Steve B the Groundhopper

11am 30 June 2024 Eccles Sunday League Prestley 10 Ellesmere Park Rovers 1 (att 18) The 150th and final game of my 2023/24 football season was also my 146th new ground, although I couldn't be sure of that until I found the pitch at Drinkwater Park in Prestwich. In 2006 I'd seen Bury Amateurs play a home game on pitch number two. The park is only a couple of miles from home so I thought it worth going see if Prestley might be using a different pitch. I was in luck, with the pitch used for this game closer to the car park and several minutes' walk from where I'd seen the previous game. It's just a pitch, but a pleasant setting in a park that is popular with locals. With Prestley unbeaten in the league, and Ellesmere Park struggling, a comfortable home win looked likely. That's how it turned out, but it took until the second half before the game ran away from the visitors. An opening goal after 15 minutes, and a second just five minutes later, put Prestley on the r...

2.30pm 23 June 2024 Mayo Super League Westport United 0 Castlebar Celtic 3 (att 175) This was the weekend's big game in the Mayo Super League. A local derby between two of the league's established clubs, and with Castlebar Celtic threatening to run away with the title. They'd dropped points just once in the league ahead of this fixture, which was a potentially tricky hurdle. In the end they cleared that hurdle with ease, but it took them until the second half to win it. Pre-game Westport had given Celtic a guard of honour as they entered the pitch, in recognition of their visitors' Connacht Cup win last weekend. The first half ended goalless. Celtic had looked more threatening but there was little between the sides. They took the lead early in the second half, and doubled their lead soon after. Just a couple of minutes later, with half-an-hour still to play, Westport had hope when a straight red card for a bad challenge reduced Castlebar to 10 men. But the home side...

11am 23 June 2024 Mayo Super League Ballinrobe Town 1 Claremorris 1 (att 37) With relegation threatening, this was an important fixture for both teams. It was more of a must-win for Claremorris who were looking to narrow the gap on those, including Ballinrobe, in the places above them. They looked the better side early on, and a goal after half-an-hour gave them a deserved lead to take into the half-time break. In the second period Claremorris were defending their advantage well. They restricted to Ballinrobe to few clear chances, and at times broke forward to good and dangerous effect. With 15 minutes left the home side came agonisingly close to an equaliser, when a curling shot from distance came back off the inside of the post. Just five minutes later they hit the same post again, but this time the ball bounced into the goal rather than out. Both teams went in search of a winner in the time that was left. Ballinrobe, unsurprisingly with momentum behind them, looked more likely to ge...

7pm 22 June 2024 Mayo Super League Ballyheane 4 Kiltimagh Knock United 1 (att 15) This game felt rather low key for a Super League fixture. A clash with a major Gaelic football match, Mayo hosting Derry just a few miles away in Castlebar, may have accounted for the small crowd. Kiltimagh Knock United went into the game in need of points to ease the threat of relegation. They began well, and although Ballyheane played the neater football it was the visitors who went ahead with a well-worked goal midway through the first half. They held their lead, with little trouble, to half time. The home side began the second period in a more determined fashion, and dominated play. It became a game of attack versus defence. Kiltimagh survived a few scares before the relentless pressure finally resulted in a home equaliser. That came with 15 minutes left, and just three minutes later Ballyheane were in front. A third goal followed, as Kiltimagh were caught when trying the play the ball out from the ba...

11am 16 June 2024 Eccles Sunday League Irlam Steel Rangers 3 D & P United 1 (att 28) It's been 23 years since my last visit to the Irlam Steel Recreation Ground. Back then the main pitch was furthest from the pavilion, with a covered area running the full length of the far side. Currently that pitch, with the cover still in place, is unused. The favoured one now is immediately in front of the pavilion and changing rooms. The near side of the pitch is roped off. The Eccles Sunday League, with its summer season, has been a useful source of nearby new grounds in recent years. Or, as was the case today, the opportunity to tick off a different pitch. Irlam Steel Rangers are second in the league, and played some good football to see off D & P United, who take their name from the Dog and Partridge pub in Eccles. They set up the win thanks to two early goals. Their morning would have been simpler had they not conceded a sloppy penalty, scored by the visitors to make it 2-1. It was ...

4pm 9 June 2024 Asian Image Championship, Quarter-Final at Witton Park, Blackburn Preston 2 Blackburn Elite 4 (att 54) Two years ago I watched an enjoyable semi-final in this competition , organised by the Asian Image newspaper for clubs in the north of England. That tie was on 'pitch one' at Blackburn's Witton Park, so I was left with 'pitch two' still to visit. Today's quarter-final day was the perfect opportunity, with matches at 3pm and 5pm on one pitch, and at 4pm and 6pm on the other. I arrived not knowing which kick off times would be on pitch two, but it turned out to be staging the later games. Confusingly, Preston FC (as they're billed by the competition organisers) were wearing AFC Preston shirts. AFC Preston, however, were in the 5pm quarter-final on the other pitch. I can't find any trace of a Preston FC playing regular league football, whereas AFC run several teams, so it's possible they're both affiliated to the same club. There...

11am 9 June 2024 Bradford Summer Cup, Championship, Group A at Seymour Park, Bradford Beldon Sports 3 Oddfellows Arms 3 (att 30) The Bradford Summer Cup provides summer and pre-season matches for local Saturday and Sunday sides, and got underway with fixtures that included a new ground to visit. Seymour Park in Bradford was a late change. This fixture, as well as a second game scheduled at 1pm, were due to be played elsewhere, but it turned out that ground wasn't available. It's a railed-off pitch close to the city centre. The playing surface isn't great, and there's no changing rooms, but from a groundhopping point of view it's a good venue. An elevated path runs around part of the perimeter and, where the view isn't obscured by trees, it provides a good vantage point. Beldon and Oddfellows Arms are both in the third tier of the Bradford Sunday Alliance. Beldon won the league, and so I expected them to kick of their campaign with a win. They should have done so...

7pm 6  June 2024 Catforth and District Summer League, Division Two Wyre Rangers 2 Myerscough JFDC 6 (att 30) With only four teams in each of the Catforth Summer League's two divisions, opportunities to visit the competition's one new venue this year are limited. This was the second of just three scheduled home fixtures for Wyre Rangers, at their Pilling Playing Fields ground. There are several pitches, a new-looking village hall and plenty of parking. There was a good turnout of local supporters, as well as a handful of less-local groundhoppers, to see what turned out to be a straightforward victory for the visitors. They were ahead early, and doubled their lead just before half time. After the break they added a third goal, before Wyre made more of a game of it by pulling one back. The home side's revival didn't last long, and they were soon 4-1 behind. They did score again, but two further goals completed a resounding win for Myerscough, who wore yellow training bibs ...