Steve B the Groundhopper

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...

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 ...