Padbury Village - Padbury Sports Pavilion

Padbury Sports Pavilion

Springfields Court

Springfields

Padbury

Buckingham

Bucks

MK18 2AT

Official Website

FA Full Time

Twitter

Ground Number: 1379

Saturday 21st December 2024

Padbury Village 4-2 MK Irish Reserves
Spartan South Midlands D2

PADBURY VILLAGE FC - A BRIEF HISTORY

The club was established in 2011 and provides football for children of all ages and their first team. They were a replacement for Padbury United who played in the Spartan South Midlands League Division 2 from 2001-2011, winning the title in their final season. The new club started in the North Bucks & District League Division 2 under the name Real Padbury, moving up to Division 1 at the end of that season due to reorganisation. After a series of lowly finishes, they came 3rd in 2016, although two years later, they won just once all season and finished bottom of the table. The following year, they finished second bottom of Division 2 and left the league. From 2019 until 2023 I am unable to find any record of them. In 2023 they emerged in the North Bucks & District Premier and were invited to join the Spartan South Midlands Division 2.

Padbury is a village in north Buckinghamshire. It is located on the A413 road that links Buckingham with Winslow. The population is just 810.  The village name is Old English in origin, and means 'Padda's fortress'. In the Domesday Book of 1086 the village was recorded as Pateberie. The Manor of Padbury was exchanged, around the time of the Norman Conquest, for the Manor of Iver between Robert Doyley and Robert Clarenbold of the Marsh. During the English Civil War Padbury was the site of a skirmish between the Royalist and Parliamentarian forces. The Royalists won on this occasion, and the burial of eight Parliamentarian soldiers is recorded in the burial register for 2 July 2 1643. The village features two pubs, 'The New Inn' and 'The Blackbird'. There is also a butcher and other shops in the village. The village had a railway station up until 1964 until it was closed thanks to the Beeching cuts.

MY VISIT

Usually, this is the only Saturday of the year that I have to work, with it being the lead-up to Christmas. A personal hell for me as the store is extremely busy and crowded and the workload is heavy. I loved Christmas as a kid and still enjoy trying all the food. There were still concessions that I had to make though, including going in two hours early. Luckily my manager is sensible and restricted this to starting the Friday before Christmas instead of two weeks. But I still had the worst day of the year to contend with - the Sunday before the big day. Sundays are hellish at the best of times but with a 2 am alarm and it being the busiest day of the year, it was going to be extra toxic. As a result, I wanted to be home by 8 PM so I at least stood a chance of some sleep. That restricted it to step 7 and my initial two thoughts were either Faringdon Town (Wiltshire League) or Kensington Dragons (Middlesex League). Overall I had 25 options before considering cup games and lower leagues.

 

From the end of the game at Helston, I strolled to the local Tesco to stock up on stuff for the journey home. After the players had emerged, we left at 5.45, stopping at the shop for a well-earned drink. We got away just after 6 and I had the chance to get my blog up. It was a long journey home, broken up at Exeter services where we saw the Falmouth Town team heading back from Melksham. Thatcham had been a great team to travel with and their manager, former Marlow striker Yashwa Romeo thanked me for coming and shook my hand. Hopefully, a coach will be in place for Mousehole on January 14th as it's a good deal for everyone. After leaving Exeter services at 9, we are back in Thatcham at 11.30. It takes me an hour to get home and I go straight to bed. However, it takes me another two hours to drop off to sleep. Two cans of energy drink got me through a busy day to 1 PM. I still wasn't tired but a few hours in bed freshened me up.

Tuesday saw me opt for a local revisit in Wembley v Amersham Town rather than a new ground at Hartpury University. It was a surprisingly mild day, although a bit wet in the evening. It was a reasonable drive, but parking was a pain. I've seen a 3-2 and a 4-5 at this classic ground and this night was no exception goal-wise. Wembley belied the league table by roaring into a two-goal lead, dominating the first half, and missing a penalty. However, some suspect defending saw Amersham roar back in the second half, winning 4-2 including up to three own goals. The rest of the week was a slog, including an 11-hour shift on Friday. This was followed by a couple of hours at home before the usual pre-match before Wycombe. It was whilst in the Rose and Crown that I discovered that the game at Kensington Dragons was off, thanks to another hopper. The reason given was pitch unplayable, but I'd suspect a mutual cancellation due to the horrible phenomenon that is Christmas. A few pints deep at this point, Jolof Sports was the easy replacement, though a new pub plan was needed. I then went to the new Taco Bell in town which was farcically run and they got pretty much everything wrong. I still got a bag of food for under £4 though and got to the ground just before kickoff. The game turned out to be an entertaining 0-0, Wycombe unlucky not to win, not helped by a ropey referee.

 

I was still in a quandary when I got home. Looking at the Stonewall Twitter, the club moved around a lot with no fixed abode. The ground they were using was pretty poor, not so much as a viewing area. Add in it being a ropey part of London and the Middlesex League being unreliable, I looked elsewhere. Trowbridge Town were considered, but they had doubts over their pitch. Faringdon Town was reconsidered, but the 3 PM kickoff put me off. In the end, I gave in and elected to drive. Padbury Village was one that I fancied for ages. They had a decent Twitter and it recompleted the Spartan South Midlands D2 for me. I had been up for 22 hours at this point and with a few drinks was starting to flag. I got a reasonable night's sleep and went for a morning walk on the day of the game. After coming back, I researched the club history before leaving at 12.50. The last part of the journey dragged due to a bus driving at half the speed limit. I was there at 1.50 and saw hoppers John & Eddie who had made their way down from Leicester.

 

Padbury Village were second bottom of the table, twelve games without a win since their opening day 1-0 victory over Codicote. Their last game was a bad-tempered 4-1 loss at Tottenhoe. They did have hope though, MK Irish Reserves were 14th and the two sides had shared a 3-3 draw in the return fixture. The visitors had beaten Caddington 3-1 last week. The weather started to rain quite heavily as the game started and it was also very windy. Eventually, it brightened up but despite it being a mild winter so far, the wind made it nippy. Padbury took the lead on six minutes, having had the better of the game, a low shot hit the left-hand post on the way in. A ball down the right a few minutes later found Kelvin Osei-Addo whose low shot from the edge of the area made it 1-1. A corner from the left was headed home to make it 2-1 to Padbury on 18 minutes. However on 20 minutes, a penalty was awarded to MK Irish for a handball, and Osei-Addo converted to make it all square. Good chances came for both sides and the home #7 was guilty of missing an easy chance due to delaying his shot. However, the hosts went in ahead at the break, a shot from just inside the area making it 3-2. A frenetic first half, but the second was a tad calmer. The Padbury #11 blasted over from a few yards out but was offside anyway. The same player screwed a shot just wide on the hour. The game was sealed on 65 minutes, a deflected shot looping over the visiting keeper to make it 4-2. The Padbury keeper made a couple of great saves to preserve his team's lead. In the final minute, the hosts were awarded a free kick, the ball was palmed out by ther keeper and the rebound netted, only for it to be ruled offside.

THE GROUND

PADBURY SPORTS PAVILION is a good ground for the level. Typically of a ground at this level, there is very little seating, aside from some benches. There is also a decent amount of cover for around 50 thanks to an overhang. The building itself contains basic facilities including a tuck shop but no bar. The pitch itself has a rope around it and portable dugouts. There are also some nice touches such as conifers behind the goal which aid with ball retention. There is a small car park with further parking on the street. Buses are available from Aylesbury and other nearby towns. 

Helston Athletic - Kellaway Park

Helston Athletic FC

Kellaway Park

Clodgey Lane

Helston

Cornwall 

TR13 8PJ

Official Website

Twitter

Ground Number: 1378

Saturday 14th December 2024

Helston Athletic 2-2 Thatcham Town

Southern D1 South

HELSTON ATHLETIC FC - A BRIEF HISTORY

The club was established in 1896. They joined the Cornwall Senior League after its formation in 1931 and won back-to-back league titles in 1937 and 1938. After finishing as runners-up the following year, the club were champions for a third time in 1940. In 1953, Helston Athletic joined the South Western League, having their best finish of 3rd in 1965. In 1972 they were relegated back to the Cornwall County League. After becoming champions in 1988 and 2001, Helston won the title for a sixth time in 2011 and was promoted to the South West Peninsula Division 1 West. They were highly successful here and finished as runners-up in their first two seasons. In 2015 they were champions and it was only at this point that they installed floodlights. Finishes were unspectacular in the SWP Premier initially but results over two abandoned seasons were good enough for promotion to the Western Premier. Last season they were champions, earning promotion to the Southern League D1 South West.

The club first entered the FA Cup in 2020. Their best run came in 2022 when they beat Street, Falmouth Town. Torpoint Athletic and Bishops Cleeve before a 7-2 defeat at Weston Super Mare in the 3rd Qualifying Round. Torpoint Athletic and St Blazey were beaten in 2020 as Helston reached the FA Vase 2nd Round where they lost 2-0 to Fareham Town. In terms of local cups, Helston Athletic have won the Les Phillips Cup in 2023, the Cornwall Junior Cup in 2014, the Cornwall Senior Cup twice and the Cornwall Charity Cup three times.

Helston is a town in Cornwall. It is situated at the northern end of the Lizard Peninsula approximately 12 miles east of Penzance and 9 miles south-west of Falmouth. Helston is the most southerly town on the island of Great Britain and is around 1.5 miles farther south than Penzance. The population is just under 12,000. The former stannary and cattle market town is best known for the annual Furry Dance (known locally as the Flora Dance), which is said to originate from the medieval period. However, the Hal-an-Tow is reputed to be of Celtic origin. The associated song and music, The Floral Dance, is known to have been written in 1911.

MY VISIT

I had long had Helston Athletic v Thatcham Town pencilled in for this day. This was more in hope than anticipation as Didcot Town, who I had travelled with were going the day before for both the Helston Athletic and Mousehole games. This was a shame as I got on well with the people on the coach but it couldn't be helped. When I looked at the trip, it was a huge distance, about as far west as you could get. I therefore pinned my hopes on the next most easterly club in Thatcham Town, albeit with little expectation. Surprisingly, when I checked out their website the Sunday before, they confirmed a coach was running. I waited until Monday to check that the weather would be OK but as soon as I did, I emailed the club and received a quick reply confirming departure time and a cost of £25. The only negative was that it would be a long day with me probably getting back the next day as we had to wait for the players. However, the lure of doing a difficult-to-reach ground for a great price was too good to turn down. I'd probably be tired for work the next morning, but if they were going to get me in at 5 on a Sunday morning, I had the right to be knackered occasionally.

The week before was a tiring week at work. I was hoping for some Friday night football and briefly considered a revisit to Maldon & Tiptree for the U23 game between Colchester United & Cardiff City. However, as much as I fancy going again, I'd rather see the home team again when I do. Matches were falling like dominoes on Friday night, especially in the west where 'Storm Darragh' was predicted to wreak havoc. As much as I despise postponements, it was better to make the call early, rather than calling it off on the day. I had a few drinks, glad that a Wycombe Wanderers home game was better than the lottery of groundhopping in bad weather. I got a fairly early night and got up at my normal work time. I could hear the weather outside and as the morning wore on, more matches fell, including remarkably, the Merseyside derby. It was the usual pre-match, although it was rainier than usual. We drew 1-1 against Reading in a generally weather-affected scrappy game. A fair and reasonable result, although not the same happy feeling I'd had the past few Saturdays. Despite a reasonably early night, I was still knackered the following afternoon. I'd had an afternoon sleep instead of going to a game down The Rye. With everything else called off, I was surprised that it went ahead with Wycombe Saints beating Wokingham Town 5-2 in what appeared to be a great game.

Tuesday saw my day off and a productive walk down to Wycombe to get some things that I needed. I was pleased to see signs of a Taco Bell opening which will prove decent for before Wycombe home games. For the evening though, I was driving to the ground so I could get back home as quickly as possible. The 7 PM kickoff was most welcome but the performance on the field was not. We never really got going and were second-best to Swindon Town who were struggling in the league below, only scoring in the last minute as we lost 2-1. It was 'only' the Vertu Trophy, a much-maligned competition but after winning eleven in a row, we are three without a win. Another dull week and another frustrating Friday night without a game. The nearest options were uninspiring and as far away as Norwich & Shrewsbury. A night in with a few drinks it was then. It was the standard work night bed time and as a result I awoke at my normal work time, unable to take advantage of a slight lie in. I got ready and had breakfast before leaving at 6.15. It was a decent journey, despite the whole of my journey on the M4 being subject to roadworks.

 

I arrived at the ground at 7.15 and was happy to see the coach there waiting. It was still pitch black so I was unable to get a decent picture. We got going just after 7.45 due to some late arrivals. We stop at Taunton services at 10 for half an hour. The choice is very limited but I settle for a Christmas Toastie from Costa for £5.75 and a Rocky Road cake from WH Smith for £1.29, both nothing special. We leave on time but the journey drags and we arrive at 1.20. I get a few pictures of the ground before heading to the Wetherspoons, less than 15 minutes walk away. The Coinage Hall is my 380th in the chain, a well kept but fairly nondescript pub with a decent cider selection. Two pints of Black Dragon and an excellent Big Cheese Pizza with added chillies came to £14.18, a real bargain. The service was excellent too. The walk back to the ground, via Poundstretcher was a bit of a slog uphill with a belly full of cider and pizza but I arrived at 2.50, parting with a tenner to get in.

 

Helston Athletic were 6th and were enjoying a great start to their first season at step 4. That said, their last result was a 1-0 loss to Melksham Town, the latest of three games without a win. Thatcham Town were second-bottom, their last result a spirited 4-4 draw at Bishops Cleeve, their first away point of the season following eight defeats on the road. Both teams were playing their first game in over a week, having suffered the effects of the repugnant 'Storm Darragh' last weekend. Thatcham dominate the early stages but look toothless up front. A calm finish on the break by Will Sullivan gives Helston the lead on 27 minutes. Thatcham continued to have chances and it was all square on 43 minutes when Andy Matthews headed home from the corner. A disappointing cider selection for Cornwall but I got myself a pint of Somersby Blackberry for £6.60, albeit with a refundable plastic glass which as a collector, I opted to keep. It did highlight how excellent Wetherspoons is though. Thatcham took the lead with a super strike by Clive Gwavava which flew in the net from some way out. Helston tried to get back in and were given a helping hand from the referee who reduced Thatcham Town to ten men with 15 to go. A great ball from the left put a chance on a plate for Reece Thomson who finished well. It was all Helston for the remainder of the game but Thatcham held on. I was pleased for a friendly club and hoped that they'd also be running a coach for the Mousehole game in a months time.

THE GROUND

KELLAWAY PARK is one of the more basic setups at step 4, A metal stand provides the only seated accomodation, around 100. There's covered standing for around thr same in front of the clubhouse, otherwise the ground is open. The bar offers a basic range of drinks and there are a couple of food places too. There's plenty of car parking and buses stop nearby. The town is 15 minutes walk away and has a Wetherspoons amongst other choices.