Saturday, 19 November 2022

Stonewall - London Marathon Community Track


Stonewall FC
London Marathon Community Track
Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park
Stratford
London 
E20 2ST








Ground Number: 1134
Saturday 19th November 2022
Stonewall 0-0 AFC Cubo (5-4 Pens)
London Senior Trophy 2nd Round






STONEWALL FC - A BRIEF HISTORY

Stonewall FC was established in 1991 after Aslie Pitter, a former youth player with Wimbledon & Sutton United suffered homophobic abuse and was forced out of his local club. After seeing a listing in Capital Gay and Time Out, he joined a group of gay men playing football in Regent's Park. This was Stonewall F.C., the first gay football club in Britain. Stonewall F.C. is Britain's top-ranking LGBTQ+ orientated football team and the first of its kind to be FA Chartered Standard. The club is open to all, with a sizeable number of players who do not define themselves as LGBTQ+. Stonewall operates three teams; the 1sts play in the Middlesex County League Premier Division and the 2nds one step lower in Division 1, both on Saturdays, and the Unity Team in the London Unity League on Sundays.


In 2002, the club won the Middlesex County Football League Senior Division at their first attempt and was promoted to the Premier Division. The club stayed in the Premier Division until 2006 when they finished bottom for the second season in a row and were relegated to Division One. After finishing as Runners-up of Division One (Central and East) in  2009, the club was promoted back to the Premier Division. However, they could only stay in the top division of the league for two seasons before being relegated back to Division One (Central and East). In more recent times the club was promoted back to the Middlesex County Premier Division in 2017 but was relegated back straight away. After a season of change in the 2018–19 season the club finished 2nd in MCCL D1 and were been promoted back to the Premier Division, where they have remained since. The club, in a relatively larger league, equalled its highest (2002-03) league finish of 6th, in the 2021-22 season.


In terms of local cup honours, Stonewall have won the London AFA Weekend Cup in 2015 and the Middlesex Federation League Cup in 2004. They have also won a huge array of LGBTQ+ competitions, including several at European and International level. Until fairly recently, the club played its games at the Barnes Elms Sports Trust but a couple of years ago switched to the London Marathon Community Track in Stratford. This was built in 2017 and sits in the shadow of West Ham's London Stadium, originally built for the 2012 Olympic games in London. The club also played a Middlesex County League game at Wembley Stadium, in recognition to their contribution to diversity in football.


MY VISIT

Originally on this day, I was hoping for a double, and Birmingham appeared to be my destination. I'd planned in potential games at Stourbridge or Gornal Youth in the Midland U21 League. Both were a bus ride away from Cradley Heath station. The issue was the lack of viable afternoon options - there were plenty in Wolverhampton but that would make time very tight. With me wanting to enjoy my day and not rush, I dismissed the idea. Looking in London, the only early kickoffs in the Arthurian League were at basic venues and again made getting to a second game difficult. Eventually, I settled on Stonewall v AFC Cubo at the London Marathon Community Track. Ironically, it had been the advertisement of an early kickoff last week that bought this to my attention. The pitch they use is right in the shadow of the London Stadium so when West Ham United play at home, they kick off at 12:00. I'd have preferred to save it until one such occasion but with the World Cup on the horizon, I was going to have a long wait. With no option inspiring me and this being a cup game, I decided to take the plunge.


I came home from work on Thursday and tried to put in place plans for next Saturday. I really fancied Swallownest and a day out in Sheffield. However, due to the train strikes, the coach prices had trebled or even quadrupled compared to what they usually were. I'll be going somewhere for sure but I will leave it a few days to see how things go. Or possibly do another in London such as Honorable Artillery Club, an interesting ground recommended to me by fellow hopper Dan. I spent Thursday evening going up to my local club Holmer Green to watch their youth team game against Burnham. It was an entertaining 2-2 draw on a chilly and damp evening. The weather was unrepentant, and Winter felt like it had well and truly arrived. The truth though is that this will feel positively mild compared with what is to come.

I was considering going to Tredegar Town on Friday and even got as far as researching the club history for this blog. However, after a chilly night at Holmer Green and the thought of paying for all of the petrol on my own, I decided upon a night in. Tredegar with its nice scenery would be better in daylight anyway and the rest would be nice. I instead spent Friday night planning today and put together what I thought was a good plan. I awoke around 7.30 on the day of the game, well before my 8am alarm. After breakfast and a shower, I watched a bit of YouTube before leaving at 8.45. I thought I'd allowed enough time for the 10.09 train. However, an error on Google Maps or by me meant that the prime train to get was 9.57. This was something I only realised when I was nearly at the station. I had to run the last ten minutes unless I fancied being 40 minutes behind schedule. I was pretty knackered by the time I got there but I bought my ticket and was on the train with a minute or so to spare.
 From High Wycombe, we arrived in London Marylebone at 10.37. It was then a transfer to the Underground, the Bakerloo to Oxford Circus and the Victoria to Severn Sisters. The crowds thinned out as we got to the outskirts and as ever on the Underground, the service was pretty seamless. Once I got to Seven Sisters, there was a small spanner in the works as the London Overground was out of action. Instead, it was a fairly simple change and a bus to Stoke Newington. It was then the Rochester Castle Wetherspoons, a very nice establishment that did my favourite of Black Dragon. Two freebie drinks from Daniel and Colin who were Birmingham bound to see Cadbury Athletic meant I was pretty relaxed as the day wore on. Especially as I ordered another pint of Black Dragon with my Christmas burger meal although at least Dan had the sense to order me a soft drink. I discovered via Twitter that it was the third oldest Wetherspoons in the country and a very good one it was too. After drinks and a big cheeseburger consumed, I headed through a very Turkish area to Dalston Kingsland Overground Station. It was then an Overground to Hackney Wick, ironically the location of my backup, Hackney Wick on their home turf of Hackney Marshes. It was a short walk to the London Stadium then around to one end where the marathon track was located. It was a good spot near the stadium store for watching the game, this was elevated and offered a great view.
Stonewall were sitting in 5th in the Middlesex Country Premier. They'd won 4-1 at Cricklewood Wanderers in their last game but this was their first league win since 1st October when they won 3-0 at AVA. This period included a humbling 5-1 defeat to Pitshanger Dynamo who were a place behind them in the table. To get to this round, they'd not even had to play a game as Shepherds Bush had failed to raise a team, too busy selling Trevor Francis tracksuits presumably. AFC Cubo had also not played after being given a bye. They sat proudly atop the Surrey County Premier League, the same level as Stonewall. They'd won 5 of their last six games, including a 6-1 win at Farleigh Rovers and a 6-0 victory over Guildford United. Strangely, their last two defeats had both come against AFC Royal Holloway who were 3rd in the table. On the field, it was a tedious encounter with neither side happy to commit forward. Inevitably, the game ended in a stalemate and it went to penalties. Stonewall prevailed and progressed to the next round. 

From there it was to Pudding Mill DLR to Stratford, Jubilee to West Ham and District to Hornchurch. Not my original plan, but I got where I wanted by hook or by crook. There was much frustration trying to watch Cheltenham v Wycombe but it was like Jurassic Park in some areas with no signal. Perhaps it was for the best, seeing as Wycombe limped to a 1-0 loss in Gloucestershire. From Hornchurch, it was a bus to the Hop Inn, a brilliant Micropub. I retried Ross First Press blend and then had half of Newton Court First Press. Not sensible drinking on my part, more like the pleasant owner misheard when I asked for a pint. Nevertheless, it was soon time to make tracks. They'd gotten rid of the bottle shop but it was still a fine place. From there, some salt and chilli pepper chips at a Chinese. Then the next bus happened to pull up outside JJ Moons in Hornchurch. A disappointing Spoons but another tick. From there, a mile walk, back to the station, not what I had in mind. As with the rest of the day, it was very much make-it-up as I go along. I stopped at Mcdonald's on the way home and got back shortly before midnight.

THE GROUND

THE LONDON MARATHON COMMUNITY TRACK is a good step for Stonewall's level and would most likely be good enough for steps 5 & 6. It might have a running track but it is floodlit. There is a 150-seater stand and space around the pitch to stand. There are also some great views available from near the West Ham club shop. There was no food and drink available but Stratford is around 15 minutes walk away and has a decent range.
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Tuesday, 15 November 2022

Frenford - Jack Carter Centre


Frenford FC
The Jack Carter Centre
The Drive
Ilford 
London
IG1 3PS







Ground Number: 1133
Tuesday 15th November 2022
Frenford 3-5 Basildon Town
Eastern Counties League Cup






FRENFORD FC - A BRIEF HISTORY

The football club was established during World War II by the Frenford Sports and Social Club under the name Frenford Senior. They later joined the Ilford and District Football League and were Premier Division champions in 1976. In 1995 the club joined Division Two of the Essex Intermediate League, going on to win the division at the first attempt and earning promotion to Division One. In 1998 they finished as runners-up to Danbury Trafford, then again to White Ensign in 2005. The league changed its name to the Essex Olympian League the following year and the club were runners-up for the third time in 2006, this time to Harold Wood Athletic. 2009 saw them finish second best to the same team again. They were finally champions, two years in a row in 2013 & 2014. The club changed its name to Frenford in 2017 and in the first season under their new identity, they were runners-up for the fifth time to Catholic United. This was good enough for them to make the step up and in their two completed seasons in the Eastern Counties Division 1 South, they finished 9th.

Frenford have yet to play in the FA Cup but they have played in the FA Vase. Their best run came in 2019, their debut season. They won 6-0 at Potton United before a 3-2 win over Hashtag United. Another 3-2 win followed, this time at Huntingdon Town was followed up with a 3-1defeat at home to Lancing in the 2nd Round. Local honours include three Essex Olympian Senior Cups, four Essex Olympian Challenge Cups, three Essex Premier Cups and the Capital Counties Feeder League Trophy twice. The club is based in Ilford which has a population of just over 168.000. The nearest tube station is Redbridge. Local rivals include Ilford FC, Redbridge FC and Newbury Forest.


MY VISIT

I'd spotted this potential double upon looking in the Football Traveller last Wednesday. Normally on a Tuesday, I will drive somewhere, taking one or more hoppers with me. However, on this occasion, all of my options for new grounds would involve a pretty long drive. Frenford was the only ground in the only ground I needed to do in London and I'd originally intended to do it on Saturday and have a day out in London. However, with me still needing to go to the Market Road pitches where the London Underground League is played, I decided to get it done this Tuesday.
It would be a good chance to make up for what was a disappointing day on Saturday which was rather long-winded owing to transport issues. I chose the National Express due to the trains being so expensive, with me saving £20 even on the best split ticket price. Maybe I'll use the train in future as I only checked that price on Sunday evening after going and expected it to be a lot more as the standard fare is £78 plus the extra for the bus. Had I foreseen the traffic issues, I'd have had myself a nice treble in and around London with Stonewall at the London Stadium Athletics Track at 12 and St Panteleimon (at Hertford Town) at 7. The latter game ended in a 3-3 draw before being decided on penalties so I was gutted to miss out. The early game had only come to light a few hours after I'd booked my coach ticket and I was disappointed to miss out. It would have helped me reach my target of 100 games by the end of November and possibly 200 for the season. Hopefully a double today and on Saturday will help me reach that although the World Cup might hinder me.
From my game at Market Road Pitches, it was back to Caledonian Road. It was then a quick train to Holborn before the vagaries of the Central Line and its random offshoots. Luckily, I only had to wait a couple of minutes for a suitable service to Hainault. However, as with everything in life, I'd have preferred a bit more time. I also suffered the only real negative of the London Underground, the complete lack of phone signal. I had some stuff stored locally on my phone and so I was at least entertained. I'd already planned my route and knew that I had to head towards Wanstead for food at Wetherspoons. I got to The George at 6.40, grabbed a table and put my order in for Katsu Curry. It was a reasonable Spoons, no real cider available on the app but good service, and my drink arrived in a couple of minutes. Food was a little longer though with just under a 20-minute wait. Whilst not as good as my earlier Beef Rendang, the Katsu Curry was great, especially for the money. It was a quick dash back to the station for my train to Redbridge, just one stop. From there it was a 20-minute walk, with entry a well priced £5. I bumped into various hoppers including Ryan who had come over from Sutton and another from Norwich.

 Frenford were sitting pretty at the top of the Eastern Counties Division 1 South. They had got this far in the cup with 3-2 wins over May & Baker and Tower Hamlets. Basildon Town meanwhile had recently come up from step 7 and were doing respectably well in 11th. They'd beaten Hackney Wick 3-1 and Benfleet 3-2 so far in the competition. Frenford took the lead after around five minutes, a finish from just inside the area by Sam Munton. The hosts had the better of the game but Basildon Town equalised on 30 minutes, Harry Brown heading home a right-wing cross. Basildon grew into the game and made it 2-1 on 39 minutes, with a wonderful 25-yard strike that flew in the top corner, again Brown the scorer. The visitors came close to extending their lead only for a great save from the keeper to deny them. From the resulting corner, the ball was headed home to see them lead 3-1, Brown completing his hat trick. The second half was not as lively but Frenford reduced the arrears on 63 minutes, Simon Peddie with a bullet header from a left-side corner. Basildon Town made it 4-2 on the break, with an attack down the left and a finish from a tight angle on 74 minutes by sub Albert Perry. Frenford wouldn't lie down though and an attack down the left and a finish from six yards by Raheem Gray made it 4-3. Frenford threw everything forward, coming close on a number of occasions, including a free kick. They were unfortunate when Basildon Town went up the other end and made it 5-3, a goal from a low shot on the break by another sub, Marcus Bowers.
 The game finished pretty late and it was 9.46 by the time the referee blew for full-time. It had been a great contest, though it was a shame that it didn't culminate in a penalty shootout. I made my way back to the station and got a train within a couple of minutes. The quickest route was to go to Oxford Circus, get on the Bakerloo to Marylebone and then the Chiltern back to Amersham. I met Colin at Harrow on the Hill although he was only going as far as Chalfont as he'd left his bike there. It was a short drive home from Amersham and I was in well before midnight. It had been a good day and I had completed a league, the Eastern Counties Division 1 South. Next up for me is a visit to my local side Holmer Green for their youth team game on Thursday.

 

THE GROUND 

THE JACK CARTER CENTRE is typical of a modern 3G pitch. The footprint is quite tight and you can only access three sides of the ground with the forth being the edge of the cage. There are two seated stands, metal ones with a total capacity of 100. The rest of the ground is uncovered. Food and drink facilities are basic with only drinks and snacks offered. There is also a small range of merchandise. There was no bar that I could see. It appeared to be more of a leisure centre in the building. Parking is plentiful and there are good public transport links. I didn't see any pubs or takeaways, just a couple of convenience stores near the station which is a 20-minute walk away.
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London Underground League - Market Road Pitches


The London Underground League
Market Road Football Pitches
Market Road
Islington 
London 
N7 9PL







Ground Number: 1132
Tuesday 15th November
Picadilly Line 2-0 South Western Railway
London Underground League Division 1







FACTS ABOUT THE LONDON UNDERGROUND LEAGUE

The London Underground League was established in 1996 and as the name implies, it is contested by teams made up of various teams from the various departments or lines that make up the London Underground system.

All home games are played at the Market Road pitches, located near Caledonian Road on the Picadilly Line. Other competitions played at this venue include the Islington Midweek League.

The First Division is made up of the following teams: Hammersmith & City, Northern Line, Picadilly Line, London Overground, South Western Railway & Waterloo & City. This has been in existence since 1996, although was mooted in 1993 when the teams played friendlies against each other. 

The Second Division is made up of the following teams: Victoria Line, British Transport Police, Tubelines, Jubilee Line, District Line & Buses. This Division was established in 1999.

The most successful club is District Line FC, Division One champions on ten occasions.


MY VISIT

I'd initially been in no rush to visit the Market Road Pitches as they regularly play games here. In any case, it was a venue that was built primarily with players in mind and didn't look like a great venue for spectators. However, when I discovered that Frenford, the one remaining team (steps 1-6) that I needed to visit in London was at home in the evening, the time came to visit. I did my research the night before, researching the London Underground League. This really got me in the mood and I started thinking that it may become a semi-regular thing if I fancied revisiting some of the teams in London that I'd not been to for a while. The standard was apparently decent and some of the shirts for the teams looked really good.


The day of the game came and I was thwarted in my attempts to walk down town by the typically rancid weather on my day off. It's something that's gonna be commonplace over the next few months but it always seems to be poor weather on my days off rather than any other. It was annoying not to get some exercise and miss out on stocking up on a few things but there were some upsides. Happily, there would be no issue with my games as they were both on 3G. It also had the upside of me being able to set off earlier - the parking restrictions near Amersham station only applied from 11-12 and the extra time would be appreciated. Some of my morning was spent trying to find a double for Saturday but my options were extremely limited. It isn't much better for any games with me having done a lot of grounds, all the options are getting distant and expensive. My only stipulation is that I want something where I can go from High Wycombe Station so I can leave my car at home. 
I left home just before 12, with the rain still bucketing down. However, by the time I'd got to Amersham, it had eased off to a drizzle. My good luck continued, after parking in a side road and walking to the station, a train showed up within a minute of my arrival. My plan was the Cider House at Borough Market with the Miller as a backup. A further backup was a fair distance away at the Southampton Arms should I need it. Once more, it was a seamless change at Finchley Road with me walking straight off the train and across the platform to another. I was soon at London Bridge for Borough Market. It started off excellently with a superb Beef Rendang from Live Joli. However, the Cider House was closed due to staff illness. I've not had a lot of luck with that place lately with problems on my last couple of visits, though usually, it's superb. I headed over to the Miller, ten minutes walk away and this was more reliable. I had a pint of Orchard Revival Cider which was a new one for me. I then had a pint of Perry's Dabinett which was OK but far sweeter than I remember. I was still pushing it for time but it was the Northern Line to King's Cross, then the Picadilly to Caledonian Road. It was then a ten-minute walk from there.
The game was a clash between two teams in contrasting form. Picadilly were the reigning champions and they were unbeaten so far. They were 3rd in the league, one of three teams with an unbeaten record. In their last game, they'd drawn 2-2 with Northern Line and had beaten British Transport Police 4-0. Their other game had seen them gain a default win against Waterloo & City after their opponents could not field a side. South Western Railway meanwhile were in 5th and had lost both of their games. They were one of the other three teams in the league yet to win. So far they had lost 4-3 to Hammersmith & Circle and 6-2 to Northern Line. They'd only been formed in 2019 and I noted that the three teams in the top half of the league had been around since its inception. Picadilly had all the early possession and they took the lead after 10 minutes, converting a right-wing cross at point-blank range. South Western had their first real chance soon after, smashing the left hand upright. A goalkeeper error from a stray back pass nearly saw the lead doubled but the chance was spurned. SW came close just after, good work by #9 down the left but the cross was blasted over. It was 2-0 to Picadilly on 40 minutes, a ball through was not cleared and ended up being finished from close range. Both sides had chances in the second half, though the outcome of the result never looked like changing.
THE GROUND

MARKET ROAD PITCHES is primarily a venue for players rather than spectators. There is a viewing area although this is outside the cage although this is at least raised. It also has some cover. You can stand inside if you wish and are respectful and this offers a better view. Public transport links are good with it being less than a ten-minute walk from Caledonian Road. There are also a few shops and takeaways nearby or you can stop in London en route.
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