Steve B the Groundhopper

3pm 27 December  2025 Isthmian League, North Division Cambridge City 3 Takeley 1 (att 882) Finding new grounds to visit over Christmas is a challenge, especially when combined with other commitments. I got lucky that Cambridge City had a home fixture on a day when it meant just the slightest of detours on a journey I'd be making anyway. This is only City's second second season at their new ground, named after sponsors FWD-IP and located outside Cambridge in the village of Sawston. For a newly-built non-league stadium it is impressive, and already looks suitable should the club climb the leagues. Cambridge city certainly have potential. Festive fixtures often produce higher than usual attendances but close to 900, against a side who brought few fans with them, shows they don't lack support. The ground's main feature is a large seated stand. It's still a work in progress, with portable buildings providing facilities that will, I assume, eventually be housed within it,...

2pm 20 December  2025 Leicestershire Senior League, Premier Division Sileby Town 4 Ellistown 0 (att 40) I still think of Sileby Town as having a 'new' ground, but it's now about a decade since they left Sileby Memorial Park, where I saw them play in 1995, for their current home. Sileby Sports Club is a good set up and probably only needs floodlights, and perhaps a few cosmetic touches, to be suitable for promotion into the semi-professional ranks of the National League System. The main pitch is enclosed and has both a seated stand and a small covered standing area. Dugouts are on the far side, and hard standing surrounds about two-thirds of the perimeter. A nice clubhouse, staffed by friendly volunteers, is just outside the entrance. Whether the club has a desire to step up I don't know, but they kept themselves firmly in the top half of the table with a comfortable win against bottom side Ellistown. Sileby scored twice in each half, their final goal a penalty. With bet...

10.30am 20 December  2025 Sheffield and District Fair Play League, Division Two Swallownest Bethesda 6 Sheffield International 3 (att 6) One of those mornings when I needed a plan B. I had hoped to see a cup tie at Steel City Dons, but when I arrived at where I expected it to be played the car park was locked and there was no sign of anything happening. Instead I drove another 20 minutes or so to Aston, on the outskirts of Sheffield, where I was pleased to find nets up and two teams preparing for action at the Lodge Lane Recreation Ground. The home side got off to the best possible start with a goal in the opening minute, quickly followed by a second. Sheffield International recovered, to a degree, but two more Swallownest goals before half time put the game out of their reach. The hosts' finishing was the biggest difference between the teams. They extended their lead to 6-0 during the second period, before a late rally by the visitors. International pulled a goal back six minutes ...

2pm 13 December  2025 Essex Olympian League, Premier Division Herongate Athletic 1 Harold Hill 1 (att 38) Despite extra time at my morning match I was still at Herongate, a village close to Brentwood in Essex, in good time for my second game. It wasn't a day to arrive late, as Harold Hill were awarded a penalty inside two minutes. They converted it, for a lead that they held almost until half time. Herongate's equaliser was the last meaningful kick of the first half, and came just minutes after a player from each side had been sent off, following separate incidents. The second half was keenly contested, but lacked quality as well as goals. A tricky playing surface didn't help. Harold Hill remain winless at the foot of the league, but have drawn five of their 15 matches. Herongate's ground features a main pitch that's fully railed off, a pair of dugouts and a welcoming clubhouse. An unusual high fence, on the far side and at one end, stops stray balls from disappeari...

10.30am 13 December  2025 Arthur Dunn Cup, Second Round Old Foresters 1 Old Reptonians 2 aet (att 42) Walthamstow-based Forest School had an important role in the creation of association football and is, at least according to Wikipedia, the only school team to have played in the FA Cup. They took part in the 1870s, and twice competed alongside the school's old boys team, Old Foresters. Like many public school alumni clubs from that era, Old Foresters these days compete in the Arthurian League and the Arthur Dunn Cup. Fixtures in the latter are usually played at the school grounds, and as Foresters play league matches elsewhere this was a rare chance to see a senior game at The Park, Forest School's playing field. It meant an early start to reach north east London in time for a morning kick off, and to secure one of the few parking places and then navigate a lengthy and muddy walk to the pitch. With Foresters top of the Arthurian League's second tier, and Reptonians in the l...

2pm 6 December  2025 Wearside League, Alan Hood Charity Cup, Semi-Final Barnard Castle 4 Seaton Carew 1 (att 34) Based on the league table this will go down as a cup upset, as mid-table Barnard Castle booked their place in a cup final at the expense of a Seaton Carew side who are second in the league. There was little sign of such a comprehensive home win at half time. The opening period was closely contested but goalless. The visitors, unsurprisingly, had looked just the better side. But in the second half the tie swung decisively in Barnard Castle's favour. They scored twice, and although Seaton Carew pulled a goal back it wasn't long before the home side added a third. Their fourth goal, in stoppage time, rounded off a deserved win. I was last in Barnard Castle 22 years ago, when Barnard Castle Glaxo had a team in the Wearside League. The town's current club play elsewhere, at a neat venue that features a railed off pitch that's equipped with dugouts and has plenty o...

10.30am 6 December  2025 North East Christian Fellowship League Stockton Athletic Church 2 St John's Church Snods Edge 2 (att 1) After paying close attention the weather forecasts as the weekend approached I settled on a trip to the North East, in the hope of avoiding the worst of the rain and the bulk of the postponements. I expected to begin my day at Middlesbrough College's artificial pitch where, according to the league website, this game was due to be played. But on arrival there was no sign of a match taking place. Instead I headed to the Northfield School and Sports College, in nearby Billingham, which is apparently Stockton's 'regular' home venue. Sure enough the league website was wrong and fixture was taking place here, on the most distant grass pitch from the car park. To be fair, football at this level is all about the players so as long as they, and the referee, know where it's being played then that's all that really matters.  Stockton are stru...