WOODLEY SPORTS (Lambeth Grove)

Saturday 10th January 2009
Northern Premier League
Division One North
Woodley Sports 2-0 Rossendale United
Attendance: 245

This ground is one i'd been putting off until it was absolutely necessary. With all options being postponed, today is when it finally became necessary!

I wasn't the only one in this predicament, as there were loads of other hoppers present, even a United fan from Rotterdam (insert your own gag).

This was the only game on in the area because Woodley have an artificial 3G pitch, and I think it caught the club on the hop, excuse the pun!  The crowd was double their normal gate and they had a run on everything from Programmes to Pies to Bovril. At least it was a welcome boost to the clubs income.

The game itself was a pretty drab affair with goals in each half from Sam Walker (28) and Gavin Salmon (60) giving the home side a comfortable win. I can't complain too much as in todays circumstances I was just grateful to see a game of footy.




Ground has been re-named in memory of coach Neil Rourke, who recently passed away



BLYTH SPARTANS (Croft Park)

Monday 5th January 2009

FA Cup 3rd Round

Blyth Spartans 0-1 Blackburn Rovers

Attendance: 3,445

Well would you believe it? My FA cup run now stretches into the third round courtesy of the TV moving this game to the Monday and Blackburn's inability to sell 1,000 tickets (they barely sold 400).

The game itself wasn't a classic and it didn't help matters the Blackburn made 11 changes to the team that played the previous week. Blyth dug deep and defended pretty well against a team 5 divisions above them but if Rovers could've finished better the game may have been over by half time.

The only goal, which settled the game in favour of the visitors came on 58 minutes when Carlos Villanueva curled a stunning free kick into the top corner to break Blyth hearts. Spartans kept plugging away and Blackburn could not kill the game off. Their best chance came with 5 minutes left when Andy Wright fired wide from six yards when really he should've buried it and give Blyth an unlikely, but deserved, replay.

Even though most of the 3,445 crowd went home disappointed they can take comfort in the fact that their team never disgraced themselves and did everyone proud.



and it was after this photo was taken that my camera quite literally froze!

INVERNESS CALEDONIAN THISTLE (Caledonian Stadium)

Sunday 4th January 2009
Scottish Premier League
Inverness Caledonian Thistle 0-3 Rangers
Attendance: 7,056

What should have been a long distance "double" ended up as just the single as virtually every Saturday game in the Highlands was wiped out. Ross County v St. Johnstone should have been the main event, but that was called off on the Friday along with the back-ups of Elgin City, Clachnacuddin, Buckie Thistle and Inverurie Locos.

The only football seen was courtesy of the TV in the pub where on offer was the insipid Edinburgh derby (0-0) and the laughable Celtic v Dundee Utd (2-2) game. However, having nae game did allow more valuable drinking time in the tremendous Anderson pub in Fortrose.

On the Sunday it was a visit to the Caledonian Stadium to witness a comfortable 3-0 win for Rangers, who never really needed to break sweat in order to turn over a very poor ICT side. Pedro Mendes (why is such a class act playing in the SPL?) scored a sublime goal 40 seconds after half time before two late Kris Boyd settled the game.

Decent enough ground and from a personal point of view just happy to get a game in after the disappointment (hey! hey! Walter alert!) of yesterday's postponements.

HALESOWEN TOWN (The Grove)

Thursday 1st January 2009

Southern Premier League

Halesowen Town 1-3 Stourbridge

Attendance: 1,273

With the Siberian type weather playing havoc with the fixture list, it was a relief to start 2009 with any sort of game. The fact that it was a tasty Midlands derby at a ground that has been on my "to-do" list for a while made it even better. The locals certainly agreed and the huge crowd of 1,273 weren't disappointed.

If either team had their shooting boots on it could have ended up 6-6 as the game was a fast flowing end to end encounter with loads of chances but great saves, the woodwork and appalling finishing meant there was only the four goals scored. Unfortunately for Halesowen three of them were in their net.

Stourbridge took the lead on 32 minutes through Leon Broadhurst and held on to that until half time. Ashley Langford made it 2-0- within 3 minutes of the re-start but Halesowen hit back within a minute through Nuno Baretto and it was game on. They had their chances but could not force an equaliser and it was Langford with his second on 73 minutes that wrapped up a famous victory for Stourbridge, one they had waited 16 years for in fact.