Steve B the Groundhopper

2.07pm 23 August  2026 Beckett League, Keith Sales Memorial Trophy, Division One Final Thornton Dale 3 Heslerton 2 (att 170) The Keith Sales Memorial Trophy is a sort of Community Shield-style curtain raiser to the Beckett League season. In fact there are two trophy finals, and both were at Thornton Dale. The division two final, Slingsby United v Heslerton development, kicked off at midday ahead of the division one game, in which the hosts played Heslerton's first team in what was, for me at least, the main event. I've no idea how the competing teams were chosen. Thornton Dale and Heslerton finished fourth and sixth in last season's nine team division, and as far as I can tell neither won a cup. It's also curious for a Saturday league to play these matches on a Sunday, although of course that suited me. Kick off was scheduled for either 2pm, 2.10pm or 'approx 2pm' depending where you looked. The game actually got underway at 2.07, and was a lively affair played ...

2pm 22 August  2026 Sheffield and Hallamshire County Senior League, Premier Division Swinton Athletic 1 Stocksbridge Park Steels reserves 5 (att 40) I'd wanted to visit Swinton Athletic's ground for a while, but despite being among my nearest unticked venues at this level I'd somehow not got around to it until now. It's definitely one of the hidden gems that exist below the national league system, and probably only needs floodlights and some hard standing for spectators to be ready for a place at 'step six'. It's fully enclosed, the pitch is railed off and there's a good-sized seated stand. Although the surrounds are grass, some of it is steeply banked which allows for a good elevated view. On the pitch, Swinton Athletic may still be some way off a step up, at least on the evidence of this game. Of course it's unfair to judge a team on one match, but Stocksbridge's young reserve team had a comfortable afternoon. Good finishing, and one unfortunat...

6.30pm 21 August  2026 Shropshire County League, Premier Division Shrewsbury Up and Comers 1 Ercall Rangers 1 (att 95) Shrewsbury Up and Comers share their ground with a cricket club, hence the need for some early season home games to be moved from a Saturday afternoon to a Friday evening. It's handy from a groundhopping perspective, even if traffic problems meant a frustratingly slow Friday afternoon drive from Manchester to Shrewsbury. Luckily I set off early enough to still arrive in good time. The ground is close to the centre of town, and was busy on a sunny summer evening, helped no doubt by the pleasant Salop Unison Club serving as a clubhouse. My pre-match pint, once I'd been singed in as a guest, was welcome after the journey. Shrewsbury Up and Comers have been in existence more than 50 years, and as their name suggests they a club that concentrates on youth football. Their senior team though is now well established in the Shropshire County League. There wasn't muc...

6.30pm 19 August  2026 Yorkshire Amateur League, Supreme Division Berry Brow 5 Greetland 1 (att 80) Champions Berry Brow had made an indifferent start to the defence of their Yorkshire Amateur League title, with one win and one defeat, but they cruised to three points against Greetland. Their evening was made easier by the visitors having a player sent off in the first half for denying a goalscoring opportunity. That incident resulted in a penalty that was converted for Berry Brow's opening goal. We had to wait until the second half for more goals, when Berry Brow put the outcome beyond any doubt by scoring three in quick succession. With 10 men it was a hard second half for Greetland, but they kept battling and were rewarded with a late goal, before the home side got an even later one to kick start their title defence. I last saw Berry Brow as a Huddersfield and District League side in 2019 , when they played on the village recreation ground. This season they've relocated to s...

6.45pm 18 August  2026 West Lancashire League, Division Two Trawden Celtic 3 Mill Hill 0 (att 160) It's 14 years since I visited Trawden Recreation Ground and watched as Trawden Celtic drew a Craven League game against Rolls. The club has had something of a transformation since then. That September evening I counted just 13 spectators. This evening, at Celtic's new home in nearby Nelson, there were too many to count accurately, although my estimate was around 160. This is Trawden's debut season in the West Lancashire League and this win, against previously unbeaten Mill Hill, kept their perfect start intact with six wins from six games. Mill Hill put the hosts under plenty of pressure, especially early on, but lacked the cutting edge to score. Trawden Celtic took their chances, clinical finishing helping them to two first half goals. It took until the game's final kick for the home side to score their third, but the contest had been over long before that. Trawden Celti...

11am 16 August  2026 Montagu Cup, Quarter-Final Wickersley CC 3 Whiston 1 (att 70) This season's Montagu Cup has reached the quarter-final stage, and I travelled to the Rotherham suburb of Wickersley to see if the holders could continue their quest to regain the trophy. From a groundhopping perspective it was also a chance to 'tidy up' a previous visit to the Bob Mason Recreation Ground. In 2024 the hosts, then under the name Joker Wickersley, played on an open pitch close to the entrance.  Now they've moved to the venue's railed off pitch. The Montagu Cup tie was one of two games on the ground today, and neither was on the pitch used two years ago. Although Wickersley and Whiston are local rivals, the teams play in different leagues. Wickersley are in the Sheffield-based Blades Super Draw Sunday Sports League, while Whiston play in Rotherham and District Sunday league. I thought the home side would be favourites, and they proved me right by winning comfortably if u...