Steve B the Groundhopper

1pm 4 April  2026 Essex Alliance League, Senior Division Fairlop Rovers 2 Haringey Borough reserves 0 (att 5) I don't know why this game was scheduled for 1pm but, with another nearby Essex Alliance League fixture having a similarly unusual kick-off time of 4pm, it allowed for a handy double. Fairlop Rovers have relocated during the season into the Levels Centre of Excellence, also, or formerly, known as the Broadfields Sports Ground. It's accessed directly from the North Circular Road. Since the move most home games have been postponed, and it was easy to see why.  Thankfully drier recent weather meant the pitch was playable, but the surface was very poor and didn't help either team. Unsurprisingly it was a scrappy encounter. Fairlop Rovers, needing points at the wrong end of the table, took an early lead, then doubled it just before half time. After that they were never really in danger. A late red card ended any slim hopes Haringey had of getting back into the match. I u...

11am 3 April  2026 St Piran League, Premier Division East St Mawgan 0 Kilkhampton 1 (att 40) As usual these days the Good Friday fixture list provided limited options for new grounds. I had just two possibles, both in the South West and both morning kick-offs. St Mawgan, close to Newquay, was the furthest of the pair, but news that the club has applied for promotion into step six football moved it up my groundhopping 'to do' list. This defeat was a blow to the club's promotion hopes, as they may need to finish above fellow applicants Torpoint Athletic reserves. It was a sluggish game in which neither side created many clear chances, perhaps not helped by both having also played league games on Wednesday evening. The best moment of quality, a free kick with 12 minutes left, produced the only goal. St Mawgan have been working hard to get their Trevarrian Park up to standard for possible promotion. It's fully enclosed, there's a seated stand, and hard standing extends ...

6.30pm 1 April  2026 Manchester League, Division Two Little Lever Sports Club 0 Heywood St James 4 (att 90) This was pitch-hopping more than groundhopping. I was last at Little Lever Sports club 25 years ago, but they've recently converted their second grass pitch to an artificial surface. As far as I can tell the first team usually still plays on the remaining grass pitch, where I saw them in 2001, unless the weather dictates otherwise. However, the club helpfully confirmed that this early evening kick off would instead be on the adjacent 4G.  The whole ground is much improved since my 2001 visit. A new building behind the goal of the main pitch provides changing rooms, a snack bar, toilets and even some cover for spectators. On a wet night the cover would have been useful, but it was too far from the caged artificial pitch to be of much help. The floodlights were useful though, and were on from the start on a gloomy evening. The pitch has a spectator area in the centre of on...

2pm 28 March  2026 Southern Combination League, Premier Division Guernsey 6 Peacehaven and Telscombe 0 (att 1,553) Some grounds are more challenging to visit than others. Getting to Guernsey isn't difficult, but it is costly and takes some planning to reduce the risk of fixture changes or late postponements. I picked late March hoping that the worst of the winter weather would be over, and that distractions such as the FA Vase or FA Cup wouldn't mean any late rescheduling of matches. Guernsey's Victoria Park only opened a year ago. Unlike its Footes Lane predecessor, which I visited the last time I was on the island in 2011 , it has an artificial surface, which meant the risk of rain was one less thing to worry about. Apart from a brief shower ahead of kick off it was dry on Saturday afternoon, with just a strong and chilly wind to contend with. It rained goals though, and the visitors from Sussex were on the receiving end. Guernsey and Peacehaven are both likely to be in t...

3pm 21 March  2026 Wessex League, Division One Yateley United 1 Hamworthy United 0 (att 127) The weather may have improved but at this stage in the season there's always a risk of postponements for other reasons, as I was reminded when I turned up at my planned second game. From the morning match at St Albans I drove the short distance to Elstree, expecting to see another Arthurian League game, kicking off at 1pm. But when I arrived at the venue there was no sign of Old Haberdashers v Old Chigwellians. It was later shown on the league website as a home walkover. So instead I headed around the M25 to take another step towards completing the full set of the clubs in the National League System (just three more to go but I won't get to them all this season). Yateley United have risen rapidly to reach 'step six' in division one of the Wessex League. They're still in with a chance of promotion, via play offs, and did their hopes no harm with this hard-fought win. The only...

10am 21 March  2026 Arthurian League, Division Two Old Albanians 2 Old Cholmeleians II 2 (att 3) Old Albanians have moved in the two years since I last saw them play at home . They've swapped a school 3G for a grass pitch at the impressive Woollam Playing Fields complex. Rugby is the dominant sport, as the ground is home to Old Albanians RUFC, who play in the fourth tier of rugby union, and is used as a training base by Saracens. But there's also space for association football, including the pitch used by alumni of St Albans School. The visitors, Old Cholmeleians' second team, were playing their final game of the season. Already certain to finish bottom, they had only pride to play for. D espite that they started well, scoring after eight minutes. They doubled their lead after 20 minutes, an excellent goal scored from distance. Old Albanians were creating chances, but were let down by wayward finishing. Eventually, just before half time, the home side got a goal back - dire...