Harrow Borough 2 v 3 Hendon

Monday 28th August 2010
Ryman League Premier Division
Earlsmead, South Harrow
Admission: £9.00
Programme: £2.00
Attendance: 235
Match Rating: 4

The second instalment of my bank holiday action took me to north-west London for another very local derby between Harrow Borough and Hendon. With Hendon sharing Wembley's Vale Farm ground these days, the clubs are separated by only a couple of miles.

Earlsmead is located about a half hour walk from South Harrow underground station, although Northolt Park mainline train station is about half the distance, indeed, one walks past Northolt Park station to get from South Harrow tube station to Earlsmead. The ground has the feel of a very typical old-fashioned Isthmian League ground in London, although that is not to suggest the ground has any character. Facilities are very good for the level though. Along one length there is a seated stand (which costs an additional £2 to enter), the only relatively modern stand present, with small stands covering terrace steps either side. On the opposite side there is a long stand covering terraced steps stretching around two thirds of the length of the pitch. Behind both goals there are uncovered small banks of terracing. The programme was a reasonable effort, with sufficient content to preview the match, although there are certainly considerably better programmes available at this level.

Both teams have had very similar starts to the season, both winning one and losing one of their opening two games, then on Saturday they both teams had good results over the weekend, Harrow winning at Tonbridge and Hendon getting a point from early pacesetters Hastings United. It is hard to imagine anything other than another season of mid-table obscurity for both clubs, though.

On an occasionally sunny but mostly overcast afternoon, Hendon were certainly quick out of the blocks, opening the scoring with just three minutes on the clock when Aaron Morgan nodded in from 8 yards out after a good cross. Hendon went on to completely dominate the first half as the home side barely ventured into the opposition third and were guilty of countless sloppy passes. How Hendon did not add to their one goal was a mystery as half time approached, and they were made to pay when Harrow equalised deep into added on time in the first half through Troy Hewitt.

The game was much more equal in the second half, but it was still something of a surprise when Harrow took the lead on 72 minutes with a powerful header from Dean Marney. A game that became increasingly fractious exploded on 79 minutes when Hendon were awarded a penalty, sparking a mass brawl consisting of almost all of the players and both benches. Despite punches being thrown, only two bookings resulted, which was indicative of how the referee lost control of the game in the second half. Once the fracas finally died down, Lubomir Guentchev showed excellent composure to smash home the penalty. Five minutes from time, Hendon were awarded another penalty, although this one was rightly barely disputed and Guentchev again coolly slotted home the penalty to give Hendon the lead. Harrow had a couple of attacks before the end of the game without really looking like scoring and so Hendon claimed the derby bragging rights which they deserved on the balance of play and chances.

Bedfont Sports 3 v 2 Hayes Gate

Monday 28th August 2010
Combined Counties League Division 1
Bedfont Sports Club, Bedfont
Admission: None
Programme: £2.00
Attendance: 144
Match Rating: 4

Another bank holiday and once again the Combined Counties League is the source for the first in a double bill of games for me today, with all of their games kicking off at 11.30, the only senior league in the south-east to have morning kick-offs this bank holiday. I chose to head to Bedfont Sports, located little more than a stone's throw away from the perimeter fence of Heathrow Airport - indeed, the loud roar of planes taking off and sight of planes in very close view coming into land was a constant feature throughout the match. The closest tube station to Bedfont Sports Ground is Hatton Cross, about 15 minutes walk away, however rather than endure the mind crushing experience of almost a tube journey of almost an hour from central London, I chose to take the train to Feltham, with roughly double the walking distance. The club is loacted adjacent to The Orchard, formerly home of Bedfont FC but now of Bedfont Town (formerly Bedfont Green) and Feltham.

Today's game was free admission, with programmes available at an inflated £2, although all proceeds from programme sales apparently would be given to the junior section of the club. The programme was of a pretty good standard considering the level, containing a good combination of words and stats to inform the visitor about both clubs and their progress so far this season. Unsurprisingly given that Bedfont Sports are relatively new to Senior football - this being only their second season in the Combined Counties League, facilities are pretty basic, with just hard standing all around the pitch, but with a pleasant open terraced area outside the teabar and clubhouse. Seats and benches are also scattered around this length of the pitch. The ground has a scent of one that is well-run and organised, with ambitions to progress and improve facilities at a sensible rate - indeed, plans are in place to construct a stand and to fully enclose the ground.

Bedfont Sports went into this game top of the league, having been unbeaten in their first six games and won three of those, although they did lose their latest game at Chobham. Today's visitors Hayes Gate, who have only been in existence for four years, have made a solid start to their first season in senior football, gaining nine points from their opening five games.

This game proved that even at this lowest level of senior football, one can still watch some highly entertaining football with no little skill on display. Both sides deserve considerable credit for this, considering that there was a strong wind blowing throughout the match. The home side took the lead as early as the three minutes when a ball was pumped forward, the keeper shouted "my ball" - inexplicably, as he was nowhere near the ball and the striker headed the ball easily over the onrushing keeper. This seemed to kick Hayes Gate into life, as they went on to dominate the first half with some wonderful fast flowing football. They equalised on 20 minutes with a strange goal, a free kick was curled fairly weakly into the box along the ground, but defenders and the goalkeeper left clearing the ball to each other, allowing the ball to trickle into the net. They took a deserved lead on the half hour, which they held until half time. That was as good as it got for the visitors, as Bedfont Sports were by far the better side in the second half. On 60 minutes, Bedfont Sports were back on level terms when Luke Craig sent the keeper the wrong way from the penalty spot. They went on claim the three points with a quarter of an hour remaining when an awful backpass was intercepted by Tony Hadley, who poked it past the keeper weakly and the ball just about rolled into the corner of the net before the onrushing defenders could reach it.

Deal Town 2 v 4 Hythe Town

Saturday 28th August 2010
FA Cup Preliminary Round
Charles Sports Ground, Deal
Admission: £6.00
Programme: £1.50
Attendance: 189
Match Rating: 4

My first taste of FA Cup action this season took me to the south-east Kent coast for an all Kent League clash. When contemplating FA Cup matches to watch, I usually try to seek ties betweek clubs from different leagues, finding that this adds an interesting added dimension to a cup tie between clubs not used to playing each other. However there was more than enough about this game to attract me. This would be a local derby, between two teams tipped to be in contention for the Kent League title this season. Finally, Deal is one of those elusive grounds that I have wanted to visit for a long time, but circumstances have always seemed to prevent a visit at the last minute.

As it turned out, I had not been missing out on too much, with the Charles Sports Ground being a very average, unremarkable county league ground in an urban setting. Facilities are reasonable, with one side containing a small, narrow covered standing area directly in front of the clubhouse. A new clubhouse is being built on the opposite side, however completion has been put on hold due to money being pulled from the grant that was funding it. Also on this side is a reasonably sized modern all-seater stand. Behind one of the goals is a small covered area for standing, with hard standing available around the rest of the ground. One attractive feature of the ground is an old-fashioned building housing the changing rooms in one corner of the ground. The ground has a spacious feel about it but could certainly do with a little tidying up, and is situated about a 15 minute walk away from Deal train station. The programme has an attractive hardened cover, but that is about as good as it gets with little interesting to read inside although it did contain plenty of statistics. But the overriding feeling was of an excessive price of £1.50 for a very average programme.

Hythe certainly mean to get promoted this season, strengthening their team significantly over the summer, the highlight being persuading Brendon Cass to trade Ryman League Premier Division football with Folkestone Invicta where he was a first team player for Kent League football at Hythe. Ambitions are probably a lot more humble for Deal, who became the only club from Kent to win the FA Vase in the last final at the old Wembley at the turn of the millennium.However, they have certainly made an excellent start to the season, having won all three of their games so far this season and had yet to concede a goal. Hythe had won two of their opening games, losing the other. Both teams comfortably won their extra preliminary round games to qualify for today's game, Deal dispatching Sandhurst Town 3-0, and Hythe beating Bookham even more convincingly, 4-0.

On a grey, overcast afternoon, the game itself turned out to be the definitive game of two halves - certainly in terms of goals, although for the most part, possession and chances were fairly evenly shared. Deal took the lead on 13 minutes thanks to a well taken goal by Andy Hadden from just outside of the penalty area, who showed tremendous composure and control to rifle home a shot through a crowd of players. Hythe were level on the half hour with an even better goal, when Lee Winfield curled a fabulous free-kick around the wall and just inside the post giving the keeper no chance. Within four minutes Deal went back in front thanks to a close ranger header by Aaron Robinson and so took a narrow but just about deserved lead into half-time. Whatever the Hythe manager said at half time worked to perfection, as Hythe took the game by the scruff of the neck right from the restart. They equalised ten minutes into the second half through Dave Cook, and then took the lead for the first time within a couple of further minutes with another wonderfully skilful goal, Craig Thompson chipping the keeper from a tight angle by the edge of the penalty area.This was slightly harsh on Deal but at this stage the game could have still gone either way, until Hythe opened up a two goal lead with ten minutes remaining through Brendon Cass. This completely deflated Deal and the game was up, and so Hythe proceed to a home tie against Epsom & Ewell in the 1st Qualifying Round.

Storrington 0 v 1 Little Common

Saturday 21st August 2010
Sussex County League Division 2
Recreation Ground, Storrington
Admission with programme: £3.00
Attendance: 53
Match Rating: 3

Another venture to the Sussex South Downs today for this Sussex League Division 2 encounter, with the intention of taking in a pleasant walk to a rural County League ground. However, in the time honoured fashion of the only thing you should rely on with trains is their unreliability, a severe delay to one of the trains on my outward journey meant I had insufficient time to make the four walk from Amberley to Storrington.Therefore, last minute alternative arrangements saw me getting off the train a stop early at Pulborough and catching a bus to Storrington, which conveniently stopped right outside the ground.

The Recreation Ground is just about as basic as it gets in senior football, with no stand nor seating, and hard standing only available along one length and behind one of the goals. However, floodlights are present, and it's a neat and tidy ground, has a pleasant rural, "grass-roots" feel to it, attractively lined with multi-coloured trees, and the bar on the first level of the clubhouse/changing rooms building offers an excellent view of the action. The ground is far from enclosed, which presumably threatens their continued existence in senior football, with at least three unmanned entrances one can walk through without paying any admission, and many present seemed to have done just that. In all honesty, the programme was a rather poor effort, devoid of any information except for predicted line-ups, current league table and adverts, but it would be harsh to criticise too much as the programme is included in the £3 admission, so all in all, fair enough.

Although both teams had good seasons last season - Little Common finishing fourth, just five points shy of champions Rye United, and Storrington finishing seventh in the 18 team league, neither side have exactly set the world on fire at the start of this campaign. Storrington have taken just one win and three points from their opening three games, Little Common have done slightly better with two wins and six points from their opening four games. 

On a grey, drizzly day, Little Common started off the game in the ascendancy, and it was no surprise when they opened the scoring on 17 minutes, when a shot was well saved by the Storrington keeper but he could only push the ball out to Casey Ham, who tucked away the rebound from close range. The game was entertaining throughout with both teams creating plenty of chances. Little Common looked the stronger team and had the best chances although Storrington came into the game more and more as the game wore on. It was certainly something of a surprise that no further goals were added, meaning that Little Common claimed a good away win.

After the game, I then embarked on the four mile walk to Amberley train station, via Parham estate, a deer park, various woods and fields and culminating with the historic small village of Amberley, with the South Downs providing a particularly scenic backdrop throughout.

Jeunesse Esch 0 v 1 FC Etzella Ettelbruck

Sunday 15th August 2010

Luxembourg Division Nationale

Stade de la Frontière, Esch-sur-Alzette

Admission: €7.00

Attendance: 1,000

Match Rating: 2

For the second game of my weekend in Luxembourg, I headed back into the south-west of the country to the second city, Esch-sur-Alzette, to watch the current league champions, Jeunesse Esch. Indeed, Jeunesse are by the far the most successful team in Luxembourg, having won the league 28 times and were recently unlucky to lose by just 0-1 on aggregate to the relative giants from Sweden, AIK Solna. They are also by far the best supported team in Luxembourg, last season having an average attendance of 1373, more than double the next highest average.

As the name “Stade de la Frontière” suggests, there can’t be too many football grounds closer to an international border than this one, being less than a kilometre away from the border with France. As is quite typical in south-west Luxembourg, the area is not particularly pleasant – the town has a rundown, industrial feel to it. The Stade de la Frontiere, which is a 15 minute walk from Esch-sur-Alzette train station, is a reasonable stadium, with an all-seater stand along the length of one side, open terracing with some seats placed on the steps along the other, and with hard standing behind either goal, although there are large advertising boards completely surrounding both goals. A wooded hill in close view from the main stand provides a pleasant backdrop to the ground - a disused factory behind the main stand provides a less pleasant backdrop from the other side.

Jeunesse were certainly hot favourites to win this game, with Etzella Ettelbruck finishing last season firmly in mid-table whilst Esch won the league, although Etzella were the only team to take all three points away from the Stade de la Frontiere last season. On a truly foul day, with constant drizzle varying in intensity and lingering fog around the stadium, conditions were not conducive to a good game of football, and unfortunately so it proved. Jeunesse were desperately disappointing throughout, with their team lacking any cohesion, struggling to complete passes or fashion chances, whereas Etzella looked a strong, organised outfit which was probably a major factor in Jeunesse struggling to find any rhythm. With virtually the last kick of the first half, Etzella opened the scoring with a crisp shot hit home from 18 yards. The second half saw plenty of battling, but Jeunesse never really threatened to find an equaliser, much to the increasing disdain of the home support, and Etzella held out fairly comfortably for a deserved victory. To watch the Etzella players run towards their small pocket of vociferous and passionate support in celebratory waves said everything about what an achievement and how much it meant to them to win at the home of the reigning champions. Indeed, one point from their opening two games is a poor start to the season for Jeunesse, particularly considering their biggest rivals for the title, F91 Dudelange, have picked up the maximum six points.
 

FC Progrès Niedercorn 1 v 2 CS Pétange

Saturday 14th August 2010
Luxembourg Division Nationale
Stade Jos Haupert, Niederkorn
Admission: €7.00
Club Magazine with match insert: Free
Attendance: 420
Match Rating: 2

Having feared that I would only be able to take in one match during my long weekend in Luxembourg, with all but one if not all weekend games in the Division Nationale kicking off at 4pm on Sunday afternoons, however the week before it was announced that this was game was brought forward to the Saturday for television purposes.

Luxembourg is, for the most part, a surprisingly beautiful, rural and enchanting country, however as one makes ones way south west from Luxembourg City, the impression is anything but, as the train makes its way through modern, ugly industrial towns littered with disused factories. Niederkorn itself is an unremarkable, soulless commuter town, and the ground, which is about a 25 minute walk from Niederkorn train station, is located amongst industrial estates, which did not bode well for an attractive football venue. However, once inside the ground, the Stade Jos Haupert did pleasantly surprise, closely lined on three sides with fir trees giving a deceptively rural feel to it. Facilities, even by Luxembourg league standards, are limited, with just one all-seater stand and hard standing around the other three sides of the pitch. Anyone wishing to stand behind a goal would be disappointed when attending a match in Luxembourg, as the norm appears to be for huge advertising hoardings to be positioned high and wide behind and around the goal – ideal to stop any wayward shots, but not so ideal if one’s preferred vantage point is behind a goal. Club magazines were distributed free of charge upon entry, with a one page insert providing brief details of today’s match.

Today’s match was a derby match between clubs separated by a mere 4 kilometres, between two of the also-rans of recent seasons in the Luxembourg Division Nationale. Indeed, CS Pétange’s honours consist of one Luxembourg Cup title in their history, and Progrès Niedercorn have not achieved any honours since 1981. Progrès only avoided a relegation play-off on goal difference last season, with Pétange only four points better off, finishing 9th in the 14 team division. Both teams opened the season with 2-2 draws. Perhaps the most noteworthy aspect of the match was the referee, who has been selected to officiate in the upcoming Italy-Faroe Islands Euro 2012 qualifier.

The game itself was not the most inspiring, almost completely devoid of the expected intensity of a local derby, as much from the spectators as from the players. It was a fairly even affair until Pétange took the lead on 38 minutes with a wonderful goal from fully 25 yards, driven low after given far too much time and space by the Progrès defence. On the stroke of half time, Pétange doubled their lead when a goalmouth scramble ended with a shot scrambled away by the defender, but not before, according to the linesman, the ball had crossed the line. From where I was sitting, not from the best of angles, it did look like the ball had crossed the line, but the lack of protests from the players was quite symbolic of a seemingly apathetic approach to the match. The second half was a rather tepid affair, with Pétange sitting on their comfortable lead and Progrès struggling to string passes together or create chances. They did pull a goal back, but not until the game entered added on time at the end of the game, and so Pétange claimed a thoroughly deserved three points.

Steyning Town 1 v 2 Littlehampton Town

Saturday 7th August 2010
Susses League Division 2
The Shooting Field, Steyning
Admission: £3.00
Programme: £1.00
Attendance: 70
Match Rating: 3

For the opening Saturday of the league season,  I decided to embark on a trip that is only possible, when relying on trains, in the opening and closing months of the season with enough daylight to allow a long walk to and from the ground. Indeed, long walks through the countryside to a rural County League ground is one of the highlights of a season for me. Today I chose to visit The Shooting Field, home of Steyning Town, for which I caught the train to Shoreham-by-Sea, from which most of the six mile walk, which took just under two hours, was along the winding River Arun, a scenic and peaceful walk, and ending by walking through the charming and historic villages of Bramber and Steyning.

It's fair to say that The Shooting Field has the look of a ground that has seen better days, with a generally messy appearance. As one enters the ground, there is a covered stand consisting of individual, movable chairs directly in front of a modern clubhouse, as well as as another small covered area mainly intended for standing but with a few chairs sprinkled around. Next to the main stand, there is a small, enclosed but disused "Vice-Presidents" building. Around the rest of the ground is some hard, but mostly grass, standing. Although the ground is adjacent to housing estates, a backdrop of the South Downs behind the main stand/clubhouse does give the ground a reasonably pleasant rural feel. The programme was a very average affair, with enough reading to keep me interested for about a minute - not the best value I've encountered for a pound, it's fair to say.

That Steyning Town are still in senior football is solely thanks to the ground regulations currently being enforced meaning that performance on the pitch last season was of secondary importance in terms of promotion and relegation. Apparently, should various ground improvements not materialise within the next couple of months, then relegation will loom. I know I am not alone in being baffled why clubs at this level, with crowds very rarely coming close to 100, have to meet so many excessive ground requirements. Last season Steyning finished second from bottom, with just four wins from their 34 games played, with Littlehampton finishing more comfortably in mid-table.

As for the game itself, this was very much a game of two halves, with Steyning having most of the possession and chances and deservedly going ahead on 40 minutes with a well judged header by Craig Walsh from a corner. From this point on, the game completely transformed, as Littlehampton had a shot cleared off the line within moments of falling behind, and in the second half, they were by far the stronger side. They were back on level terms within five minutes of the restart with a cool low driven shot from Gary Young, and claimed the deserved win when Jason Jarvis clipped the ball past the on-rushing Steyning goalkeeper. As the second-half wore on with the previously patchy showers becoming heavy constant rain, Littlehampton had some wonderful chances to increase their lead (although Steyning also had a couple of half chances), but the scoreline remained 1-2. As I embarked on the long walk back to Shoreham, I reflected on a very good game - not the most entertaining I have witnessed, but was played in a very competitive but fair spirit, with no bad fouls and credit to the officials who controlled the game excellently.