Steve B the Groundhopper

1pm 27 July  2025 Burnley Summer League Globe FC 4 Pendle United 0 (att 20) Back in June I visited Mount Carmel High School in Accrington for a Burnley Summer Cup fixture, only to find the action moved away from a waterlogged main pitch. Since then I'd been determined to return and 'tidy up' that visit for a game on the proper pitch. Globe have two sides in the Burnley Summer League. As far as I can tell, Globe FC is the 'first team' whereas FC Globe are their second eleven. Both play winter league football in the Burnley and District Sunday League, and stage home games at Mount Carmel. The main football pitch takes up most of the school playing field. In a corner near the entrance is a hut that, with its stock of sweets and canned drinks, may double as the school tuck shop. There's some picnic tables nearby. When I saw Globe here in June they scored 14 against a hapless Hyndburn. Today's game was much more competitive, with the slightly flattering 4-0 win ...

2pm 26 July  2025 Cheshire League, League Two Tytherington 0 Moore United 2 (att 30) Having covered a lot of miles in recent weeks, and with the only other new grounds hosting competitive football being in Scotland or South Wales, I opted for an easy afternoon to recomplete the Cheshire League. Newcomers Tytherington have stepped up from the Crewe and District League, and were hosting Warrington-based Moore United to kick off their campaign. Unfortunately for the home side they're still waiting for their first point. A penalty after 15 minutes, and a second goal soon after half time, gave Moore United a deserved and largely trouble-free win.  Tytherington put in a lot of effort but rarely threatened to score. It took a while to clarify the venue for this game. Tytherington, a suburb of Macclesfield, are based at Rugby Drive Playing Fields, and as far as I know played there least season. But first team games, for now are least, are instead at Priory Park, home to Macclesfield's...

7.45pm 22 July  2025 Pre-season friendly Stourbridge 0 Shifnal Town 2 (att 228) From Manchester to the West Midlands is further than I'd ordinarily travel for a pre-season friendly, but Stourbridge are warming up for their Southern League season by hosting games at an unusual venue. With vital safety work going on at their own ground, which I visited way back in 1989, they've borrowed Stoughton Park, home of the town's rugby union club. It's a good venue, with a large seated stand on the far side and, on the near side, a two-tier clubhouse with a first floor covered viewing area. There are rows of uncovered seats in front of the clubhouse, and grass banking at both ends. The playing surface is artificial, making it easier to host football as well as rugby I guess. The only downside is the football pitch markings were hard to make out, but it's hardly surprising that rugby markings should be most prominent. It's hard to read much into pre-season games. Shifnal pl...

1pm 20 July  2025 Burnley Summer League Dewhurst 1 Pendle United 5 (att 10) Back when it was just plain Prairie Playing Fields I saw games on various grass pitches, including several in an earlier incarnation of a Burnley Summer League. One of those grass pitches is now broadly covered by one of two 3Gs, and the whole site has had an impressive makeover to become Prairie Sports Village. Reliable fixtures for the current Burnley Summer League aren't easy to find, but as the information I had suggested that both pitches would be in use I thought it'd be a good chance to 'tick' the other 3G. It's probably the lesser of the two as, unlike the other one, there's no barriered spectator area and no dugouts. But on a day of torrential rain showers the artificial surface at least meant no problems getting the game completed. Both these sides play in the Burnley and District Sunday League over the winter, and both use Prairie as their home ground. Although keeping up to d...

2.30pm 19 July  2025 Brynawel Summer Cup Brynawel 1 Talycopa 0 (att 130) I stayed in South Wales after Friday night's visit to AFC Llwydcoed, but that game being brought forward a day left me with no options for a truly competitive game, on a new ground, for the Saturday. From very few options I settled on a match in the Brynawel Summer Cup. It's a four-team round robin tournament with all the games played at Brynawel's Halfway Park ground in the Winch Wen area of Swansea. With a title, and presumably also a trophy, at stake it's a better option than watching two sides play a training game. There was certainly a competitive edge between local rivals who both play in the Swansea Senior League. Brynawel play in the higher division so I expected them to beat Talycopa. But pre-season football can be hard to predict and, although the hosts won, they made hard work of it. The only goal came three minutes into the second half. Talycopa were never out of the game, but their cau...

7pm 18 July  2025 Ardal League, South West AFC Llwydcoed 3 Cardiff Corinthians 0 (att 324) It's been more than two years since AFC Llwydcoed last played a competitive fixture in their own village, but with extensive work on the Welfare Ground complete they're making a welcome return this season. The previously steeply sloping pitch has been levelled, a pair of seated stands have been installed, and it looks as it floodlights will be added soon. The warm weather will have helped, but it was still good to see a decent crowd to watch their opening league fixture. There were far more than when I watched them at their temporary home in Aberdare in 2023. And the AFC Llwydcoed supporters will have enjoyed what was an encouraging start to the season. Two first half goals put the home side in control, and after the break a third put the outcome beyond doubt. Cardiff Corinthians pressed hard to get back into the game, even at 3-0 down, but were unable to score. The Llwydcoed keeper made ...

7pm 15 July  2025 Island Games, Group C Ynys Mon 2  Bermuda U23 2 (att 200) at Stromness Academy The final round of group fixtures in the Island Games football were timed to be played simultaneously, with the men's matches all kicking off at 7pm. That allowed time to enjoy a bit more of Orkney, as well as watching some of the athletics at the Pickaquoy Sports Centre in Kirkwall, a ground I've been to twice before for football. I've also been to Stromness for football previously, seeing  a match at the Market Green pitch , home to Stromness Athletic, in 2016. Athletic occasionally use Stromness Academy, most likely the 3G pitch which is adjacent to the grass pitch that's been used for the Island Games. Like all the games venues the playing surface, roped off for the occasion, was in excellent condition. It was by chance that I ended up watching Ynys Mon for the second time in 24 hours. As both they and Bermuda (who field their under 23 side in the games) had beaten th...