Saturday, 31 May 2025

Old Windsor - Old Windsor Rec


Old Windsor FC
Old Windsor Recreation Ground 
Saint Luke's Road
Old Windsor 
Berkshire
SL4 2QX







Ground Number: 1432
Saturday 31st May 2025
Old Windsor 2-2 Britwell
East Berks FL Premier







OLD WINDSOR FC - A BRIEF HISTORY

The club was established in 1898 and represents the village of Old Windsor. It would play only friendlies first, joining the Slough & District League sometime in the 1910s. They won the Division 1 title shortly after the end of the Second World War. Between the ’50s and ’80s, the club ran a first and reserve team in the Slough and District League. In 1988, they amalgamated with the local Working Men’s Club and switched to the East Berks League. The start of the 90s was especially successful, with them winning Division 4 in 1990 and Division 3 in 1991 whilst remaining unbeaten throughout those two years. In 1993, Old Windsor were promoted to the top tier, which at the time was Division 1. They remained there until 2009, by which time it had been renamed the Premier Division. They were then relegated from Division 1 the following year, but would bounce back with the Division 2 title in 2012. By 2015, they were back in the Premier Division after finishing as runners-up to Barley Mow in Division 1. Old Windsor won the title in the curtailed 2019/20 season, winning all ten of their games. They were then runners-up to Britwell in 2022 and had two 3rd place finishes before winning the title again last season.


Local honours include the EBFL Presidents Cup in 1991, with their reserves winning it again in 2024. They also won the EBFL League Cup in 2024. By default, they won the Maidenhead & Norfolkian Cup in 2019 after their opponents fielded an ineligible player. Old Windsor was the oldest Saxon town in Berkshire and the seat of Edward the Confessor. It continued in importance up until about 1100 when it was gradually overshadowed by the building of Windsor Castle two miles upstream.  The River Thames bounds it to the east and the Windsor Great Park to the west, and the village has a population of around 5,000. Famous residents include the musician Elton John, who lives at Woodside on the edge of the Great Park.


MY VISIT

This game was decided upon a few weeks beforehand when I realised that this game would be a title decider. Visitors Britwell has a two-point lead, so they would be favourites, although Old Windsor had the home advantage and were also defending their title from last season. Britwell, meanwhile, had enjoyed a good first season in the EBFL following their transfer from the Hellenic D2 East. I had seen them last season at their home ground, and they seemed like a decent community club. It was also a decent venue with signage and its own bar. As ever, it was all about the day out for me, and so I had been eyeing up visiting Windsor Wetherspoons for a while. Old Windsor was always going to be the favourite as I'd been to Windsor & Eton a number of times. It just so happened that the perfect game at the perfect time came up, and the event was also well publicised by the league.


It was a noisy bus home from Reading, but I was in a good mood. When I got back to Wycombe, I was bursting for a piss but the bus station bogs were closed. I legged it to a bit of wasteland to empty my bladder before heading back to the bus station. Colin had left Reading an hour early to get home, so I was surprised to see him at the station. A symptom of the limited service, which drops to hourly after 6.30 in the evening. I delayed ten minutes so we could get the same bus home together. At least he had a good sleep on the way home. I was home at 8, having walked 13 miles. I had a chicken wrap and a couple of cans before bed. Early research revealed that Windsor would be a great day out, pub-wise, and I was looking forward to it.


It was a quiet week for me personally, with no midweek football. The world was mad elsewhere, though. On Sunday, a Women's Cup Final between Clapton and Dulwich Hamlet at Maidstone United was abandoned after 20 minutes. The reason was due to a Maidstone United official objecting to flags in support of Palestine and condemning the genocide by the Israeli Government. After a demand to take the flags down or play the game behind closed doors was rejected, the referee abandoned the game. On Monday they were outdone by a driver in Liverpool who was smashed off his tits on drugs. For whatever reason, he decided to drive into an innocent group of fans celebrating Liverpool's title win, seriously injuring multiple people. The biggest upset for many though was that he wasn't a brown skinned terrorist and some of the same people tried to make excuses for the nutter's actions.


I was glad to get to Friday and a few drinks before my day off. I had spent the week doing all the research for next weekend's trip to Oslo and was a week ahead of myself for once. I had a fairly early night and as a consequence, woke up around 4.30. I watched YouTube for a few hours before getting up for breakfast. I left at 8.30, getting to the bus station with ten minutes to spare. The Windsor bus was not on the departure board but thankfully, it was present and correct in Bay 2. I'd walked 4.5 miles at that point and was glad that my journey was still on. It was a nice quiet bus this week and it was good to put my headphones on and watch the world go by. I watched an entertaining video about visiting Lviv in Ukraine, arriving in Windsor just as it finished. The bus had to stop short due to a function at Windsor Castle, so I was ten minutes behind. It was a pleasant sunny morning and even though I am not a Royalist, the castle looked great and it was a nice town. 



The first stop was the King and Castle Wet, number 405 for me. It was a great pub, though with limited cider range and food options. After using the toilet, I secured what I thought was a nice quiet table and put my order in. Everything was a quid more expensive but even so, breakfast muffin, large spicy chips, a pint of Stowford Press and an energy drink to take away was only £11.36. The service for drinks was excellent but it was annoying when a large family turned up right next to me. Thankfully, they weren't too noisy though as you do get some right horrors in Spoons and I wasn't even a pint deep. I left at 12.15 and walked to the Windsor Trooper. I was only intending on staying for a pint but it was a great place and they had a couple I'd not tried. First up was Rich's Somerset Farmhouse Still, which was excellent with caramel notes. The second pint was Sandford Reserve, not quite as nice as the first but a strong one at 7.2%. Both were £5.20 a pint, a fair price I thought. I was ten minutes behind and rather sluggish by the time I left, but was on schedule for kickoff. I'd met two Wycombe fans in Windsor who recognised my shirt that I'd bought in the sale just this week. Another four miles in the tank and I was at the ground in time for kickoff. I missed out on a programme and a look at the clubhouse however. Tons of hoppers had swelled what already was a decent attendance of 283. I did eventually get a programme during the first half.

 

Old Windsor were in 2nd place and had won seventeen and lost two games. Aside from their loss to today's opponents, they'd also lost 5-3 at Frontline on 1st December. Britwell sat top of the league on 53 points and had won seventeen and drawn two of their games. Their two draws came at FC Baylis United and Langley Reserves. When the two sides met on 8th February, Britwell won the game 2-1. The game kicked off at 14:11 which gave me a chance to rest and say hello to a few people. A bench was kindly provided for me to sit on. On ten minutes, Old Windsor took the lead, a header from the corner. Britwell had a free in an advantageous position, but it was blasted into the wall. The Old Windsor keeper produced a couple of cracking saves to keep his side ahead. It was all square on 38, #15 beating the keeper from an acute angle. The hosts came close from a free kick on 40 minutes. Britwell started the second half brightly and looked to have scored but for a miracle save. A couple of corners later, they led 2-1, amidst much jubilation for their players. One hand on the title now. On the hour, it was all square, a header from a corner. Britwell prevented any further chances and even had a few themselves to win the East Berks Premier title. There were handshakes at the end, but the reign of Old Windsor was over. 


A deserved win for Britwell then, but getting photographs after a delayed kickoff set me behind. Come what may. I walked back, only for an SUV to pull over halfway. I was expecting hoppers but it was some random Asian chap who offered the two-mile lift back to town. A Hoppy Place was pub 3 of the day, a great Micro Pub where I got a couple of bottles to take away. Also a pint to drink there, namely Green Shed Ellis Bitter. This was sensationally good, dry and perfect just like I want. Rather than go to another place, I had a second pint, two-thirds of Green Shed I Like The Way This Is Going which was pleasant. I'd have liked a soft drink and so to Co Op it was for some Traditional Lemonade. Then back to the bus stop for the delayed bus back to Wycombe. It was disappointing not to be able to change in Beaconsfield, at least according to the Carousel App and Google Maps. With the bus filling up rapidly, I was glad I had a single seat with a table so I could crack on with my blog. Once I got to Beaconsfield, Googlr Maps recalibrated itself. i was however, one minute late for the bus home so had a stop in Beaconsfield. Not the end of the world, no time lost but no time gained either with a predicted ETA of 19:50. Just as I went to publish, the 31 turned up, a whole bus to myself for the journey home.


THE GROUND

A decent venue to watch a game, although the pitch is just that roped off on the sides with no dugouts. A clubhouse is available and this has some trophies to look at. Soft drinks are available, as are Cruzampo beer and Inch's cider. Upon my visit, a programme was also available for £2. The town of Windsor is 45 minutes walk away and has food and drink options to suit most tastes. 



Saturday, 24 May 2025

Caversham United - Mapledurham Playing Fields


Caversham United FC
Mapledurham Playing Fields
Upper Woodcote Road
Caversham
Reading 
Berkshire
RG4 7LB







Ground Number: 1431
Saturday 24th May 2025
Caversham United 5-1 Old Windsor Reserves
East Berkshire League Division 1









CAVERSHAM UNITED FC - A BRIEF HISTORY

The club was founded in June 2015, although in previous guises they have been known as AFC Palmer,  RBC Unison, FC Brettle and Miah's. They had three adult football teams at the club, including two men’s sides in the Reading and District Sunday League, Divisions 2 and 4 respectively, and a women’s side in the sixth tier nationally, in the Southern Regional Division 1 North. That was until this season when they joined the East Berkshire League Division 1, which sits at step 9 of the Non-League Pyramid. They are in the promotion hunt and so are looking likely to win promotion to the Premier Division, which feeds into the Thames Valley Premier League, facilities permitting.


The Goats – as they are known (originally the Billy Goats before establishing a women's team) have been making waves off the pitch, have 20,000 followers on Twitter and have used that to raise well over £5,000 for charity. Caversham is a large village and suburb of Reading, located directly north of Reading town centre across the River Thames. Notable landmarks include Caversham Court, a public park and former country house; Caversham Lakes; and part of the Thames Path national trail. The population is just under 24,000, with women's footballer Fran Kirby hailing from the village.


MY VISIT

This game was decided upon around ten days in advance when I received the final Football Traveller of the season. Although it was the dying embers of the season, there were still 18 options available, and that was after excluding anything more than around 80 miles away. After visiting London last week, I was less likely to do anything that was in that area or, indeed, anything that went through it. That only left one option, really, and it was a good value option. That was the East Berkshire League, and I had two options - either FC Bracknell or Caversham United. I opted for the latter due to their prominent social media presence. It was also nice and easy on the bus, albeit it took ages compared to the car. But the cost was less on the bus, and there was a great range of pubs in Reading too. Plenty to keep me on the bladderation trial both before and after. There was even the possibility of getting the Newbury Wetherspoons ticked, if I was willing to fork out for a train and allow time to travel. Though with such a good range in Reading, it was gonna be put off until another day.

From Central London, luck was not on my side, and I had to wait 25 minutes for the tube back to Amersham. Had the bus fare cap been £2, I'd have gone out for an hour or so in London as the train stopped on the way to London Bridge, near one of my favourite pubs. I'd have only had to spend a tenner, and the government would have got back the difference from the old cap in VAT, but that lot ain't the sharpest tools in the box. Back in reality, the increase had meant I'd driven and so, had to be responsible. I was back in Amersham at 7 and home 20 minutes later. I had some food and drink at home, far cheaper, but not as fun. I didn't get the greatest night of sleep as I never get two good nights in a row. Sunday was standard at work, the bliss of an empty store for four and a half hours, followed by the gradual building of the busiest day of the week. The rest of the week dragged with no midweek game, something I'll no doubt have to put up with until July. At least I had a double revisit to Basford United on 14th June with cheap Flixbus tickets secured. Also on Wednesday evening, I completed my research for this blog.
It had been a long week at work without midweek games, so I was glad to have a rest and a few drinks. I was in bed by 10 and got a decent night's sleep despite being woken up by rain. The weather had taken a turn for the worse in the past few days with me having to scrape frost off of the windscreen on Friday morning and rain was scheduled for the day of the game. After having some breakfast, I left at 8 for the walk to the bus station. It was a pleasant morning and a walk with me meeting Colin at 9.20. We got the bus to Reading with a rare case of the £3 cap providing great value for money. The journey was nice at first with some lovely architecture in Henley, but as we got closer to Reading it started to fill up with individuals who are the reason why I'm not a people person outside of football or pubs. People playing music out load and generally being too noisy, so with Colin asleep, I put my headphones on. It was a good decision to come to this game as opposed to FC Bracknell, as the latter's Wetherspoons was closed for refurbishment.

 

We were in Reading at 11.10 and it was a short walk to my first stop of the day, The Alehouse in Reading. This was a mecca for me and I had a pint of Reading Press from Seven Trees cider. An excellent local pint of cider although Colin wasn't too happy with the soft drink range. He wasn't happy with the food prices at either of the next pubs too, but I was happy enough to head to Wetherspoons. The Big Smoke Burger was great for £11.72 with all the trimmings and a pint of Black Dragon. A good example of a Wetherspoons for sure, albeit a revisit for me. The place was packed but the service and drinks range was excellent. Then it was over to Siren. Sadly no Irn Bru Beer as intended but a new cider tick in the form of Red Fin Fresh Apple, which was OK. Finally, Colin was happy after he deemed his hot chocolate in Wetherspoons not chocolately enough. It a cracking place with good vibe and great music. My favourite though of pre-match was The Alehouse, a remarkable place. It was 50 minutes walk to the ground, across the Thames and a bit of a knackerer uphill, but it had all been in a good cause.

 

Caversham United were 3rd in the league and had won fourteen and lost five of their games so far this season. They'd won their last four games that they had played, beating Prospect 8-1 last Saturday. Old Windsor Reserves were 4th, having won eleven, drawn two, and lost five of their games. They were unbeaten in three and had drawn 2-2 at FC Bracknell in their last game. Caversham were the better side and they took the lead on 13 minutes with a close-range finish. The hosts also hit the right-hand post on 21 minutes. They extended their lead a couple of minutes later thanks to a good through ball and tidy finish. Windsor reduced the arrears on 25 minutes through Spires, although the keeper got a hand to the shot from around 15 yards. A player apiece was sent off for their part in a scuffle on 38 minutes - Luck for Caversham and George for Old Windsor. Caversham were unlucky not to score after they chased down a goal kick just before half-time. A dog stealing the corner flag provided a halftime highlight. Five minutes into the second half, a header made it 3-1 to Caversham. A hat trick for Doran. Then on 75 minutes, it was 4-1, a fantastic strike by Mole from 30 yards that sailed past the keeper. In injury time, it was 5-1, Abery turned the ball home from a right-wing cross from within the six-yard box.

 

That was it as far as goals were concerned. It had been a proper hoppers convention with them making up a good proportion of the 30 or so there. Brekk and Laurence were good company and provided many a good tale. Though it was a basic venue, it was a good day out, and I regret not embracing it earlier. From there, it was around 50 minutes walk to the Nag's Head, the two isolated locations meant it wasn't worth getting the bus. Colin headed off home as he didn't fancy the Nag's Head. The place was superb, I got a seat, but my blog would have to wait. First up was my second Seven Trees cider, a half of the locally made Royal County. The pub had a fair few Sunderland fans in it, and they were delighted when their team got a late winner to see them return to the Premier League at the expense of Sheffield United. They only had one of the two needed left, so I had a pint of Kicking Goat whilst a Mackem cracked open some champagne. I could have gone to many more places, but opted for moderation. I was still in a fit state to type my blog and had enjoyed a great day. Via a back alley to relieve myself, which judging by the stench was a well-used place, I was at the bus stop well on time. Another noisy mob on the way home, but with alcoholic anaesthetic imbibed, it was not as irritating as the morning bus.

THE GROUND 

MAPLEDURHAM PLAYING FIELDS is a basic but pleasant setup. There is a building, sadly, no signage for Caversham United. The complex has multiple pitches with no railing or dugouts. Parking is plentiful and there are bus routes nearby. 



Saturday, 17 May 2025

Crofton Albion - Crofton Albion Sports & Social Club


Crofton Albion Football Club
Crofton Albion Sports & Social Club
Weigall Road
Kidbrooke
London
SE12 8HF

0208 856 8385 (Clubhouse)







Ground Number: 1430
Saturday 17th May 2025
Crofton Albion 6-0 OLAHM FC
Bromley & South London League John Cooper Premier Division










CROFTON ALBION FC - A BRIEF HISTORY

The club was established in 1967 by former pupils of the Forest Hill Comprehensive School. They primarily came from two teams - Lewisham Engineers and Old Colfeians. As a number of the players were Charlton Athletic fans, they adopted the initials CAFC with the Crofton part coming from the fact that some players were from the Crofton Park area. They won the London & Kent Border League Division 4 in their first season and also reached the Semi-Final of the League Cup. Early homes included Footscray Road in Eltham, various pitches in Blackheath and the Glentworth Club in Dartford, currently home of Kent Football United. They moved to their current home in the 1980s, purchasing it to secure a permanent home for the club. The pavilion is named in honour of the first Chairman, the late Ted Davis, who gave so much unstinting time in the early days at their home.


Originally a Sunday League side, they added a Saturday team some time ago. Early days were spent in the Bromley & District League, with Crofton Albion winning Division 1 in 1989, the Memorial Cup and Division 3 double in 1993 and the Charity Cup in 1995. They then moved to the South London Football Alliance, winning Division 3 in 2003, Hospital Cups in 2005 & 2006, and the Premier Division in 2008, following a quick club up the divisions. They spent some time back in the Bromley & District League after this before the two leagues merged to form the Bromley & South London League in 2017. Crofton Albion were placed in Division 1 but finished bottom in their first season. A break for the COVID-19 pandemic followed a couple of unremarkable seasons in Division 2. A 3rd place finish in 2022 saw the club promoted to Division 1. Last season, they won the Jim Hampson Division 1 title, earning them promotion to the John Cooper Premier Division for this season. 


MY VISIT 

The choice of games was even less at this point of the season, with almost all of step 7 packed up for the season. There was the Essex Olympian League still going ahead, but there was only one top-level game going ahead. That was Toby, and as they had not played in weeks, I assumed that the league's basement side would not be playing this. However, they corrected me on Twitter and said that they would. There was a lot of CBA-itis in that league, and so it proved as Harold Wood Athletic pulled out of the game. The game against Catholic United was brought forward a week, but even so, it was a tricky one on public transport, and I fancied a day out on the train after driving last week. When the Football Traveller arrived on Wednesday afternoon, I picked out ten choices and narrowed them down to two favourites. They were Kew Park Rangers v London Hibernian in the Surrey South Eastern League, and Crofton Albion v OLAHM FC in the Bromley & South East London League. There was a reasonably functioning Twitter for London Hibernian and Crofton Albion, as I was wary of late cancellations. There had been a flurry of them last FA Cup Final day, and I'd ended up having no game after my original game and two backups all suffered a case of one side being unable or unwilling to fulfil.


After less than five hours of sleep, I was quite tired when I woke up by my alarm at 3.50 in the morning on Sunday. In my tired state, I decided later that I wasn't going to do my usual walk to the Wycombe game as I'd have to fork out £12 to get home. Instead, I'd drive and park two miles away, trying a new takeaway. I'd still be able to have a couple of cans due to it being 3-4 hours before I had to drive, and I'd get home easier and just as quickly. Ultimately, I left work early at 11, making up the hours on Wednesday. I was glad as people were pouring into the store like ants, and it's never nice to be in when it's so busy. I spent a few hours at home, but it was just killing time until it was time to leave. I wouldn't have minded a few drinks either, but I had to think about driving later. Whilst I was waiting, I found out that my planned Liss Athletic v Denmead game on Wednesday had been cancelled, with it being the last scheduled game of the season, it wasn't too much of a shock as not bothering is the easy option at this time of year and is frustratingly rife. I left for the Wycombe game at 4, parking around 40 minutes from the ground to try a Doner Calzone from Giant Pizza. It was well priced at £6.50 and very nice too. A second can was consumed on the way to the ground, where there was a decent atmosphere. It was a battling performance from Wycombe and a great improvement from a few weeks ago when we were thumped 4-0. The 0-0 was a poor football spectacle, though, a real war of attrition. The decision to drive worked, and I was home by 9.30.


Even though I got a fairly early night, I was still quite tired the next morning. I got through work, coming home and discovering that the fixture I was planning on in the Aylesbury & District League had moved ground. The next closest option was in Milton Keynes with a 7 PM kickoff. It was a stormy Monday afternoon, but I decided there and then that it would probably be just Saturdays for the rest of the season. Tuesday was a pleasant day off, and Wednesday was a decent day at work but the week dragged with no football. I learned on Wednesday afternoon that next midweek would be a blank one too. Thursday was a real grueller at work, and I stayed on an extra hour to help clear the backlog. A late decision could have been made to go to the Charlton Athletic v Wycombe Wanderers game, but the club took tickets off sale early. Probably for the best work-wise, as I feel tired in the morning as it is. Instead, I killed time waiting for the TV coverage to start by looking forward to this weekend, thinking that a trip to Crofton Albion would be a good day out. There was a potential Vets game before, and a backup in the same league just around the corner. I watched the Charlton Athletic v Wycombe Wanderers game on Thursday evening. A few drinks were required to watch the atrocity that is Mike Dodds' Wycombe Wanderers. The players and fans were all heroes and did brilliantly, but the negative style of football was abhorrent. We didn't manage a single shot on target for the entire last two hours of the two-legged tie and lost to a scrappy goal. It was what the tactics deserved, and what looked to be a glorious season at the turn of the year has been flushed down the toilet thanks to our egomaniac 'Chief Of Football' Dan Rice.
I was OK on Friday morning initially after going to bed at 11, but was knackered by late morning. I had a relaxed afternoon and evening at home, going to sleep at 9.30. A good night's kip was had for once, and I woke up at 7. It was just a matter of killing time and having breakfast until it was time to leave at 8.50. I opted for my Whitchurch Alport bag and my Abertillery Bluebirds shirt. I would have preferred to have taken the bus, but with the 50% increase in fares, it was uneconomical. Instead, I drove, parked near Amersham station and got to the platform ten minutes before my 09:22 train. It was an easy change at Finchley Road for the Jubilee Line, and I was ahead of time. A delay at Waterloo ate up the time saved, but I got off at Canary Wharf. A pleasant walk later, I got the DLR to Cutty Sark for Wetherspoons 403, The Gate Clock.

 

It got its name from the world-famous clock is mounted on the wall by the double gates leading into the Royal Greenwich Observatory. Installed in 1852, the gate clock is ‘the public face of Greenwich Mean Time’. The map of the area drawn a few years earlier, in 1869, shows that there was a brewery behind the site of these premises. The malt kilns were a long-standing local landmark. Arriving just after 11, Breakfast Muffin, a Monster to take away and a pint of Stowford Press came in at under £5. A pleasant, secluded table was secured, although I was behind time now, but in a relaxed mood. It was a 45 minute walk to 404, The Brockley Barge. The name of this pub recalls the barges which plied their trade on the Croydon Canal. Opened in 1809, the canal was replaced (in 1836) by the railway line, which was laid along the same course. With no new burgers, nor Shawarma Wrap, I had to settle for wings, chips and a pint of Black Dragon for £9. I was slightly behind, leaving at 12.40. A ten-minute walk to the bus stop and a four-minute delay had me arriving bang on kickoff for the vets' game. The game kicked off ten minutes late, or at least for the purposes of this blog it did. I'd had a dump before getting a pint of Strongbow for £4.50 and going outside to the patio. The Crofton Met Yellows bundled home from a corner after 35 minutes. That was it as far as my records were concerned, 50 minutes in, it was over to pitch two. It was later made 0- 2 and then 1-2, 1-3 and  2-3 from what I could tell. Though officially, it was a draw, so I must have missed something.
Crofton Albion were 3rd in the league, having won eleven, drawn three and lost just one of their games so far. Last time out, they had thumped Farnborough Old Boys Guild 5-0, although that was three weeks ago. OLAHM FC were 5th, having won seven, drawn one and lost eight of their games. Last time out, they lost 5-0 to Farnborough OBG. The hosts had won 2-0 at OLAHM earlier in the season and also 3-2 at home in the Queen Mary Cup Quarter Final. I had no idea how the team got their name, but they were established in 2021 and played a few miles away at the Coldharbour Leisure Centre in Mottingham. The game kicked off five minutes late due to four home players needing a piss. It was a small attendance compared to the 40 or so that watched the Vets game. OLAHM had the better of the opening period but Crofton Albion took the lead on 10 minutes, a drilled shot from the edge of the area. An excellent corner from the left and a firm header from within the six-yard box made it 2-0 on 18 minutes, though it was harsh on the visitors. Just before half time, OLAHM had a man sent off for pulling down the last man. In the second half, Crofton made it 3-0 when #8 beat the offside trap and slotted past the keeper. Both sides hit the post, but it was 4-0 around fifteen minutes from time, not that I think it crossed the line, but it was given. The final score on FA Full Time was given as 6-0 however. The game died out after that and was over around 4.20. From there it was to Kidbrooke Station via a meal deal at Sainsbury's and the 16:47 train into London.

THE GROUND

CROFTON ALBION SPORTS & SOCIAL CLUB is a decent setup. It has plenty of parking and a bar and a decent food menu. It also shows TV football. The pair of pitches are fairly basic with no railing or dugouts. It's a nice, friendly club to visit, and the standard of football in the Bromley and South London League is decent.