Burnham Ramblers - Leslie Field

Burnham Ramblers FC

Leslie Field

Springfield Road

Burnham On Crouch

Essex

CM0 8TE

07957 494679
Official Website

Twitter

Ground Number: 372
Tuesday 13th May 2014
Haringey Borough 0-1 Hullbridge Sports
Gordon Brasted Memorial Trophy Final 





PRE MATCH RESEARCH

I hadn't seen Haringey Borough play before, but I had seen an Enfield 1893 FA Cup game at their ground back in August. The game was a dreadful 0-0 draw with London Tigers, but at least the ground was decent. The club itself was formed in 1973, initially playing in the Athenian League, then the Isthmian League for a few seasons in the 1980s, before switching to the Spartan League and remaining there until last seasons transfer to the Essex Senior League this season. Their best ever run in the FA Cup came in 1986 when they reached the 3rd Qualifying Round while in the FA Vase of 1978 they got to the Quarter Final before losing to Barton Rovers. They've not had a huge amount to shout about recently but as well as reaching the FA Cup 2nd Qualifying Round this season, they also finished runners up in the Essex Senior League to Great Wakering Rovers by just a point and of course reaching tonight's final.  

I couldn't find a huge amount of information on Hullbridge Sports on the internet. They are a reasonably new club, having been formed just after the Second World War in 1945. Initially playing in local Southend Leagues, they joined the Essex Olympian League Division 2 at step 8 of non-league in 1984, winning promotion to their Division 1 at the first attempt. They were however relegated straight back. Despite this, the Essex Senior League at step 5 accepted their application to join in 1990. Despite them never looking like getting out of the league, they had a best finish of 6th in 1997/98. They have only ever reached the FA Cup Preliminary Round, the latest occasion being this season when they lost 3-0 to FC Clacton. As for the FA Vase, they reached the 2nd Round in 2010/11 before losing 5-1 to Leverstock Green. Their biggest attendance was 800 for an FA Youth Cup game against Blackburn Rovers in the 1999-2000 season, a great feat for such a minnow to get that far. I had seen them lose to Basildon United back in March and it had been a bit of a mixed bag of a game but had been a nice club to visit. They had gone up a couple of places since my visit, finishing a very respectable 9th place.

The game was to be played at Burnham Ramblers, who themselves had been in the Essex Senior League very recently, having been champions last season and gaining promotion to the Isthmian Division 1 North for the very first time, They had had a steady first season, finishing in 17th place and well clear of the relegation scrap. The town of Burnham on Crouch itself has quite a small population of 7500. Despite this is has 22 licensed drinking establishments and there is a twice a year pub crawl organised to raise money for the Samaritans which started in 2007.

MY VISIT

While I was at the Spartan South Midlands Division 1 Final last week, I checked at half time for fixtures and they were very thin on the ground. The best I could find was one at Cradley Town's ground. It looked a decent venue, but really I'd have preferred to save it for one of their home games. It was also one I could do fairly easily on the train and combine with a trip into Birmingham, with cheap tickets too if I booked in advance. An opportunity to go elsewhere came when I looked at the Non-League Paper and that was the Gordon Brasted Memorial Trophy Final between the 2 Essex sides Haringey Borough and Hullbridge Sports. 

I spent the morning lazing around and briefly considered going out for a jog first thing, that was until it started tipping it down. I was a bit worried that the match might no go ahead, but my Twitter correspondent Dan, who is the expert on all things about Essex non league football assured me that there would be no problems and that their pitch was 'like a carpet' As well as doing preparation work for this blog, I also watched some YouTube videos and TV before leaving at 3.30PM to pick up Anwar in Aylesbury. After leaving Aylesbury we stopped off at B&M Bargains to get stuff for the match, but we were soon on our way. It was a mixed journey with delays on the M25 and Southend Arterial road, around 30 minutes in all. But it was clear elsewhere and we got to the ground at 6.30. We walked into town which was about 20 minutes away. There wasn't a great deal of choice but I got myself a Saveloy and chips for £2.80 and walked back to the ground.

By the time we got back, it was around 7.20 so we went in and picked up a nice looking programme for £1.50. I read this, typed my blog and checked Facebook while I waited for the game to start. In the end, it didn't kick off till 8.05 due to Haringey Borough being caught in traffic. We chatted to a hopper I have seen about on Facebook called Jack about our favourite grounds.  The game started off quite open with chances for both side but we soon hit a lull. Hullbridge opened the scoring on 30 minutes when the ball was hit against the bar and the rebound was put in by number 11. On 40 minutes the Hullbridge keeper was forced into a great save to keep their lead intact, diving to his left to keep out a powerful shot. The second half was a bit less lively but Haringey were trying to get back into it. Hullbridge had a couple of chances too but neither keeper was seriously tested. In fact, on 80 minutes Hullbridge had the best chance so far. A great break from them found their striker one on one with the keeper but he could only shoot straight at him. And that was how it ended. I said goodbye to Jack and another groundhopper and we made our way home. After a slow start, thanks to winding roads and then an average speed check on the M25 we winged the last part of the journey and I dropped Anwar off at 11.35, before arriving home just before midnight. I watched TV for about an hour before going to sleep.

THE GROUND

LESLIE FIELD is a pretty smart non-league ground with a fair bit of character. Pride of place goes to the main stand which has a really nice design and holds around 200. Opposite is some cover holding just under that, while the rest of the ground is open. I didn't go to the tea bar or clubhouse. The town is a 20-minute walk away, where there are a small number of places to eat and drink.

Bangor City - Nantporth Stadium

Bangor City FC
Nantporth Stadium
Holyhead Road
Bangor
LL57 2HQ

01248 355852
Official Website
Twitter 

Ground Number: 371
Saturday 10th May 2014
Bangor City 1-0 Newtown
Welsh Premier League - Europa League Playoffs Semi Final







BANGOR CITY - A BRIEF HISTORY

Bangor City FC was formed in 1876. After playing in local Welsh and English Leagues for the first part of their history, the joined the English Northern Premier League in 1968. They were generally very successful in this and this led to them spending 4 seasons in what is now the Conference with their best ever finish coming in their debut season of 1979-80 when they finished in 9th place. Eventually though, they were relegated back to the NPL and that was where they stayed, up until they joined the League Of Wales (later to become the Welsh Premier League) Whilst in the English Leagues they had some good runs in the FA Cup, the best being in 1983-84 when they got to the second round before losing to Blackpool in the 2nd Round.  That season saw them reach the final of the FA Trophy where they lost in a replay to Northwich Victoria. In Wales, they have won the Welsh Premier League 3 times and the Welsh FA Cup 8 times (though 3 of those victories came whilst still in the English Leagues. Like most Welsh clubs, Europe has proved tough for them, but there have been some high points. In 1962 they drew over 2 legs to Italian giants Napoli but lost out in a replay played at Arsenal's Highbury stadium. In 1985 they beat Norwegian side Fredrikstad on the away goals rule before going on to lose 3-0 to Atletico Madrid over 2 legs. Since being in the Welsh Leagues their only victory came when they beat Finnish side Honka 3-2 over 2 legs in 2010 which was a sweet victory as they lost to them the season before. They went on to play Maritimo of Portugal, losing 10-3 on aggregate.



MY VISIT


The end of the season was fast approaching and I was looking for games to go to. Pretty much all of step 1-6 in English Non-League Football had packed up, bar the odd cup final. So I started looking further afield. Last season my final game of the season was the Welsh Premier League promotion playoff between Port Talbot Town and Bala Town. Anwar my usual travelling companion and I had a great time, so as soon as these fixtures were announced in January and they were after the normal English season had ended, we made formative plans to go to them again. One big bonus was that I could stock up with my favourite Welsh Cider 'Gwynt y Ddraig' which is virtually impossible to get in the shops in England. You are even doing well if you can get it in the pub and I knew for a fact you could get it in Wetherspoons near their ground which would go down nicely with my lunch. Initially I had been planning on going to Carmarthen Town on this day, however, due to some unknown reason, they moved it over to Port Talbot, which obviously I had already done. It was only by pure chance that Anwar saw it, so although it was probably an extra 150 miles round trip to change the destination, at least it saved a wasted journey.



It was an early start for me on Saturday morning, waking up at 7, having a wash and getting dressed before leaving home at 7.30. I picked Anwar up at 8 and although getting out of Aylesbury and onto the. M40 was slow, we made good progress onto the M42 and M6 before getting on the M54 towards Telford. It started off well enough on the A5 but then slowed to a dawdle, as people drove well below the speed limit. It also had lots of bends, which made overtaking difficult. To compensate there was plenty of beautiful scenery. Even if all the Welsh places and signs looked like they had been decided by a drunk bloke picking out random Scrabble tiles. We got to the ground around 12 and walked the 25 minutes into town. First stop was The Black Bull, the Wetherspoons in town. I had Peri Peri Chicken and Chips, plus a pint of Strongbow for £7. I then had a pint of Black Dragon from my favourite Welsh cider maker before heading off to a bakery for pudding and walking back to the ground. We got there about 2 and after paying £8 to get in plus £2 for a bulky programme, I went and had a look at the club shop. There was nothing there I fancied but the bloke in there was really friendly. We learned that the Carmarthen game had been moved as their own ground was susceptible to flooding. I then walked around the ground and got some pictures before taking a seat in the stand for the game. Before it started I went and got some chips and a Bovril from the tea bar. Whilst I was down there I got talking to a Leeds fan who lived in Bangor and who had done the 92 English league grounds including Wycombe. We had a good chat before the game started.

The game started off at a fairly slow pace but with the home side on top. It continued that way until half time but with Newtown having a couple of good chances towards the end of the half. At half time I noticed my feet were damp and decided that I would stop off at Tescos on the way home. I needed some Welsh Cider anyway and my black shoes for work were showing their age so I thought I'd get myself a pair of black trainers or shoes. The teams came out for the second half just after 4pm and I was hoping for a better half than the first. It started off slowly again but on 59 minutes the referee played a good advantage. One striker back-heeled it, played it into the path of his partner who finished well. That was 1-0 to Bangor and they continued to pressurise with them hitting the woodwork and coming close on a few occasions. Newtown had the occasional breakaway but their cause was not helped when they had a player sent off for a second bookable offence on 85 minutes. So that was how it ended with Bangor having home advantage next Saturday against Rhyl. Their fellow north Wales side triumphed at Port Talbot, where Carmarthen had moved their home game to. The winner gains a place in next seasons Europa League qualifiers and is probably worth a 6 figure sum, which is a hell of a lot of money to clubs at this level.

After the game, we went to Tesco. I picked up some Welsh cider, though I was disappointed that there was only one box left and I had to dig to the back for that. I also picked up another wonderful Welsh creation from the hot counter. The lamb and mint slice was delicious and perked me up for a journey home. The first part of the journey was a right pain, 60 miles on a single carriageway with some inconsiderate people driving at less than half the limit. There was also practically no radio signal which made it even more boring. It took 1 hour 40 to do the 60 miles. From then on it was a lot better, completing the remaining 160 miles in under 2 and a half hours. I dropped Anwar in Aylesbury at 9.30 before encountering one last Captain Slow on my way home. I got back around 5 minutes later than expected at 10pm and after looking on the internet and watching TV, I went to bed just before midnight.



THE GROUND

NANTPORTH STADIUM is the newest ground in the Welsh Premier League. To comply with regulations that allow them to host European games they have 1300 seats, the bulk of which are in the excellent main stand. It's elevated so it offers a great view of the action. On the other side, alongside the TV gantry are 2 smaller metal type stands, which are also covered. The rest of the ground is open with a few steps of terracing. Though they were raising funds to build a covered terrace behind one of the goals, which when completed will make the ground better than some in the English Conference. The tea bar was very good, with wallet-friendly prices and good choice. Though I didn't buy anything from the club shop, there was a decent range of items, with old programmes too. I didn't check out the clubhouse. The town is around a 20-minute walk away and offers a wide range of places to eat and drink.

Buckingham Athletic - Stratford Fields

Buckingham Athletic FC
Stratford Fields
Stratford Road
Buckingham
Buckinghamshire
MK18 1NY

01280 816945

Official Website

Twitter

Ground Number: 368
Monday 5th May 2014
Buckingham Athletic 3-5 Banbury United
Buckingham Charity Cup Final







BUCKINGHAM ATHLETIC - A BRIEF HISTORY

Buckingham Athletic FC was formed in 1933 as Buckingham Juniors but it was not until 1965 that they joined the Hellenic League. Initially joining the 1st Division, they won promotion to the Premier in 1969 and stayed there for 3 seasons before being relegated back down. They never really recovered from that and after 8 years of finishing rock bottom, they took the decision to drop down to the North Berks League. In 1985 they were in a batter place and joined the South Midlands League. They won the Division 1 at the first time of asking but had to wait until 1991 to win it again to gain promotion as their ground was not up to scratch first time round. However, in their league winning season, they built their stand and were able to make the step up. Floodlights followed in 1993 and since then they have alternated around the various Divisions of the Spartan South Midlands League, getting a best-ever finish of 5th in the Premier Division in 1997.  They have no history in FA Cup and the only time they won in the FA Vase was in their first season of entering in 1998 when they reached the second round. They have won a load of local cups, winning today's competition in 1970 and 1972.

MY VISIT

The week since my last blog had been a mixed one. First off, on Thursday I travelled to Cockfosters v Holmer Green, hoping to see a game. But it was raining on and off all day and a torrential downpour for the hour before the game put played to any plans of seeing a game as the pitch was well and truly submerged. I then went around 10 miles to another game at London Colney, the pitch there was much better and had no surface water, but the referee decided to wait till 8.20 before deciding not to bother. Then on Saturday, Wycombe pulled off a miracle against all the odds and stayed up at Torquay in what was a great day out.



On the day of the game, there were a few options up for consideration. If I could get out of work on time I could go to the 11.30 kick off between Badshot Lea and Camberley Town which was being played at Ash United near Aldershot. Or take the rather long trip to Lowestoft Town v Hornchurch. But then when browsing the internet for Spartan South Midlands league fixtures (the league site had been offline for several days) I hit upon a forum called 'Non League UK' This informed me that there was a game even nearer at Buckingham Town and it was a Charity Cup final against Banbury United of the Southern Premier. I decided upon this as my destination as I could go home and have a bath and a bit of a chill before leaving and get back a lot sooner than I would if I ventured to deepest Suffolk. It was a bit annoying working on a bank holiday when everyone else was off but in the end, I finished at 11. Plus I got paid till 1 as per the terms of my contract. I went home, had a bath and started writing my blog for the game. I didn't have as long as I wanted though as I had to get lunch and had Chicken Balti before leaving at 1.25. On the way I stopped at B&M Bargains in Aylesbury to get some diet Irn Bru and After Eight sweets for the game. It wasn't too much further and after a steady journey, I got to the ground at 2.40. After parking up and paying £5 for entry and a programme and £1 for raffle tickets. I took some pictures of the ground and found a space along the side to watch the game from.


The game started off quite slowly, but Buckingham Town edged it. But after 20 minutes Buckingham opened the scoring when  their number 10 volleyed in from the left hand side. It was good technique and that was to prove the difference between the 2 sides as the afternoon progressed.  It was Buckingham Athletic on top in terms of play, but without the finesse in the final third to make it count. The score stayed the same at the break and at half time I went to get some pictures of the bar and a pint of Somersby Cider which will be my last until nest weekend. I returned to the pitch just as the 2 teams came out for the restart. It took until the hour mark for Buckingham to get their deserved equaliser. A corner was put in and Adam Bone poked it home. But almost straight away Banbury went up the other end and regained the lead. It was another good goal, the number 4 running up the right-hand side, cutting inside and firing into the bottom right-hand corner. By now the game had picked up to a really good pace and Josh Hooper equalised for the hosts on 84 minutes when the keeper parried the initial shot but the rebound was headed in. They even had a chance to win it and prevent extra time but the gilt-edged chance was missed. So into extra time it was and I was pleased as I was enjoying the game. I was hoping for a penalty shoot-out as it's always a good watch. Buckingham Athletic took the lead for the first and only time on 97 minutes when Glen Hawkins caught the Banbury keeper out of position and capitalised on the error lobbing over him into an empty net. It was all square on 103 minutes when the visitors got the equaliser as the Buckingham keeper couldn't get enough on the shot to keep it out. He should have done better on the 4th too when he failed to gather a cross and the loose ball was put in. I was hoping for an equaliser so that we could get a penalty shoot out, but I did at least see one after a foul in the area, right at the death. There was a bit of argy-bargy after it for a minute or so but in the end the Banbury striker picked up the ball and dispatched the penalty to make it 5-3 and put the tie beyond doubt. It had been a really good game in the end and instead of rushing off I stayed behind and watched the presentations and got a picture of Banbury United lifting the cup. This was the 5th time out of the last 6 that they had won the Buckingham Charity Cup and their team were well pleased. After the game I drove home, getting home about 6.40 and seeing my Mum and Dad after they had been down in Torquay for the weekend. I typed this blog up and watched TV, happy in the knowledge that I had a day off the following day.



THE GROUND

STRATFORD FIELDS is set amongst pleasant greenery and in common with most grounds at this level has just the one stand. This for a change is a proper stand rather than a Meccano job and the view from it is decent, even with supporting pillars. The capacity is around 100 sitting, with space for around another 70 stood behind. The rest of the ground is open standing but that's no problem on a sunny day like today. The bar is nice and smart with a reasonable range of drinks at fair prices. They have Sky too. They had a decent tea bar, though I think that was bought in for the occasion, so I'm not sure what they do normally, I didn't see the town, but it was signposted so it can't be far away.