Steve B the Groundhopper

2pm 30 September 2023 Lancashire Amateur League, Division Two Halshaw Moor 3 Radcliffe Town reserves 3 (att 25) This was one of the those very rare Saturdays where I had time to go home for lunch between my morning and afternoon games, even though it turned out this game was kicking off half-an-hour earlier that the league website suggested. Halshaw Moor are playing home games at Kearsley Academy, which is just across the border from Salford into Bolton. It's a typical 3G pitch, with a spectator area running about three-quarters of the length of one touchline. I picked this fixture primarily as I wanted to stay close to home, although it also allowed me to recomplete (as far as I'm aware) all the first team grounds in the Lancashire Amateur League. It proved a good choice though, despite the rain which began at kick off and grew steadily heavier as the match progressed. Two goals in quick succession early in the game gave Radcliffe the advantage, but it seemed unlikely they wou

10.15am 30 September 2023 Manchester Saturday Morning League Fielden Park 3 Withington Hope CF 2 (att 7) Two new venues, or at least a pair previously unvisited by me, have appeared in the Manchester Saturday Morning League this season. This one, at Manchester College's Openshaw Campus, is a bit of a mystery when checking Google Maps. Not only is it so new that it doesn't appear, but there's no obvious place where it could fit. It's actually been built on the site of some now demolished buildings and a former car park, as part of a revamp and upgrade of the college. It's an enclosed and floodlit 3G pitch but, unlike most such grounds, spectators are well catered for. Six steep and wide steps of open terracing line half of one side of the pitch, providing an excellent view and the option to sit. There's also a pair of dugouts, making it an impressive facility. It's a new home for Fielden Park, who were playing at the much more basic Hough End when I visited t

2.30pm 24 September 2023 West Wales Premier League Cwm Wanderers 1 Clydach 4 (att 280) I was still drying out by the time I'd travelled the few miles from Bryn Rovers to Cwm Wanderers. Fortunately, given the state of the pitch and despite some threatening clouds, it stayed dry for the day's second game. Cwm's ground, Parc Afon Twrch, does have a seated stand for spectators. It's a well equipped venue which also has a smart clubhouse, with picnic tables outside, near the entrance. Spectator access is mostly along the same side as the stand, but in a tightly enclosed ground there is also some space behind the far goal and along half of the opposite touchline. Clydach scored the first half's only goal, and there wasn't much between the sides before the visitors doubled their lead about midway through the second period. Five minutes later a deflected free kick kept Cwm in the game, but it proved a false dawn as two more Clydach goals, the second in stoppage time, se

11am 24 September 2023 West Wales Premier League Bryn Rovers 3 West End 1 (att 153) The first of the day's two West Wales Premier League hop matches was played in awful weather at Brynamman, a few miles north of Swansea. The rain began during the first half and didn't let up until close to the end. On top of heavy overnight rain there had been a chance the game might have been postponed, so credit to Bryn Rovers' volunteers for ensuring the pitch remained playable. They were rewarded with three points, after their side came from behind to beat West End. The visitors went ahead after half-an-hour, but Bryn got back level in first half stoppage time. After the break the home side took control. They scored twice and should have had another goal, but a penalty was struck against the crossbar. Bryn Rovers play at Cae Criced. The ground is enclosed ground and has a pair of dugouts on the same side as the changing rooms and car park. Surrounding trees provided limited cover from t

2.30pm 23 September 2023 Pembrokeshire League, Division One Milford United 0 Hakin United 2 (att 250) Having begun the day watching a game in the West Wales Premier League I then headed for a fixture in the league that is, in theory, a feeder league into it. I say 'in theory' as so far no Pembrokeshire League club has been tempted to step up into the current Welsh football pyramid. It's hard to argue with them, as the travelling would be challenging and it's hard to imagine 250 people turning up to watch Milford United playing a team from Swansea or Llanelli. To be fair this was a local derby, and Milford Haven-based Hakin United are one of the strongest clubs in the Pembrokeshire League. They had plenty of support among the crowd, and their fans will have gone home happy thanks to a goal in each half. It wasn't the greatest of games. Having gone ahead after 15 minutes Hakin never looked in danger of surrendering the points. Milford defended well, but genuine threat

11am 23 September 2023 West Wales Premier League Pontarddulais Town 1 Rockspur 6 (att 260) A Saturday morning kick off and a bigger than normal crowd are the clues that this was an organised hop match. It was the first of the day's three staggered West Wales Premier League games, but the only one I'd be watching. Hopefully Pontarddulais Town made the most of it off the pitch, with sales of programmes, raffle tickets and food and drink, as it wasn't a very fruitful morning on the pitch. They were behind from an own goal after just two minutes, and that set the tone for an easy Rockspur win. The visitors had scored three by the time Pontarddulais got their goal, but even then it seemed just a matter of time before visitors got a fourth. That came shortly before half time. Rockspur added two more after the break, their sixth a penalty that looked, from my distant view, a little fortunate. The home goalkeeper, penalised for the foul, complained with sufficient vehemence to be s

3pm 16 September 2023 Gloucestershire County League Bromley Heath United 2 Little Stoke 0 (att 76) A good thing about moving from summer into autumn is that south-west bound journeys on the M5 become more reliable, thanks to the relative absence of holiday traffic. I had a fairly easy journey from Birmingham to Mangotsfield, just north of Bristol and where Bromley Heath United are based. They play at Pomphrey Hill Playing Fields, where cricketers have priority early in the season making this the football club's first home fixture of 2023/24. They'd made a solid start on the road, and kept their unbeaten run going thanks to two late goals. The opener came against the run of play. A goalless draw was beginning to look likely, although it had been Little Stoke who'd seemed the more dangerous in attack. The main pitch at Pomphrey Hill is railed off, with a pair of dugouts on one side and a few advertising boards. The venue's most striking feature is a large two-tier pavilio