Eaton Socon - River Road

Eaton Socon FC

River Road

Eaton Ford

Saint Neots

Cambridgeshire

PE19 7AU

07737 431909

Official Website

Twitter

Ground Number: 981
Tuesday 10th August 2021
Eaton Socon 2-3 Hemingfords United

Cambridgeshire County Premier

EATON SOCON FC - A BRIEF HISTORY

As with many clubs at this level, there is scant information on their history on the internet. However, from their badge, you can tell they were established in 1867, making them one of the oldest clubs in Cambridgeshire, and indeed, football itself. The club has been a member of the step 7 Cambridgeshire County League Premier Division since 2005. This was following them being crowned champions of the Senior Division A following the 2004/05 season. Finishes have ranged from a low of 14th in 2012 to a high pf 4th in 2016 & 2017. The following season saw them miss out on promotion due to their pitch being too short, with Lakenheath going up instead. However, the situation has now been remedied with the pitch being turned around. During the last two seasons, they have been amongst the front runners in the division with them being 4th and 3rd during the two curtailed seasons. The area of Eaton Socon is in Cambridgeshire and has a population of around 9,000. Up until 1965, it was part of Bedfordshire but was then merged with St Neots, the nearest large town.

MY VISIT

Originally on this day, I was keen to do an FA Cup replay, however, they were all a fair way away. I was happy to have Anwar back hopping with me and so looked for what other options there were. Step 7 and below often throws up some gems and so proved to be the case again with a decent ground and an early kick-off at Eaton Socon. The weekend had seen the return of football at Wycombe Wanderers and it had been joyous. I'd not really been getting the buzz in the days leading up to the game, but as soon as I got back into my routine, I enjoyed it. There was the walk down town and a couple of pints at the Rose & Crown. I then met Anwar for the walk to the ground, via lunch at Grillbox around halfway. There was then a can from the corner shop before walking to the ground. It was good to bump into faces that I'd not seen in 16 months. To cap it all, we beat Accrington Stanley 2-1, our first home victory against them since 2009. I even walked home after, having another pint en route.

It was just a shame it was followed by a couple of hectic days at work. With the schools on holiday, the place was packed and chaos and if there was ever an advert for a vasectomy clinic, that was it. It was nice to have a day off on Tuesday and do my usual walk to town and back. I covered eight and a half miles in all, coming back and having steak and chips for lunch. I also did some future planning for my future games, looking at all the possibilities. I watched Classic Coronation Street before leaving at 3.50. I was with Anwar at 4.15 and he was there waiting for me. The journey didn't get off to the best start with ten minutes delay thanks to roadworks at Rowsham. We also had to go the back route through Woburn due to a problem with our usual Milton Keynes route There were then further delays at the Black Cat roundabout but we were there by 6.40. I wasn't really hungry at this point, making do with my Aldi 'Pringles'. I still walked with Anwar to the chippy though before going back to the ground.

Entry was £3 and a programme was a further £1. It was a shame there wasn't much on the club's history in the programme, but it was a decent effort. It was produced by the local firm 'Barnes Print' who supply the clubs the programmes for free but keep the money made from adverts. It's a great idea for both parties with them supplying several clubs in the area. Hemingfords started the game brightly and they took the lead on 12 minutes. They were awarded a penalty for a foul in the area and Michael Speed converted. Four minutes later, it was 1-1, a ball was put across and #10 curled home from 12 yards. The hosts started to dominate, especially at the start of the second half. Eaton Socon went 2-1 up on 48 minutes when a player volleyed home from around 15 yards on the angle. They continued to dominate but on 58 minutes the visitors broke away and were awarded a penalty after the linesman spotted a handball. The penalty was saved but Speed followed up for this second. Eaton Socon went up the other end and hit the post from a tight angle but the goal had changed the game. Hemingfords took the lead on 75 minutes, a great run and then a shot that was curled in the top corner from 20 yards by Owen Mullee. The visitors' number 9 was booked on 83 minutes for trying to win a third penalty for his side. The game had died down by now as they saw the game out and certainly, their band of supporters made themselves known to the referee. There were around 50 there in all, they witnessed a really good game.

After the game, we left at 8.05, having had a really decent night. The result had been a bit harsh on the hosts who deserved at least a point but Hemingfords United had shown plenty of spirit to get their win. Wycombe were playing down at Exeter in the League Cup. We couldn't pick up the game as we were so far away so had to make do with Stevenage v Luton. It kept us entertained for most of the journey and as we got nearer home, we could get a faint signal. The A418 that had given us problems earlier was completely closed, so we had to come back via Winslow. I dropped Anwar off at 9.10 but wouldn't be home as quick as expected. Part of the A413 was closed and so I had to pull over and fire up Google Maps to make a small diversion. I was back half an hour later, just as the game was going to a penalty shoot-out. As I no longer had an FM Radio of my own, I had to rely on Twitter for updates. It was like going back to the days of Teletext or old Football Manager games, but happily, Wycombe won. It wasn't without its drawbacks though as we picked up a few injuries. I typed my blog before getting into bed at 11 and going to sleep around an hour later.

THE GROUND

RIVER ROAD is a great venue for step 7 football. The pitch is fully railed and enclosed and it has partial hard standing. There's a small stand with seating for around 15 and standing for around 60 more. There's also another stand in progress. The facilities at the ground are reasonable, a small club room selling cans and snacks, plus a larger bar that is shared with the bowls club. Nearby is a chip shop and a 'One Stop' convenience store. Further afield is a pub. There is plenty of parking at the ground and although I'm not sure about buses, it's just about walkable from St Neots town centre.