However, I did watch an above average goals per game ratio this season, with some really enjoyable games watched, seeing at least 6 goals in a game on eleven occasions, and only two goalless draws. It was also a productive season, as I managed to complete 13 senior divisions, and got within four grounds of completing the 92 (soon to be five with the promotion of Salford City).
Some fairly exceptional weather conditions were experienced last season. Pre-season and the early part of the season was characterized by the back end of a prolonged blisteringly hot summer, with temperatures in the 30's for weeks on end, resulting in very hot conditions to play and watch in, and rendering pitches rather parched. The winter months were much milder and drier than usual, resulting in relatively very few postponements, and the various 3G pitches I had been keeping in reserve were not required. That meant stress free Saturday mornings, but also few postponements meant very little requirements for lat season 6.30 midweek kick-offs nor games stretching well into May. However, some pretty horrible conditions were encountered, most notably at Holland FC, where I felt the full force of Storm Deirdre right by the North Sea coast.
A disappointing trend which developed this season was of an increasing number of clubs no longer issuing printed programmes. On the plus side, that usually would mean that I would be able to read the programme on my tablet on my way to the game in question, but it certainly is quite sad not to have a physical souvenir of club visits to look back on in the future. Hopefully a decent proportion of clubs will continue to issue programmes, and that they will be rewarded with clubs attending their games and buying their programmes. Whilst a common theme in favour of stopping publishing programmes is that fewer people are buying them these days, that is surely often down to poor quality programmes being charged far too highly for. Advertising can surely at least cover the costs of producing programmes, but of course, having the resources to produce decent content and sourcing advertising is not easy the lower down the pyramid one goes.
Anyway, time to look back on some of my highlights of season 2018/19 :-
Biggest win: Wormley Rovers 8 v 0 Lopes Tavares A very one-sided game, during which newly promoted Lopes Tavares looked anything but a senior team. Could easily and should have been double figures for Wormley.
Most goals: Cascadia 6 v 3 Chagos Islands, May & Baker 8 v 1 Burnham Ramblers, and Amesbury Town 5 v 4 Leverstock Green
Best game: Disregarding the Charlton play-off games, where judgement is inevitably clouded by Charlton coming out on top in big, tense games, the best games I watched would be a toss up between:
Oxhey Jets 3 v 4 Wantage Town Quite a strange game, that was uneventful in the first half, with a penalty scored by the visitors at half time separating the teams. But in the second half, Wantage doubled their lead, only for Oxhey to hit back with three goals to take the lead. Then it was time for Wantage to complete a turnaround, scoring a winner deep into added on time.
Amesbury Town 5 v 4 Leverstock Green This was a rip-roaring local derby, with Amesbury going in 3-1 at the break and apparently cruising to the comfortable victory that reflected the respective league positions. But then the visitors hit back with three goals to take the lead, only for Amesbury to then go on to score another two to claim the victory.
Worst game: Eastbourne Borough 0 v 1 Charlton Athletic XI Perhaps not too surprising for a pre-season friendly on a hot summer's day, but there were hardly any shots on target, with the game won with a goal three minutes from time.
Tensest game: Biggleswade 0 v 0 Tring Athletic In terms of entertainment, this was quite a dull game to watch. However, being played the top two teams in the Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division, and both clubs would have high hopes of progressing far in the FA Vase, you could really feel the tension throughout, which built up throughout the 90 minutes and into extra time, with the outcome finally, and appropriately, being decided by a penalty shoot-out, which was won by the home side.
Charlton Athletic 2 v 3 Doncaster Rovers It's rare that I am ever confident about Charlton winning, but I was today, after a more convincing performance in the first leg of this match than the 2-1 victory suggested. That confidence escalated when the Addicks extended their lead overall with 2 minutes on the clock. But Charlton oh so nearly threw it all away with their play became disjointed as Doncaster really rolled their sleeves up and were the better team on the night. It looked like Charlton would just about hold out, until Doncaster levelled the scores overall 2 minutes from time, to send the game into extra time. Doncaster then took the lead, only for Charlton to equalise within a couple of minutes, and eventually the game went to penalties, with Doncaster missing their last two penalties to send Charlton through to the final. It should have been a lot more straightforward for Charlton, but eventually, it was a great way to win.
Biggest surprise result: F91 Dudelange 1 v 4 US Mondorf-les-Bains, Dudelange are the class act in Luxembourg football, crowned champions in the previous four seasons, and they would go on to win the league this season too. They were in the middle of a fantastic run in the Europa League, seeing off Drita, then Legia Warsaw, and just before this game they had beaten RFC Cluj in a first leg encounter, and they would eventually reach the group stages of the Europa League, a quite astonishing achievement for a club from Luxembourg. Mondorf finished 6th last season, and started this season by losing two of their opening three league games, but they were thoroughly deserved winners today with a comprehensive victory, playing some lovely football whilst Dudelange just never got going.
Peterborough Northern Star 2 v 6 Northampton ON Chenecks Back home, this was a major shock, with Northern Star having won their previous four league games, coming into this game in sixth place, whilst the visitors were down in 14th place. But Northampton blew their hosts away with three goals in the opening 21 minutes, led 1-5 at the break and saw the second half out comfortably.
Bravest effort in defeat:
Bexhill United 0 v 1 Burgess Hill Town and Bexhill United 0 v 1 Haywards Heath Town Bexhill United, from the Step 6 Southern Combination League Division One, more than held their own in these cup games against clubs three and two steps above respectively and could consider themselves extremely unlucky to lose both games, and with a little bit of lady luck, would have won both.
Most picturesque ground: Portland United The approach to the island was spectacular, and the ground did not disappoint either, with plenty of character and individuality, with a stone wall, a steep grass bank to sit on top of, and not an identikit stand in sight. A really friendly welcome completed a thoroughly enjoyable place to visit. Most certainly somewhere to visit on a pleasant day outside of winter, though.
Saffron Walden Town Again, plenty of individuality about this ground, with a variety of different stands all brightly painted in club colours. A church spire in the background further adds to the pleasantness of the setting.
Best atmosphere: Clapton CFC What can be said about Clapton CFC?! A really unique experience, with fans seemingly mainly there first and foremost to have a good time, drinking plenty of beer in good spirits, giving their team constant loud and colourful support.
Best day out: As a Charlton fan, it's a no-brainer that this would be the Addicks' first visit to Wembley in 21 years, to claim promotion, with Charlton Athletic 2 v 1 Sunderland.
As a neutral, it would be FC Dieppe 0 v 3 FC Rouen. This was a really enjoyable day trip, if very long, including my first ever Newhaven to Dieppe ferry crossing, before spending some time in the very pleasant town of Dieppe, and then walking to the football ground for a lively derby encounter, which saw the visitors crowned champions to seal promotion.
Worst weather: I do not recall ever experiencing such horrible conditions watching football as on my visit to Holland , thanks to Storm Deirdre. With hindsight, it probably wasn't the shrewdest of decisions of mine, travelling to an exposed ground very close to the North Sea coast. And for much of the match, gale force winds and driving rain prevailed, rendering the game something of a lottery as the players struggled to judge the bounce and flight of the ball. I found shelter during the game, huddled close to the side wall of the stand, but I would get absolutely soaked and buffeted walking to the train station after the game.
Hottest Conditions: Weymouth 0 v 6 AFC Bournemouth , Leighton Town 1 v 2 Luton Town XI and Harefield United 4 v 1 Winslow United All of these games took place during the long, blisteringly hot summer, which clearly took its toll on the pitches.
Best programme:
Caldicot Town A bumper 52 page publication with a glossy, full colour cover, there was plenty of information for first time visitors as well as regular visitors, in depth look at both home and away clubs, and more than enough stats and facts from around the league.
Portland United Certainly the bargain of the season at just 50p, it certainly is not your average programme, consisting of 28 pages with a very eye catching and busy layout, and contains more than enough interesting articles to read, some quizzes and other fun articles, as well as more than enough stats and facts of the club and the league. Actual team line-ups are even added to the programme in the hour before the game
Clapton CFC Not often you get programmes at Step 8, but this 32 page offering is exceptional, starting with an artistic cover and packed with information about the club, the league, opponents, supplemented with plenty of colour photographs.
Leagues Completed (13):
Championship, League One, Southern Combination League Premier Division and Division One, Isthmian League South Central Division, Eastern Senior League, Essex Senior League, Isthmian League South East Division, Combined Counties League Premier Division, Southern Counties East League Premier Division and Division One, Isthmian League Premier Division, Wessex League Premier Division
Countries Visited this season: Wales, France, Belgium, Luxembourg
Different grounds visited: 67
New grounds visited: 47
Statistics from the season:
Games Seen: 76
Looking ahead to next season :
Next season I will revert to being something of a part-time groundhopper, as I have bought a season ticket for Charlton Athletic after a three season break. As much as I do love groundhopping, being there for the Charlton play-off games made me realise how much I do miss really caring about the results of games, and feeling the buzz of being a regular at The Valley.
Certainly I will continue to groundhop whenever Charlton are not playing at home, with my specific goals being to finally complete the 92 (with Burnley, Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United on a match day, Forest Green Rovers and Salford City left to visit), as well as (re)completing more of my local leagues, such as the Wessex League, the Spartan South Midlands League and the Combined Counties League. I also hope to visit some new countries to watch football, most likely to be between the Czech Republic, Poland or the Baltic States.
Oxhey Jets 3 v 4 Wantage Town Quite a strange game, that was uneventful in the first half, with a penalty scored by the visitors at half time separating the teams. But in the second half, Wantage doubled their lead, only for Oxhey to hit back with three goals to take the lead. Then it was time for Wantage to complete a turnaround, scoring a winner deep into added on time.
Amesbury Town 5 v 4 Leverstock Green This was a rip-roaring local derby, with Amesbury going in 3-1 at the break and apparently cruising to the comfortable victory that reflected the respective league positions. But then the visitors hit back with three goals to take the lead, only for Amesbury to then go on to score another two to claim the victory.
Worst game: Eastbourne Borough 0 v 1 Charlton Athletic XI Perhaps not too surprising for a pre-season friendly on a hot summer's day, but there were hardly any shots on target, with the game won with a goal three minutes from time.
Tensest game: Biggleswade 0 v 0 Tring Athletic In terms of entertainment, this was quite a dull game to watch. However, being played the top two teams in the Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division, and both clubs would have high hopes of progressing far in the FA Vase, you could really feel the tension throughout, which built up throughout the 90 minutes and into extra time, with the outcome finally, and appropriately, being decided by a penalty shoot-out, which was won by the home side.
Charlton Athletic 2 v 3 Doncaster Rovers It's rare that I am ever confident about Charlton winning, but I was today, after a more convincing performance in the first leg of this match than the 2-1 victory suggested. That confidence escalated when the Addicks extended their lead overall with 2 minutes on the clock. But Charlton oh so nearly threw it all away with their play became disjointed as Doncaster really rolled their sleeves up and were the better team on the night. It looked like Charlton would just about hold out, until Doncaster levelled the scores overall 2 minutes from time, to send the game into extra time. Doncaster then took the lead, only for Charlton to equalise within a couple of minutes, and eventually the game went to penalties, with Doncaster missing their last two penalties to send Charlton through to the final. It should have been a lot more straightforward for Charlton, but eventually, it was a great way to win.
Biggest surprise result: F91 Dudelange 1 v 4 US Mondorf-les-Bains, Dudelange are the class act in Luxembourg football, crowned champions in the previous four seasons, and they would go on to win the league this season too. They were in the middle of a fantastic run in the Europa League, seeing off Drita, then Legia Warsaw, and just before this game they had beaten RFC Cluj in a first leg encounter, and they would eventually reach the group stages of the Europa League, a quite astonishing achievement for a club from Luxembourg. Mondorf finished 6th last season, and started this season by losing two of their opening three league games, but they were thoroughly deserved winners today with a comprehensive victory, playing some lovely football whilst Dudelange just never got going.
Peterborough Northern Star 2 v 6 Northampton ON Chenecks Back home, this was a major shock, with Northern Star having won their previous four league games, coming into this game in sixth place, whilst the visitors were down in 14th place. But Northampton blew their hosts away with three goals in the opening 21 minutes, led 1-5 at the break and saw the second half out comfortably.
Bravest effort in defeat:
Bexhill United 0 v 1 Burgess Hill Town and Bexhill United 0 v 1 Haywards Heath Town Bexhill United, from the Step 6 Southern Combination League Division One, more than held their own in these cup games against clubs three and two steps above respectively and could consider themselves extremely unlucky to lose both games, and with a little bit of lady luck, would have won both.
Most picturesque ground: Portland United The approach to the island was spectacular, and the ground did not disappoint either, with plenty of character and individuality, with a stone wall, a steep grass bank to sit on top of, and not an identikit stand in sight. A really friendly welcome completed a thoroughly enjoyable place to visit. Most certainly somewhere to visit on a pleasant day outside of winter, though.
Saffron Walden Town Again, plenty of individuality about this ground, with a variety of different stands all brightly painted in club colours. A church spire in the background further adds to the pleasantness of the setting.
Best atmosphere: Clapton CFC What can be said about Clapton CFC?! A really unique experience, with fans seemingly mainly there first and foremost to have a good time, drinking plenty of beer in good spirits, giving their team constant loud and colourful support.
Best day out: As a Charlton fan, it's a no-brainer that this would be the Addicks' first visit to Wembley in 21 years, to claim promotion, with Charlton Athletic 2 v 1 Sunderland.
As a neutral, it would be FC Dieppe 0 v 3 FC Rouen. This was a really enjoyable day trip, if very long, including my first ever Newhaven to Dieppe ferry crossing, before spending some time in the very pleasant town of Dieppe, and then walking to the football ground for a lively derby encounter, which saw the visitors crowned champions to seal promotion.
Worst weather: I do not recall ever experiencing such horrible conditions watching football as on my visit to Holland , thanks to Storm Deirdre. With hindsight, it probably wasn't the shrewdest of decisions of mine, travelling to an exposed ground very close to the North Sea coast. And for much of the match, gale force winds and driving rain prevailed, rendering the game something of a lottery as the players struggled to judge the bounce and flight of the ball. I found shelter during the game, huddled close to the side wall of the stand, but I would get absolutely soaked and buffeted walking to the train station after the game.
Hottest Conditions: Weymouth 0 v 6 AFC Bournemouth , Leighton Town 1 v 2 Luton Town XI and Harefield United 4 v 1 Winslow United All of these games took place during the long, blisteringly hot summer, which clearly took its toll on the pitches.
Best programme:
Caldicot Town A bumper 52 page publication with a glossy, full colour cover, there was plenty of information for first time visitors as well as regular visitors, in depth look at both home and away clubs, and more than enough stats and facts from around the league.
Portland United Certainly the bargain of the season at just 50p, it certainly is not your average programme, consisting of 28 pages with a very eye catching and busy layout, and contains more than enough interesting articles to read, some quizzes and other fun articles, as well as more than enough stats and facts of the club and the league. Actual team line-ups are even added to the programme in the hour before the game
Clapton CFC Not often you get programmes at Step 8, but this 32 page offering is exceptional, starting with an artistic cover and packed with information about the club, the league, opponents, supplemented with plenty of colour photographs.
Leagues Completed (13):
Championship, League One, Southern Combination League Premier Division and Division One, Isthmian League South Central Division, Eastern Senior League, Essex Senior League, Isthmian League South East Division, Combined Counties League Premier Division, Southern Counties East League Premier Division and Division One, Isthmian League Premier Division, Wessex League Premier Division
Countries Visited this season: Wales, France, Belgium, Luxembourg
Different grounds visited: 67
New grounds visited: 47
Statistics from the season:
Games Seen: 76
Goals Seen: 292
Average goals per game: 3.84 (not including penalty shoot-outs nor part games watched)
Goals seen in part games: -
Home wins: 30 (43%)
Home wins: 30 (43%)
Away wins: 33 (47%)
Draws: 7 (10%)
Neutral Games: 6
Home Goals: 138
Away Goals: 126
Neutral Goals: 28
Neutral Goals: 28
Goalless Draws: 2 (3%)
Last Goalless Draw: Biggleswade v Tring Athletic, 08/01/19 (40 games ago)
Next season I will revert to being something of a part-time groundhopper, as I have bought a season ticket for Charlton Athletic after a three season break. As much as I do love groundhopping, being there for the Charlton play-off games made me realise how much I do miss really caring about the results of games, and feeling the buzz of being a regular at The Valley.
Certainly I will continue to groundhop whenever Charlton are not playing at home, with my specific goals being to finally complete the 92 (with Burnley, Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United on a match day, Forest Green Rovers and Salford City left to visit), as well as (re)completing more of my local leagues, such as the Wessex League, the Spartan South Midlands League and the Combined Counties League. I also hope to visit some new countries to watch football, most likely to be between the Czech Republic, Poland or the Baltic States.
