Steve B the Groundhopper

7.45pm 20 October  2026 Northern Counties East League, Division One Immingham Town 2 Athersley Recreation 2 (att 136) This was a big night for football in Immingham. It was the first floodlit game to be played in the town since the original Immingham Town FC went out of business in the mid 1990s. The end of the club coincided with the demise of their Woodlands ground as a football venue. It was a ground I'd not managed to visit, but sometimes in groundhopping patience pays off, and 30 years on it's in use once again. The new incarnation of Immingham Town have been playing senior football, in the Lincolnshire League, for around a decade, firstly at Immingham Sports Complex  and then at Blossom Way . It's taken time to return their spiritual home to use, and they only moved in this season, coinciding with promotion to 'step six' of the National League System. That has meant, amongst other things I'm sure, ensuring the ground is enclosed, floodlit and provides faci...

1.30pm 22 November  2025 Lincolnshire FA Junior Cup, Third Round Scotter United 1 Long Sutton Athletic 2 (att 36) The level of interest in county cups varies across the country, both among the clubs taking part and for me as a groundhopper. Lincolnshire's junior cup is among the better ones, taking in a wide range of clubs who would otherwise rarely, if ever, face each other. The county's geography also means some long and slow journeys. Peterborough League side Long Sutton Athletic hired a coach to transport players and supporters north to Scunthorpe League Scotter United. They'll have enjoyed the journey back home, thanks to an 87th minute goal that gave them a hard-earned place in the last 16. Long Sutton had looked the better side in the opening exchanges, and deservedly took a first half lead. But despite creating chances they failed to extend their advantage, and Scotter got more into the game. By the second half the sides were evenly-matched, and Scotter, top of the ...

6.30pm 1 April  2025 Peterborough and District League, Premier Division Crowland Town 2 FC Peterborough reserves 2 (att 65) After a weekend of watching football in Serbia it was back to more familiar territory for my first early evening midweek game following the clocks going forward. Some groundhoppers call this time of year the 'silly season', as it opens up opportunities to visit local low level games that probably wouldn't on their itinerary for a Saturday afternoon. With few options to choose from I took advantage of a day off work to travel a bit further, and to visit a team possibly closing in on the Peterborough and District League title. Crowland Town are third in the league with games in hand on the sides above them. But they need to win those games and two dropped points at home to FC Peterborough reserves could be a fatal blow to their hopes. They started well enough, going ahead thanks to a penalty after 33 minutes. But the game had been even up to that point, ...