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Post by Deleted on May 18, 2014 12:52:41 GMT
Not sure if i missed the answer to this but is that Isysden Christie in blue by any chance? Well spotted. I think Alpine Joe had also noticed. Our one-time striker ended up with a medal as Halesowen won Northern Premier League Division 1 (South). They'll be in the Southern Premier next season. It all makes sense when you see the map. |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 1, 2014 20:51:50 GMT
I was down at Anstey's Cove recently and had cause to walk across the old football pitch at Stoodley Knowle. I say "old" because the whole place now appears to have been decommissioned for both football and cricket. The artificial wicket looks rather forlorn and the grass is generally long save for mown walk ways. I once heard Stoodley Knowle mockingly called "The Stadium". I guess it wasn't the best of sporting venues however modest.   |
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Post by rjdgull on Jun 1, 2014 21:24:04 GMT
Been doing the coast walks with family during the half term week barts so quite surprised that our paths haven't crossed - mind you have only done Maidencombe to Babbacombe so may have missed you by a whisker! Pretty sure I played there about 20 years ago but wearing whites so a pity to see it decommissioned!
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Post by Deleted on Jul 5, 2014 20:54:28 GMT
I'm not one for taking friendly games too seriously or reading too much into them. But, at this time of the year, they can offer a pleasant day out watching unfamiliar teams in sometimes unlikely places. Today's game between Connah's Quay Nomads and Ludogorets Razgrad, champions of Bulgaria, certainly fell into this category. There are all manner of unusual fixtures occurring over the next few weeks. Cheadle Town played Dinamo Bucharest at a hotel near Wilmslow earlier in the week and Ludogorets, Hearts, Besiktas and AEL Limassol are all scheduled to play at the Leigh Sports Village in Lancashire. Connah's Quay is in North East Wales but has the feel of North West England. It is but a few miles from Chester. It's on Deeside but not the Royal Deeside that's encountered in Scotland. You'll not find too many Highland Games gatherings in this neck of the woods:  The towers, and most of the fishing boats, are gone but are fondly remembered in this mural:  I enjoy regional newspapers and was able to buy the North Wales Daily Post before the game. Suarez on the back page, Tim Howard inside; there's always a strong Merseyside flavour. Plenty of local stuff too including this:  That's a pretty low level for Nathan Craig remembering that Caernarfon play at the second tier of Welsh football. Yet read the small print and you'll see Craig is being employed to run the club's community programme. That, you'd imagine, might be a pretty decent prospect for him. Connah's Quay's ground is one of those well-appointed sports centres that aren't wonderful for football. It's also opposite a mighty power station fed by overhead cables from each and every direction. It's possible that Ludogorets imagined themselves to be at a socialist-era works' sports complex somewhere in eastern or central Europe:     The game ended 7-0 to the Bulgarians who were, in fact, a pleasing mixture of Bulgarians, Iberians, other Europeans and Latin Americans (including the almost mandatory boys from Brazil). Different line-ups in each half; wholly one-sided and meaningless. But also hugely enjoyable on what - together with Wednesday's match against Dinamo Bucharest (yes, them again) - has been another memorable day for a welcoming club. As for some of Ludogorets recent triumphs, these were rather lost in translation in the otherwise-excellent programme:  |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 11, 2014 19:15:37 GMT
Yesterday was a totally wacky day. We left Sheffield at 7.30am to watch a 6.45pm kick-off at Aberystwyth. We were home at 2.30am. Or was it later? I doubt I'll be having a similar day for a very long time. Maybe never. We stopped to visit six football grounds, four real ale pubs and a lovely place where red kites are fed every afternoon. More-adjusted people may have settled for the kites alone.
THE NEW SAINTS
Welsh double winners 2014 or, as they unkindly say in Bangor, "You're just a shit club from England!"
Leisure complex off the A5 in Oswestry, Shropshire. Uninspiring football ground but decent facilities and open for mid-morning coffee and flapjacks.
The Welsh Cup on display. I fear Crad Evans never got his hands on it:
LLANSANTFFRAID VILLAGE
Before The New Saints merged with Oswestry Town, and decamped across the border to England, they played in the village of Llansantfraid-ym-Mechain (spelt with or without the 't'). It was here that the club, as Llansanffraid FC, became successful during the 1990s changing its name to Total Network Solutions in the process.
In the aftermath of the Oswestry move a new club was formed in the village. This now plays in the Mid Wales League, the third tier of Welsh football. The Recreation Ground - or Treflan - was improved around fifteen years ago: a stand behind the goal opened by Ian Rush; a typical S4C television gantry on the halfway line. The facilities might still be good enough for the Welsh Premier League:
WELSHPOOL
A cracking town, which I'd visited before, although I'd not realised that the football club shares with cricket. Welshpool have had a couple of spells in the top flight but are now in the third tier. They struggled last season and also had a small points deduction. There's a history of that. Eighteen points chopped off in 2011 and in 1992, when Welshpool won their league with sixty-seven points, there was the little matter of a subsequent sixty-six point punishment.
NEWTOWN
Latham Park is the big venue in Mid Wales and has hosted European football for other clubs. It's also seen English non-league football during Newtown's days in the Northern Premier League. We arrived to find a scene of surprising activity; there's a 3G pitch being installed which is expected to be ready for the new season.
On the other hand, would playing on Tarmac pitches make Welsh teams more successful in Europe?
CAERSWS
Many seasons in the League of Wales/Welsh Premier League but now in the second tier.
Smashing ground right next to the railway line. Indeed you need to squeeze under a tight little railway bridge to access the ground from the car park. Surrounded by hills; a great place to watch football when the weather is fine:
Then there was Llanidloes. That's on a separate thread because Torquay United have played there: torquayfansforum.co.uk/thread/10791/llanidloes-18-8-73
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Post by Deleted on Jul 11, 2014 19:51:55 GMT
European football by road from Sheffield in early July. It must be Wales. In this case Aberystwyth Town. The portents weren't promising; Derry City had won the first leg 4-0. Big time stuff for Aber; they're not used to all-ticket occasions. Tickets printed courtesy of the FAW - "your voice, your game, your country" - and available for collection at the ground after being ordered through the local solicitors' office. Park Avenue lies just inland of the town centre next to the river: a main stand, another behind the goal at the town end, a S4C gantry. The hillside view is splendid: a sweep from the cliff railway to the university campus and the National Library of Wales. And a crowd of just over a thousand including a noisy group from Derry. "Diolch am eich cefnogaeth" as it said on the ticket. Alas a rather one-sided encounter won 5-0 by Derry who, shall we say, were a "cut above". A hat-trick from Rory Patterson, ex-Argyle, and eye-catching performances from Derry's attacking players. Paraphrasing the old saying about voting in Northern Ireland: they scored early and they scored often. Derry now face Shakhtyor Soligorsk of Belarus where, in all probability, they won't find an esplanade as pleasant as Aberystwyth's. But they may have a chance on the pitch.         |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 12, 2014 20:32:39 GMT
That's it. Tadcaster Albion; the final leg of my two-year odyssey around the non-league grounds of the north of England. And a few other places too. I like where I've been and I've liked what I've seen. It's been about right. Overdo it and it becomes a traipse. Tadcaster is on the River Wharfe between Leeds and York. It's known for its' three breweries: John Smith's, Samuel Smith's and Tower. The football team, which is doing better than it has ever done before, lies behind John Smith's. It's a tidy ground that would probably need rather more, and better-positioned, seating for the club to climb the pyramid. A decent friendly today between Tadcaster and an Oldham Athletic under-21 XI. 2-1 to Tad; all the goals in the second half. The winner was a cracker. "Tad All Over" as they say. And my next non-league game in the north? Oh dear, that'll be to see Torquay United I suspect.       |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 15, 2014 21:19:52 GMT
Barton Downs
And a most interesting and varied tour it's been. Places a good many of us would have known little about, and occasionally venues that I for one, had never heard of. Some great photos that I'm pleased to say show the quirkiness associated with little clubs still lives on, and bland conformity hasn't achieved total domination just yet.
A shame to be leaving Sheffield just as Wednesday's Azerbaijani revolution is stoking up the flames for lift off, but the reassuring familiarity of watching Benyon miss another sitter from your favourite section of the Popside terrace is something to savour, as well as looking forward to listening out for the first shout in anger of "Sort it out Hargreaves" of Season 2014/15.
Following the Northern expedition has been fun, and I know many of us have enjoyed it.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 16, 2014 6:24:34 GMT
Very kind of you to say, Alpine Joe. I pretty much enjoyed every day in Sheffield. Interesting variety of work, football and Peak explorations. With respect to S6 I just about managed more visits to the football than the dentist; a high-scoring contest that was in doubt for a while.
I squeezed in one final game; Hallam v Chesterfield on Monday evening (my first match from Sheffield being Matlock v Chesterfield in July 2012). I'm pleased to report the spotting at Hallam of a young lad in a blue-and-white striped football shirt bearing those inspirational words: AZERBAIJAN: LAND OF FiRE.
So, yes, I'll take an interest in Sheffield football from afar next season. But not, of course, as much as I'll show in the myriad of clubs featured in the Sunday Janner. I can't promise quite so many pictures but there is one trip west of the Tamar planned for early August. I'm sure there is plenty of quirkiness to be found in East Cornwall. In the meantime, of course, the popular side beckons.....
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Post by Deleted on Jul 16, 2014 20:17:53 GMT
Look for Barton Downs on Thursday night in either Tavistock or Exeter.
It's farewell to my friend Nick and although I was able to share the trip to Aberystwyth via all those other Welsh grounds and the red kites (and a badger crossing the road on the way home) I am sorry to say I missed saying goodbye at Hallam because of a bad back. He is now off back to Devon, and if you see a van with blacked-out windows taking a ridiculously circuitous route then that will be him and Clive, his chauffeur, who never knowingly drives in a straight line.
Red kites: Lots of them...
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Post by Deleted on Jul 17, 2014 8:03:55 GMT
I am sorry to say I missed saying goodbye at Hallam because of a bad back. He is now off back to Devon, and if you see a van with blacked-out windows taking a ridiculously circuitous route then that will be him and Clive, his chauffeur, who never knowingly drives in a straight line. The van was heavy-laden but thankfully we didn't go via Blaydon. And, with warnings of potential overheating problems, it was a careful journey with no time for wildlife or pubs. Unfortunately administrative difficulties at the Sheffield end put paid to watching football that evening. It's also the case that blacked-out minibuses aren't the easiest of vehicles to unload. But, at least, we didn't draw the attention of the "polis". It was a shame Felix couldn't make the Hallam game on Monday night. A good contest: 1-1 against a very young Chesterfield team; a few of whom were probably fresh out of year 11. Hallam have appointed the former Dinnington Town manager; the players are new and more wizened than last season's. There was even a hint of "organisation" which has eluded recent Hallam sides. Otherwise the tea is still served nice and hot but in flimsy plastic cups which are liable to scald. I sensed Felix lapped up our trip to Aberystwyth. I'll miss Comrade Clive's expeditions. There's probably one to the TNS game at Rhyl next week; that'll be another opportunity to go in search of blue-arsed hares on the Snake Pass well after midnight. Felix and myself had several hugely enjoyable trips to see Torquay United these past two seasons. A particularly lasting memory is making the most - and more - of a day trip to Rochdale. The only drawback was the football became increasingly worse and, ultimately, the games at Scunthorpe and Chesterfield were not for the faint-hearted. I took another look yesterday at next season's fixtures and they don't always fall to my liking. Too many attractive (at least for me) away games when the days are shortest and the weather potentially bad. Good dates at Lincoln and Grimsby but I'm not interested. My "marquee" (don't you love that word?) trip in Felix's neck of the woods is likely to be Alfreton. It's just the right side of the county line so hopefully we'll meet there. |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 18, 2014 9:09:04 GMT
Clive rang me last night in excitement over TNS's result in Bratislava. He is now prepared to pay £20 to watch the second leg in Rhyl. And I'll need a doctor's note if I don't turn up at Hallam to watch the Blades under 21 team on Monday evening.
Just read the rumour about Plainmoor's name being sold. Alfreton's Impact Arena was probably the silliest name in the country a short while ago but there are too many other contenders now. Personally, once a ground changes its name I think it should be wiped off the 92 list and you should have to go there again in order for it to count. That would give a new challenge for anyone who completed the whole list years ago and have been at a loose end ever since.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 18, 2014 12:56:51 GMT
Clive rang me last night in excitement over TNS's result in Bratislava. He is now prepared to pay £20 to watch the second leg in Rhyl. Ha! I didn't think it would take much to persuade Clive. He recovered from the disappointment of not making it to Tavistock by managing to "tick" the Mill On The Exe, the Hour Glass, George's Meeting House, the Imperial and the Great Western. I see Felix has been involved in an online conversation about a stadium in Ecuador. I wouldn't want to brag but I've been there. Recently I dug out a souvenir key-ring of my visit to replace one of a rival Guayaquil team lost in the car park of the Coach and Horses in Dronfield. It's a funny old world; all football leads back to Sheffield FC. Or, maybe, even Cricketfield Road, Torquay. As for name changes - clubs, grounds, whatever - I believe there are those for whom this matters greatly when "ticking" or "counting". Felix's suggestion is probably already being implemented by the more harsh of gatekeepers. |
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Post by rjdgull on Jul 18, 2014 16:20:36 GMT
link[. My "marquee" (don't you love that word?) trip in Felix's neck of the woods is likely to be Alfreton. It's just the right side of the county line so hopefully we'll meet there.
Would you believe it but that match is now to be televised - maybe you can give us all a wave!! - link
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Post by Deleted on Jul 24, 2014 20:32:10 GMT
We'll be there, Rob. Look for us on the away end (which is the end with the cover at Alfreton) keeping out of the dreary East Midlands drizzle.
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