Steve B the Groundhopper

2pm 14 December 2024 Ardal League, South West Clydach 1 Ynyshir Albions 1 (att 60) Clydach is a village just north of Swansea, and its football team has made rapid progress in recent years, climbing from the Neath League up to the third tier of the Welsh pyramid. Their first season at that level, in the Ardal League South West, is likely to be one of consolidation, and so a point against higher-placed Ynyshir is will probably go down as a decent result. But Clydach will have been frustrated as this was a game they could have won. They scored early and, despite coming under plenty of pressure, maintained a slender lead into half time. Ynyshir equalised just a minute or so after the break. But five minutes after that they were down to 10 men, a player receiving two yellow cards just seconds apart. You wouldn't have known Clydach had a numerical advantage for what remained of the game. Both sides looked for a winner, and the visitors created good chances, but in the end it finished le...

2pm 7 December 2024 Humber Premier League Sculcoates Amateurs 5 Hornsea Town 0 (att 20) The BBC's weather app suggested that conditions in Hull would be better than those earlier in the day in Sheffield. It was wrong. There were only brief respites from the torrential rain, during which it reverted to being just wet. And the winds increased as the game went on, making both playing and spectating a challenge. Despite all that I'd rather spend my Saturday afternoon being battered by a storm watching a match than stuck at home. And credit to players and coaches on both sides for getting on with it. Hornsea may be wishing the fixture hadn't taken place though. They had the wind behind them in the first half, but failed to make the most of it and a free kick gave Sculcoates a one goal lead at half time. I expected the home side to complete the job in the second period, and they did. As the wether worsened so did Hornsea's afternoon. There were four more Sculcoates goals. The...

10.30am 7 December 2024 Sheffield and District Fair Play League, Division One Crookes Crusaders 1 Brunsmeer Athletic 2 (att 3) Attempting to watch two games despite Storm Darragh might have been foolhardy, but weather forecasts suggested heading east of the Pennines was a good bet, and such conditions are when 3G pitches come into their own. Although it was wet and windy, Sheffield hadn't got the worst of the storm by the time of this morning kick off, played at Hillsborough College. As 3G venues go it's a decent one. The main spectator area, running the full length of one side, is spacious and not hemmed in by the usual high fence. There's also easy access behind the goal nearest the college-sum-sports centre. The top division of Sheffield's Saturday morning league is usually a good standard, and this was no different. Crookes took an early lead, against the run of play, but Brunsmeer were level by half time. The visitors are second in the table and needed all three po...

2pm 30 November 2024 Lancashire and Cheshire Amateur League, Premier Division Bury Amateur 1 Village Manchester 0 (att 15) The bottom two sides in the Lancashire and Cheshire Amateur League's top flight went head to head in a game that was, obviously, crucial to both. A tight but entertaining match was settled by a solitary goal scored by the home team after just five minutes. There was little between them, and Village Manchester were unfortunate not to come away with a point. Bury's keeper made some good saves to keep them out, but the visitors also failed to make to most of a numerical advantage. Bury Amateur already had a player serving time in the sin ban when, with half-an-hour still to play, they lost another to a straight red card. They were soon back up from nine players to 10, but were under mounting pressure. They defended resolutely, holding on for their first league win of the season. The result also saw them move above Village Manchester and off the bottom of the t...

10.15am 30 November 2024 Manchester Saturday Morning League, Division Two Championship Boundary Park Juniors 2 Badger Casuals 4 (att 10) Another Saturday when I needed to stay close to home began with a new venue in the Manchester Saturday Morning League. Boundary Park Juniors only joined the league this season. They concentrate primarily on youth football and even this team, their most senior, is officially listed as their 'under 21' side. They went into the game towards the wrong end of the table, and blew a great chance to gain much-needed points when they let a 2-0 lead slip. Their advantage came courtesy of two goals in quick succession about midway through the first half. Badger Casuals, who'd started the game slowly, got one back before half time. In the second period a mix up between goalkeeper and defender presented the visitors with an equaliser. That gave them the momentum they needed and a third goal soon followed. Late on a brilliant fourth goal, fired into the...

2pm 23 November 2024 Lancashire Amateur League, Division Two Bolton Rangers 2 Breightmet United 3 (att 16) On a day when Storm Bert wiped out many fixtures this game, on the relative safety of an artificial surface, was always my first choice. With evening plans I had to be back home early, and these days most local options for new grounds are 3G pitches. Newly-formed Bolton Rangers were unable to secure a ground in the town, so have settled on playing a short drive away in Darwen. I don't know how old the pitch at Darwen Aldridge Community Academy is, but it's showing its age. The ground is floodlit, and on a gloomy afternoon the lights were on almost from the start. Wooden fencing behind the ubiquitous cage, on one side and at the far end, provided a welcome buffer from the worst of the weather. Bolton Rangers are playing their debut season in senior football, but Breightmet United have a long history, going back to 1880. I last saw them lose by double figures in the Manchest...

2pm 16 November 2024 York League, Premier Division Poppleton 2 Osbaldwick 5 (att 19) It's more than five years since I last watched a game in Poppleton , just outside York. Since then the local club has has dropped its United suffix and moved to a new ground. Both changes are the result of a merger with Poppleton Junior FC. Home is now a sports ground on Millfield Lane, which features a clubhouse, large car park and several pitches. This game was played on 'pitch one' which, as its title suggests, is closest to the clubhouse and car park. The near side was roped off, but other than that it's just a pitch. Poppleton couldn't have go off to a better start. They took the lead with their first attack, and scored again moments later. Osbaldwick were dangerous going forward though, and Poppleton's early advantage never looked like being enough to see them through the rest of the match. The visitors wasted several good chances before eventually getting a goal back befo...

10.30am 16 November 2024 Manchester Saturday Morning League, Division Two Championship Rochdale Road Rovers 6 North Manchester Athletic 2 (att 8) Rochdale Road Rovers are one of two Manchester Saturday Morning League teams based at Crossley Playing Fields in Chadderton. With both at home, and not wanting to travel far for my first game, it was a logical destination. That said, it was plan B. The league's Full Time website listed groundsharers Hare and Hounds as playing instead at nearby Clayton Playing Fields. I headed there first, but wasn't too surprised to find only junior matches. As I'd assumed, both Hare and Hounds and Rochdale Road Rovers were playing on the pitches at Crossleys. Hare and Hounds were using the same pitch I'd visited for a game last year , but Rochdale Road's game yielded a groundhopping 'tick'. The four or five pitches at Crossleys all feel quite separate from each other. They're on different levels and a footpath also splits the ...