Surrey 2 v 3 Chagos Islands

Sunday 28th April 2019
Friendly
Moatside, Merstham
Admission : £5.00
Programme: £2.00
Attendance: 100 (estimate)

I decided to take in a rare (for me) Sunday game today, intrigued by this rather quirky "international" fixture, having very much got the taste for "Non-FIFA" international football at the ConIFA World Cup in London last summer. It would also be an opportunity to visit at a ground that I had not visited for over ten years, when it hosted Step 5 Combined Counties League football.

This match was staged at Moatside, the home ground of established Isthmian League Premier Division outfit Merstham, and is located in the east side of the village, about a ten minute walk from Merstham train station, although today I decided to drive, with plenty of on-street parking available close to the ground. Spectators pass around the clubhouse, and through a gated gap in a hedge, before paying admission at one of a couple of kiosks, entering in one corner of the ground. Just inside the entrance, there is a wooden hut serving as the club shop, but unsurprisingly this was not open today. Along the length closest to the entrance, there is an attractive looking brick building containing a boardroom, the changing rooms, and toilets. Straddling the half way line is a modern metallic all-seater stand, and behind this there refreshment kiosks. Behind the goal closest to the entrance there is cover of a flat standing area, along the remaining length there is just hard standing, whilst behind the remaining end, there is mainly hard standing, but with a small all-seater stand towards one corner, and next to it a portakabin usually offering refreshments, and also an area for changing rooms for youth teams. The ground has a nice, green, leafy setting, with the Surrey Hills just about visible in the background. The 32 page programme was very good, packed with plenty of background to the Surrey International Football team, good information about the Chagos Islands team and of international football outside of FIFA generally, and some relevant stats and facts for both teams.

Formed in 2014, progress to actually playing games has proved a rather stop-start affair for Surrey, and today would be only their third ever match, following a 3-1 victory against Barawa in May 2018 at Fisher's home ground, and a 6-0 away defeat against an Army XI last month. Drawing their players mainly from Combined Counties League clubs, there is little if no prospect of the "Surrey International Football" being able to join ConIFA as Yorkshire and Kernow (Cornwall) have done, and so will presumably need to satisfy themselves with occasional friendly games against ConIFA outfits, such as the Chagos Islands. With a current ConIFA ranking of 36th out of 40 representative teams, Chagos Islands are one of the weaker outfits within the organisation, and have lost their last six fixtures since their last victory, against Barawa in August 2016, and although they did not qualify for the ConIFA World Cup held in London last June, they were invited to play two friendlies in place of the expelled Ellan Vannin (Isle of Man), losing 0-1 against Matabeleland, and then 1-6 to Tuvalu, a game that I watched at Bedfont Sports' ground - the last game that the Chagos Islands have played before today.

A surprising feature of this game was that no linesmen were used. It proved to be a very closely matched game, but one that the Chagossians always had the edge in. On 13 minutes they had a goal correctly disallowed when their forward handled the ball before shooting home, and two minutes later, they really should have scored, after a Surrey player was dispossessed by the corner flag, and the Chagossian player dribbled along the byline before passing to a team mate in a central position in front of goal, but the ball was struck over the bar. But on 23 minutes they did take the lead, again a Surrey player was dispossessed on the byline, the ball was crossed to a central position and Hanslai Sagai slotted home. But Surrey were back on level terms on 34 minutes after Jay Jones dribbled in from the left and his cross was poked home by Nathaniel Williams. The game rather settled down after that, and the scoreline remained level at the break.

The second half started similarly quietly, until the Chagos Islands retook the lead on 64 minutes. The ball was threaded through the defence and although the initial shot was blocked, Sagai managed to fire the ball into the net. Surrey did have a good chance to equalise five minutes later, but following a corner, the ball was poked just wide from a crowd of players, but on 74 minutes, Surrey did equalise with a superb goal, the ball only being half cleared to Roberts, who lashed the ball on the turn from the edge of the penalty area into the top left corner, giving the keeper no chance. But just two minutes later, the Chagos Islands were awarded a penalty for a clumsy trip in the box. Sagai stepped up to fire the ball into the bottom left, sending the keeper the wrong way and to claim his hat-trick. The Chagossian support was really in the mood to party now, singing and dancing in support of their team. Surrey did have a couple of chances to equalise for a third time, Jason Neachukwu heading the ball against the bar on 77 minutes, and Felix Ahorlu firing a shot just wide from the edge of the area. But the Chagossians were not to be denied, and they claimed a rare win to the unconfined joy and pride of their players and supporters.

Clapton CFC 3 v 2 London Samurai Rovers

Saturday 27th April 2019
Middlesex County League Division One (Central and East)
The Stray Dog, Walthamstow
Admission : Free (suggested donation £3.00)
Programme: £2.00
Attendance: 804

Although low down in the footballing food chain, at step 8 of non-league football and actually below the National League System pyramid, I had been wanting to pay a visit to the phenomenon that is Clapton Community Football Club since their formation last summer, and with the news that they will probably move away from the temporary ground that they have made home this season, and with this game to be a virtual title decider, I decided to head for this game today.

The Stray Dog is about a twenty minute bus ride from Walthamstow Central train and underground station and is part of the Wadham Lodge sports complex which consists of the main, senior ground which serves as home for Essex Senior League outfits Walthamstow FC and Leyton Athletic, a full-size plastic pitch and three others for smaller-sided games, and an intermediate standard grass pitch, which Clapton CFC have christened The Stray Dog. Its name was chosen by Clapton CFC as a nod to the Old Spotted Dog, home ground of Clapton FC, the Essex Senior League club. The explosion of fans attracted to Clapton from 2012 quickly became disillusioned with how the club was being run, forming a breakaway club, with one of its clear aims being the new club's future at the Old Spotted Dog. To access The Stray Dog, visitors walk down a path alongside one of the plastic pitch cages, past a hot dog stall and a small gazebo offering cans of beer for sale, before reaching a red gazebo, where spectators are able to donate an admission fee if they wish to, and obtain a programme. On the other side inside the gazebo, previous issues of the club's programmes were available, along with a variety of club merchandise. The pitch is railed off on three sides, with a combination of plastic matting and artificial grass laid providing a path from the entrance in the corner to roughly the half way line. On this side, a stand has been constructed of corrugated iron and scaffolding by the club, with two wooden steps to stand on, but with plenty of room to stand at the front. A club banner is draped along the top, apparently for the first time today, and indeed many flags are dotted around the railings, flags are waved amongst the crowd, and a nice old-fashioned little touch is a manual scoreboard hanging from the pitch side railing in the corner by the entrance, all adding plenty of colour and identity to what would otherwise be a very nondescript ground. There is no hard standing along the other half of this length nor behind either goal. The remaining length is out of bounds, as it borders the full size plastic pitch on the complex. Tall trees line one end, housing behind one length, with the rest of the complex the background behind the other two sides. The programme was superb, 30 page in full colour and printed on stiff paper, each issue has a completely differently designed cover, and with lots of interesting articles to read and statistics to digest - important in a league for which there is not an abundance of information otherwise available.

Although Clapton CFC and London Samurai went into this game in third and fourth place respectively, today's game was almost certainly a winner takes all affair, as either club would then just have to win their final game against one of the division's lesser lights to claim the title. Clapton CFC had won ten and drawn three of their 18 league games, a point ahead of London Samurai, although that is something of a false position for them, as they have had twelve points deducted for fielding an ineligible player.  They had won 15 and drawn two of their 18 league games. When the two teams met in the reverse fixture, London Samurai Rovers won 5-1, but when they met in the Division One Cup at The Stray Dog, Clapton won on penalties after a 1-1 draw.

On a very blustery, overcast and chilly afternoon, both teams traded an early chance, before Clapton CFC took the lead on 11 minutes. The ball was clipped forward from the centre circle for Sherwin Stanley to chase, although he looked second favourite to get there, but a mix up between the covering defender and the keeper by the outer edge of the penalty area allowed Sherwin to strike the ball into the empty net. Both sides then created some decent chances, before the visitors equalised with virtually the last action of the half. A cross on the run from the right wing took a big deflection off a defender, to loop towards goal, and although the keeper got a touch to it, the ball fell for the Samurai forward to tap in from close range.

So everything was very much still to play for after the break, but Clapton CFC restored their lead within 2 minutes of the restart. A defensive free kick close to their own penalty area was pumped down the left wing, with the ball breaking for Stanley to run to the byline, before passing the ball low across the six yard box for Eliot Crosbie to tap home. But the visitors equalised for a second time on 52 minutes with an excellent goal, lashed home across the keeper from the right side of the penalty area. But just two minutes later, Clapton CFC went back into the lead when a long throw in was headed goalwards by Louis Rene, and the keeper could only palm it into the net. The game was far from over though, as the visitors created plenty of chances to equalise, playing some decent football, but in the end, they just could not find a way through, and it was Clapton CFC who are now red hot favourites to win the division in their first ever season. With leaders Stonewall winning their last game of the season, Clapton CFC now just to win against FC Roast in two weeks' time to win the division. Although FC Roast are in ninth place in the eleven team division, it will not necessarily be a walk in the park, given that the reverse fixtures ended in a 4-4 draw in early October. Anything other than a win for Clapton CFC, and Stonewall will be crowned champions. As for London Samurai Rovers, the best they can hope for now is a fourth placed finish, should they beat sixth placed FC Star next Saturday. They will certainly rue their 12 points deduction though, as they would have won the division without it.

Just as I had expected, this was a thoroughly enjoyable, quirky and unique experience, being one of an enormous attendance of over 800 for a Middlesex County League fixture, and the atmosphere generated by the fans was something really special, with the constant singing, chanting and drum playing, and there was a feeling that everyone was there just to have a good time and drink plenty of beer with their friends, supporting a club that means so much to them. Indeed, the support throughout was nothing but positive (including a "well played Samurai" chant after the funal whistle, and even more refreshingly, nothing negative towards the officials) - except towards the chief executive of the original Clapton FC, Vince McBean. It will be very interesting to see how the club progresses in the coming years, with such amazing support, surely only good times can follow. Arguably though, it might be a shame to see the club eventually progress into senior football, where their supporters may not have the freedom to "do as they like" as they have been able to so far and would be more constrained by rules and regulations.

An electronic version of the programme can be viewed by clicking here

Robertsbridge United 1 v 2 Sedlescombe Rangers

Tuesday 23rd April 2019
Hastings FA Intermediate Cup Final
The Pilot Field, Hastings
Admission including Programme: £4.00
Attendance: 150 (estimate)

This evening I decided to attend my third local cup final of the season at the Pilot Field, this time between two apparently closely matched teams in the East Sussex League Premier Division.

Sedlescombe Rangers have completed their league fixtures for the season, finishing in fourth place in the ten team division, following ten wins and two draws from their 18 league games. Robertsbridge United have one game left to play on Saturday, but are assured on a fifth place finish, following eight wins and three draws. The two teams met in the league just 10 days ago at Sedlescombe, with that game ending in a 2-2 draw, however back in late September. Sedlescombe won 3-7 away. To reach this evening's final, Robertsbridge had beaten Northiam '75 2-1 at home, and East Sussex League Premier Division's runners up Bexhill Town 1-2 away, whilst Sedlescombe had beaten this season's eventual champions Sidley United 0-2 away, received a walkover when Bexhill AAC could not raise a side, and then Hawkhurst United 1-5 away.

On a dry, cool evening, Sedlescombe started the better, and inside the first ten minutes, they saw a header from a corner fly just high and wide of the top corner of the woodwork, and a flighted shot was parried by the keeper up, and the ball bounced on top of the bar. Robertsbridge came back into the game, and on 17 minutes a first time shot from a cross was well saved and the loose ball was hacked away from close to the goal line just before a Robertsbridge player could get a touch. On 40 minutes, a quick break from Sedlescombe saw their forward outpace a defender, and the eventual shot was deflected over, and after a couple of resultant corners, a scramble in the six yard box ended with the ball being cleared.

Just a couple of minutes after the break, a fairly weak shot by a Sedlescombe defender took a deflection from a defender, and the keeper spooned the ball awkwardly over the bar, and they came even closer two minutes after that, following a diagonal ball from the halfway line which found the striker six yards out, but he couldn't apply a decisive touch. On 63 minutes, a Sedlescombe curled shot from the outer corner of the penalty area drew a good save at full stretch by the keeper, but within a minute, they did finally take the lead, when another scramble in the six yard box ended with Philip Hatch, laying flat on the ground, just managed to extend his head to touch the ball over the line. Robertsbridge responded well, creating several to chances to score, before being awarded a penalty on 74 minutes, when a cross was handled by a defender. Curtis Coombes struck the ball into the right side of the goal, sending the keeper the wrong way. The game really could have gone either way, both sides creating some chances, but it was Sedlescombe who went back into the lead on 84 minutes. Following a corner, Kasey Smith volleyed a superb shot which went like an arrow into the net from about 12 yards out. That would prove to be the winner, as Robertsbridge could not threaten another equaliser, and so it was Sedlescombe who would lift the cup on the pitch shortly after the final whistle. Robertsbridge do have another cup final to contest next Tuesday, the Robertsbridge Charity Intermediate Cup Final against Punnetts Town, which will also be played at the Pilot Field, whilst Sedlescombe have the opportunity to claim a cup double, when they return here to the Pilot Field on 4th May to contest the East Sussex League Cup Final against league champions Sidley United.