Steve B the Groundhopper

2pm  22 February 2014 Northern Alliance, Premier Division Killingworth Station 3 Seaton Delaval Amateurs 1 (att 25) This wasn't the best planned of my groundhopping trips. I'd been out on Friday night, which coupled with the continuing weather issues in many parts of the country meant I hadn't really settled on where to go even when I stepped out of my front door on Saturday morning. First stop was a Manchester Saturday Morning League game, only to confirm my hunch that the home team did use he same pitch I'd seem a game on a few years ago. Rather than staying to watch a low level game on a ground I'd already "ticked" I headed towards the north east, on the basis that the weather had been better there and I'd find games on. I stopped at a motorway services to check online, and as the club's Twitter feed stated that Killingworth's game was on, and as they'd changed ground, as well as name, since my visit late last season, I headed t...

3pm  15 February 2014 South of Scotland Region Challenge Cup, Third Round Leith Athletic 3 Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale 3 aet, 5-6 on penalties (att 69) Edinburgh might seem an eccentric destination in the middle of a weekend break in Newcastle, but the awful weather in the north east meant finding a game was going to be a challenge, and the better weather further north also ensured a more pleasant afternoon around city centre shops for my other half. It proved to a be a rather longer shopping expedition than either of us had bargained for, as an unexpected late comeback by Leith Athletic, from being two goals down, meant extra time and, ultimately, a penalty shootout that went to sudden death. The tie didn't finish until approaching 6pm. Lothian Thistle had actually been drawn at home in the cup tie, but agreed to switch it to Leith's 3G surface as their own pitch was unlikely to be playable. They looked to be coasting after a goal in each half put them 2-0 ahead,...

2pm  8 February 2014 East Riding Senior Cup, Quarter Final North Cave 1 Hull City 4 (att 82) Officially, at least according to the East Riding County FA website, it's Hull City's first team that enters the Senior Cup, but I doubt Steve Bruce spent too much time worrying about this fixture as he selected his team for today's Premier League game at Sunderland. Hull's under 18 youth team represented the club at a very windy, but thankfully dry, North Cave Playing Field, and had more than enough skill to see off the Humber Premier League side and book a place in the semi finals. North Cave took an early lead, which they held for about half-an-hour, but two goals, the second wind assisted, put the youngsters in front. It was a lead they just about deserved, while North Cave had plenty of possession, it was Hull who created more chances, often being denied by the keeper. The second half was dominated by the visitors, who added two more goals, as North Cave tired, t...

10.15am  8 February 2014 Manchester Saturday Morning League, Division Three East Mancunia United 9 Church Inn 1 (att 11) Two sides who would both fancy their chances of promotion this season, so while the home win was no surprise the scale of East Mancunia's victory certainly was. The home side were ahead early, but it didn't take long for Church Inn to equalise from a penalty. The game's second penalty put United back in front and from there they didn't look back. They added two more goals before half time, and five more in the second. Of the nine, six were scored by one player, Lee Watnough (according to the stats on the league's website). It was only Church Inn's second league defeat of the season, the other by the even more unlikely scoreline of 6-7. Despite the United suffix, and playing in red, East Mancunia play just across the road from Manchester City's stadium, although Manchester United's pre-Old Trafford grounds, now long gone, wer...

4.30pm  1 February 2014 Gwent Amateur Cup, Quarter Final at Lliswerry AFC West of St Julians 0 Blaenavon Blues 5 (att 15) I knew when heading to South Wales that there was the chance of seeing two games, as the 3G pitch at Spytty Park in Newport, regular home of Welsh League Lliswerry, had been booked for this cup tie in case the clubs' grass pitches succumbed to the weather. But Blaenavon's ground passed a morning pitch inspection and so the tie was due to take place there. It was only when checking St Julians' Twitter feed at half time at Cardiff Met that I spotted there had been a late postponement, and the game had been moved to Newport. Just as well it was a synthetic pitch, as I doubt many grass surfaces would have stood up to the deluge that fell during the game. Add some very blustery conditions and you get the sort of late afternoon where the clubs did well to provide any entertainment at all. West of St Julians currently head the Newport and District Le...

2pm  1 February 2014 Welsh League, Division Two Cardiff Metropolitan University 3 AFC Llwydcoed 1 (att 40) My third visit to watch football at the Cyncoed Campus in Cardiff, each time to see the host club on a different pitch and each time with a different name. In 1990 I saw Cardiff Institute of Higher Education on pitch that is now covered by a hockey pitch, then in 2003 I returned to see a renamed UWIC Inter Cardiff on a pitch that, earlier this season, was converted to a rugby venue, while immediately adjacent an enclosed 3G pitch was developed for the football club. It was that ground I went to today, tempted by the synthetic surface's guarantee of a game despite the weather, and with the club now known as Cardiff Metropolitan University AFC. They took an early lead, and the visitors' poor finishing, and good goalkeeping, ensured it was the first half's only goal. The game was played in sunshine, showers and a stiff breeze, but as the conditions worsened in ...