Steve B the Groundhopper

10.15am 22 November  2025 Sheffield and District Fair Play League, Division One Railway 0 Hillsborough Pumas 7 (att 12) There was a choice of Fair Play League fixtures at Thomas Rotherham College, but having seen a game on the grass pitch in summer 2023  I was planning to tick off the adjacent 3G. It's currently home to Railway FC, in the league's top division. While they were being well beaten by Hillsborough Pumas, a second tier game, Sheffield International v Kings Athletic, was on the grass pitch. Ahead of this match Pumas had only played twice in the league, winning both. Their other matches so far this season were all cup ties, and also all won. They're a good side. They were ahead early against Railway, but the game remained fairly even for the first half-an-hour or so. Then, in a devastating spell before half time, the visitors scored three more. A fifth followed about five minutes into the second period, and two more completed the rout. Railway weren't bad, the...

11am 28 July 2024 Montagu Cup, Preliminary Round Joker Wickersley Youth CC 7 Balby 1 (att 40) It wasn't until last summer that I had my first taste of the Montagu Cup, although I was late to it as the annual competition has been running since the 1890s. It's open to both Saturday and Sunday sides, but this year the latter dominate the list of entrants. The opening rounds are early and pre-season, on Sunday mornings, while the final is held at Easter and attracts a very large crowd. There were just a few dozen at the Bob Mason Recreation Ground in the Rotherham suburb of Wickersley, but not a bad turn out on a sunny and pleasantly warm morning. Joker Wickersley were apparently formed a few years ago when two local clubs merged. They play in the top division of the Blades Super Draw Sunday League which, without it's sponsored title, is the Sheffield Sunday Sports League. They were much too good for Doncaster Sunday League side Balby, although it took until the second half bef...