Wick FC

Wick 0 Lewes 1 - Sussex Senior Cup, 3rd Round

Sussex County League

Another early morning start at the 'former Revenue' site in Worthing facilitated a further overnight stay in on the South Coast the previous night. Once again my options were restricted but the lure of Champions League footie on TV was no match for Wick v Lewes in the Sussex Senior Cup.

Wick, not to be confused with Wick Academy of the Highland Football League, is a hamlet of Littlehampton. David Bauckham of Nomad fame describes Wick's Crabtree Park as "one of the best-kept in the County League and a credit to the club". I certainly agree with this view. There is covered accommodation on both sides of the pitch and this was most welcome during this match as there were sporadic showers. The Brighton - Portsmouth railway line runs along side the ground but anyone familiar with Littlehampton will be aware of the massive detour it takes to reach the town. This might have something to do with the geography of the Arun Valley and the course of the said river.
Good fish & chips in town preceded my onward journey and a brisk 20 - 25 minute walk from Littlehampton railway station will get you to the ground. En route I recommend stopping off at The Dew Drop, a George Gale hostelry recommended by CAMRA. Butser was my choice of ale and very good it was too. For anyone interested, the 16th Sussex CAMRA Beer & Cider Festival takes place at The Hove Centre 9-11 March 2006.
As for the match, opponents Lewes were always the more likely winners as befits their Conference South status. However they needed to work hard and had to wait until the 82nd minute for the decisive goal. A gutsy performance from the home side, not least their Oliver Khan look-alike keeper, almost took the tie to extra time (sorry Andy).


Wick FC 2005-6

Attendance: 68
Admission: £5.00
Programme: £1.00 (Obtained for you Andy and Stan)
Fare: £2.70 Day Return from Worthing with Gold Card discount
Tea: 50p
Butser: £2.10

Concord Rangers FC

Concord Rangers 1 Welwyn Garden City 2 (AET) - FA Vase, 2nd Round

Geologically, Canvey Island was originally part of the mainland, then the coastline broke up into smaller pieces, and the modern island is made up of five of those pieces. There are historical maps held at the Essex Record Office that show where the five separate islands originally lay and it is thought that these are the marshes referred to in earlier records. Sheep farming was a mainstay industry of the island until very recently.

A Saturday afternoon trip to Canvey to watch the Island's 'other team' turned out to be a rewarding jaunt. Reaching Canvey Island by public transport is fairly straight forward. Regular trains from London Fenchurch Street to Benfleet are met by equally regular buses which take no more than 10 minutes (15 if watching the Conference team).

Considering that it was after 2pm and that there was a match taking place down the road, it was surprising that Harry Hotspur and I were the only footie fans on the bus and I was delighted that the driver refused to take a fare for my six year old travelling companion.


Likewise his free admission to the match was also welcomed by Dad ! Thames Road is a couple of miles nearer to Benfleet than the other venue and some advance planning enabled me to spot the alighting point by the distinctive white coloured church.
The Thames Road ground is lower than sea level and the taller passing ships do provide a distraction as their masts sail past. One side of the ground is bordered by a typical Canvey caravan site although this appears now to cater for long term residents rather than the holiday variety. There is covered terracing behind one goal and a decent 200+ seater stand along the other side.
Welwyn Garden City took the lead in this FA Vase tie as early as the 2nd minute and this was answered after half an hour by Concord. Welwyn snatched a deserved victory during the 2nd period of extra time. I blame Andy Scott for the duration of this match though ! He rang me just before kick-off (technology is wonderful) and amongst his part of the dialogue was "extra time ?". As is customary for Vase matches I knew this to be possible but Andy formally suggested it and someone must have been listening !! Harry and I enjoyed proceedings though, particularly as he gets to be ball boy some of the time.
11 years ago I experienced extra time at Canvey Island v Witham, my only other jaunt to the region - there must be something in the Thames estuary water !!!




Attendance: 61
Admission: £5.00 (free for Harry)
Programme: 50p (Obtained for you Andy and Stan)
Tea: 50p
Train: £4.10 Day Return from Zone 6 with Gold Card discount (£1 for Harry)
Bus Fare: £2.10 Day Return from Benfleet (free for Harry)

Hailsham Town FC

Hailsham Town 0 Hastings United 3 - Sussex Senior Cup, 2nd Round

Sussex County League

Hailsham is a town in the Wealden district of East Sussex. The town originally grew as an agricultural centre but is now mostly a commuter town. There is currently much controversy over the sale of Hailsham Cattle Market and its redevelopment into a supermarket. Hailsham was originally granted its charter for a market in 1252 by Henry III. The market is one of few remaining cattle markets along the south coast.

An early morning start at the 'former Revenue' site in Worthing facilitated an overnight stay in Brighton the previous night. Of course I could have opted to sample the Brighton night life (some of which is quite colourful I understand !) but the lure of non-league football was always going to win when a 'new ground' is on offer. My only option here was Hailsham Town v Hastings United in the 2nd round of the Sussex Senior Cup.

Public transport in East Sussex appears well organised and a half hour train journey from Brighton to Polegate on the Eastbourne/Hastings route followed by a short bus ride (Eastbourne Buses) for the remaining 4 miles made Hailsham a relatively easy destination to reach.
The Beaconsfield ground is not easy to spot from the main road and only appears to be accessible via a narrow footpath also serving the local public park. There is very little by way of covered accommodation other than a small terraced area but for most matches this will suffice considering the crowds Hailsham attract. In addition to a fine clubhouse there are also separate burger and tea bars.


A decently contested match always favoured Ryman league Hastings who despite finishing with 10 men won by an unanswered 3 goals. Neville Southall (ex Port Vale, Toffees and Wales keeper) is listed as being the Hastings manager but with no sightings in the first half I began to wonder as to his tenure at Pilot Field. However the big man did appear after the break and had probably come direct from another engagement. He looks even bigger now but fortunately the snazzy morning suit he was wearing was bigger still and he looked quite dapper. (I've just seen him on Sky Sports News 24 hours later analysing the Cyprus v Wales match wearing what appeared to be the same attire - did he go home last night ? - Ed)


I had some time to spare whilst waiting for my return bus and opted for some real ale. Harveys of Lewes are the local brewers (did this not tempt you to remain living there Frank ? - Ed) and their full range is available at 'the Grenadier' a fine old pub on the High Street (Do you know it Mike parsons ? - Ed) A further wait at Polegate for my return train meant I was able to visit 'the Dinkum', another Harveys house for similar refreshment.
A decent evening out - good fish and chips in Brighton too.




Attendance: 193
Admission: £4.00
Programme: 50p (obtained for Andy and Stan)
Cheeseburger: £1.80
Train fare: £4.10 (day return from Brighton with gold card discount)
Bus Fare: £2.70 return

Didcot Town FC

Didcot Town 4 Witney United 0 - Hellenic League, Premier Division

Hellenic League

Didcot has a remote antiquity, one that stretches back over the past two thousand or more years. At the time of the Roman Conquest, the future parish was probably an area of part farmland, wood and marsh, but the greater emphasis was on marsh; which comprised practically half of the future Didcot. Today, the parish church (which sits on the highest point) and the houses and streets of the old village still straddle the southern incline of that ridge. The first settlement was Iron Age in origin, which after the Conquest became Romano-British. A Saxon settlement followed, dating to the 7th or 8th centuries. This fortified farm or early village, however, was called Wibaldeston or 'Wigbald's farm’, not Didcot; and it is this place- name that appears in the entry in the Domesday Inquest. Didcot in Saxon was derived from 'Dydda's or Dudda's cot' or cottage, The village, until recent times, up to the end of the 19th century, was known as Dudcot or Dudcote.

With such mild weather and a decent train service from Paddington, I was tempted into a midweek jaunt to Oxfordshire. Didcot are the current holders of the FA Vase having lifted the trophy at White Hart Lane last May. As you would expect, winning a national trophy would give a boost to any club and Didcot are attracting good attendances.
Didcot is on the mainline from Paddington and the Loop Meadow Stadium is just over 5 minutes walk from the station.



Alarmingly, Didcot play in red shirts with white sleeves and the club crest is a cannon ! However, despite this I was impressed with their attractive, attacking football. They were always on top and could easily have scored more than their four goal tally.
Once again I was impressed by the standard of football in the Hellenic League, opponents Witney United played their part too. My woolly hat came in useful as the early November chill took effect as the evening wore on. Those attending the Reebok Stadium next Monday might not be as keen to see this fashion accessory but I need it. I still prefer it to that dodgy jumper bearing the flag of St George that one Merton resident sports.
Walking back to the station after the match, I felt the first spots of rain coming in from the west and I was comforted in the knowledge that I was heading east. Plymouth Argyle v Leicester City was abandoned due to a waterlogged pitch.
The late running 21.35 (arrived 21.56) got me back to Paddington for 23.00.




Attendance: 273
Admission: £4.00
Programme: £1.00 (Obtained for you Andy and Stan)
Fare: £7.85 Cheap Day Return from Boundary Zone 6 with Goldcard discount

Great Wakering Rovers FC

Great Wakering Rovers 2 Sittingbourne 0 - Southern League, Division One East

Great Wakering is a large village, pleasantly situated on rising ground above the marshes. One mile from the sea shore, 5 miles East South East of Rochford, and 4½ miles East North East of Southend.

Karaoke Bob Gilligan (Roberto Giligarnis) and I were invited along by Mark Lancaster to this one. Mark, in tandem with his Southend United affiliations, takes a keen interest in non-league football around the Thames estuary. Steve Tilson the Southend United manager, often reflects on the time that he hitched a lift with Mark and other selected 'shrimpers' and has dined out on the story (Poddy you must be impressed ? - Ed).

Mark was delighted to inform us that he prefers to be known as Marmite Boy and has set up his own website in this identity. (if not impressed before Poddy ....) I can confirm that he does look like the picture thereon !

Anyway on to the football. It was just as well that Mark drove us to and from the ground as, although we could have reached Great Wakering (GW) before the match by local bus, there has to be doubts if post match we would have been so lucky. A glance at the map shows GW close to Shoeburyness and yet still quite isolated. To find the Burroughs Park ground you have to have your wits about you. Although situated just off the High Street, you can easily miss it - we found it at about the 5th attempt tucked up a lane next to the British Legion.

This 'village' club have made tremendous strides, both on and off the pitch, in reaching their present Southern League status via progression through the Essex Senior and Isthmian Leagues. A glance at their history shows them playing intermediate football as recently as 1992. The stadium has clearly undergone tremendous transformation in order to get it up to the required standard and for such a relatively small place GW puts a lot of bigger towns to shame. Covered terracing, a decent stand, fine clubhouse and decent pitch side refreshments. Of course a lot depends on the commitment received from volunteers but GW appears to be well off in that department.

The opposition for this fixture was Sittingbourne FC. A decent end to end game ensued with no little skill. Rovers in their Green and White (Karaoke Bob was delighted with the colours) were always the better side but could not relax until they got the all important second goal towards the end of the match.



Attendance: 111
Admission: £6.00
Programme: £1.50 (Obtained for you Andy and Stan)
Fare: £5.20 Day Return from Zone 6 with Gold Card discount (+ a cup of tea for Marmite Boy)

Gloucester City FC

Gloucester City 4 Northwood 1 - Southern League Premier Division

Gloucester is located on the eastern bank of the River Severn, 114 miles west-north-west of London. It is sheltered by the Cotswolds to the east, while the Forest of Dean and the Malvern Hills rise prominently to the west and north-west, respectively. The Siege of Gloucester in 1643 was an important battle of the English Civil War in which the besieged parliamentarians emerged victorious.

A family weekend away - we based ourselves in Cheltenham. This delightful place is certainly worth exploring further. We stayed at the Travelodge on the edge of town and took advantage of the excellent 'park and ride' facilities (£1-60 return per car !) just across the road from our digs.

A short train journey from Cheltenham took us to Gloucester. Our first port of call was the local folk museum which was very good. On this occasion a group of World War 2 ladies were having a reunion, demonstrating the art of 'knitting in wartime'. 'Daughter with skipping rope' was invited to learn and enjoyed the experience.
However, Harry Hotspur was less enthusiastic and soon he and I departed for our chosen afternoon activity, Gloucester City v Northwood in the Premier Division of the Southern League. A 1.30 start had been arranged to accommodate those (players too I guess) that wanted to watch England v Austria. From what I hear, backed up by Rosie's report, it seems that the WW2 knitting might have been preferable. They did win though and Germany will now be eagerly anticipating the arrival of our fans along with the Dutch !

Victora Docks, Gloucester

Anyway back to the real stuff. This was loosely billed as a six pointer with the teams occupying the basement league positions. The match was closely contested and as they admit themselves, the Tigers were a bit fortunate to benefit from the 4-1 score line. Northwood never gave up and on another day .......
The Meadow Park stadium is of a decent standard with plenty of covered terracing along one side and behind one goal.



There is also a large seated stand along one side. The match was played in constant drizzle but it was not until the relatively short 20 minute stroll back to town that we began to appreciate what Dr Foster had to contend with - 'cats and dogs' but fortunately not the same puddle.
Gloucester is another venue worthy of further exploration. Although a 'could be anywhere in the UK' type shopping area, you are within easy reach of a number of attractions including a cathedral, historic dockyard and numerous museums. Not that I was able to partake but there is a good variety of real ale establishments too.
Back to Cheltenham afterwards and despite my looking hard there were no sightings of the lesser spotted 'Cheltspur'. Dave Whitton is still about though and is recipient of this blurb.
I still have Cheltenham Town FC in my 'hit list' and will look to visit again.

The Pieman's subsequent visit to Cheltenham Town FC




Attendance: 264
Admission: £8.00 (free if under 7 - well done Harry you saved dad £4.00 !)
Programme: £1.50 (Obtained for you Andy and Stan)
Fare: £3.00 Day Return from Cheltenham

Coventry City FC

Coventry City 3 Watford 1 - Football League Championship

Coventry is the eighth largest city in England and the eleventh largest in the UK. Coventry is traditionally believed to have been established in the year 1043 with the founding of a Benedictine Abbey by Leofric, Earl of Mercia and his wife Lady Godiva (who, according to legend, rode naked through the streets of Coventry in England in order to gain a remission of the oppressive toll imposed by her husband on his tenants). Has anyone noticed the last four digits of Coventry City FC's telephone number? - 0870 421 1987. Well I suppose if it the only recordable event in the club's history then I ought to forgive them !

www.100Groundsclub.blogspot.com

I first saw Spurs at Highfield Road in 1976/77 and every time since, therefore it did seem strange attending a Coventry home fixture at a different venue. I was able to cadge a lift from Mike Francis (him of Ramsbottom fame) and we took advantage of the 'Park and Walk' facility. On leaving the M6 we parked up and 10 minutes later were at the Ricoh Arena. It is no exaggeration to say that this is a splendid venue, the design enables a good view from all areas. My seat was 4 rows from the front and swirling rain for most of the match meant that every so often I was treated to a refreshing vapour. By half time most of my new found Sky Blue chums had vacated to rows further back but I am made of sterner stuff. Having said that, at the break I was able to wander to the other side of the stadium and settled for 'doing a Throp' for the second period. Paul Throp advocates the corner panoramic view at matches and I agree that this gives a very good view.

www.100Groundsclub.blogspot.com

Coventry won the match 3-1 but were far from convincing. Watford if they had took their chances and made the most of long periods of dominance would/should have won. Worryingly the floodlights went out twice. Once before kick off and once early into the match. On reflection (sorry) it was dimly lit before both failures which were only for a matter of seconds. After the second failure the delighted tannoy announcer stated 'we are back on mains power !' - I don't recall being told that we were not in the first place. Teething problems perhaps. The ground was half full and City are not blessed with a large fan base. Plenty of tickets therefore for visitors. I am unable to provide info relating to proximity to the railway station but can confirm that there were plenty of buses outside the stadium at the end of the match. Back home in bed before midnight - thanks Mike - a decent trip indeed.

Attendance: 16978
Admission: £21.00 (seems standard for all matches throughout the stadium)
Programme: £3.00 (Obtained for you Stan)

The subsequent visit by Smid

Highfield Road in retrospect

Airdrie United FC

Airdrie United 0 St Mirren 1 - Scottish League, Division One

Scottish Football League

The history of a settlement near modern-day Airdrie may be dated back to AD 577, which was the year of the Battle of Arderyth. This was a battle between Rydderych The Bountiful, King of Strathclyde, and Aeddam The Perfidious, King of Kintyre. While few have heard of the main protagonists, amongst Aeddam's contingent was the Celtic bard, Merlin. Merlin's patron, Gwennddolan, was killed during the battle in which Merlin was awarded for his verses recording the battle. The history of Airdrie between the Battle of Arderyth and AD 1162 is unclear, due to the scarcity of written historical records. Airdrie owes its existence to its location on the "Hogs Back" - the ridge of land running from east to west.

It was important to move on quickly from the Grimsby Town experience. This jaunt to Scotland provided such an opportunity. Once again the relatively cheap Ryanair fares enabled the assembled party to fly from Stansted to Prestwick on the morning of the match. I was joined on this occasion by Dennis, Womble and Karaoke Bob Gilligan. The latter (a true Glaswegian) is always good value on journeys to his homeland, if only to act as interpreter. I should add though that as the day wears on, others sometimes have to substitute for the interpreter if he gets tired. Any beer consumption is purely coincidental.

The Three Judges

Having took the train from Prestwick to Glasgow, we then detoured to Partick in order to sample the real ales on offer at the Three Judges . This bar is possibly the best real ale venue in Glasgow at present. From there we caught a train direct to Drumgelloch, which is the nearest station to Airdrie United's Excelsior Stadium. I would estimate that it takes 15 minutes to walk from there. The Stadium is tidy with uniform seated accommodation on all four sides.


St Mirren edged a keenly contested match by 1-0, the goal being a superbly struck first half free kick. St Mirren were supported by a very large contingent who were rewarded by going top of the division with this result.


The pies in the ground were good but I would also agree with Andy Scott that any club would have to do well to beat those at Kilmarnock.
After the match it was back to Glasgow where we visited the Pot Still, a renowned Whisky establishment also selling real ale and finally the 'Toby Jug' which is next door to the chip shop. I am pleased to report that there was no repeat of the Dennis sausage incident encountered after our Livingston jaunt in May as on this occasion his greed was not challenged (three sausages in batter and chips) - no comments please Duck !
We caught the last flight of the day from Prestwick back to Stansted and I was surprised to see a group of Leyton Orient fans doing likewise. They had played at Carlisle and had somehow managed to get between there and Prestwick for what must have been a worthwhile exercise (they won too). Worth looking into for Queen of the South or Gretna !




Attendance: 2073
Admission: £15.00
Programme: £2.00
Fare: £5.55 from Prestwick to Drumgelloch with Ryanair discount

Basildon United FC

Basildon United 2 Hullbridge Sports 2 - Essex Senior League


The first historical reference to Basildon is in records from 1086. It is mentioned in the Domesday Book as 'Belesduna'. The name 'Basildon' means 'Beorhtel's hill' and is derived from the Anglo-Saxon personal name 'Beorhtel' and the Anglo-Saxon word 'dun', meaning hill. In historical documents, this name had various forms over the centuries, including Berdlesdon, Batlesdon & Belesduna. The constituency of Basildon is thought to be a barometer of public opinion in General Elections. The results of the constituency have been the same as the overall result of the General Election since 1974.

Town Centre 1960s

I had previously attempted this venue and was thwarted by a very late postponement last season. On that occasion I was able to familiarise myself with some of the back streets of Basildon and a shorter route to the railway station was found. It is certainly fair to say that Basildon United are a club a long way from their recent past when they graced top level Isthmian football.

The club, and even more so the ground, has seen better days. If the club were ever to aspire to promotion then considerable work would be needed to smarten (I'm being polite) the ground. The main contributory factor appears to be the lack of support from the local community. Compared to my recent visits to smaller places with presumably less potential as 'football towns' (Ely and Mildenhall) where the community do appear to be involved, this is sad.
The attendance of 38 was certainly very low and boosted by a good few from visiting Hullbridge Sports. There is a licensed bar at the ground but potential visitors might want to plan ahead if looking for solid refreshments unless of course crisps and nuts will suffice.

As for the match, a dull opening half hour gave way to a progressively better remainder. Basildon scored just before the interval and netted again midway through the second period. Hullbridge, a little unfortunate to have been trailing at the break were stung into life by the second goal and immediately reduced the arrears with a fine shot from 30 yards (Pieman still not metric). However, this was surpassed by a stunning equaliser from just inside the half. In the end a decent match with probably the right result.


Basildon railway station is a bit of a trek from the Gardeners Close ground and I had already resigned myself to catching the 22.36 train to Fenchurch Street. However, my reconnaissance mission last season, meant I could cut through some housing estates. I remember thinking upon spying a bus stop "wouldn't it be nice if a bus came along!" A minute later I was on a bus clutching a 60p ticket. I was then able to catch the 22.06 to my preferred Liverpool Street, thus increasing the quantity of required beauty sleep. Such adventures!



Attendance: 38
Admission: £5.00
Programme: £1.00 (obtained for you Andy & Stan)
Fare: £3.15 Cheap Day Return from Boundary Zone 6 with Goldcard discount

Mildenhall Town FC

Mildenhall Town 1 Cambridge City Reserves 1 - Eastern Counties League Premier Division

Eastern Counties League

The history of the small market town of Mildenhall can be traced back to Anglo-Saxon times although nothing remains of the original settlement except for a large cemetery just outside the limits of the present town. The Domesday survey of 1086 recorded that the town was well established with a church, a mill and a total of sixty-four families, not to mention a flock of a thousand sheep. The whole of the manor of Mildenhall belonged to the abbey of Bury St Edmunds and the abbot had total control over the area, including the right to hang criminals in the market-place.

Saturday's football schedules were disrupted by the international fixtures. A lot of non league fixtures were moved to earlier kick off times and one such fixture was that between Mildenhall Town and Cambridge City Reserves (1pm). There is no rail station in Mildenhall and if travelling by train you would need to catch a bus from nearby towns such as Newmarket or Littleport.

A Pieman family excursion enable me to attend this fixture with wife and daughter exploring the town whilst Harry Hotspur and I took in the match. I am always keen for Harry to expand his knowledge of this wonderful game but Mildenhall assisted greatly by allowing accompanied children free admission.

On arrival in town I was given directions to the ground by an American. Not the only such accent heard on the day but on reflection, I should not have been too surprised considering the presence of the US Air Force in this part of East Anglia.

A decent match finished honours even at 1-1. Mildenhall have a tidy, if compact, Recreation Way stadium only a few minutes walk from the town centre. It backs onto the local swimming pool and surprisingly also benefits from an enormous (free) town centre car park. All the required facilities are down one side of a sloping pitch. I did not sample the burgers Bob, but trade was brisk.

Attendance: 105
Admission: £4.50
Programme: £1.00

Mrs Pieman reports a very interesting local museum in town with references to the 'Mildenhall hoard' now stored in the British Museum.

The following extract from the match programme relates to Mildenhall's F.A. Cup meeting with Potters Bar Town the previous weekend and will no doubt interest Kevin Wilmot (part of this circulation and match secretary for Potters Bar).

--------

From the Editor.

Last Saturday saw us progress to the next round of the F.A. Cup with a 3-1 win against Southern League's Potters Bar Town. The visitors arrived in a very smart coach, pity they didn't bring some supporters in it ! Once again a home cup game will cost the club money, we have to pay the visitor's expenses and from a gate of 140 (mostly home supporters) apart from paying for the big coach, we also have to pay the officials too.

Ely City FC

Ely City 1 Fakenham Town 1 - Eastern Counties League Division One

Eastern Counties League

Ely has been informally accounted a city by virtue of being the seat of a diocese, its status was confirmed by Royal charter in 1974; at that time the parish council was formed during a reorganisation of local government. With a population of 15,102 (later to include Phil Butler) in 2001, Ely is the third smallest city in England and the sixth smallest in the United Kingdom.

The train I usually catch home after work terminates at Ely and for a change, on Tuesday, I decided to complete the full journey (98 minutes). The Unwin Ground is listed as being 3 miles from Ely railway station but in truth the distance is much nearer to 2 miles. My train after the match at 22:09 (kick-off 19:45) was caught with plenty of time to spare.

The ground is situated just a few hundred yards from the A10 Ely by-pass and if travelling by car would be very convenient. However, if doing so you would miss out on the delights of this wonderful city. Apart from the enormous cathedral, there are a number of good pubs and eating establishments.
The ground is very basic but possesses all the required facilities. The burgers are superb (veggie Bob Gilligan may even have been tempted !) The match proved to be the proverbial 'game of two haves' with visitors Fakenham Town pulling back from a goal down at the break and almost snatching victory at the death. The Fakenham centre half will have been particularly pleased with this recovery as it was his bullet header OG that put Ely in front mid-way through the first period. 1-1 a fair result according to your roving reporter.
Keith Parnell and others present at Fratton Park on Saturday, will be delighted to learn that it did not rain at all in Ely on Tuesday evening - just as well as I was still drying out from Saturday!



Attendance: 68
Admission: £4.00
Programme: £1.00 (Got for you Stan & Andy)
Train Fare: £10.85 (from Cheshunt with Gold Card discount)

Glyn - the programme collecting barman from the Prince Albert in Ely

Livingston FC

Livingson 1 Dundee 1 - Scottish Premier League

Livingston is the fourth post-war new town to be built in Scotland, designated in 1962. It is located approximately 15 miles (25 km) west of Edinburgh and 30 miles (50 km) east of Glasgow, and is bordered by the towns of Broxburn to the northeast and Bathgate to the northwest. Livingston is the largest town in the West Lothian area. Livingston itself is the 7th largest town in Scotland, based on 2004 population estimates. Livingston is also the second largest settlement in the Lothians after Edinburgh. Until 1963 the area surrounding the ancient village of Livingston was open farm land. The name was taken from this village which dates back to 12th Century when a Flemish entrepreneur called De Leving was granted land in the area. He built a fortified tower which is long since gone and the settlement that grew up around it eventually became known as Livingston.


Livingston Football Club began life as Ferranti Thistle in 1943. A works team, they initially played in the East of Scotland League. Following the demise of Third Lanark, a place opened up in the second division of the Scottish Football League. After beating off competition from four Highland League sides, Hawick Royal Albert and Gateshead United, Ferranti Thistle were accepted into the league by a vote of 21-16 over Inverness Thistle. However, due to stringent SFL rules on overt sponsorship of teams at the time, Ferranti Thistle were forced to change their name to take their place in the league. After a campaign by the Edinburgh Evening News to find a name for the club, the name Meadowbank Thistle was chosen, and approved by the SFL in time for the new season. In the mid 1990s Meadowbank ran into severe financial difficulties, and were facing closure as a result. As a result, and in the face of significant opposition from many Meadowbank fans who objected to the dropping of the club name and the team moving from Edinburgh, in 1995 Meadowbank Thistle relocated to a new stadium in Livingston and changed name again, to Livingston FC


The choice was the Manchester United v Arsenal FA Cup final on the box or an early Saturday morning flight to Prestwick in order to watch the final SPL match of the season for Livingston and Dundee. No contest! As we headed for Stansted, we were boosted by the knowledge that there was something riding on this one. There were a few different scenarios but the most significant was that visitors Dundee had to win to preserve their SPL status. Hosts Livingston were also under pressure as defeat would see them relegated. On arrival at Prestwick, we soon caught train connections to Glasgow, Edinburgh Haymarket (where we adjourned to Ryries Bar for some excellent liquid refreshment – Ed) and then on to Livingston North from where a brisk 25 minute walk will get you to Almondvale Stadium. It is an easy walk, effectively just one long road.

On arrival at Prestwick, we soon caught train connections to Glasgow, Edinburgh Haymarket (where we adjourned to Ryrees bar for some excellent liquid refreshment – Ed) and then on to Livingston North from where a brisk 25 minute walk will get you to Almondvale Stadium. It is an easy walk, effectively just one long road.


Dundee went in front after 18 minutes, with Calum MacDonald knocking a Bobby Mann headed pass in from close range. But Livingston hit back eight minutes later when Craig Easton headed home from an excellent Hassan Kachloul cross. The visitors poured forward as they pushed for a late winner and Tom McManus hit the post in injury-time but it was too late to avoid the drop. Dundee started the game in a positive manner and it was no surprise when they went in front. Stephen McNally supplied the ball into the penalty box and Mann headed across goal for MacDonald to bundle home from a few yards out. However, Livingston knew defeat would see them relegated and forced their way back into the game soon after going behind. Craig Easton scored the equaliser for the home side. Kachloul provided the cross from the left and Easton nodded home in the 26th minute. A very emotional occasion indeed and at the final whistle it was difficult not to feel for the Dundee fans.

Livingston: McKenzie, Bahoken (Rubio 57), Dorado, Deloumeaux, Dair, Easton, Vincze, O'Brien, Kachloul (Snodgrass 90), McMenamin, Lilley (Strong 86). Subs Not Used: Meldrum, Dorrans, Brittain, Horvath.
Booked: Bahoken, Vincze, Kachloul. Goal: Easton 26.

Dundee: Soutar, McDonald, Sancho, Mann, Robb (Sutton 67), Barrett (Caballero 81), McNally, Smith, Anderson (Robertson 87), McManus, Lovell. Subs Not Used: Jack, Larsen, Fotheringham.
Booked: Robb. Goal: McDonald 18.

Attendance: 8,968

Referee: J Rowbotham

Ayr United FC

Ayr United 0 Stranraer 0 - Scottish League Division Two

In 1197 a castle was built by the River Ayr. Shortly afterwards, in 1205, King William the Lion created a burgh at Ayr. He laid out streets and set aside plots of land for building houses. William also started a market at Ayr. (In those days there were few shops so if you wished to buy or sell anything you had to go to a market). Once the market at Ayr was up and running people would come to live in the new town.

William also granted the people of the new town of Ayr a charter (a document granting the townspeople certain rights and privileges). From 1261 Ayr also had an annual fair. (In the Middle Ages fairs were like markets but they were held only once a year and they attracted buyers and sellers from a wide area). The little town of Ayr flourished, although it would seem tiny to us with a population of (at most) 1,500.

With Ryanair now having extended their Saturday timetable, it is possible to get back to Stansted the same day from most venues. In truth though, I was on unfinished business as the previous season I had arrived in Ayr to find their match had been postponed. On that occasion Kilmarnock hosted Dundee and a new ground was visited avoiding a wasted trip.

The visit of Stranraer promised far more than was delivered. In blustery conditions, a draw was a fair result but considering a win would have almost guaranteed a second successive promotion for Stranraer, I thought their tactics a bit negative. Nerves perhaps?

Somerset Park

Somerset Park is a traditional old stadium, mainly terraced with just the one seated stand. It did make a pleasant change to watch a match from the terracing. Prior to the football we visited four of the local hostelries, the most notable being the ‘Tam o Shanter’ Inn, named after Robbie Burns poem. Ayr United’s nickname ‘Honest Men’ is also derived from this source. Karaoke Bob Gilligan can recite this poem and will do so for a pint! It was here that we sampled ale from the Arran Brewery and very good it was too.

Tam o Shanter Inn

Ian and Andy Scott joined me in purchasing ‘Haggis from the Heart of Burns Country’ from a local butchers in the high street and Kristian Jarvis declared his love for the Scottish square sausage he sampled for breakfast.

Karaoke, Kristian and I opted to stand with the Stranraer support, this meant we missed the incident where Andy Scott pleaded with his father to take his photograph with the Ayr mascot ‘PANDAmonium’. This father/son bonding lark was being stretched to the limit and if they though this would get them a mention in these columns then they were right!

Anyway 0-0 it was and Stranraer achieved their promotion.



Programme courtesy of Jim Mechan Ayr United Archive and History

Westfield FC

Westfield 2 Merstham 2 - Combined Counties League, Premier Division

Woking is a large town, located to the west of Surrey in South East England. It functions as a dormitory town of the London commuter belt and is located 23 miles south west of Charing Cross in central London. Woking also plays a role in literature: it is the town in which the Martians landed in H. G. Wells science fiction novel The War of the Worlds. It also features in Douglas Adams's The Meaning of Liff, as the word for when you go to the kitchen but forget why.

Some 2 years after an aborted visit (waterlogged pitch - which drained very quickly and probably would have passed the test if the ref had been patient - Champions League on TV! - Ed) to Woking's 'other' club, Karaoke Bob and I finally managed to 'tick this one off'. Some will already know that Woking FC play a couple of hundred yards away from Westfield but postcodes are probably the only similarity. Whilst Kingfield boasts some of the better facilities in non-league football, Westfield's Woking Park ground is very basic. An old clubhouse resembling a cricket pavilion was the only structure apart from the dug outs (I do not count potting sheds as being intrinsic to the ground).

Woking FC were hosting Stevenage Borough (1-2) at the same time and it was strange hearing the crowd noise from that match. We even thought we heard Phil Bryant singing! We were treated to a decent game resulting in a fair 2-2 scoreline. A 7.30 kick off (rare thes days) was a pleasant change. An easy stroll from Woking station which I would estimate to be 12 minutes away at the most.

Westfield FC 2004/5



Admission: £3 (£1.50 concessions)
Programme: £1 (24 pages)
Train fare: from Zone 6 with Gold Card discount £3.10