11am 8 October 2022
Southern Counties East League, Division One
Staplehurst Monarchs 1 Rochester United 0 (att 331)
The inaugural Southern Counties East League organised groundhop worked out well for me, with one of my two remaining unvisited venues staging the Saturday morning fixture.
Staplehurst Monarchs, in just their second season at this level, were well organised to cope with the influx of visitors, with stewards to oversee parking and plenty of refreshments on offer.
Their Jubilee Field ground is on the edge of the village, which itself is a few miles south of Maidstone. There's a small seated stand and covered standing area on one side, and a path around the two sides of the ground that are officially open to spectators.
An above average attendance meant many spectators also lined the far touchline, officially out of bounds as it currently lacks hard standing. Why FA rules means spectators shouldn't be allowed to stand on grass is beyond me.
The game wasn't the greatest, as often happens when hop matches are switched to morning kick offs in front unusually large crowds. Both teams played some neat football but serious goal attempts were rare. The home side sneaked a win a fine goal about 15 minutes from time.
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