12.05pm 26 September 2020
Arthurian League, Division One
Old Cholmeleians 2 Lancing Old Boys 0 (att 17)
Highgate School was founded in 1565 by Sir Roger Cholmeley/Cholmley/Cholmondeley. Spellings were fluid in those days, but seemingly not fluid enough spell it Chumley, which is how it's pronounced.
To this day former Highgate School pupils are Old Cholmeleians, and sports-minded old boys (and girls, who were first admitted to the school in 2004) have their own sports ground in a rural part of Barnet, north London.
For me the main attraction of this fixture was the early kick off. Five minutes past midday was a curiously precise start time, which I'd assumed was to allow the two clubs' second elevens to complete their fourth division match, due to begin at 10.30.
But when I arrived that was being played on a distant pitch on the far side of the pavilion, while the first team players warmed up on the what looked like the main pitch, closer to the car park.
The early start for the reserves was a help for Lancing Old Boys. They began the senior fixture with a bare 11 players, and a stand-in goalkeeper. As soon his earlier match was over, Lancing's second eleven keeper took over in goal for his second stint of the day.
He made some decent saves, and at least one very unconventional one, but could do little about the two second half goals that decided the match. There wasn't much between the sides, but on balance Cholmeleians deserved their win.
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