Steve B the Groundhopper

5pm  25 February 2018 Premier League Cup, Group G Stoke City U23 0 Liverpool U23 4 (att 130) At the same time as a couple of Premier League teams were playing the final of the Football League's cup at Wembley, the Premier League's own cup competition was progressing from its group stage to the knock out rounds. The Premier League Cup doesn't feature first teams though, and it was Stoke and Liverpool's under 23 sides who battled it out for the chance to qualify from Group G of the Champions League-style tournament. The sides went into their final group game level on points, but the visitors' superior goal difference meant they only needed a draw. From the start it was clear that Liverpool would achieve that objective with ease, as they were far the better side. Two goals in each half were enough for a comfortable win, and Liverpool weren't hampered by the late dismissal of a player for retaliating after being fouled. To be fair, the Liverpool teamsheet...

24 February 2018 Midland Football League, Division Three GNP Sports 7 Birmingham Tigers 0 (att 19) Both these sides are new to the Midland Football League this season, and while Tigers have comfortably settled into mid table GNP Sports have taken the competition's fourth tier by storm. This comprehensive win kept their healthy lead at the top of the division, and preserved their unbeaten league record, although the visitors were still in the match until just before half time. GNP took an early lead, but failed to make the most of other chances and on occasions Tigers threatened to draw level. The game moved out of their reach in the few minutes either side of half time, as GNP scored twice just before the break, and again in the opening seconds after it. It was then just a matter of how many more they'd score, by the end they managed another three, and had a penalty well saved along the way. I visited what I assume to be the same GNP Sports back in 1998, when they ...

7.45pm  21 February 2018 Nottinghamshire Senior League, Premier Division Bilborough Town 1 Bingham Town 2 (att 38) I'd been waiting for a chance visit Bilborough Town under the floodlights for a while, and was rewarded by an entertaining game that completed visits to all the grounds in the top division of the Nottinghamshire Senior League. Despite the drawbacks of watching football from a distance across a running track, the Harvey Hadden Stadium is a good venue, with a large seated stand and plenty of terracing to provide an elevated view. The pitch itself was roped off along the touchlines, although when a handful of Bingham followers tried to watch from the side of the pitch they were promptly sent back to the stand. They were joined by their club's assistant manager just before half time, after he was sent off for a vociferous reaction to a penalty awarded to Bilborough. I couldn't tell whether or not the referee got the decision right, but the spot kick was ...

2.30pm  17 February 2018 SJFA, North and Tayside Inter-Regional Cup, Third Round Stonehaven 3 Kirriemuir Thistle 3, 5-4 on penalties (att 50) Stonehaven was plan B as we prepared to leave our Friday night base near Glasgow, but before heading north I learned that Colony Park's home game had fallen victim to the weather. No such problems at Glenury Park though, and even if there had been a late postponement I had the back-up of an Aberdeenshire Amateur FA cup tie taking place on an adjacent 3G pitch. I watched a few minutes of that, before crossing the car park and handing over £5 for admission to the main attraction. It proved to be money well spent, for a thoroughly entertaining and hard-fought 90 minutes followed by a penalty shoot out decider. The GA Engineering Cup - to give the sponsors due credit - pits together junior clubs from the North Region and from Tayside, which was a junior football region in its own right until the most recent re-organisation saw it becom...

2pm  10 February 2018 Sheffield County Senior League, Division One Dodworth Miners Welfare 2 Hepworth United 1 (att 33) Dodworth's ground is one of a sadly declining number of traditional miners' welfare sports grounds that's not only still in use but that still has the spectator accommodation dating back to the time when large crowds gathered on match days. The crowds aren't so large now, but there was still a decent turnout for this game, in the second level of the Sheffield County Senior League, especially considering it clashed with Barnsley playing Sheffield Wednesday in a lunchtime kick off, and Sheffield United hosting Leeds live on TV. The football pitches are separated from the cosy clubhouse by bowling greens. The main pitch is dominated by nine steps of terracing covered by a cavernous roof, the sort that's usually only found these days in Scottish junior football. A pair of dugouts are more recent additions at the front of the stand, and the r...

11am  10 February 2018 EFL Youth Alliance, North East Chesterfield U18 5 Bradford City U18 1 (att 53) Chesterfield never seem to settle on a youth team ground for long, and this season most games are at St George's Park Sheffield Graves, one of a trio of St George's Park-branded football centres in Sheffield. I think the Sheffield venues are a pilot which will hopefully lead to similar facilities, part-funded by the FA and named after its national football centre, appearing across England. There are a pair of 3G pitches at Graves, beyond which is 'pitch three', with a grass surface and home to Chesterfield's youngsters. Considering the recent weather the pitch was a good condition, although one of the 3G pitches had been reserved as a back up in case it was unfit. As is the custom at these games, spectators lined one side of the pitch, with the 3G pitches to our backs, while substitutes and coaches were along the far touchline. Being buffeted by a very co...

2pm  3 February 2018 SJFA West Region, Central League, Division One Rossvale 3 Glasgow Perthshire 1 (att 60) It took no more than a couple of minutes to drive from the Springburn Football Centre to Rossvale's newly-opened home at the Huntershill Community Sports Hub, so I had ample time ahead of kick-off. Normally if I've got time before the start of a Scottish junior game I'll seek out the tea bar in search of a hot drink and perhaps a pie, but while Huntershill is without doubt a fine facility, it's not like other junior grounds. For a start there's no tea bar, but I was least able to get a coffee and a chocolate bar from vending machines in a building that also houses the changing rooms. The pitch has an artificial surface, and two separate areas on the far side to accommodate supporters. Local rivals Glasgow Perthshire had quite a few fans with them, and while there was no formal segregation the support broadly divided into each 'pen' dependin...

12 midday  3 February 2018 Strathclyde Saturday Morning Amateur League, Division One Trophy Huntershill 1 Blackthorn Rovers 9 (att 9) From my morning game at Glasgow Club Milton it was a very short and simple drive to to the Springburn Football Centre, which was just as well as this game kicked off a few minutes before the advertised noon start. Visitors Blackthorn were ahead before midday, and scored a second not long after. They led 5-0 by half time, and a second half red card did little to stop them overwhelming a young Huntershill side, who at least managed a goal back. Both these sides are new to the expanding Strathclyde Saturday Morning League this season, and so play in its third tier in parallel division ones. This cup is played on a league basis, and seems designed to provide extra fixtures for teams at this level. It's sponsored by Zandernation, which Google suggests are DJs, although I tend to avoid sponsors' names when recording games I've been to, i...