Steve B the Groundhopper

2pm 13 October 2024 Hutchings Cup, First Round Bradworthy United 4 Hartland reserves 0 (att 40) I never saw a match in the Kinglsey League, but since its demise a few years ago I've seen several fixtures in its cups. The two cup competitions, the Hutchings Cup and the Pickard Cup, continue as tournaments for local teams. Handily from groundhopping perspective, most ties are played on Sundays. Both these sides are in the third, and lowest, tier of the North Devon League. It was Bradworthy's second game of the weekend, while Hartland's reserves had a break the previous day. The home side, reformed this season after dropping out of senior men's football for a year, got their second cup win in 24 hours. They were the better side, but having scored a first half goal they made hard work of seeing off Hartland. It took them until the 82nd minute to double their lead, and finally end any likelihood of Hartland getting back into the game. With the visitors beaten, the home side

2.30pm 12 October 2024 St Piran League, Premier Division West Perranwell 1 St Just 0 (att 15) I last saw a Perranwell home game pre-blog in 2010, when they played in the village. Apparently the pitch there isn't deemed flat enough to stage top division St Piran League football, so their first team games at now in nearby Carnon Downs. It's a shame they've had to move, and it was noticeable how few people were watching this game compared to my last visit. It's a decent facility though, with a pitch that's railed off and equipped with dugouts and a small seated stand. The stand bears the name of Truro City, as their reserve side played here before the completion of their new stadium. Last season that was in the South West Peninsula League, making this surely the most basic 'step six' ground in the country, with no floodlights, limited hard standing and a trek from the changing rooms to the pitch. It's more the adequate for the St Piran League though, and Pe

3pm 5 October 2024 Hampshire FA, Saturday Trophy, First Round Hayling United 2 Hedge End Rangers 3 (att 29) I’m unsure why Hayling United’s first team have left their ground on the island, which I visted in 2006, to move into a 3G facility in nearby Havant. It’s a standard set-up, seemingly run by the Hampshire FA, with a spectator area along most of one side. Hayling were in the Wessex League back in 2006, but have fallen in the years since, and are now in the lower of the Hampshire Premier League’s two divisions. Having failed to win in the league so far this season I had them as clear underdogs in a county cup tie against higher division Hedge End Rangers. The visitors did indeed win, but they needed a stoppage time goal to manage it. Hayling United had led twice. An overhead kick put them in front quite early, a lead that last until just before half time. Then Hayling went back in front in the opening minute of the second half. Unsurprisingly Hedge End had most of the possession, a

10.30am 5 October 2024 Herts and Borders Churches League St Albans Romans 1 Welwyn St Mary’s 4 (att 8) Being in Hertfordshire for the weekend made this a sensible choice, and worth the effort of overcoming the foibles of the league’s presence on the FA’s Full Time website, which listed the wrong venue and an incorrect kick off time. Like many amateur leagues this is a competition that, sadly, appears to be in decline. When I first watched a game in it, in 2018, it had two divisions. Now it’s down to one, with just six teams. Two of those six are St Albans Romans. The first team remain level on points with their reserves after this defeat at the hands of Welwyn St Mary’s. The visitors made the better start, and it was no surprise when they went ahead after nine minutes. Romans’ keeper made a series of good saves, helped at times by less than clinical finishing, to keep the deficit at 1-0 until well into the second half.  Eventually he was beaten again, about 20 minutes into the half, on

7.45pm 1 October 2024 North West Counties League Cup, First Round Thornton Cleveleys 2 Colne 4 (att 164) New floodlit grounds that are within easy range for an after-work journey are a relative rarity these days, but this season the North West Counties League has provided two. Both had home draws in the first round of the league cup, with ties scheduled for the same night. I was saved from having to choose by Shawbury United's match falling victim to a waterlogged pitch. Thornton Cleveleys won promotion from the West Lancashire League last season, and this was the first time their newly-installed floodlights had been used for a first team game. The whole ground is fairly new, and has been built adjacent to Fleetwood Town's Poolfoot Farm complex, where Thornton played temporarily pending completion of their own facility. That pitch still exists, unlike the three other pitches - at two venues - where I've also seen Thornton Cleveleys play previously. The site first of those,