Damage in the Box!

Most people who know me will testify, i'm a groundhopper. Most people who know me may testify i'm slightly mad. Either way, I travel around various football grounds of this island and, sometimes, beyond to watch the beautiful game. Most of my travels encompass the non-league game and, with my inane ramblings, I will attempt to show you where my travels take me and, also, try to show you that there is footballing life beyond the so-called "best league in Europe" I hope you enjoy reading!

MILTON UNITED (The Heights, Potash Lane)

After a great time in Oxford visting some of the many fantastic GBG entries, (including a pub called the The Turf where it is alleged Bill Clinton, whilst a student, "did not inhale" whilst smoking illegal substances) the main event of the day was an Hellenic League Division One East clash. That's living the life!!

Milton United were taking on visitors, from near High Wycombe, Penn & Tylers Green at their Milton Heights ground. Milton is a small village about 3 miles south of Abingdon and likewise 3 miles west of Didcot. In fact you can see Didcot's Power Station looming in the distance behind the stand.

The football ground is pretty basic with a small covered stand and a portakabin serving as a clubhouse. The bowling club is at the back of ground and there signs about warning football supporters not to park in their car park!

Based on previous experiences, my expections of a good game are pretty low when the Hellenic is involved (Saturday's FA Cup game at Thame being a case in point) but tonight, i'm happy to say, I was very surprised as both teams served up an entertaining end-to-end match.

Milton United were two goals to the good inside the first 20 minutes when Joe Parker gave them the lead after 13 minutes before Drew Fowler doubled their advantage from the penalty spot (pictured right).

However the scoreline could've been much different if Penn & Tylers could actually of hit the target. They wasted enough chances to win a dozen games, nevermind tonights.

To compound their misery they gifted the homesters a third goal just after the break when a defensive blunder allowed Fowler to bag his second of the game.

Even at three down the visitors still created and they did have enough efforts to at least draw level. The did get one back, finally, after 77 minutes when Chris Hurst scored but Milton were able to see out the game.

Plenty of others 'hoppers' at the game tonight and all in all a pleasant evening spent in pleasant company.

Monday 13th August 2012
Hellenic League Division One East
Milton United 3-1 Penn & Tylers Green
Attendance: 68

THAME UNITED (Meadow View Park)

The road to Wembley began once again for many clubs, just weeks after Chelsea turned over the unmentionables in the final. I don't care what anyone says, for me this is still THE cup competition.

Anyhow, there was only one match in the draw that made any sense today and that was the all Hellenic League affair between Thame United and Newbury (my mate lives locally and we are heading into London to see Blur at Hyde Park on Sunday).

Normally I would prefer to see teams from differing leagues playing against each other but for reasons mentioned that wasn't an option today.

Thame have been back in the town since December 2010, playing at the purpose built Meadow View Park. This was some 15 years after their eviction from their old Windmill Road, which was subsequently built upon. Inbetween they had groundshared at Aylesbury and AFC Wallingford.

For a cup tie, the game was quite a lacklustre affair with real chances at an absolute premium.

Thame nontheless progressed through to the next round of the cup courtesy of a solitary strike from Ellis Hercules after 18 minutes. The ball fell kindly to him in the penalty area and he has the simple task of prodding the ball home (pictured left).

Newbury never really threatened until the dying embers of the game, when they did crash an effort against the bar but overall there can be no complaints about the result.

Thame will now travel to North Leigh in the next round, whilst I travelled, post match, just up the road to The Cross Keys, arguably the best real ale pub in the town!!

Saturday 11th August 2012

FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round

Thame United 1-0 Newbury

Attendance: 65

WEST DIDSBURY & CHORLTON (Brookburn Road)

With the English non-league season getting underway this weekend, with Step Five and Six leagues kicking off, there were a few decent options to be considered this particular Saturday, with plenty of clubs making their debut at Step Six.

I opted to stay relatively close to home and head off to watch West Didsbury & Chorlton make their North West Counties League bow against Formby. I wasn't the only one who decided on this fixture and there were plenty of familiar 'groundhopping' faces amongst the crowd.

The club, as mentioned in the programme, was formed in 1908 as Christ Church AFC and began life in the Manchester Alliance league until the first world war. After the war the club changed it's name to West Didsbury and joined the Lancashire and Cheshire Amateur League, remaining in that league until 2006 when the switched to the Manchester league. They won the title in 2011 and were elected to the North West Counties League in 2012.

The club played at Christie Playing Fields from 1914 onwards before the ground was sold of in the 1980's. They led a nomadic existence until 1997 when they secured the facillities at Brookburn Road. In 2003 the club changed it's name again to incorporate Chorlton, the area of Manchester where the club is based.

Chorlton is a great area for GBG listed pubs and pre-match today was spent a bar called, err, Bar. They had 8 handpulls on offer and the Phoenix "Honey Bee Porter" went down an absolute treat!

As you would expect on a first day of a season, the sun was cracking the flags at Brookburn Road, this was despite yours truly being armed with a brolly as the forecast was for heavy showers!

Formby started the brightest and, after squandering plenty of chances, it was no real surprise when the Squirrels took the lead, Michael White (28) prodding home a rebound after a header crashed back off the crossbar.

West Didsbury had a great chance to level but two efforts were kicked off the line with the Formby 'keeper stranded.

Formby then went into the break with a two goal advantage when, right on the stroke of half time, Kyle Hamid raced clear to fire home. In all fairness it was no more than the visitors deserved.

Within seven minutes of the restart though West Didsbury got a goal back, Liam Beckford scoring their first competitive goal and this level.

Formby had a chance to restore their two goal advantage from the penalty spot but White blazed his kick over the bar (pictured right) and, if it wasn't for the presence of netting behind the goal, the ball would still be in orbit now!

This seemed to galvanise the homesters and with just five minutes left on the clock Tommy Walsh grabbed what seemed to be an unlikely equaliser.

This should have left Formby ruing their profligacy in front of goal but deep in stoppage they nicked a deserved winner, when White made up for his penalty miss by flicking home Hamid's free kick.

Ironically it was a sending off for West Didsbury that led to this extra time, Scott Jones receiving his second yellow card of the game after 89 minutes.

Despite their loss I feel, based on what I seen today, West Didsbury have enough in their locker to make an impact in the season ahead and I heartily recommend a visit to South Manchester.

Saturday 4th August 2012
North West Counties League Division One
West Didsbury & Chorlton 2-3 Formby
Attendance: 108

DALBEATTIE STAR (Islecroft Stadium)

Hello everybody. Hope you had a good summer, all two days of it!

Welcome back to my humble little blog as another season of my inane ramblings gets underway.

After a summer taking in a few games at the Euro's and a couple of friendly re-visits (to Burscough & Vauxhall Motors if you are interested) the competitive action got underway where last season's hopping ended, ie north of the border.

The South of Scotland league began with it's first round of games today and what better place to start than in Galloway, at the home of defending champions Dalbeattie Star.

Last season's haul of silverware

Re-formed in 1976, The Star clinched their first title since 1989, going the entire season undefeated in the league, and also bagging four cups (the Challenge Cup, the League Cup, the Potts Cup and the Haig Gordon Cup) for good measure.

The visitors to the quite splendid Islecroft Stadium for today's clash were Newton Stewart, who coincidentally were also the opponents in Dalbeattie's last league game, when The Star ran out 5-0 winners.

The game was a lot more closer today as Dalbeattie edged out the visitors by the odd goal in five.

It was a scrappy first half but John MacBeth gave The Star the lead after 31 minutes before Stewart Taylor levelled for The Creesiders 6 minutes later. Dalbeattie restored their lead with the very last kick of the first half when Scott Milligan scored from the penalty spot (pictured left).

The second half was a better spectacle and the game could have gone either way. When Milligan bagged his second on 74 minutes, running onto a defence splitting pass, it looked like game over. However with 10 minutes remaining a great header from Michael Sutherland once again reduced the deficit.

The Star were not to be denied and they managed to hold on to claim the three points.

There was no GBG entry for Dalbeattie so it was a case of seeking out a local boozer for a pre-match pint. The fantastically monikered Cum-ye-Inn was our choice and once again we got a now usual reaction to our hobby from the barmaid.

When she asked what we were doing in Dalbeattie she assumed we were on holiday. When we told her the reason was we had come up was to watch the game she looked bemused and replied "No seriously, why are you in up in Dalbeattie? "

Here we go again.....