Steve B the Groundhopper

7pm 6 May  2026 Westmorland League, Division Three Penrith Royal 0 Ibis 4 (att 16) As you'd expect there are lovely scenic venues within the Westmorland League's four divisions. Penrith's Frenchfields isn't really one of them, but it is an excellent facility for grassroots football. It's on the edge of town, adjacent to the busy A66, and was built as part of the development that includes Penrith AFC's newish stadium, which opened in 2009. Penrith Royal are one of three Westmorland League clubs who play home games at Frenchfields, along with Calthwaite and Eden Valley. In addition i t also often provides a temporary home for other teams. There are six full size pitches, plus some smaller ones for training and kids' football. All are served by a central pavilion which houses the changing rooms. This game was played on 'pitch one', the first full size pitch you come to as you drive from the entrance towards the pavilion. Kendal-based Ibis began the even...

6.30pm 5 May  2026 Shropshire County League, Premier Division Bridgnorth Spartans 5 Wem Town 0 (att 25) And end-of-season fixture in which the visitors needed points to ease their relegation risk, but once they went behind they never looked like getting them. Bridgnorth Spartans had little to play for, but were the better of the two sides in a fairly even first half. They had a 1-0 lead going into half-time, then took complete control after the break. Wem's young side - wearing borrowed unnumbered shirts due to a kit clash - worked hard but could do little to stop the home side adding more goals.  Spartans scored four in a one-sided second half, two of them penalties. Having previously played at a school, Bridgnorth Spartans have now developed their own ground, appropriately called Spartans Park, which they've turned into a neat venue. It's in the village of Norton, between Bridgnorth and Shifnal. The single pitch is railed off on both sides, there's dugouts, a snack ba...

5pm 4 May  2026 League of Ireland, Premier Division Derry City 1 Galway United 1 (att 4,324) I've twice been to Derry City's Brandywell ground, first in 1995 and then a return two years later. Just along the same road is Celtic Park, the city's GAA (Gaelic Athletic Association) stadium, and currently a temporary home for the club. While the Brandywell pitch is being replaced Derry City are playing a handful of fixtures at Celtic Park. Apparently it's the first time 'soccer' has been played there for 114 years. Like other GAA county grounds, Celtic Park is an impressive venue. A seated stand runs the length of one side, and the opposite side is open terracing. There's more terracing behind the far goal, closed for this game, while the other end has changing rooms and offices. It's a fine venue that's worth the effort of travelling to Northern Ireland. This bank holiday game, with a 5pm kick off making it ideal for a day trip, was the second of five ma...

2.30pm 2 May  2026 North Wales Coast West League, Division One Caernarfon Borough 3 Cefni 2 (att 32) Caernarfon Borough made a welcome return to senior football at the start of this season. However, not unexpectedly for a reformed club, they've found it tough. They went into their penultimate fixture knowing there was no escape from finishing bottom, but by the final whistle they'd at least managed to get just their second win of the campaign. They were aided by Cefni's ill-discipline, as the visitors finished the match with just nine men, although their second red card was in stoppage time. Cefni, with little to play for, scored the first half's only goal, after 15 minutes. At that stage it looked like being a routine away win, but Borough had earlier hit the post and were determined to make a game of it. The turning point was after an hour when the home side were awarded what looked to me like a very soft penalty. The Cefni keeper argued about the decision, and got a ...

6.30pm 29 April  2026 Yorkshire Amateur League, Division Three FC Queensbury 2 Scissett 3 (att 17) Last May I watched as FC Queensbury won away to Scissett to secure the division four title. Both sides were promoted though, and upwardly mobile Scissett have now earned another promotion by winning division three. FC Queensbury have enough games in hand to join them in going up, but this defeat will be a blow to those hopes. The home side got off to the worst possible start. They quickly lost the ball from the kick off and within seconds a Scissett striker was heading towards goal, and coolly taking his chance. The hosts recovered and got back into the game. They equalised, and then went in front five minutes before half time. With better finishing they'd have been further ahead. Queensbury were guilty of wasting more chances after the break, and paid the price when Scissett equalised, after 73 minutes, when the home keeper failed to gather a corner. The momentum was now with the vi...

2pm 25 April  2026 North Riding League, Premier Division Fishburn Park 4 Thirsk Falcons 1 (att 52) It took about an hour to drive from Filey to the outskirts of Whitby and Broomfield Park, home of Fishburn Park. It's an unusual set up. It shares facilities with, but appears separate from, the now-closed Eskdale School. Players change at the school, or at least appeared to, and then have a long walk, past a caged 3G, to the pitch. The ground is enclosed, and on three sides it's surrounded by new housing. The development has given the football club an additional  entrance to a new-looking pitch-side car park. The playing area is railed off along the touchlines, with both ends up against the boundary. There's a pair of dugouts on the far side. This was another fixture with little at stake. In effect it settled which of them would finish ninth and tenth in the 12 team division. From the start it looked as if Fishburn Park were keener on ninth place. They opened the scoring with...