Saturday, 11 March 2023

Yateley United - Sean Devereux Park


Yateley United FC 
Sean Devereux Park
Chandlers Lane
Yateley 
Hampshire
GU46 7SS







Ground Number: 1153
Saturday 11th February 2023
Yateley United 2-2 Burghfield (4-2 pens)
Thames Valley League Cup Quarter Final








YATELEY UNITED FC - A BRIEF HISTORY

The club played only friendly games at first. There had been a club called Yateley & Eversley prior to this as well, but the official formation date is given as 1902, and was called Yateley FC. They played in local leagues at first, such as the Aldershot Junior League & the Surrey Senior League. By 1978, they had changed their name to Yateley Town. That year, they were founder members of the Combined Counties League, which was known as the Home Counties League for the first year of its existence. Their debut season of 9th was their best finish, but after struggling for a few seasons, they left in 1984. There was then a split in the club, with the spin-off club Yateley Green being the most prominent. They won the Aldershot Senior League Division 1 in 1995 and joined the Hampshire League. Starting in Division 3, a 5th place finish in their first season was good enough for promotion. A 4th place finish in Division 2 was a decent start; by 1999, reorganization saw them placed in Division 1. However, they struggled and in 2003 were relegated to Division 2 after finishing bottom of the table. They spent one season here before becoming founder members of the newly formed Wessex League Division 3. Again, they found things difficult and finished bottom before leaving the league.


Yateley Green would return to local football and the Aldershot Senior League along with the other Yateley clubs. Town won it in 2003 and Green won it in 2011. In 2012, they joined the Surrey Elite Intermediate League, becoming champions in their first season. The following year,  four Yateley-based clubs - Beaulieu FC, Yateley Green AFC, Yateley FC, and Yateley FC Youth - merged to form a single club. They carried on where Green had left off but did not kick on. By 2017 after a few disappointing seasons, they switched to the Surrey County Intermediate League (West). They finished 8th in their only season here before moving to the Hellenic League Division 2. Yateley finished 5th in the East Division in their first season. Their best form sadly coincided with the Coronavirus pandemic so they never knew what might have been. The club switched to the Thames  Valley Premier League in 2021, finishing 3rd in their debut season and remaining there to this day.


Due to a lack of facilities, the club are yet to compete in the FA Cup or FA Vase. Locally they won the Aldershot Senior Cup in 1986. The club plays at Sean Devereux Park, which has seen recent significant redevelopment. Whilst it was being done up, they played at Cody Sports & Social Club in Farnborough, Cove FC & Sandhurst Town for a couple of years. The town of Yateley is located in Hampshire and has a population of around 20,000. Cricket is also played in the town, the cricket field is on the same complex as the football. Sean Devereux Park was named after a British Salesian missionary and aid worker murdered in Kismayo, Somalia in 1993 while working for UNICEF. He was fatally shot in the back of the head by a lone hired gunman while walking near the UNICEF compound on Saturday, 2 January 1993, aged 28. Other famous people with links to the area include footballer Jed Wallace. In 2011 Hart district was named the UK's most desirable place to live, and Yateley was mentioned in a BBC News article as one of the towns within the district.


MY VISIT

This weekend was planned back in January whilst I was in the pub pre Wycombe Wanderers v Sheffield Wednesday. We lost that day, which may have proved to be an omen for this trip. Having seen a lot of people visiting Hucknall and being impressed, I put a plan in motion to pay them a visit myself. I remember it as being good for pubs, so I wanted to do it by public transport. I booked the Flixbus from Finchley Road to Nottingham for a fiver each way and assumed that by mid-March that we would be enjoying the start of spring. This proved to be far from the case with freezing temperatures and snow predicted in the week leading up to the game. I would have to play it by ear, but at least I'd not be losing much money unlike if I'd opted for the train.


It was a disappointing result on Saturday for Wycombe as they drew 1-1 against Exeter. Sunday was as dreadful as ever with a packed store and lots of screaming children at work. Monday wasn't much better as I'd spent a couple of days on my old department with all the frustration that it brought. There was at least some positive news as thanks to a very helpful person on Twitter, I was able to procure a Slovakia v Bosnia ticket for a few weeks' time. I'd initially had a bit of trouble as it was geo-restricted due to Bosnia fans misbehaving at a previous game. I was grateful that a complete stranger had gone out of their way to help me as I might have had to miss out.

It was a week of further revisits for me. Monday saw me walk up to my second most local club Penn & Tylers Green for their Allied Counties Youth League game against Slough Town, It was a comprehensive 6-1 win for the visitors with the fifth being a cracking strike. Tuesday was far better at Wycombe as we beat Fleetwood 2-0. It was the usual pre-match routine and generally just an enjoyable evening out. I was supposed to make another visit to Holmer Green on Thursday night, however, their Allied Counties League game against Didcot Town was off due to a waterlogged pitch. It became increasingly apparent on Friday that my trip to Nottingham would not be going ahead. Games were falling up there and with Friday night games off due to snowbound pitches and the whole of the Leicestershire Senior League programme cancelled, I had a strong feeling it would be a fruitless journey. I spent Friday night researching the history of Baldock Town FC, which took far longer than expected. This turned out to be a bit of a waste of time, not that that would become apparent until the next morning.


There was some confusion over the kickoff - Apsley Argyle and FA Full Time said 15:00 whilst Baldock Town's Twitter said 14:00. The hosts later confirmed 15:00 but I was gonna get there with time to spare if possible. Either time would have suited me fine - later and I'd have more time in the morning before leaving, earlier and I could go and watch the second half at Arlesey, a ground I'd really like to revisit. There turned out to be even more confusion, as when I awoke in the morning, I found that the game had been 'moved' to a local leisure centre. It turned out they don't actually play at the Arena and the FA Full Time site, not for the first time, turned out to be completely hopeless. Not the club's fault, but the Football Traveller and Apsley Argyle's Twitter had repeated the 'lie' before the latter corrected themselves when I checked again. I considered something in the Middlesex League and Roffey but eventually settled on Yateley United. I'd tried to visit them on 26th November, but opponents Wraysbury pulled out on the day of the game. Another attempt was made on 21st January, but this time, a frozen pitch called the game off whilst I was on the way to the game against Wargrave.


This time, it was a Thames Valley League Cup game, interestingly, since my first attempt, they'd only managed four home games. I awoke around 7 on the day of the game and took a couple of hours pottering about and trying to decide where to go. I walked down to Lidl to give me time to think, picking up a few bits and getting the bus home. As ever on a walk, it gave me time to think and that was when I settled upon Yateley. Shortly after I got back at 12, it was confirmed as game on, not that it had prevented it from being called off last time. I had a bratwurst baguette before leaving and continued to listen to the BBC 3CR Non-League show on the way to the game. I left later than I hoped, around 12.50. I used Waze to get me to the game and it coped well, aside from a wait at a level crossing. I was there by 1.55 and initially thought I'd had a wasted journey when there was no activity. However, that turned out to be the second pitch and the game was fine. I had a quick look around and purchased a programme for £1 before settling down to watch the game.

In terms of league position, it was 1st v 3rd, hosts Yateley having an unblemished record and visitors Burghfield also doing well. The sides had only met a couple of weeks ago, Yateley United beating Burghfield in a 4-3 thriller. To get this far, the hosts had beaten Wargrave 2-0 whilst Burghfield had won 3-0 at Woodley United Royals and 5-0 at Maidenhead Town. It was a fairly even start, before Yateley United hit the post after five minutes. The hosts took the lead after 11 minutes, lines not cleared allowed Charlie Westell to rifle home from the edge of the area. Burghfield had a good spell but Yateley defended well. It was 1-1 on 26 minutes when a corner from the left was headed home by Teo Atik. Two minutes later, Yateley retook the lead, a cross was only partially cleared before being gratefully poked home by Westell for his and his teams' second. It was becoming a keenly competed game with some hard tackles going in. Burghfield forced a series of corners but it came to nothing. They did manage to equalise right on halftime. Pinball in the area led to  Ollie Brown poking home from inside the area. The second half saw Burghfield make a bright start but there were fewer chances in the second period. It went to a penalty shootout and although the visitors had put up a brave resistance, the hosts triumphed 4-2 from the spot.

It had been a great game and the majority of the 80 or so crowd went home happy. I had enjoyed the day out, but elsewhere, it had been a day of frustration. Fellow hopper Anwar had got a lift to Heacham, a distant ground that I'd have loved to do. To be fair to him, he like me, had been under the impression that I'd be off to Baldock. There was also bad news on the Wycombe front. I listened to the second half as they went down 2-1 at ten-man Burton Albion, a lame performance according to those that went. I'd been hoping to get a second game, possibly a second half somewhere but by the time I left Yately at 4.10, it was pointless. I also passed up the chance of a revisit to Edgware & Kingsbury as it was way off route. Instead, I got in at 5.15, had a few drinks and also had steak and chips for dinner. No Match Of The Day for me, due to the BBC's disgraceful treatment of national treasure Gary Lineker. He'd been suspended for criticizing government policy. A load of other presenters walked out in solidarity and so the Beeb's flagship football show was reduced to a twenty-minute afterthought.


THE GROUND

SEAN DEVEREUX PARK is a huge sports complex amongst other things and so there is plenty of parking. It is also quite isolated from what I saw. The facilities at the ground are decent, a smart bar, though nothing special on the cider front. They also do food, but I didn't sample it. A good programme is also available for most games. As for the ground, it is fully railed and there is hard standing on two sides. It is open aside from a stand under construction that will being their seating capacity up to step six standard. Floodlights are due to be put in by October. All in all, a good place to visit and I think they will do themselves proud at a higher level. The club are welcoming and helpful on Twitter for any visitors.

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Friday, 3 March 2023

Ellesmere Rangers - Beech Grove


Ellesmere Rangers FC
Beech Grove Stadium
Beech Grove
Ellesmere
Shropshire
SY12 0BZ






Ground Number: 1152
Friday 3rd March 2023
Ellesmere Rangers 2-1 Alsager Town
NWCFL D1 South






ELLESMERE RANGERS FC - A BRIEF HISTORY

The club was established in 1969 following a meeting in the Railway pub and was initially known as Railway Rangers. They joined the Oswestry & District League and were initially managed by a committee. In 1974 the club was renamed Ellesmere Rangers. They moved to the Shrewsbury & West Shropshire League in 1975. During the 1980s Ellesmere moved up to the Shropshire County League. They won the league in 2004, earning promotion to Division Two of the West Midlands (Regional) League. After finishing fourth in Division Two in their first season in the league, the club were promoted to Division One. They went on to win Division One in 2006 and were promoted to the Premier Division. In 2010 the club were Premier Division champions, securing promotion to the Midland Alliance. The league sat at step 5 of the non-league pyramid, so the 13th-place finish in 2011 was a club record. Two years later they finished bottom and were relegated back to the WMRL Premier. Ellesmere spent five more seasons here before making the sideways switch to the North West Counties League Division 1 South in 2018. They've generally struggled since, however, this season has seen a sharp rise in fortunes with them sitting on the edge of the playoffs.


Ellesmere Rangers made their FA Cup debut in 2008 and to date, this remains their best run. They beat Dudley Sports before a significant giant-killing of step 4 Bromsgrove Rovers. Their run came to an end in the 1sy Qualifying Round after a replay against Cradley Town. In the FA Vase, their best run came in 2011. They beat Rocester, Walsall Wood and Bartley Green before losing to Norton United in the 2nd Round. Local cup wins include the Shropshire Junior Cup in 1981, the Shropshire Challenge Cup in 2010 and the Shropshire Premier Cup in 2014. Their record attendance of 355 came for that FA Cup game against Bromsgrove. The most famous player to play for the side is Steve Jagielka. The midfielder made 176 appearances for Shrewsbury Town between 1997 & 2003 before winding down his career with Ellesmere in 2012.


Ellesmere is a town in Shropshire, England, located near the Welsh border and the towns of Oswestry and Whitchurch, and the Welsh city of Wrexham. It is notable for its proximity to a number of prominent Meres. The population is just under 4,000. The town was once known for its dairy produce, especially cheese. However, the factory closed in January 1987. The town is twinned with the Flemish town of Diksmuide in Belgium.
MY VISIT

This game was decided around a week after reviewing my options in the Football Traveller. It was either a trip to Ellesmere Rangers or something in Wales. With fellow hopper Colin keen on the former, it was a pretty easy choice. The weather looked set to be frozen again, even as we entered March. Just in case, we had a backup in the Welsh Cup Semi-Final between Bala Town and Connah's Quay Nomads, being played an hour away at Flint Town United which was a 3G surface. However, with it being an organised hop event, I had reasonable confidence about it going ahead, despite the 2 degrees forecast.
The week had been quiet on the groundhopping front, thanks to having my car in for MOT & service. The bill was reasonable for once, working out at around 5p a mile. This will be added to my fuel costs to get a fairer reflection of the price versus public transport. It works out at around 21p a mile but does not include insurance, the cost of the car or depreciation, some things are always going to happen even if I just used it for work. I had one game, my 20th visit to my local club Holmer Green for their game against Eaton Socon. The game was not bad and far better than the 0-0 scoreline suggested, despite lacking serious efforts on goal. Work was starting to grate again with me really looking forward to 12 days off in a fortnight's time.


The day of the game came and I was working as per usual. The 4 pm finish would mean that time would be tight, so I wanted to fill up with petrol in the morning. That was done with ease, but the day really dragged. I was out promptly and met Colin who had been sheltering from the cold in the store. Aside from a few sticky spots, it was a good journey up with us getting there at 7. We parked outside on the road as I couldn't see the entrance. The car park had plenty of space though and it was a great start with entry £5 and a programme £1. I then got a great chicken curry and chips for £5, an Ellesmere scarf for £5 and a book about non-league football for £5. Everything was superbly organised which isn't always the case. I've been in small queues that have taken half an hour, but despite the packed bar service was swift. It was great to bump into plenty of familiar and friendly faces.  This included the Linesman, Carl Arrowsmith who was a fellow hopper and had the physique to match our beloved hobby.
Ellesmere were in 6th place, but their form was average. They'd won 4-0 against Stockport Georgians in their last game as well as winning 4-0 at Stockport Town in the game before that. Their trio of recent wins had started with a 1-0 win over Stafford Town. However, they'd lost the three before that - 2-0 at Wythenshawe Amateurs, 4-3 to New Mills and 2-1 to Barnton. Visitors Alsager Town were in 17th and their form reflected this. They'd drawn 1-1 at New Mills in their last game and also 1-1 at Stockport Georgians. Their sole win had come as they beat Cheadle Town 2-0 but they'd lost 2-0 to Wythenshawe Amateurs, 1-0 at Cheadle Heath Nomads and 2-1 at Foley Meir. Ellesmere started on top and on Steve Hole hit the angle of post and bar on 35 minutes with a shot from 20 yards. From there, Alsager broke up the other end and a low shot into the bottom corner from Harry Bebbington. Alasager were in the midst of a good spell but Ellesmere forced a great save and a corner from close range. Just before halftime, Alsager drilled shot wide and retained the lead going into the break, The visitors continued on top and five minutes into the second half, they came close again. The Ellesmere equaliser came against the run of play and was scored by Jack Harris, getting on the end of a free kick routine. The hosts then settled into the game and took the lead on 79 minutes, a 25-yard shot from Carl Rogers finding the bottom corner of the net. This was harsh on Alsager and they smashed the post with a great shot from 30 yards. Ellesmere did have the ball in the net again, following a scramble but the 'goal' was ruled offside.
The final attendance was announced as 272. Not bad, but Ellesmere, as excellent hosts, deserved more. They had certainly made the most of their opportunity and would have done well out of merchandise and food. Hoppers from as far away as Norway had been in attendance and poor Anders had had a wasted night in Wycombe after Risborough Rangers had changed their fixture at late notice. Tom had also come from the land of Fjords and both were great company. Colin had become famous amongst the hopping contingent for his part in Pastagate and although he consumed some fetid creation as soon as we got in the car, he was clean and tidy. 85 hoppers had checked in on Futbology, but we must have been one of the few heading home. I only had Eccleshall left to 'tick' out of this year's hosts. There were roadworks coming out of Ellesmere, but fair play, there were actually people hard at work on this one, unlike the dreadful Cadent works that you see everywhere. Equally repugnant were the works on the M6, with the customary incompetence and inconvenience that this dreadful motorway brings. Half an hour was added to my journey and I dropped Colin off at 12.45, getting in just after 1. A parcel including a box of Ross Cider Major SVC was waiting for me and a pint of this helped me chill. It was superb and I was very tempted by another but held off with a heavy day tomorrow. It was still after 3 before I got to bed though, what with me taking time to do this blog.
THE GROUND

BEECH GROVE is an excellent venue and home to a great club. The only covered area is a combined seating (75) and standing (around 150). The rest of the ground is open and very well-kept. The bar is pleasant and has a reasonable range of drinks whilst the food is decent also. There's plenty of parking and the town is around 15 minutes walk away.

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