Sion are a - Team Saying Goodbye to Two Dropped Points

Available in both French and German

Hopperational Details
Date & Venue	Wednesday 27 September 2017 at Stade Tourbillon, Sion
Result	FC Sion 1 Lausanne Sport 1
Competition	Super League (Highest tier in Switzerland)
Hopping	The chance to get here for Ground 618 on my lifetime list arises because I got lucky at the last minute with a place for a tour of CERN tomorrow.  Since the Higgs Boson wasn’t even on the table when I did my degree, and I am teaching the particle physics bit of the A level course later this year, it seemed a great way to combine some fun stuff with some usefulness.  It’s my first time on Swiss soil (not counting a transit through Zurich airport in 2006).
Pre-match preparation and entertainment
A drive up down and around some bendy roads between Geneva and Sion.  Picture-postcard scenery, impossibly green and looking really good before the skiing starts.  As far as the game is concerned, an online print-at-home purchase for 53CHF (so not a cheap night out) was very straightforward with a bit of French.
This match in one sentence
Utter frustration for the home side and their supporters.
So what?
The teams stay 6th and 8th respectively but all other teams have yet to play in this round.
The drama unfolds
I found myself sitting with a group of Sion supporters known as the Old Dogs.  Seemed fair, maybe with an element of nominative determinism.  They enjoyed Sion’s early dominance both in terms of possession and chances created.  However, the element of wastefulness would prove costly by the end of the evening.  The supporters in the South Tribune kept up their songs all night. Sion’s efforts were summed up though by a 33rd minute incident.  Christian Zock Abep won the ball in midfield and did all the hard work to make ground before indecision led to evaporation.  The same player headed the ball down for Marco Schneuwly whose mishit shot was just one of many half-chances spurned.  Lausanne had one late volleyed chance on the break but there was very little for 30 or so visiting supporters to celebrate.  The half-time whistle went with the score still 0-0. Matheus Cunha opened the scoring for Sion with a screamer from the right hand side into the left corner of the net.  Out came the pyro along with an impotent message of disapproval over the PA.  This forced Lausanne to press forward more with Sion looking dangerous on the break too.  It was never dull, except for the Lausanne keeper’s blatant timewasting.  Lausanne caught Sion napping with a break of their own.  A scuffed clearance was kept in on the touchline.  The header from the resulting cross was superbly saved by Anton Mitryushkin, but the rebound fell nicely for Maxime Dominguez who absolutely leathered it for the equalising goal. It then got very nervy, and in truth neither side was good enough to win it.  Mitryushkin’s legs denied Lausanne a scruffy win and in the end the game petered out in a draw.  Entertaining enough for the passing neutral.
Ground Pix
The castle that lends its name to the stadium
Match Pix
Sion in white and Lausanne in some kind of revolting day-glo orange.
Learn French Through Football
mercredi le vingt-sept septembre – Wednesday 27th September Le marché des transferts – the transfer window (literally: market) On ne gagne pas une Coupe Suisse par hasard – you don’t win a Swiss Cup by chance Un premier contract professional – a first professional contract La pause international – the international break Une victoire – a victory/win L’entraineur – the trainer (coach)
Goalkeeper Top Colour Stats
This was a draw between red and blue, but no clean sheet for either.  Full table next time I am writing a post back at home.
What Next?
I have a tour of CERN tomorrow and then a lot depends on whether I can cope with a 2hr-each-way drive on Friday night.  I will pick up a lower league fixture in the Geneva area on Saturday whatever happens.

Fylde Under Par

Hopperational details
Date & Venue	Saturday 23 September at Mill Farm
Result	AFC Fylde 1 Woking 2
Competition	National League (Step 1)
Hopstats	Ground 617, which restores my “116” (everywhere in the top five divisions in England.
Context
I last saw AFC Fylde three years ago in the level below, and I noted their organisation and ambition back then.  They are now in their first season at the top “non-league” level.  They find themselves in the lower reaches of the table after eleven games, with a fair number of draws from reportedly decent performances.  Woking are top-half and will be another stern test for the upwardly mobile Coasters.
In one sentence
Woking turned up after half-time and scored two goals in quick succession to take the points.
So what?
Fylde remain 20th, just above the drop-zone in a table which still has many, many games to go.  Woking climb to 6th and are one of several teams sitting at one point off the lead.
Match Report
Two well-organised sides of “big lads” largely cancelled each other out.  There was very little time-on-the-ball for anyone and a lot of playing channels and percentages.  Woking struggled to come to terms with Fylde’s aerial threat and Jordan Tunnicliffe headed them in front in the 18th minute with a straightforward header from a set piece.  Tony Pulis would have loved it.  Woking never made the home keeper do any serious work, and the away fans (somewhat noisier than the home ones it has to be said) were beginning to get irritated at their team’s lack of bite as half-time drew near.  Fylde would have been happy to reach the break one-nil up. The equaliser came after 53 minutes.  It was both spectacular and with an element of good fortune.  Shortly after a softly-conceded corner, the ball came out to Joe Ward.  His volley from distance took a deflection and then went in off the post.  Jamie Philpot’s header from a left-wing cross came just a minute later and the game was completely turned round. Woking will feel they coped well enough defensively as Fylde threw men forward.  There were a couple of half-chances from corners and other set pieces but in the end the visitors will be very happy to be going home with the points. AFC Fylde 1 Tunnicliffe 18 Woking 2  Ward 53, Philpot 54
Ground Pix
It is impressive.  Has managed to be a bit “different” whilst still being modern and functional.  Early signs are that the growth and development is being managed well and will be sustainable.  The area already has old-but-troubled Blackpool, newish-kids Fleetwood and venerable old Preston North End so there is lots of local football interest.  The club are already at the stage of the £3 full-colour glossy 52-page programme, seagull mascot and barcode-reader turnstiles.  The playing surface was excellent.  A bonus was a chance to say hello to @nonleaguedogs of the Fylde faithful across the segregation gate.  Great to meet you and thanks for the badge, which will be worn with pride.
Match Pix
AFC Fylde in all white. 1-0. Left-wing corner reaches Tunnicliffe (5) at the far post. See a pattern developing? Fylde a constant first-half threat from crosses and corners. Nathan Baxter (Woking GK) is kept very busy in the last 15 minutes
Pre-Match Entertainment
It was a Steam Day at the Ribble Steam Railway on the outskirts of Preston.  Would have been rude not to.  Steam locomotives are impressive things (says he as a theoretical chemist who avoided getting his hands wet if at all possible).  It was good to see some other characters with obsessive hobbies and get a fix of nostalgia.  My childhood coincided with the gradual decline of steam in favour of diesel and electric.  Recommended to all groundhoppers – it’s about fifteen minutes from Mill Farm by car. That's a Bagnall 0-6-0 from 1942, I tell you.  Number 2680 "Courageous" to be specific. Decent range of bottled beers for your short trip...
Goalkeeper Top Colour Stats
Green loses to Orange.  Red still leads, orange in 6th closes gap on green in 5th.  Full table update at the end of the month.
What Next?
Watch @GrahamYapp on Twitter for details!  Next “landmark” hop will be a trip to Spennymoor Town, hopefully sometime in October, to restore the “160” (everything in the top six English tiers).

Sunday's Always a Godiva a Hop to Coventry

Hopperational details
Date & Venue	Sunday 10 September 2017 at Butts Park Arena
Result	Coventry United 3 Tipton Town 1
Competition	FA Vase 1st Round Qualifying
Hopstats	Ground 616 on the lifetime list, and an impulsive non-random decision to get out more.  New ground for this team, shared with rugby sides from two codes.
Context
Both teams have started pretty well in their respective leagues.  Coventry United now have Step 5 status in the Midlands Football League, with Tipton two levels below in the West Midlands Regional Division One.  I’ve seen Tipton punching above their weight in knockout football before, on a 2010 run in the FA Cup.  The rise of Coventry United has been well documented – indeed they are the subject of a feature in today’s Non-League Paper. This is their first season sharing with two rugby teams at Butts Park, and they will inevitably start as favourites.
In one sentence
Tipton gave a spirited showing but couldn’t hold on to their gifted half-time lead, and in the end this was a comfortable enough win for the home side.
If only …
… a 70th minute scramble had produced a Tipton goal with the home keeper James Behan well off his line – a first shot was somehow blocked and he recovered to stop the second.
So what?
Another West Midlands Regional side, Stone Old Alleynians, will come here for the second round qualifying.  United will start as favourites for that one too and might even see themselves going a long way in this competition this season.
Match Report
Coventry United started to boss the game from the whistle, restricting Tipton to the occasional break.  Number 9 Aaron Opoku featured frequently using his physical strength in some effective link-up play with back to goal.  It was his shot that was well saved after five minutes by Josh Morgan, who had a busy afternoon ahead.  This pattern continued for some time.  Maybe Coventry were a bit too deliberate and slow in their build-up, and there were some heroic blocks from Tipton defenders.  The visitors took the lead after 41 minutes through a gift.  Debutant keeper James Behan’s touch let him down and he presented the ball and an open goal to a gleeful attacker. Conditions worsened during the halftime break.  The rain grew heavier and the wind strengthened in Coventry’s favour.  Sadly for Tipton, the hosts levelled in six minutes.  A curled cross-shot by Chris Cox from the right found its way past everyone into the far corner.  There was an element of good fortune about the goal but it changed the tone.  Craig Read missed a good chance but it proved unimportant once Coventry took the lead on the hour.  Opoku will get the assist as he teed up Joshua O’Grady for an unstoppable shot. Behan looked uncertain but Tipton were unable to capitalise on a couple of occasions where he’d ended up very out of position.  O’Grady went on a mazy run in the last ten minutes and put the result beyond doubt with his second of the game.  All credit to Tipton for a valiant effort in keeping the result in doubt for so long.
Ground Pix
Coventry Rugby (at Coundon Road) were a huge force in the Midlands in the amateur days of rugby union in the 70s.  They never really seemed to step up in the professional era and nowadays play in the game’s third tier.  I remember famous names such as Cotton, Duckham and Rossborough from watching the Five Nations (not yet Six in those days) on BBC Grandstand in my teenage years.  The side now plays at Butts Park Arena, shared among them, Coventry United, and Coventry Bears, the city’s rugby league side.  Today’s early-season surface was not the best I have seen this season and time will tell whether wear-and-tear will be an issue.  The main stand is excellent and comfortable, with good facilities underneath.  The site itself certainly has some room for expansion.  It will be interesting to see how far United can climb, but National League level looks a realistic ambition for starters.  I was given a pocket guide at the gate which sets out core values and principles for the club’s full range of activity, and it is impressive. If you have to move the goalposts, wheels will certainly help...
Match Pix
United are in the red and green. Train! 3-1 late on as O'Grady waltzes through the Tipton back line
Any Other Business
I was slightly surprised to find that programmes had run out already by the time of my arrival at 2.10pm, but I am appeased by the complimentary copy of the one from their first league game at their new home.  There were a good number of hoppers in attendance.  The presence of an adjacent raised train line will have caused further excitement for the trainspotterhoppers of the community. In other matters, I’d like to recommend a trip on the Coventry Ring Road for loosening up any blockages you may have in your digestive tract.  I’ve been round it several times now over the years, usually laughing hysterically by the end of each trip.  The local drivers are unsympathetic to the fact that newbies have half a nanosecond to choose lanes and exits.  Satnavs give up and say, “You’re on your own, pal”.  The best approach is to be like a proton in the Large Hadron Collider and do several laps before spitting yourself out at the right exit.
Goalkeeper Top Colour Stats
Fluorescent versions of green (home) and orange (away) but no clean sheets for either.  Red remains in the lead with green in 5th and orange 6th.  Full league table will appear again in the blog from time to time.
What Next?
Watch @GrahamYapp on Twitter for details!  Next Saturday, I am likely to be either at an FA Cup tie in the Midlands or in North Berkshire, depending on other family commitments.

Hopping with the March Hares

Hopperational details
Date & Venue	Saturday 9 September 2017 at the GER Sports Ground, Robingoodfellows Lane, March
Result	March Town 2 Peterborough Northern Star 3
Competition	FA Vase 1st Round Qualifying
Hopstats	Ground 615 on the lifetime list. Not randomly chosen, but I had to be reasonably close to home today with a reliably predictable journey time.
Context
Step 6 (Eastern Counties Division 1) takes on Step 5 (United Counties League Premier).  Both sides have had a mixed start to their respective league seasons.
In one sentence
Immensely frustrating for March who levelled the game from being two down only to immediately concede the winning goal to the ten men of PNS.
If only…
… the last defender in the 84th minute had eaten three Shredded Wheat (other cereals are available) this morning.  He and the scorer tussled for what seemed like an age before the winning goal was scored.
So what?
Peterborough Northern Star will travel in the next round to the winners of the replay between Netherton United (of the Peterborough & District League) and Potton United (of the United Counties Division 1).
Match Report
Thanks to the excellent PNS Twitter timeline for help with identification of scorers. March held their higher-ranked opponents comfortably enough until midway through the first half. Zak Munton finished off Connor Pilbeam’s cross to open the scoring.  Munton got the second from the penalty spot before the interval too, getting up from being fouled.  March delivered a couple of crunching tackles – if they were meant as “reducers” they were much too late in all senses, and it looked a long way back for March as the half-time whistle was blown. March had a penalty appeal denied after the restart but the game settled into a fairly tedious pattern of long shots and set pieces.  Then the home side got back into the game with a penalty.  PNS defender Christian Gordon used a hand to stop a goalbound header and was correctly red-carded.  Michael Chow scored from the spot.  Suddenly, maybe the last 15 minutes might be interesting after all. So it proved, when substitute Dayne Moore scored a superb goal with a swerving shot on the turn from about 20 yards to tie the game.  With seven minutes left, Neil and I (see below) had a brief discussion about tactics, and we both decided that as manager of a lower-ranked side at home against ten men, we would “go for it”.  What do we know?  From the restart, a hopeful long ball caught March short of manpower at the back, and after what seemed like an age Jack Flintoft left the last man on the floor and scored the winner.  Absolute heartbreak for the home side. March Town 2 (Chow 73 pen, Moore 83) Peterborough Northern Star 3 (Munton 22, 39 pen, Flintoft 84)
Ground Pix
I watched this match mainly from the splendid old wooden main stand, in the knowledgeable company of @NFJensen of gameofthepeople.com. Therefore we remained dry, unlike the players – the match took place through varying degrees of drizzle and downpour against a backdrop of grey skies.  Although the stand is showing its age, the clubhouse is excellent and a trip to March is recommended to all hoppers.
Match Pix
March Town are in amber and black. Munton makes it 0-2 to PNS Good save!  Oh, wait ... The Doh! moment Chow scores from the spot to give March some hope Wild but soon-to-be short-lived celebrations after Moore's screamer
Goalkeeper Top Colour Stats
Since last week, a definitive Twitter exchange with Dulux UK (thanks, Roxy) has established that the Ware Sports keeper was sporting something that should be called Fire Cracker. That’ll do for me.  Today’s game confirmed the recent decline of Green.  Both custodians were wearing it – one somewhat more limey it has to be said, so Green takes the win, the loss and the five goals conceded. Results so far: Based on conventional 3pts for a win, 1pt for a draw, but also -1pt for a goal conceded (GC) and +5pts for a clean sheet (CS).  Colours ranked on a points per game (PPG) basis. P W D L GC CS Pts PPG Red 8.0 4.0 0.0 4.0 8.0 3.0 19.0 2.38 Blue 28.1 11.0 5.0 12.1 44.0 10.0 44.0 1.57 Maroon 4.0 2.0 1.0 1.0 6.0 1.0 6.0 1.50 Grey 40.5 20.0 8.0 12.5 66.5 11.0 56.5 1.40 Green 57.0 27.0 7.0 23.0 100.0 15.0 63.0 1.11 Orange 22.5 8.0 4.0 10.5 34.5 5.0 18.5 0.82 Yellow 24.0 7.0 6.0 11.0 46.0 5.0 6.0 0.25 Purple 11.0 5.0 2.0 4.0 25.0 2.0 2.0 0.18 Pink 13.0 4.0 4.0 5.0 27.0 1.0 -6.0 -0.46 Radioactive Bile 12.0 5.0 0.0 7.0 26.0 1.0 -6.0 -0.50 Black 5.0 1.0 3.0 1.0 14.0 0.0 -8.0 -1.60 White 1.9 0.0 0.0 1.9 4.0 0.0 -4.0 -2.11 Fire Cracker 1.0 0.0 0.0 1.0 4.0 0.0 -4.0 -4.00
What Next?
Watch @GrahamYapp on Twitter for details!