

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01/09/20 Review: Highgate United vs AFC Bridgnorth

Highgate United 0-3 AFC Bridgnorth (FA Cup Qualifying Extra Preliminary Round) The Coppice

One month on from the 2019-2020 FA Cup Final, this week the Qualifying Rounds for the 2020-2021 competition began which meant it was time for 'Pint of Football' to get back into my little red car and head over to a first competitive football match in over six months. My latest journey took me over to The Coppice for my first ever visit to see Highgate United as they welcomed AFC Bridgnorth over to Whitlock's End, which is an area on the South-West of Shirley, which is a town just South-West of Solihull.... which is South-East of Birmingham, for anybody keeping score!

Or just "the land of Brum", to keep things simple

Highgate United, aka "The Gate", are perhaps best known for being involved in the tragic FA Amateur Cup Quarter-Final of 1967 in which one of their players, Tony Allden, was killed by a lightning strike during a game against Enfield. The club legend, who has The Coppice's Main Stand named after him, was a much respected man in the Birmingham non-league football scene and obviously a very sad loss to the game. More recently, the 1948 established club have been known for being a bit of a retirement home for ex-pros and aside from former League of Ireland defender and current captain Sam Oje plying his trade with Highgate, over the years England's one cap wonder and Villa legend Lee Hendrie has donned the red shirt of the Gate and just three years ago former New York Red Bulls, Lillestrom and Shrewsbury Town striker Luke Rodgers had a stint here too.

To think of the names that have entered this tunnel...

Meanwhile in the blue corner we have AFC Bridgnorth who were reformed in 2013 after Bridgnorth Town folded. Yup, that old non-league story! Since becoming AFC, the Meadowmen have done pretty well for themselves and have climbed into the West Midlands (Regional) League Premier Division after starting off a couple of divisions below. Before the postponement of the last campaign, the Shropshire side were sitting nicely in midtable and well clear of the drop zone. It's not as impressive as the times they finished second to Sporting Khalsa in 2015 and Shawbury United in 2016, but looking at their history it seems about right for the club at the moment. Of course, as with any club at this level, a run in the FA Cup Qualifiers can lead to bigger long-term success and as we begin at the first possible entry stage of the tournament, it will be nice to follow the ventures of the competition again now that spectators are allowed to attend games. Being as how Highgate were the division above their visitors, I made a very inaccurate pre-match prediction of 3-1 to United as I pondered the game during my drive over from work in Coventry.

The Tony Allden Stand in all its glory

On to the game itself and we had a classic red versus blue bout on our hands, with the boxing comparisons also continuing into the match as some early crunching hits being landed from both sides. The opening half an hour of the game was pretty intense without there being much goalmouth action and once things settled down a bit there was some decent football to follow. The particular feel of the game so far had been that whoever was hungriest would grab the opener and that proved to be the case as AFC Bridgnorth's attackers began to put some real pressure on United's back four. The tenacious Meadowmen finally got their just reward in the 37th minute when the ball fell to Milne, with the number 7 having time to line up a strike which flew into the net. A lovely curling finish gave the visitors a deserved lead. Highgate 0-1 Bridgnorth.

A good game so far and there was much more to come

Just moments before the goal I had popped to the clubhouse across the field outside of the ground to grab a pint, meaning that I was lucky to make it back in time for the opener. The Coppice clubhouse is modern and has a decent bar, which is all well and good, but something that did confuse me a bit was that I could constantly smell food but didn't actually see anywhere to buy any. I mean, I could have just asked, but as I was desperately rushing to get back out to the pitch I simply grabbed a pint and pinged back over to the game. In hindsight, I suppose the food may have been for the players after the game. If anyone reads this and says that there was a tonne of juicy steak pies knocking about then I'll be depressingly satisfied to know that my nose hadn't failed me completely. Back into the game the opener had gone in and I just about caught it, but what happened next was a blink twice and you'll miss it situation as another goal was scored just seconds after the first. This time it was a striker in blue who made is way easily into the box before slotting home. Knowles' strike was cool and collected, but there were just far too many questions to ask of the Highgate defenders so far. Highgate 0-2 Bridgnorth.

All hopes of a comeback rest on the second forty-five

I popped back into the clubhouse during the break and it appeared that I wasn't the only non-local who was enjoying the facilities. "Even the bogs smell nice here!", confessed a Shropshire visitor in the urinal and for me that was a very apt, albeit an odd summary of the situation. Back outside it looked as though Highgate had made a half-time change and in strange circumstances it appeared as though an outfielder had taken up the role of shot stopper, which would possibly lead to quite unfortunate results. As it was, the lad wasn't too bad and he managed to remain unbeaten from open play. He made a few saves in a half that was largely controlled by the hosts, but ultimately he would be powerless to resist a 70th minute penalty which was converted comfortably by a player who is referred to on Twitter as "Pukka". Highgate 0-3 Bridgnorth. With food well and truly on the mind by this point I watched the final twenty minutes whilst creeping slowly towards the exit, meaning that as the full-time whistle blew I could jump in the old Suzuki and plod on home. Of course, nothing is ever that simple and in my stupidity upon arrival I parked facing away from the Tythe Barn Lane entrance and as a result I instead sat in my space for ten minutes waiting for an opportunity to do a five point turn and get the hell back to Stafford. When I eventually did get back on the road home, I took a moment whilst driving to think about the evening and although I can't summarise the evening as promptly as "nice smell bogs man", I will end this Blog by saying how good it is to be back at non-league grounds and in particular to have ticked off another Midland Football Premier League, my eighth of the nineteen.

14/01/20 Review: Coventry City vs Bristol Rovers

Coventry City 3-0 Bristol Rovers (FA Cup Third Round Replay)

St Andrew's

Ahh mid-January, a time where we're all still skint from Christmas and the only thing to get us through the wet and cold misery is the chance to spend the money we don't have going to sit in the aforementioned wet and cold to watch some midweek FA Cup Replay action. In my case, that would mean a trip to Birmingham City's St Andrew's stadium to watch... not Birmingham City!

Confusing, right?

With my first outing of the year also being at the "home" of a Coventry based team last week, I was wondering if the Sky Blues could be as dominant as Alvis were last week in their local cup rout over Wolves Uni at Green Lane. One thing was for certain and that was that this would be either a really good time to play the Gas, or a really bad time- and when you consider that this was my eighth time watching Bristol Rovers without seeing them win in 90 minutes, the signs were all there to suggest that there was only one way for this game to end. Alas, despite watching them draw away at Macc Town, Port Vale and Barnet, as well as suffering defeats to Millwall, Notts County and Wolves, I can at least say that I've seen them win a game on penalties as they just about edged past Grimsby at Wembley in what was undoubtedly the biggest game I've seen the Pirates play. Regarding Cov City, it would be my first time ever watching them.

... and Coventry City!

So with my poor record well documented, I turned my attentions to the game and although Rovers came into this one in atrocious form they would still fancy themselves after hosting an entertaining 2-2 in the original tie just ten days prior to this replay. On paper, it was two sides from the same league, both in the top half of the table and both with their own troubles off the field- however, bearing in mind that Rovers hadn't picked up a win in seven games in all competitions, I made my usual pre-match prediction and went for a 2-0 Cov win. An additional bit of spice to this fixture came from the fact that whoever won would play Birmingham City at home in the fourth round- a strange but interesting prospect for the tenants renting St Andrew's from the team they could be facing.

For reference, Blues fans, this is what the view from your away end is like

Before the Sky Blues could think about this though, they had to get the business done on a cold January night and after I hiked the almost 2 mile journey from New Street to St Andrew's, I arrived with only a bit of time to spare and therefore headed straight into the away end to get comfy and wrapped up for the game. It's not like me to feel the cold, but those early year outings are nippy. Of course, the joy of going to a Football League stadium in these conditions is that you tend to be offered shelter from the rain and when I entered the near 30,000 seater I was grateful not to be in the direct content of the elements as I usually am in my non-league ventures. The ground itself is of course much more glorious than the average one I attend, but as with quite a few of the "big boy" grounds I've been to I wasn't exactly blown away by St Andrew's upon first viewing. For me, the thing that makes a football trip memorable is as much the surrounds as the actual game itself, but this blue box generic renovation job from the nineties had less character than a block of cheddar and although it sits in the heart of the local community, there isn't even a funny feature to talk about. Even The Hawthorns, the last one of the 91 that I experienced back in July, had a wall of fame and a gaming corner to keep me entertained.

The turnstile was alright, I suppose

Thankfully I wasn't just there for a stadium tour and as 7:45pm rolled around my fifteen pound entry fee would result in a football match too- amazing! The squads trundled out in the drizzly floodlit setting and before we knew it the game was on- which meant that we could only be a few minutes away from an early Bristol Rovers meltdown. Just four minutes on the clock had ticked by when a simple through-ball unleashed Maxime Biamou and the Frenchman took his early chance to launch a left-footed drive past Jordi van Stappershoef- the two meter tall Dutch goalie would have to resort to picking the ball out of his net already. Coventry 1-0 Rovers. My Rovers supporting pals had warned me pre-match that this one could be embarrassing from the offset and with their new manager not in attendance due to being on personal leave it seemed that the players, subs and coaching team could do nothing but look at each other and scratch their heads whilst watching City play their way up the field to look for a second goal. It wasn't the fact that they were losing that was frustrating the visiting fans, but it was the lack of passion and failure to challenge for any loose balls. Rovers' top striker and former Sky Blue forward rattled the bar for the away side, but apart from that it was a low-key and controlled display from City and half-time looked to be a welcome break for the Gasheads who'd made the two-hour journey up the M5. As most of the fans paraded down to the bar, one old boy shouted out "they've locked the gates, you can't leave until after 90 minutes" a sad prospect indeed for some.

Still, when times are hard, there's always a half-time pie to cry into

Although things are currently pretty bleak for Rovers, albeit still fairly rosy when compared with my own club Macc Town, the visiting fans were shouting out at the start of the second-half and their chant of "you're supposed to, you're supposed to, you're supposed to be at home" may or may not have been meant as a double diss against the homeless Coventry contingent, but either way they were still silenced a few minutes in as Josh Pask grabbed a debut goal to then spark a chant from the Cov end. "We're coming for you. We're coming for yoooooou. Birmingham City, we're coming for you" rang out as Pask wheeled away and with forty minutes still to go, you felt like this one was already over. Coventry 2-0 Rovers. The hosts for the evening weren't done there though and whilst they had momentum they ploughed forward again and this allowed for Biamou to grab an unopposed tap-in against his statuesque opponents. 56 minutes played and time for the long drive home for many away fans already. Coventry 3-0 Rovers.

The magic of the cup... or not

I shall refrain in continuing to write down all of the additional chances City created and instead conclude by stating that although it wasn't the best day out I've had in terms of groundhopping, nor was it to be eighth time lucky for me watching Bristol Rovers, but on the plus-side it was nice to finally see what Cov City are all about. A very good side at the moment and playing some lovely stuff... let's just hope that they get to move back to their own city sooner rather than later. Rovers fans, I'm just gonna have to come down to a pre-season game against a Western League team in order to see you guys win a game!

10/08/19 Review: Shepshed Dynamo vs Maltby Main

Shepshed Dynamo 2-4 Maltby Main (FA Cup Qualifying Extra Preliminary Round)

The Dovecoat Stadium

With the season just about underway, it was time for me to kickoff my FA Cup campaign with a trip over to Leicestershire to see what The Dovecoat Stadium in Shepshed had to offer on a gusty Saturday afternoon that would see Maltby Main hop down from eastern Rotherham. There was a strong choice of fixtures for the afternoon and after finishing up at work by 2pm I took my chances on the 50 minute commute from Coventry, along the M69, north on the M1 and over to the hilariously named street upon which Dyanmo's ground lays.

Thanks to the Shepshed steward for taking this legendary pic

Arriving just before kickoff, I parked up and rushed over to the ground just in time for the squads coming out to the field. First impressions of the ground were good overall, with the highlights being the amount of decent undercover stands on three sides of the ground. Behind one goal was a small stand which could've easily been designed by Easyjet due to its backless seating, meanwhile the majority of the fans stood under the roofed standing area behind the dugouts which is adjoined to a raised stand and the Dynamo Diner. Finally, across the pitch was a long three tiered seating stand that housed the one "ultra" fan who shouted out chants throughout. There is even some bark around the edge of the pitch- very fancy indeed.

Better than a lot I've seen at this level

Although I've been groundhopping in the Midlands for over four years now, today's match would be the first United Counties League ground I'd get to visit and after Dynamo started their league campaign last weekend with a 5-0 demolition job on Northampton Old Northamptonian Chenecks (yup, I checked and they definitely do have Northampton twice in their own name!), the home side for today's match would be hoping to continue off the back of that success as they welcomed Maltby Main, a side who play in the same league as my hometown club Bridlington Town. My money for the game was on the visiting side and I opted for a 3-1 away win, a prediction solely made on the basis that one of my former Macc Town favourites was playing up top for the Yorkshire side. Waide Fairhurst may well have put a bit of timber on since he was scoring halfway line volleys in the Conference in 2015, but the lad must still have a goal or two in him, right?

This lad will certainly hope not

The hosts got things started with an early goal, managing an opener inside the opening 12 minutes with a great strike from John King- the forward gave it his all with a fine solo run before unleashing a tasty strike into the top corner. Dynamo 1-0 Maltby. The next goal would also be scored by a King, this time in the Gavin variety, and it would come from the spot as a Maltby equaliser came just before the half hour mark. Maltby's striker stood firm, ran up and coolly dispatched the spot kick to ensure this was very much going to be a closely fought contest. Dynamo 1-1 Maltby. This turn in the tide would mean that the play shifted to the advantage of the visiting side, but in fairness the Ref did seem to let them off lightly on one or two fouls against Dynamo players. The ultra to my left screeched out "I'd get ten years for that if I did that to someone in town", but in fairness the lad looked like he'd just been released.

Joking aside, his chanting was top draw!

Back on the field it was almost half-time and I was pleased to see my man Fairhurst get a goal that would see his side take the lead just before the break- and the former Donny Rovers forward couldn't have picked a better time to get it. Dynamo 1-2 Maltby. The disgruntled home fans made their way into the bar for a halftime pick me up and I joined them too as I made my final observations on the Dovecoat. It was a basic and small bar, but certainly had all of the necessities to please your average fan, with a couple of choices of beer and Sky Sports News on the TV to make the fifteen minute break fly by. Despite the scoreline so far, the contest was still very much an open book and I spoke to an old fan who suggested the next goal would decide the result. I asked him if he'd go to a replay in Maltby and he simply shook his head and returned to his bag of cheese and onion crisps. I forget that not all football fans are mentalists who travel up to Yorkshire for a midweek away day.

Having said that, it's never stopped me

In the second half we'd see chances at both ends but ultimately it wasn't until the final fifteen minutes or so that the key moments would take place. In the meantime, I hopped over to the Dynamo Diner and grabbed myself a tray of chips- which may or may not have come with a free burger courtesy of the delightful kitchen staff. With lunch consumed, I made my way behind the Maltby goal and found myself hoping to see the hosts grab the equaliser they'd battled for since the break. It eventually came in dramatic fashion as captain Jake Betts chested the ball in the box before flopping to the floor to hit home an acrobatic volley. Dynamo 2-2 Maltby. Now into the last ten, the Miners' subs were looking to make the difference and that's exactly what happened as one of them grabbed a late goal from a good Maltby break. Surely this would be the end of the action... or not. Dynamo 2-3 Maltby.

The Dynamo lads had only just got back level

And things would go from bad to worse for the weary Shepshed players as they conceded a second penalty of the afternoon in stoppage time. Another bench boy had his chance to shine and did so from the spot by hitting home the sixth and final goal of the game, practically upon the final whistle. Dynamo 2-4 Maltby. The hopeful replay scenario that had seemed likely for all of three minutes had all of a sudden disappeared and that, as they say, is the magic of the cup. On a day where Sporting Khalsa had beat Rugby Town 5-4 and Harrogate Railway Athletic had been thumped 10-1 at home, this result wasn't as emphatic or exciting as some of the ones up and down the country, however it was still a roller-coaster ride for those of us in attendance and a game that I'd thoroughly enjoyed- and when all is said and done, how often can you say you've had a lovely afternoon full of gusty Butthole action? (Sorry, I had to get one joke in there before the end!)

25/08/18 Review: Great Wakering Rovers vs Leyton Athletic

Great Wakering Rovers 4-1 Leyton Athletic (FA Cup Qualifying Preliminary Round)

Burroughs Park

With Bank Holiday weekend in full flow by now, Saturday afternoon saw me heading into the south-east wilderness of Great Wakering for a second dose of FA Cup Qualifying action and this time Burroughs Lane was the place to be for me. As I was visiting family, I tried to keep it as local as possible and despite the fact that I was itching to tick off the likes of Victory Road in Dagenham, East Thurrock United's Rookery Hill and a few others in East London, I contained my urge and decided to make the twenty minute ride from Leigh-on-Sea along to the little Essex village instead.

Ground number 127, Burroughs Park

I'm a man of simple pleasures and when it comes to groundhopping all that is you give me a good ground or an entertaining match. Last night I was at West Street in Coggeshall and although the facility was head and shoulders above today's, the 0-0 game between the Seed Growers and their neighbours Witham Town was far from a classic, so my main hope for the game here would be to see two sides trying to gain some early form with an end to end match here. I'd predicted 3-1 to the hosts on this occasion, which wasn't a bad old guess in hindsight. Leyton Athletic, a side I'd seen under their old name of Wadham Lodge at the back end of the 2016-17 season, were currently in their first season under the new handle and with no league wins yet in the Essex Senior League, the only taste of victory they'd had was in the FA Cup as they saw off Barkingside on a replay. Rovers had themselves won the Essex Senior League last season and despite beginning their new campaign in the Isthmian Northern division with a 0-3 pasting, they had recovered well last weekend with a 2-0 win at home to Felixstowe & Walton United which would make them firm favourites for this match- but, this is the FA Cup after all, so anything could happen.

The magic of the cup

I got myself into the ground with fifteen minutes to spare, meaning just enough time to search around the ground for a Saturday afternoon slurp at the bar- which was back outside the actual ground, in the main clubhouse. The spacious venue was in decent albeit unspectacular nick and had plenty of Wakering locals sat awaiting kick-off. As this was an FA Cup game, the Rovers officials had decided to be one of the few clubs that observe the "no alcohol at pitch-side" rule and as a result I had to neck a swift half before the game began. Well, you can't go in completely sober, can you?

It'd be classed as rude in some parts

Outside, the actual ground was fairly simple. Two stands, one at either side, with a few decent seating areas and a tea hatch near one corner flag, located in "Nobby's End" alongside the toilets, changing rooms and other facilities inside of Burroughs Park. It seemed that there were roughly 80 to 100 fans around the sides as the teams came out, with most housing themselves in either stand, whilst the remainder would lean on the outer white border fencing. Quite often when I visit a ground like this, so far out in the sticks and with the most basic of facilities, I do hope and wish that they can make it through the eight rounds that they need to win to make it to Round Three, where they could hopefully get a home tie with Klopp's Liverpool or one of the big London sides in what would not only be a glamour tie for the hosts, but also no doubt a massive culture shock for lads like Eden Hazard or Mo Salah. In the meantime, Rovers had to get past Leyton Athletic and with a strong start, the hosts looked eager to bag an early goal.

Those clouds!!!

The first chance of the match fell to Simon Thomas, with the number 9 heading just past the post, but it wouldn't be long before the opening goal and after Danny Hurford put Billy Harris on his way into the box, the Leyton defender felt the need to gamble and a rash tackle knocked his opponent to the ground for a penalty. Stephen Butterworth stepped up with infinite confidence and sent the keeper the wrong way with a perfect penalty. Rovers 1-0 Leyton Ath. An early goal was just what I'd hoped for and it helped to get a good flow going, with Wakering proceeding to dominate the play after the goal. It seemed likely that more goals were on their way sooner rather than later and although they had chances, Leyton rode the wave into the 20th minute before going on an attack of their own. In what was essentially a one man effort, Dwade James picked up the ball on the counter, had a bit of luck to beat the Wakering defence and then he applied a tidy finish to level things up. Rovers 1-1 Leyton Ath.

Is there a shock on the cards?

Although Leyton seemed much more settled after the equaliser, Rovers continued to look the more likely side. Butterworth forced a save from James Scammell with a curled free-kick, but the visiting keeper made his best save moments later as Thomas was denied from point blank range. James continued to keep the home defence on its toes but ultimately the game would be level at the break. I made my way back into the bar for a pint and awaited the restart. So far the game had been very end to end and even though the quality was sometimes lacking, the creativity certainly wasn't and I had been impressed so far. I still fancied the hosts to grab the win, but Athletic would have no doubt been happy with the display they'd given. Not that it would be of note to either side on the day, but I couldn't help but look back at last season's league table and see that the away side had finished a whole 54 points worse off than the rampant Rovers on the way to only just avoiding relegation. Back outside the sun somehow was still shining through the stormy clouds and although I heard a loud ripple of thunder at the top of the half, thankfully the rain held off.

The only electrifying performance would come from the hosts in the second half

In the first-half the hosts made a lot of headway down the left-wing as they looked to exploit the slightly rotund Nico James, and although the big number two nearly scored within a couple of minutes the restart, Rovers had clearly made a note of where the gaps would appear and as the remainder of the match unfolded we'd see umpteen chances created from here. Before that though, Leyton almost netted a second as Brian Simpson took a long-range snapshot that landed on the roof before the home side won another spot kick. Butterworth was the man to step up again and although he hit his shot the other way this time it was the same result. Goal for the green and white stripes! Rovers 2-1 Leyton Ath. Straight from the kick-off Leyton's lone forward rattled the home bar but ultimately that would be as good as it got for the visitors. Just after an hour of play, Rovers won a free-kick on the left-hand side and when Butterworth put in a delightfully teasing ball into the six-yard area, all that Thomas needed to do was let the ball ricochet off him and into the net once again. Rovers 3-1 Leyton Ath. The goldmine also known as the Wakering left-wing continued to see plenty of action and as Thomas went close on a couple more occasions there was almost enough space to set up a picnic as big Nico was clearly tiring at right-back. With five minutes to go, we witnessed goal of the day as a switched ball from the left fell to the on-rushing Jason Ring. The right-back controlled it well, turned his opposing defender and then unleashed a left-footed strike which rippled into the goal the final time on a day with plenty of goals. Rovers 4-1 Leyton Ath. There was to be one final chance for Leyton and in injury time they went into the box with three attackers, but unfortunately in an opportunity that looked impossible to miss, an Athletic striker walloped the bar underside of the bar and was then cleared by the backtracking Wakering defence. The Ref had seen enough and shortly afterwards he put the visitors out of their misery. Great Wakering Rovers were the deserved winners here and although Leyton Athletic gave it a go, the result was more than fair and I hope to see Rovers continue in the Cup into the latter stages of the Qualifiers... and hopefully beyond!

Rover would be dreaming of facing another Rovers side later in the competition, even Forest Green!