10.30am 7 February 2020
Army FA, Massey Trophy, Division Two
Royal Artillery 6 Intelligence Corps 1 (att 22)
The Massey Trophy is the Army's two-division league for corps. Fixtures are played at a mix of venues, some open to the public and some behind the barbed wire fences that enclose military camps.
Shrapnel Park is among the latter but having contacted the football club in advance, via its active Twitter account, I was allowed into the Royal Artillery headquarters at Larkhill, on the edge of Salisbury Plain.
After my ID was checked at the entrance gate, and being photographed and issued with a temporary access pass, I was escorted from the guardroom to the pitch, a short drive away. An advantage of a football pitch in a secure area is that its use is restricted, and so the surface was immaculate despite recent weather.
Royal Artillery FC - the Gunners as they're unsurprisingly known - went into the fixture top of division two, and kept on course for a title and promotion with a comfortable win against Bedfordshire-base Intelligence Corps.
The first half was tight though. The home side's opener was cancelled out by an away goal barely two minutes later, and it took a penalty to restore the Gunners' advantage.
The second half was a different matter, as the Royal Artillery found their range and outgunned their opponents. Two goals early in the half put the game out of reach and two more, including a second spot kick, settled the outcome. The crossbar twice saved Intelligence Corps from a bigger defeat.
For obvious reasons Shrapnel Park isn't designed with spectators in mind, but it's a decent football ground. Both touchlines are railed off, with dugouts on one side and some grass banking to provide an elevated view.
I've watched forces football occasionally over the years, and the standard is high. Getting into Shrapnel Park for a game took a bit of organising, and a 10.30am kick off in Wiltshire is a challenge to a Manchester-based groundhopper, but everyone I met, from the guardroom to the football coaching staff, were very friendly. It was well worth the effort.
Army FA, Massey Trophy, Division Two
Royal Artillery 6 Intelligence Corps 1 (att 22)
The Massey Trophy is the Army's two-division league for corps. Fixtures are played at a mix of venues, some open to the public and some behind the barbed wire fences that enclose military camps.
Shrapnel Park is among the latter but having contacted the football club in advance, via its active Twitter account, I was allowed into the Royal Artillery headquarters at Larkhill, on the edge of Salisbury Plain.
After my ID was checked at the entrance gate, and being photographed and issued with a temporary access pass, I was escorted from the guardroom to the pitch, a short drive away. An advantage of a football pitch in a secure area is that its use is restricted, and so the surface was immaculate despite recent weather.
Royal Artillery FC - the Gunners as they're unsurprisingly known - went into the fixture top of division two, and kept on course for a title and promotion with a comfortable win against Bedfordshire-base Intelligence Corps.
The first half was tight though. The home side's opener was cancelled out by an away goal barely two minutes later, and it took a penalty to restore the Gunners' advantage.
The second half was a different matter, as the Royal Artillery found their range and outgunned their opponents. Two goals early in the half put the game out of reach and two more, including a second spot kick, settled the outcome. The crossbar twice saved Intelligence Corps from a bigger defeat.
For obvious reasons Shrapnel Park isn't designed with spectators in mind, but it's a decent football ground. Both touchlines are railed off, with dugouts on one side and some grass banking to provide an elevated view.
I've watched forces football occasionally over the years, and the standard is high. Getting into Shrapnel Park for a game took a bit of organising, and a 10.30am kick off in Wiltshire is a challenge to a Manchester-based groundhopper, but everyone I met, from the guardroom to the football coaching staff, were very friendly. It was well worth the effort.
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