AFC Cubo - Quintin Hogg Riverside Pitch

AFC Cubo

Quintin Hogg Riverside Pitch

Hartington Road

Chiswick

London 

W4 3TL

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Ground Number: 1375
Saturday 23rd November 2024

AFC Cubo 2-1 Bagshot
Surrey County Premier CFL

AFC CUBO - A BRIEF HISTORY

The club was formed in 1999 by a group of former Newcastle University students who moved to London. Back in the very first days of the club, some ringers were roped in to make up the numbers and one of these offered to arrange a kit through his girlfriend’s father who ran a textiles business. Being a Man City fan he went ahead and chose Baby Blue as the official colour of AFC Cubo. One of the founding members working for The Cubo Group (a marketing company specialising in “pleasure” brands) approached his boss for some sponsorship and he agreed to donate £100 in exchange for the club taking on the name of the company. As such, AFC Cubo came into existence and joined the Wimbledon and District League. They have led a nomadic existence over the years and after starting out at the Barnes Elms Sports Trust, they moved to the Aspire Southfields Academy before settling at their current home.

Promotion was earned from Division 3 to the Premier Division of the Wimbledon & District Premier League. They survived though and improved season on season. Following two third-place finishes they won the title in 2009, remaining unbeaten through the league season. This earned them promotion to the Surrey South Eastern Combination where they were runners-up to RH123 Athletic in 2010. Promotion was earned to Division 1 though and the following year AFC Cubo took the title. Promotion to the Surrey Elite Intermediate Football League followed and after a series of variable finishes, they won the title in 2019. This is their highest finish to date, sitting as it does at step 7 of the non-league pyramid. Following two abandoned seasons due to the pandemic, the league changed its name to the Surrey Premier County League. AFC Cubo were runners-up to Wimbledon Casuals in 2023.

MY VISIT

This was a free Saturday for me as I wasn't fussed about going to Lincoln City v Wycombe Wanderers, a ground I have visited many times. I had not paid a visit to Borough Market in ages and with Christmas approaching, I wanted to do so. Even so, options were limited with most of the step 7 I needed outside of the TFL area. My first choice would have been Hackney Marshes but neither Camden & Islington United or Hilltop Reserves had a reliable Twitter account. This was a shame as I'd long wanted to take a deep dive into the early 1990s TV series by Danny Baker called 'The Game' which was based around Hackney Marshes. In the end, after much searching, I went for AFC Cubo. The 15:15 kickoff was a strange time but it did at least allow me more time pre-match although I'd have preferred a 2 PM so I could watch the second half of the Wycombe game online.

From my game at Avonmouth last night, Colin and I headed home with far less faff then on Tuesday. A long stretch of 50MPH restrictions aside, it was a good journey and I dropped Colin off at 11.40. I was back home ten minutes later, having a pint whilst typing my blog before going to bed just after 1 Am. I woke up a couple of times in the night, the second a few minutes before my 8 AM alarm. It takes me a while to get going, so after breakfast and getting ready, I walk to the local bus stop and get the slightly late 9.25 to Amersham station. The bus took 25 minutes, by the time I walked to the station I had a ten minute wait for the 10.08 train to London. I unexpectedly met Colin on the platform, he had abandoned his trip to Harborough Town due to the exhorbitant train fare being around £50, even with his disabled railcard. With nothing else jumping out, he decided to join me. Lots of matches were being called off out West and up north but aside from it pissing down all day, I was hopeful of my game going ahead.

 

We got the train as scheduled and headed to Marylebone station. It was then a walk to Baker Street and the Jubilee line to London Bridge. It was then a few minutes walk to Borough Market. We had a wander around before I found the Cider Stall I needed. I had a pint of Little Pomona Table cider, a bottle of something to take away and a brilliant dark chocolate brownie. Indulgent and pricey but worth it for the enjoyment I got out of it. It was then ten minutes walk to Monument Station and the District Line to Hammersmith. The William Morris, Wetherspoons 375 was so busy, we couldn't get a table. But with a second one around the corner and a pint of Stowford Press £2.49, I was happy. Colin's large apple juice cost for a bit more, so good was the offer. Seven minutes walk and we were at the Plough and Harrow Wetherspoons where I had 11" chicken, stuffing, bacon & brie pizza with a bottle of Kopparberg Sweet Vintage Pear for £12.55. The pizza took 35 minutes, delicious as it was, I procured a bottle of unopened chilli garlic sauce as compensation. It was a ten minute walk to the bus stop bed the 533 to the ground. Miserable conditions awaited us but the venue was excellent with scoreboard and stands. The 15:15 kickoff explained by a previous game on the pitch, Polytechnic 0-1 Merton. We picked a spot and watched the start of the Lincoln v Wycombe game. Gareth Ainsworth had already done us a favour, I his first game for Shrewsbury, they had beaten Birmingham 3-2. Sadly for us, shortly before kickoff, Lincoln took the lead, though we would go on to win. 

AFC Cubo were sitting 7th in the table although they had some games in hand on a lot of the sides around them. Last time out, they won 3-2 at Banstead Rovers, one of five wins in a row. Bagshot were 12th following their relegation from the Combined Counties D1 last season. Their last game saw them lose 3-0 to Addlestone. The scoreboard was still displaying the old game but nine minutes in, Cubo took the lead, a neat shot into the top right corner. Just before half time, it was 2-0 to Cubo, a good through ball finding a forward who had a simple finish. Bagshot pulled a scrappy goal back in the last minute as the rain got heavier.

 

We had been kept company by a referee /official who had played a part in Wycombe games in the past. I started watching towards the tail end of his career when he was linesman for Wycombe Wanderers 1-1 Gillingham in 1993. Then later that season, he was linesman as Steve Guppy scored off his arse to beat Colchester United 1-0 in the Autoglass Trophy. It had been a decent afternoon. Happily, Wycombe had won 3-2 at Lincoln City to remain top of the league whilst Holmer Green had drawn 1-1 at Deportivo Galacia. Chelmsford-born hopper Dan had less of an enjoyable day, seeing his side Braintree capitulate 3-1 at Boston United. It was a rainy walk back to the station where we saw the linesman from our game whilst we waited for our delayed train to Putney. Putney was our last port of call as the gorilla was itching to get home. Anyone would think he was the one who had the 4 am alarm rather than the one who had four day weekends. I was still in a belting mood though as they had a box of Black Dragon on which a pint of made me feel a lot better. It was downhill from there as I had to head home but I knew it was the sensible option. The Chiltern was a mess as usual, so I had to rely on London Underground which was also as incomptent as Man City losing 4-0 at home to Spurs of all teams.

THE GROUND

QUINTON HOGG RIVERSIDE PITCH is a decent venue. Although one-sided, it has two seated stands although they are uncovered. Good toilet facilities are provided although no bar. Snacks and drinks are provided by a can, though he disappears around 4.