Steve B the Groundhopper

2pm 22  February 2025 Somerset County League, Premier Division Stockwood Wanderers 1 Watchet Town 3 (att 35) Having stayed overnight in Worcester I was planning to head deeper into the South West, but a slew of Friday evening postponements in the Exeter area forced a rethink. Bristol offered several options including, importantly for me, a couple of back-up fixtures on artificial pitches. It was also a good place for my other half to spend an afternoon while I was at a game. Luckily my target match was on so, via a city centre drop off, I arrived at the Blueprint Stadium in Stockwood Lane. Stockwood Wanderers completed a full set of the three adjoining grounds, having been to neighbouring  Bristol Telephones in 2018  and Cutters Friday pre-blog in 2007. The game was slow to get going, although we almost had a remarkable goal in the opening moments, when a Stockwood shot from distance came back off the post. That was as close as either side came to scoring in the opening h...

7.45pm 21  February 2025 Herefordshire League, Premier Division AFC Kempsey 3 New Dales Vale 2 (att 135) AFC Kempsey have made a mid-season move from a home ground in the village to an artificial pitch at the University of Worcester's St John's Campus. It's not an interesting venue, just a typical 3G with a spectator area running the length of one side. However, it does allow the club to play home games on Friday nights, which is useful from my groundhopping perspective. It also gave me an opportunity to return to a city where I lived for several years. The walk to the ground from my hotel even took me past the office were I used to work. These days it's part of the university. Such was the heavy rain ahead of kick off the game probably wouldn't have survived had the surface been grass. Another reason to be thankful for artificial pitches. The conditions eased by the time the match got underway. AFC Kempsey had a good start, attacking from the off and taking a fifth...

2pm 19 February 2025 BUCS South Eastern 1A Reading University 0 University of Surrey 1 (att 14) Having concluded our short stay in Oxfordshire, a detour before the journey home allowed me to take in a midweek afternoon BUCS (British Universities and Colleges Sport) fixture. Reading play home games at Bulmershe, a large playing field with five grass pitches and a modern pavilion. Signage suggests that, as well as the university, it's also home to Woodley United, although their first team currently plays elsewhere. This game was played on the pitch in front of the pavilion. Reading's second team were at home on an adjacent pitch, while in the distance a women's fixture was taking place. Having not seen a goalless draw since last season I thought that run, stretching back more than 100 games, was going to end. After a chance apiece in the opening minutes Reading and Surrey then rarely looked like scoring. Eventually, with 10 minutes left, a quality cross and volleyed finish wo...

2pm 15 February 2025 Oxfordshire Senior League, Premier Division Saxton Rovers 4 Bicester Town Colts 1 (att 16) We're staying in Oxfordshire for a few days so a nearby game was on the agenda. I chose this one partly because there was a nearby backup fixture on a 3G pitch but, although the Caldecott Recreation Ground in Abingdon was muddy, it was also playable. I wouldn't have fancied washing the players' kits though, after a competitive and entertaining 90 minutes in which the home side came out comfortably on top. Saxton Rovers didn't have it all their own way. Although they took an early lead they quickly conceded and at that point Bicester Town Colts looked the better side. It was only when Saxton regained the advantage that they began to have the edge. And it took a third home goal, just before half time, to effectively end Bicester's resistance. The home side were well on top for the second half, yet managed just one more goal. That came with around 15 minutes ...

2pm 8 February 2025 West of Scotland League, Division Four BSC Glasgow 1 Carluke Rovers 5 (att 25) BSC Glasgow have a complex backstory. The original BSC (Broomhill Sports Club) reached the Scottish Lowland League before splitting with the umbrella club and continuing as a separate entity now called Broomhill FC. Meanwhile a new BSC Glasgow joined the bottom rung of the Scotland's football pyramid. They're currently at the very bottom, last in the West of Scotland League's fifth tier. Their only league points this season came in a win back in August. Carluke's comfortable victory was therefore no surprise, but BSC put up a decent effort, particularly in the first half. It didn't take Carluke long to go in front, but they made hard work of the opening half and allowed BSC to equalise. It took until just before the break before they regained the lead. The visitors were better in the second period, but it was only in the final 20 minutes that they pulled clear of BSC w...

11.15am 8 February 2025 Saturday Morning Amateur League, Premier Division Uddingston 1 Blackthorn Rovers 1 (att 12) My attempt to watch an Uddingston home game earlier this season was thwarted by the non-appearance of the referee, but fortunately I had more luck this time. It wasn't an entirely smooth start though, with kick off delayed by 15 minutes to allow a preceding youth match to be settled by a lengthy penalty shootout. Eventually the youngsters made way and what followed was a tight game between two evenly-matched sides. From the league table I'd expected Uddingston to win but, although they started brightly, a defensive lapse allowed Blackthorn to take the lead with the first half's only goal. It took a second half penalty for Uddingston to equalise. The home side did most of the attacking while the visitors were dangerous on the break. In truth though there were few clear chances for either side. A draw was a fair outcome. Teams' home venues can be fluid in th...

3pm 1 February 2025 West Wales Intermediate Cup, Fourth Round St Joseph's (Swansea) 6 Pontlliw 1 (att 100) Having had to change my plans earlier in the day this game, with its 3pm kick off time, was my only option to ensure visits to two new grounds. St Joseph's are currently playing home games on a floodlit 3G pitch at Underhill Park, in the Mumbles area of Swansea. Traditionally it's the home of Mumbles Rangers but they're currently playing a couple of miles away at Swansea University. Like my Friday evening game at Rockspur, this is another venue where spectators have to watch the action from the behind fences that enclose the pitch. As the 3G has only recently been installed it's surprising that a spectator area wasn't included. St Joseph's are going well in the West Wales Premier League while Pontlliw top the Carmarthenshire League, one level lower. It was a decent effort by the visitors, but they were no match for their hosts. The home side scored th...