Steve B the Groundhopper

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...

10.30am 20 January  2024 Arthurian League, Division Two Old Albanians 2 Old Aldenhamians 1 (att 6) It's been a while since I last watched an Arthurian League fixture. The regular mix of morning and lunchtime kick offs are handy for extra games, and grounds, on Saturdays. The early start needed to get to St Albans in time for this third tier match was rewarded with an entertaining game. And on a day when grass pitches were vulnerable to frost, the 3G surface at Beaumont School was reliable. It's a good set up, with a pair of dugouts on the far side and a spectator area on the near side. The only annoyance was a cable across the pitch, used to divide it for small-sided games, which interrupted the action whenever it was hit by the ball. All the goals were in the second half. The home side's opener was well taken about 10 minutes after the break. Their decisive second goal, into the top corner from distance and an angle, was either sublime skill or outrageous fortune. Aldenham...