Steve B the Groundhopper

2.30pm 30 July 2022 Wearside League, Division One South Moor 2 FC Hartlepool 3 (att 100) Whenever possible I like to see some sort of 'first' at the start of the competitive season. From the day's thin English fixture list I picked South Moor's first match in the top division of the Wearside League. It ended in defeat, but I'm sure they'll take plenty of positives from an enjoyable match against a Hartlepool side who finished sixth last season. The visitors were the better side, and they'd had chances before they opened the scoring from a corner after 28 minutes. Any hopes they had of coasting to a win were undone when a goalkeeping error gifted South Moor an equaliser just before half time. It was no more than a temporary setback though, as Hartlepool regained their advantage early in the second period. South Moor thought they'd levelled again soon after, but although the referee initially gave the goal it was ruled out by a handball spotted by his assi

6.45pm 25 July 2022 Heavy Woollen District FA, Summer League at Sands Lane Playing Fields, Dewsbury Savile Arms 3 Savile United 2 (att 30) This is the second year the Dewsbury-centered Heavy Woollen District FA has run a Summer League to help clubs prepare for the forthcoming season. It's open to Saturday and Sunday teams and all matches are at a neutral venue, Sands Lane Playing Fields. There's a trio of pitches that were all staging fixtures. I chose this match, on pitch two, primarily because it was the first to get underway, although I was also intrigued by a clash between similarly-named clubs from Saturday and Sunday football. United, a Saturday team from the Yorkshire Amateur League, had the better of the opening exchanges, but went behind when their keeper was caught off his line and chipped from distance. Savile United deservedly equalised, but conceded again shortly before half time to go into the break 2-1 down. The second half, played in constant rain, was mostly a

1.10pm 23 July 2022 North West Sutherland Amateur League Lochbroom 1 Helmsdale United 2 (att 73) For the second time in just a few weeks I watched as Helmsdale United secured a hard-won three points to remain unbeaten and top of the North West Sutherland League. Last time was at Inver , while today they were at Ullapool-based Lochbroom. Lochbroom have made a welcome return to football, having been in abeyance for a few years before Covid then wiped out local summer football and delayed their return. They used to play on a scenic grass pitch at Morefield, where I went in 2006, but the new incarnation plays on a 3G pitch at Ullapool High School. It's a better venue than it sounds, with a small seated stand built onto the side of the school buildings and overlooking the half-way line. The stand was well used. Helmsdale United hired a coach for the long journey and filled it with supporters as well as players, while Lochbroom had plenty of support of their own. The game was an excellen

7pm 20 July 2022 Lewis and Harris FA, Jock Stein Cup, First Round Stornoway United 1 Back 6 (att 70) I don't normally write blog posts about revisits to grounds, but it's been 28 years since my only previous visit to Goathill Park in Stornoway, which was long before I even knew what a blog was. The ground, shared by Stornoway's two clubs, United and Athletic, has changed little since 1984. The stand looks neater, and the spectator toilets are an addition, but otherwise it looks the same. It is a decent ground though, and wouldn't be out of place in the West of Scotland League. The small stand is to the front of the changing rooms, while to the left of the stand are four steps of uncovered terracing. The rest of the perimeter, around the railed-off pitch, is flat grass standing. United are winless and bottom of the Lewis and Harris FA's nine team league, so were inevitably in for a tough evening against Back. The visitors went ahead in the first couple of minutes, an

3pm 16 July 2022 Scottish Professional Football League Cup, Group G Cove Rangers 1 Livingston 2 (att 797) Cove Rangers' climb from the Highland League to the second tier of the Scottish League has been remarkable, whatever the financial backing that has made it possible. Their Balmoral Stadium has only been open for a few years, and still has the feel of a well-appointed non-league ground rather than the home of an established SPFL club. It'll need more development to keep pace with Cove's on-field progress, Group games in the League Cup - the Premier Sports Cup with its sponsored title -  provide competitive football in what would otherwise be pre-season. It also gave me an opportunity to recomplete the full set of SPFL grounds. It was a lively game, albeit it one that was slow to get going. The two moments of note in the first half were both crucial, a straight red card after 25 minutes for Livingston's Esmael Goncalves, and a well-taken Cove goal in the final minute

12.20pm 10 July 2022 Manchester Summer Cup, Group A at St Anne's Academy, Middleton North Manchester Rovers 2 Sublime Athletic 3 (att 7) For the second time in a fortnight the Manchester Summer Cup provided a new venue to visit, and like last time it was a game featuring Oldham-based Sublime Athletic. Two weeks ago I saw them lose heavily to FC North Manchester, but today they got the better of similarly-named opposition. Both sides had lost their two opening Summer Cup fixtures, and it was easy to see why in a goalless first half that lacked quality as well as goals. Rovers had the best chance to break the deadlock, but their penalty was saved. The second half was much better. A Sublime substitute scored to put his side ahead in the opening minute, a great strike that matched the club's name. But 60 seconds later it was 1-1. Eventually Sublime got their better of their opponents, turning possession into goals and taking a 3-1 lead into the final minutes. North Manchester Rover

2pm 2 July 2022 Pre-season friendly Ware Sports 3 Wormley Rovers 1 (att 20) I've written before that I don't travel far for pre-season friendlies. Ware is about 200 miles from home, but I was there anyway and from a gate at the end of my in-laws' garden it's just a few yards to the Wodson Park Sports Centre. Ware Sports play on a 3G pitch, next to the main ground that's home to Ware FC and an athletics track that encircles a grass pitch once used by now-defunct Wodson Park FC. Apparently Sports plan to move to the grass pitch, once drainage issues are addressed, but for now their home is a standard caged artificial set-up, with a spectator area running the length of one side. It's still early in pre-season, which might account for the sluggish nature of the first half. Wormley had the better of the play, and came closest to scoring when a shot from distance came back off the crossbar. The visitors did take a lead into the break, scoring with the final kick of th