Game 9 - Burton Albion v Northampton Town 29th August 2009 Coca Cola League One

As I have been thwarted by the weather over the last couple of weeks it is time to catch up with some visits made earlier in the season. A free Saturday due to Sky scheduling gave me the opportunity to visit the League's new boys, Burton Albion.



We park up opposite the ground, less then a couple of minutes walk away, chatting to a Northampton fan as we do so, who tells us how they are doing so far this season, which apparently is not very well. We leave him at the away turnstiles to go and buy our tickets for the seated South Stand. Once these have been secured we go into the Club Shop to buy the obligatory badge. This must be one of the smallest shops I've been into and it is a surprise considering the Pirelli was only finished in 2005. We make our way around the outside of the ground as usual and you are able to walk round the whole ground. I know they are the new boys but you would think they would be able to pay the players more money to be able to afford better transport!


We go into the ground and first impressions are favourable. Opposite us is a long terraced stand and both ends are also standing. The corners are all open, so each stand is separate from each other. The seated stand we are in is not segregated and so home and away fans use the same facilities and on the day we were here there were no problems which was great to see, lets hope this continues for the rest of the season.

North Stand:

West Stand terracing:

South Stand:

East Stand (Away):

The game kicks off and the Brewers have a fantastic start to the game and are 3-0 up in 11 minutes as the Cobblers make several mistakes and cannot cope with the free flowing football from the hosts. The rest of the half saw the Cobblers just keeping the score from being extended. They are so bad that there are two substitutions before halftime with the visiting fans venting their anger at manager Suart Gray.
The second half sees a more resilient Northampton side and they pull a goal back from Steve Guinan after 50 minutes. The pressure was now on Burton and Northampton continued to make chances and pulled another goal back from the penalty spot on 71 minutes. The game now ebbed and flowed from one end to the other with both teams having opportunities to score again. The bookings tally was added to as both teams got more desperate. With no further scoring Burton ran out 3-2 winners in an enthralling game for the neutral.
We made our way back to the car having thoroughly enjoyed our visit to the Pirelli Stadium, very friendly staff, excellent facilities and a cracking game.

Burton Albion 3-2 Northampton Town
Att: 3,321
Admission: £15
Programme: £2.50
Badge: £3

More photos of the Pirelli Stadium here.

Game 27 - Liversedge v Long Eaton United 5th December 2009 NCEL Premier

A fine sunny day and not many games are going to be off up here although Tadcaster Albion suffer from flooding again and Eccleshill United is off after a floodlight fell onto the pitch! So the car is pointed to Yorkshire and the trip to the Clayborn Ground, home of Liversedge is soon completed. You have to go down a very narrow Quaker Lane to find the ground and I did wonder if I had gone wrong for a moment or so, but the ground appears after the houses and the car park is straight in front of you. After having it confirmed that the Foxes are being thumped I make my way into the ground.


Everyone I meet is very friendly and I'm greeted by several officials of the Club with a friendly hello from them all, very nice, although I could have done without the reminders of the score at forest thank you very much. The actual pitch is lower than the end of the ground I enter and the seated stand to my left. The Clubhouse and other facilities are all reached by a set of steps.


The opposite end and the open hard standing area on the right touchline are at the pitch level with no cover. The official capacity is 2,000 with 250 seats with a nice Clubhouse with bar and a very large TV with Sky Sports News on, (oh god its 5-1 now). I have a good chat with the gentleman who sells me my badge and he informs me that they have signed several new players since I saw Liversedge lose at Armthorpe Welfare at the start of the season. I wander off to take my stroll round the ground and take my pictures. I eventually take a seat in the covered stand just before kick off and strike up conversation with a very nice gentleman from Liversedge.
Liversedge started the game well and the right back Haigh and winger Walker kept combining well tot trouble the Long Eaton defence. Liversedge took the lead on 11 minutes when a goal kick went straight to Haigh who initiated a neat passing move which resulted in scoring header from Wasley. Both team continued to play some good football and both had opportunities to score. It was to be Long Eaton who scored next. A free kick was given on 39 minutes and it looked like the Sedge defender would easily clear it but he totally miskicked the ball and it ended up in the net, 1-1. A controversial moment followed when Long Eaton's Mabon latched onto a through ball and as he went past the centre half he was brought down. The assistant referee put his flag but the referee signalled no foul and he quickly put it back down again. Had the foul been given there would have been a red card and the game would have been very different. The half ended 1-1 with some frank exchanges of views between the Long Eaton players and the officials being made.


Long Eaton came out in the second half and took control of the game, stopping Sedge's controlled passing game and in particular Walker who was closely marshalled to stop him having as much of the ball as he did in the first half. It was not long before they took the lead with a smart shot from Newton on 53 minutes. For a long time it looked like Long Eaton were going to add to their goal tally, but Liversedge really went for it in the last 10 minutes but could not get past the strong Long Eaton defence. The game ended with Long Eaton having a couple of more chances to extend their lead, but without success.
An excellent day out, a really friendly Club and would recommend a visit to everyone.

Liversedge 1-2 Long Eaton United
Att: 73
Admission: £5
Programme: £1.20
Badge: £3

More photos of the Clayborn Ground here.

Game 26 - Scunthorpe United v Leicester City 28th November 2009 Coca Cola Championship

Ok, so what happened to Liversedge I hear you cry. Well due to my daughters ill advised argument with a HGV on the M1 this was a game I missed. The weather also put paid to a couple of other planned visits so my latest report is on the visit of the Foxes to Glanford Park, home to Scunthorpe United since 1988 after leaving the Old Show Ground.


For me personally, this is the least attractive looking ground from the outside in the Football League. I've been to Glanford Park on numerous occasions but I've only ever sat in the away end, lived in Grimsby too long to be sitting with the home fans! Inside the ground is ok, but the major problem with the away end are the facilities, not because they are poor, indeed the food and drink has always been pretty good when I've had it, but because with a large following the corner positioning of the facilities is inadequate. Not a problem when I'm here on a freezing night in December with the small following from Shrewsbury though.
I wander off to take some photos before kick off. The two side stands are both seated but the North Stand opposite the away stand is standing.


Back to my seat and I have a post in the way that is blocking my view of the penalty area of the goal at this end. The game kicks off and City are quickly into their stride and after 3 minutes are 1-0 up courtesy of Martin Waghorn whose pace is troubling Scunny early on. City spurn several chances due in the main to a great performance by Murphy in the Scunthorpe goal. City go in 1-0 up at half time, thoroughly deserved. Scunthorpe come out and play better in the second half but do not really trouble Chris Weale. City continue to make chances but cannot extend their lead and this comes back to haunt them as Scunthorpe equalise with virtually the last kick of the game through sub Martin Woolford. Disappointing but not the end of the world.
Although it takes about 25 minutes to get out of the car park we are home for 6pm. I wish we got home from home games as quick.

Scunthorpe United 1-1 Leicester City
Att: 6,884
Admission: £18

More photos of Glanford Park here.

Game 24 - Leicester City v West Bromwich Albion 7th November 2009 Coca Cola Championship

Todays game sees the Remembrance Day Fixture at Leicester. As usual, the players shirts are adorned with the Poppy and the shirts will be auctioned on the Official Site later in the week. I'm proud to say that it was Leicester City who first came up with this idea several years ago, with the opponents that day, Blackburn Rovers, also having the Poppy on their shirts. We have travelled down on Friday to stop with relatives in Leicester so our journey to the car park only takes 10 minutes today, where Keith is already waiting for us. After a quick drink in the Club we head to the ground to take in the atmosphere of the day. One of the other traditions of the day is for the match ball to be delivered by helicopter and this duly arrives just before kick off.


Something different today is the playing of the Last Post and the minutes silence which follows. It is especially poignant as the family of Marcin Wojtak, a Foxes fan, who was killed in Afghanistan on 1st October 2009 are attending the game today. The relevance of the Poppy Appeal brought home to everyone present.
At half time we have the parade of the veterans together with Cadets and a couple of currently serving soldiers.


The game, well we lose to the best team I've seen this season, but the 2-0 scoreline at half time was a travesty. We played fairly well but were unable to take advantage of any of the chances we created. Just one other point though. Starting to waste time from 51 minutes is disgraceful, but not the first time I've seen this before from a Di Matteo team, but this time we are unable to snatch a late late equaliser. I'll stick with my pre-season prediction that Albion will win promotion this season, let's hope we follow them.

Leicester City 1-2 West Bromwich Albion
Att: 28,748
Admission: £14 (with my Season Ticket)
Programme: £3

Game 23 - Brighouse Town v Worsbrough Bridge Athletic 31st October 2009 NCEL Division One

Brighouse Town is situated near Halifax about 8 miles off the M62 where I am delayed by an accident for about 20 minutes but I'm still pulling up in the car park of the Dual Seal Stadium just after 2pm. It's fairly full but I am able to park just near to the exit/entrance.

You enter the ground in the left hand corner of the car park.


All the facilities are to your right as you enter the ground in the corner, toilets, tea room, hospitality room and dressing rooms are all at this end of the ground. There is a covered seated stand in front of you down the near touchline with the dugouts opposite this stand, which is the only cover in the ground. The rest of the ground has hard standing and behind the dugouts there is another pitch lower than the main pitch which has it's own floodlights and I can see both teams using this to warm up on.
Brighouse were formed in 1963 as a works team and have progressed through the local leagues to join the NCEL at the start of the 2008-09 season. Their opponents were formed in 1923 and were original founders of the newly formed NCEL in 1982. They are having contrasting fortunes this season with Brighouse in 6th just behind the leaders while Worsbrough are second from bottom and are on a run of six defeats.
I go into "Dave's Tea Bar" buy a badge and a coffee and sit down at a table. There are pictures on the walls of past teams and another nice touch is a montage of Brighouse's first ever game in the NCEL at Teversal which they won 2-1. After a minute or so a gentleman sits on the table next to mine. We start talking and it turns out he is the Referee's Assessor for the afternoon. It's an interesting conversation about the offside law, technology and fans banter at games and before we know it, it's time to go and outside for the game.
Brighouse started the game very well and were creating most of the chances in the game and it seemed only a matter of time before they opened the scoring. However the Worsbrough defence proved to be resilient and the half ended goaless. The TV in Dave's had Sky Sports on and were showing Cov losing. Happy days.
The Worsbrough defence had obviously enjoyed their half time orange too much as Dave Watson put the hosts ahead with a well taken goal. Now I must admit that I thought I was in store for a goal feast from Brighouse, but credit to Worsbrough, their heads did not go down and they then had their best spell in the game, constantly attacking their hosts goal without a breakthrough. Brighouse were still creating chances themselves but could not extend their lead with a combination of poor finishing and good defensive play thwarting them. On 78 minutes Worsbrough got their reward for a determined 2nd half performance. Danny Thompson won the ball out on the right wing and put in a good cross which was firmly met by Dean Shirt who headed the ball into the corner for the equaliser. Both teams felt they could still win the game and there were two or three more chances for each side but there was to be no further score. A very enjoyable game and in the end I was pleased that Worsbrough got the point with a good battling display.
An easy exit and fairly light traffic on the M62 meant I was home for 6.30pm, an enjoyable day at a very friendly Club, somewhere I would recommend to anyone.

Brighouse Town 1-1 Worsbrough Bridge Athletic
Att: 64
Admission: £4
Programme: £1
Badge: £3

More photos of The Dual Seal Stadium here.

Game 22 - Lincoln United v Cambridge United 25th October 2009 F.A. Cup 4th Qualifying Round

A game a bit nearer to home today with the Unibond League representatives Lincoln United taking on Cambridge United of the Conference in the final F.A. Cup Qualifying Round with the chance of taking on one the League big boys. Except the draw is already made before the game kicks off and so we know who awaits the winners, Ilkeston Town.


Ashby Avenue is the venue today with a capacity of 2,700 and the Club are hoping for a crowd of over 1,000, hopefully boosted by fans of Lincoln City. I pick up Keith, my fellow Fox fan who is to be my guide today, and who actually played for Lincoln United a few years ago and it should be pointed out that the groundsman is also a Foxes fan who has come to games with us in the past. We park up and make our way to the Clubhouse which is outside of the ground and is shared with the cricket club which you pass to get to the ground. The clubhouse is packed and a large number of Cambridge fans are in attendance, some of whom we are told were at the ground at 10am! The focus of most people is on Sky's coverage of the Premiership game between Liverpool and Manchester United. We depart before half time of this game as a queue is already building up outside the turnstiles. This presents me with a first on the Non League scene, segregation, with Cambridge being given the side stand accessed through separate turnstiles. When we get in its fairly packed down the side stand so we make our way to the stand behind the opposite goal. There is a good following to our right from Cambridge in a stand with a mix of seats and standing.





The Cup upset that we hope to see looks on as veteran Jamie Forrester lobs Potter after only 3 minutes and its almost 2-0 before the shaky Cambridge defence clear it off the line (although someone at that end insists the ball was over the line). After weathering this early storm Cambridge start to show their class and the game is over by half time with a 3 goal burst, scorers for Cambridge McCauley, Willmott and Hatswell.
We get a pass out at half time and head back to the Clubhouse. Its just as full but the Premiership supporters are out in force and its a little bit like being in Liverpool and when they score their second the cheering is unbelievable. A guy near me turns and says "This is what is wrong with football". I think I agree, they seem to be totally oblivious to the fact that there is a Cup tie going on only yards from where they sit. I get talking to my fellow traveller who has travelled from the West Midlands for today's game. He tells me he is a groundhopper now in response to my question "who do you support" and goes on to tell me he has been to over 300 grounds, and nearly completing down to Step 4. I bid farewell to him and we head back into the ground.
The second half is not as dull as I feared but Cambridge have control of the game and there seems to be only one team that will score. However both defences hold out and Cambridge see out the game and into the First Round proper against the Robins of Ilkeston. We leave the ground to be faced by a large number of the local plod. It has to be said that there was no hint of trouble that I saw and the day passed off without incident.

Lincoln United 1-3 Cambridge United
Att: 837
Admission: £8
Programme: £2
Badge: £3

More photos of Ashby Avenue here.

Game 21 - Bala Town v Haverfordwest County 24th October 2009 Principality Building Society Welsh Premier

We get up to see a very wet Saturday morning and after a superb breakfast we check out of the hotel and head for Bala for the second game of our North Wales trip. Our journey takes us through the Snowdonia National Park, with the rain becoming heavier as our journey progresses. What is amazing is the number of empty cars parked at all the car parks along the way, obviously the walkers have not been put off by the heavy downpour.
Along the journey we come to Bethesda and despite a small knowledge of Welsh football I know that they have a team that won the Welsh Alliance League last season. You've guessed it, we start to look out for the ground. There are no signs of it but as we start to reach the end of the town we spot it on the right as the A5 leaves town. We double back and park up to have a quick look at Parc Meurig, the home of Bethesda Athletic FC.


This is a bonus as although I'd done a route I was relying on the Satnav and so hadn't noticed where we were going to be driving through. Please excuse the pictures as it was absolutely hammering down, resulting in a few strange looks from people passing by in the dry and comfort of their cars. (more photos of Bethesda Athletic here).

We carry on with the weather showing no signs of improving. I'm starting to get worried about the game being on especially as I have no immediate alternative. We decide to ring the Secretary of Bala Town and are reassured that there is no problem and the game will definitely go ahead. We arrive in Bala by 11.45am, in plenty of time for the 1.30pm KO. As we park the car we meet a fellow Fox who is about to go home after a weeks holiday in the area. He tells us that he usually goes to Porthmadog games when he is in the area and how that there are some nice grounds in the Welsh Leagues to visit. We make our way into the centre and have a look around before grabbing a coffee and a danish. On to the ground after this which is not far from Bala High Street.


The ground is reached through the Club car park and as you go through the turnstiles you enter the ground in one corner, to the right there is a small covered stand, to the left are the dressing rooms and the seated stands. The opposite side of the ground has the dugouts and today, a television gantry as the game is being covered by S4, the reason for the early kick off. There is hard standing all round the open sides and we have the usual stroll round the ground before taking a seat in the covered stand. The wind is very strong and looks as if it will make life difficult for the players. Some home fans take a position behind one of the goals under the overhanging trees, they will need that cover later.
Bala Town were promoted from the Welsh Alliance last season and have had a good start to their first season in the Welsh Premier. Haverfordwest were original founders of the Welsh Premier and have qualified for the UEFA Cup as recently as 2004.
The game kicks off and it becomes obvious the strong wind will play a big part in today's proceedings. Bala are quickly into their stride and take the lead on 6 minutes through Owain Roberts. Haverfordwest struggle to get a foothold in the game but Bala spurn several chances to extend their lead and have to be content with the one goal lead at half time. The players are lucky to be in the dressing rooms at this point as the rain comes lashing down again. Fortunately it stops as soon as it has started but one of the Bala subs is obviously feeling the cold as he warms up on the pitch with a cup of tea and several biscuits hidden in his training top. We've also spotted some more ball boys wearing oversized fluorescent jackets, is this common in Wales?
The second half sees Haverfordwest improve and 10 minutes in they score an equaliser through Robbie Walters and this seemed to spur them on. An offside decision stopped Haverford going in front and the game could have gone either way at this point. However Bala then had a great chance to take all three points when they were awarded a penalty in the last minute but a superb save by Lee Idzi kept the scores level. A draw was a fair result but both teams could look to having had chances to secure the win. a good game given the conditions and a very nice ground too.
A very enjoyable weekend in Wales and i think another visit is on the cards. Just one more picture, this one is for my daughter.



Bala Town 1-1 Haverfordwest County
Att: 227
Admission: £6
Programme: £1.50
Badge: £3

More pictures of Maes Tegid here.