Steve B the Groundhopper

2pm  24 November 2012 SJFA West Region, Super League, Division One Yoker Athletic 3 Maybole 1 (att 68) A day when the weather forecasts meant it was best to head north. Not just because the rain wasn't due to arrive until later in the day, but also because I had the back up of a couple of games on all-weather 3G pitches. This was on grass though, and apart from muddy touchlines Yoker's Holm Park pitch, a few miles west of Glasgow city centre, looked in good condition, despite waterlogging and frost accounting for some other local fixtures. The home side made a great start to the game, scoring twice in the first 10 minutes. Maybole got a goal back before half time though, and from there it could have gone either way with chances at both ends. A third goal, 10 minutes into the second half, proved decisive. Yoker might have got a fourth, but a penalty was well saved. A decent game, and a decent ground as well. The entrance to Holm Park is behind the goal, with a two ...

2pm  17 November 2012 Surrey Elite Intermediate League Reigate Priory 3 Bookham 3 (att 12) I'd long wanted to visit Reigate Priory's ground. The club are among the oldest in the world, and they still play at their original ground, albeit primarily a venue for cricket rather than football. They were among the entrants for the first ever FA Cup, although withdrew without playing their opening fixture against the Royal Engineers, and competed regularly during the Cup's early years. Presumably back in the 1870s parking wasn't much of an issue at the Park Lane ground, but it is now. The prime pitchside parking spaces are reserved for Reigate Priory Hockey Club, who guard them with signs sternly warning off anyone connected with the football from using them. With no parking allowed on the main road, and Reigate Priory Tennis Club's car park clearly marked "private", it took a couple of laps of the sports ground before I was finally able to squeeze my ...

11am  17 November 2012 Middlesex County League, Division One (West) Marsh Rangers 2 Brentham 3 (att 62) After a gap of a couple of years this was a welcome return to the occasional Saturday morning match in the Middlesex County League, always a useful way of fitting in extra games and grounds. The quality of the football compared well with more recent Premier Division games I've seen in the league, and there were plenty of chances at both ends, as well as the five goals scored. Like many Middlesex League clubs, Marsh are nomadic when it comes to home venues. This season they're using a pitch at Harlington Sports Centre. It's typically basic for the league, but the addition of a chained barrier, through metal stakes, around the pitch, gave it more of a "proper" feel. The crowd, needless to say, consisted almost entirely of groundhoppers, all heading for various venues for their afternoon games.

2pm   10 November 2012 Herts Senior County League, Premier Division Cuffley 6 Sarratt 2 (att 10) Second time I've seen Sarratt this season, and the second time I've seen them concede six goals. Cuffley's win was deserved, and ultimately easy, but the score was harsh on Sarratt. The early indicator of what was to come was Cuffley's fourth minute opener, a fine strike after a good move. Cuffley's second goal owed more to luck, a clearance striking a Cuffley forward and ricocheting beyond the keeper's reach into the corner of the net. While the goal owed much to fortune, it was just reward for a spell of Cuffley pressure. But by half time Sarratt had pulled level. Their equalising goal, just before the break, came when a rebound was turned in after a terrific long range strike was touched onto the crossbar by Cuffley's keeper. Sarratt began the second half on the front foot, immediately pushing forward looking to edge in front, but they soon were u...

7.45 pm 6 November 2012 Midland Alliance, League Cup, Second Round Loughborough University 3 Dunkirk 1 (att 45) A first visit to the impressive new football stadium built in the campus at Loughborough University, and a commanding performance by the home side who had no trouble moving into the next round of the league cup. If the students were guilty of anything it was too often over-playing once they reached the edge of the Dunkirk penalty area, when a more direct approach might have been rewarded with more goals. They took a first half lead and added a second after the break. Late on Dunkirk, who overall were disappointing, pulled a goal back, but a third for the home side removed the threat of extra time. The ground is much better than most new venues at this level. The dominant feature is a large seated stand, accessed from the comfortable first floor bar and lounge, with an elevated and unhindered view of the pitch. The remainder of the ground is a few steps of open te...

2pm  3 November 2012 Middlesex County League, Premier Division Sporting Hackney 1 Sloane 0 (att 6) I'm not a fan of large multi-pitch sports grounds, but if there's one such location that's an iconic grassroots football venue then it's Hackney Marshes. This was my first visit, but apparently it's had a makeover in recent years, and I was surprised to find a decent cafe and bar on the first floor of the modern building which also houses the many changing rooms needed for what are, at present, 50 football pitches (plus some for rugby). Next season there'll be even more pitches, when the East Marshes are returned to use after serving as a coach drop off point during the London 2012 Olympics. Today's game was on the "show pitch" which runs lengthways immediately in front of the striking pavilion. The pitch was taped off, and a pair of dugouts were erected on the pavilion side. At right angles behind one goal was another taped off pitch, st...

11am  3 November 2012 Under 21 Premier League Tottenham Hotspur U21 6 Newcastle United U21 0 (att 150) The Under 21 Premier League has replaced reserve team football for Premier League clubs. Apparently it'll help bridge the gap between under 18 academy sides and first teams playing in the Premier League proper. So to prepare for the rigours of playing front of tens of thousands of fans inside stadiums, and millions more watching on TV, the best thing is to play at the training ground on a Saturday morning in front of a few dozen people. To be fair, a number of Under 21 league games are played in the clubs' main stadiums, and Spurs, unlike some, are at least allowing spectators in to watch those played at their expansive (and, by the look of it, expensive) training centre in Enfield. They've certainly got a team worth watching. They beat Newcastle with ease, and might have scored more goals. Most eye-catching for Spurs was Andros Townsend, who has played first ...

7.30pm  2 November 2012 Welsh Premier League Bangor City 3 Newtown 0 (att 684) A first visit to Bangor City's new stadium, to recomplete the Welsh Premier League, although I nearly gave up as horrendous traffic delayed my journey into north Wales. I finally joined a queue for the turnstile at 7.25pm, and was inside the ground in time for the slightly delayed kick off. Bangor started brightly, and played some good football as they raced into a two goal lead. With barely a quarter of the game gone Newtown's plight became even worse when they lost early substitute Zac Evans, sent off for a dangerous late tackle. The straight red card looked slightly harsh, but only slightly. That effectively ended the game as a spectacle. Newtown defended and frustrated Bangor, who passed the ball around neatly but created few chances. They finally managed a third, a well taken goal, about 10 minutes from the end. I liked Bangor's new ground, now known by a sponsored title but previ...