Friday, 30 October 2015

AFC Sudbury - Kings Marsh Stadium


AFC Sudbury
Kings Marsh Stadium
Brundon Lane
Sudbury
Suffolk
CO10 7HN







Ground Number: 532
Friday 30th October 2015
AFC Sudbury Reserves 1-6 Wivenhoe Town
Eastern Counties D1



AFC SUDBURY - A BRIEF HISTORY

AFC SUDBURY were formed in 1999 after the merger of 2 local teams Sudbury Wanderers and Sudbury Town. They started in the Eastern Counties League Premier Division, finishing 3rd in their first season. In the next 5 years they were champions on every single occasion, despite having the facilities in place. Finally in 2005-06, they took up promotion, despite only finishing 3rd. The Isthmian D1 North was their destination and they coped with the step up excellently, finishing in the playoff places in each of their first 2 seasons. Their bids for promotion did not end in success, and in 2008 they were transferred to the Southern League D1 Central for a couple of seasons, before going back to the Isthmian. Up until last season was a series of mid table finishes, but after finishing 3rd there was more playoff heartache as they lost out to Brentwood Town in the semi final.

The club reached the FA Cup 1st Round in 2000. After beating Southend Manor, Brook House,  Heybridge Swifts, Leek Town and Belper Town, they faced then football league side Darlington. That was where their dream ended, with them crashing out 6-1, but it was still a great showing to get that far. The FA Trophy 1st Round has been reached on 3 occasions, but the biggest case of 'always the bridesmaid, but never the bride' has to be in the FA Vase. In 2002 they reached the semi-final, losing to Tiptree United, just missing out on a Wembley final. They did, however, make the cut for the following 3 seasons but Brigg Town, Winchester City & Didcot Town were the victors on each occasion. Local cup success has been had in the Suffolk Senior Cup in 2003/04 and also the Eastern Counties League Cup in 2006.

As for the reserve team, they joined the Eastern Counties League Division 1 in 2013. They finished 14th & 19th in their first 2 seasons but this season has seen much better progress with them sitting in 10th at the start of the game. Visitors Wivenhoe Town would be tough opposition, however, topping the league with 10 wins and a draw from their 11 games so far. 



MY VISIT

As my parents were away until late on Friday evening, I decided that a bit of football was in order. There were plenty of options, but the closest was AFC Sudbury v Wivenhoe Town. It was actually their reserve team that played in the Eastern Counties League but as it was a decent ground and a good standard going on previous experience, I was happy to go. I was even more pleased when Anwar said he would come, as well as Dan & Maurice who I'd planned to meet in Braintree which would help a great deal with fuel costs, as well as providing great company. On the day of the game, it was a very busy day at work, and I didn’t get finished until 1.15PM. I then went home, getting some lunch, having a bath and leaving to meet Anwar at 4PM. I got to Anwar at 4.20 and we were soon on our way. I'd planned to meet mates in Braintree at 6.15 and despite 20 minutes delay on the M25 we made it up elsewhere and arrived bang on time. After half an hour we were at the ground and after taking pictures of the outside we went in, me paying £6 which included a programme. The floodlights were only part on, so I went to the bar for a £3.30 pint of Aspalls.



I went outside and got pictures of the ground, as well as having a portion of chips. They were so good I had a second one, at £1.20 they were a bargain. I stood with the lads on the other side of the ground. AFC Sudbury dominated the first 20 minutes but it was Wivenhoe Town who took the lead, following up after the keeper parried the initial shot. The hosts continued to have the better of the game but just before halftime Wivenhoe made it 2-0 as a ball across the 6-yard box was bundled in. Wivenhoe bossed the start of the second half and extended their lead to 3-0 with an own goal. It was soon 4-0 with the best goal of the night, blasted into the top corner from just outside the area. It was very harsh on Sudbury and they got a consolation with 25 minutes to go with a close-range finish. Wivenhoe extended their 4 goal cushion minutes later with a fine goal as the forward slalomed through the area before finishing well. In the dying embers of the game, Wivenhoe made it 6-1 with a close-range finish.


It was harsh on the hosts after they dominated the first half, but they barely had a kick in the second. I’d have said that 3-1 would have been a more reflection on proceedings. In any case, it was time to hit the road again and after dropping Dan & Maurice in Braintree at 10.15 and Anwar in Aylesbury at 11.30, I was back by 11.50. After typing my blog and watching a bit of TV I went to sleep at 1.30, ready for another day of football tomorrow.



THE GROUND

THE KINGS MARSH STADIUM is a smart ground, almost certainly good enough for the Conference South. The Main Stand holds around 300, while opposite an area of covered terracing has room for around 500. There is cover behind both goals too, though it is flat standing, probably about 800 capacity in total. The ground is smart and well presented and this extends to the bar which is large and bright with a good selection of drinks and TV sports. The tea bar is also excellent with great chips and a wide selection of other stuff. A good range of other merchandise is available, though sadly no pens, pennants or old programmes on my visit. Just as well they have good facilities as the location is a fair walk from anywhere, but it’s well worth a visit, be it a first-team game in the Isthmian League or a reserves game in the Eastern Counties League.

Sunday, 18 October 2015

Cadbury Heath - Springfield


Cadbury Heath FC
Springfield
Cadbury Heath Road
Warmley
Bristol
BS30 8BX








Ground Number: 530
Saturday 17th October 2015
Cadbury Heath 0-0 Cribbs
Western League Premier Division







CADBURY HEATH FC - A BRIEF HISTORY

CADBURY HEATH FC was formed in 1894. After playing in the Gloucestershire County League for much of their existence they joined the Western League in 2000. Starting at Division 1 level they struggled at first, but things gradually improved and they were champions in 2012. This earned them promotion to the Premier Division, where they finished a best-ever 4th place in their first season. Since then, 2 mid-table finishes have followed with them sitting in 17th at the time of the game, though still being unbeaten at home.

In the FA Cup, their best season came in 2011/12 when they beat Corsham, Slimbridge and Bishop Sutton before a comprehensive 4-0 defeat to Poole Town in the 2nd Qualifying Round. The FA Vase Quarter Finals were reached in 1976, with another good run occurring in 2010/11 when they reached the 4th Round. The club were also runners up in the Les Phillips Cup that season as they lost to Ilfracombe Town in the final.



MY VISIT

This was the 3rd game on Saturday, and usually, that's the one for me where fatigue normally sets in, before I seem to get a second wind for the last game of the day under floodlights. Unlike their Midlands-based namesakes Cadbury Athletic, this team has nothing to do with the chocolate brand and are instead based in the Cadbury Heath area of Bristol.  It would be the highlight of me as a cider drinker, the nearby King William IV pub reportedly offering a great selection, though my intake would be restricted by my driving duties. It was just a short mile trip to the next game at Cadbury Heath. During the last game, I'd learned that Wycombe were 1-0 down to Stevenage. Nothing shocking about that, only the fact that it was the Stevenage keeper who had scored. It bought back memories of Scott Barratt scoring for bitter rivals Colchester back in my first season of 1991/92. We gained 94 points from 42 games that season but lost out on promotion to the Football League on goal difference as there were no playoffs back then. I'd already planned my pub, 'The King William' which was reported to have 10 ciders on tap. I went along with a load of fellow hoppers, including Sussex Hopper. There I had a pint of Taunton Traditional Dry, which I've not had for about 15 years. While we were drinking, there was a huge bang in the pub which made everyone jump. The landlord didn't seem that bothered, looking up before carrying on pouring a pint. It looked a bit of a rough and ready place, but at least I'd had a decent drink.



I made my way over to the ground and as I was going in I learned that Wycombe had gone 2-0 down. I had a couple of sausage rolls pre-match and that staved off my hunger for a bit. The match started at a quieter tempo than the previous 2. There were not many chances and I guess after 13 goals in the first 2 games, it was destined to end in a disappointing 0-0 draw. I then drove to the 4th ground of the day, Keynsham Town which was a revisit for me and is covered elsewhere on this blog. From there it was a 90-minute drive home, with me getting in at 11.15. I watched the rest of Match Of The Day before struggling to get to sleep just after midnight. With just a few hours sleep, the tiredness the next day was worth it, as it had been a highly enjoyable weekend and a good ending to my week off.


THE GROUND

SPRINGFIELD is a pretty average venue for this level. All the covered accommodation is on one side, with seats for around 100 and cover for around 150. There are standard tea bar and bar facilities at the ground, with further options a short walk away.

Oldland Abbotonians - Aitchison Playing Field


Oldland Abbotonians FC
Aitchison Playing Field
Castle Road
Oldland Common 
South Gloucestershire
BS30 9SZ

Official Website
Twitter






Ground Number: 529
Saturday 17th October 2015
Oldland Abbotonians 3-4 Ashton & Backwell United
Western League D1


OLDLAND ABBOTINIANS - A BRIEF HISTORY

OLDLAND ABBOTONIANS were formed in 1998 following the merger of Longwell Green Abbotonians and Oldland. Initially starting in the Somerset League, they joined the Western League in 2007 and have remained in Division 1 ever since. Mixed fortunes have ensued since then, with them finishing runners up to Merthyr Town in 2011, but being unable to take promotion due to ground grading issues. They were enjoying a decent season this time around, sitting in 7th place prior to kick off.

Prior to this season the FA Competitions, every single game had seen defeat. The only outing in the FA Cup saw a 9-3 loss to Bristol Manor Farm in 2013-14 whilst the FA Vase has seen them lose out against Downton, Hythe & Dibden and Bradford Town. This season saw their first ever FA Vase win as they laid old ghosts to rest by beating Downton 3-0 but a 1-0 defeat to Lymington Town in the 2nd Round followed. A number of local cups have been won, most notably the Western League's Les Phillips Cup in 2009.



MY VISIT

For the second game of the Saturday on the Western League Hop, it was new territory for me in Oldland Abbotonians. Though I had been to the first two grounds of the hop for pictures, en route to other games, this would be a completely new one for me. Ideally I'd have been staying overnight the day before, but the accommodation was so pricey in these parts that I decided to return home. The situation was so tricky that Groundhop UK had to go as far west as Weston-Super-Mare to find a hotel. The coach was the same situation price wise - for the longer trips, it was superb value, notably on trips up to Scotland and my first hop where we went to Bridlington Town and covered a lot of miles. But with these grounds, it was a lot cheaper for me to drive as they were so close together. That said the coach provides an invaluable and reliable service for those without their own transport. In any case, as soon as I got there I went straight to the tea bar to sample some of their beef chilli. It was delicious and superb value at £2.50 for a large portion. I went to the programme stall and made a couple more purchases. Namely the programme from the opening game at Scunthorpe's ground and a World Cup 98 guide for 50p each. I chilled with a can of Thatchers Old Rascal while I waited for the game to kick off.



The visitors were the better side in the opening moments and they took the lead on 14 minutes from a finish from just outside the 6-yard box. They doubled their lead on 32 minutes and were by far the better side. Shortly before half time, they made it 3-0 when Conor Biggins converted a penalty kick to complete his hat trick. At half time the attendance was announced as 201. As with the first game, the second half was a completely different game in terms of who dominated. Oldland came out reinvigorated and pulled one back through Tom Morgan's header on 49 minutes. Despite this flourish, the game soon calmed down and it was Sam Skidmore who converted from a great cross on 76 minutes to extend the visitors lead to 4-1. Though 2 late goals made it 4-3 to Ashton, it was too little, too late and the visitors held on for the win.




THE GROUND

AITCHISON PLAYING FIELD is a pretty basic venue. There is just the one stand, this comprises of around 50 seats and 150 standing spaces. The rest of the ground is open. Though it's down a very narrow lane, there is plenty of parking too. There's a reasonable bar and on my visit, there was excellent catering, though there is also a Fish & Chip shop near the ground if you prefer.