Sparta Prague Spring to the Top of the Table

  

Hopperational Details
Date & Venue	Tuesday 28 October 2025 at the epet Arena, Prague
Result	AC Sparta Praha 2 Bohemians Praha 1
Competition	Czech First League
Hopstats	Ground 811 on the lifetime list and my first in Czechia.
Context
A Prague derby. The visitors are in mid-table and the hosts will go top with a win.
Match Report
The match was preceded by some typical continental-style tifo action. Red flares surrounded a semicircular banner with an underlying caption, “diky tato ze nesjem smazka” – which as far as I can tell using various translation aids should be interpreted as the son saying to his Spartan father, “Thanks, this is why I’m not a loser”. The Bohemian fan is portrayed as a crazed weed smoker. Here's a short video clip. When the smoke cleared, Sparta started on the front foot and created two chances early on. Then Bohemians caught them on the break down their left, leading to an excellent stadium-silencing finish by Vlasij Sinjavskij. However, VAR painfully intervened and the goal was ruled out for a foul on Jakub Martinec in the build-up. Sparta kept pressing and it needed a wonderful save from Bohemian keeper Michal Reichl to deny them with a twisting one-handed tip over the bar. Much of the home threat funnelled through Angelo Preciado on the right flank. He is attack-minded for sure, and it was the space behind him that had given the visitors their earlier disallowed goal. He sometimes angered the fans with his decision-making and the quality of his crosses, but to be fair he always wanted the ball and never hid. Bohemians threatened once again down that left flank, before Sparta had the ball in the net themselves. Martinec headed in from a corner routine before VAR intervened again and ruled it out for a foul. How this game was still 0-0 is hard to understand, but it was eventually Bohemians who broke the deadlock. It was again a move down the left, and a goal for Ales Cermak. It looked a bit of a scuffed shot at first glance, but the home keeper had no chance. Sparta almost equalised immediately with a superb through ball to Martinec who had been pushed upfield. His shot was just wide and the home side left the field to a chorus of whistles at half-time. Bohemians' choreo display, approaching half-time Half-time was enlivened by a fan winning a 1 million koruna prize for kicking the ball from the centre spot into a small goal. He’d missed from the two shorter distances. Let's hope the organisers had insured themselves. The home fans, orchestrated by their capo and two drummers, kept up the singing and were very happy that the equaliser came before the hour mark. It was very much deserved on balance of play and it was Jan Kuchta’s name on the scoresheet. Then it was a moment of redemption for Preciado, who came up with a moment of brilliance to beat his defender at the byeline. His cross was headed into his own net by Jan Vondra but there were others queuing up behind him. I wondered whether the floodgates would now open, and it took another great save by Reichl to keep the score at 2-1. A third Sparta goal from a slicing move right through the middle of the defence was ruled out by the VAR squad once again, this time for offside. It would have been a second for Kuchta. As most of my matches are in the lower leagues, I haven’t had a lot of personal experience of the VAR procedures. I’m very conflicted about it. It significantly worsens the experience for the on-site spectators, but then again if it means that scorelines are fairer … No time for on-pitch pontification though. Sparta managed to hold on for the win with only minor scares. No-one moved at the final whistle and we went through a post-match ritual. Spar-ta-Prah-a scans to the tune of Sweet Caroline but other than that I couldn’t read the onscreen Czech captions quickly enough to join in. The team lined up facing the Ultras and there was some mutual appreciation going on. I wonder what it’s like after a home loss? I left the stadium as I’d arrived, on foot for a 30-40 min walk back to the Old Square. A tram ride would have saved me a few minutes. Be warned, it's uphill to the ground with a lot of steps. I’m really glad I managed to get a game in during my short stay in this excellent city. I’d bought the ticket online beforehand and it is managed through an app on a smartphone. It had been fairly easy to do with a bit of help from Google translate, and the final cost for a seat in section C7 was just over £22 once conversion fees had been added. It was a thoroughly engaging evening’s entertainment.
So What?
Sparta go top, Bohemians stay in mid-table
Pix
Goalkeeper Top Colour Stats Update
The background to this, and the latest keeper top colour league table, is here on this dedicated page. Today Blue beats Yellow. Pre-match Prediction based on Keeper Top Colour: Prediction: Home Win Was the prediction correct? Yes % of correct predictions so far 48% (96 from 199)
Learn Czech Through Football
Vstupenky – tickets Tabulka – table Držení míče – possession (lit: holding the ball) Střely – shots Fauly – fouls Vyhrané souboje – tackles (lit: battles won) Střely na branku – shots on target Neuznaný gól – disallowed goal Jsme zklamaní – we are disappointed Domácí nadále útočili – the home team continued to attack   And of course … Moje vznášedlo je plné úhořů – my hovercraft is full of eels #iykyk

 

 

Tidings of Runcorn and Joie

 

e-Programme front cover from Runcorn

 

Hopperational Details
Dates & Venues	Saturday 27 September 2025 at the Apec Taxis Stadium, Stockham Lane and Sunday 28 September 2025 at the Joie Stadium, Manchester
Results	Runcorn Linnets 1 Ashton United 1 & Manchester City Women 4 London City Lionesses 1
Competitions	FA Cup 3rd Round Qualifying and Women’s Super League respectively
Hopstats	Grounds 809 & 810 on the lifetime list and I am here for the logistic chance of a north-west weekend double after a last-minute window of opportunity opened up for me to travel.
Contexts
Linnets, of Step 4, have beaten Clitheroe (H, 1-0), Whitchurch Alport (A, 3-0), West Didsbury & Chorlton (A, 2-0) and Pickering Town (A, 2-0) in earlier rounds to set up this tie against Step 3 opponents. United entered two rounds later and have seen off Hallam (A, 2-2 & H, 2-0) and Scarborough Athletic (H, 2-0). In the Sunday game, Manchester City Women will be hoping to mount a title challenge again whereas Lionesses are newly-promoted (but well-financed).
Match Reports
The Runcorn game started brightly – no cagey openings here. Both teams and the referee sought to set the tone and Linnets’ Matty Rain received an early yellow card. Fortunately, no later card for him although there were several more during the afternoon. Ashton looked more threatening and were unlucky not to take an 11th minute lead when a deflection bounced up nicely for the home keeper. Linnets’ Scott Bakkor joined Rain in the ref’s notebook for dissent and I began to wonder whether a red card would change this game – but as it happened, no. It all continued as a good contest with the Step 3 visitors on top but creating no more clear chances. Runcorn started to show their own ambition and needed to snuff out an Ashton break when they had left themselves exposed. Then with 43 minutes gone, a magnificent save by Ashton’s Jordan Eastham kept out Peter Wylie’s header. This was a one-handed flyer of a save, quite magnificent. However, Runcorn did score in the final minute of the first half through Ryan Brooke – the proverbial team-talk changer and the pyramid underdogs ahead at the break. Linnets had Declan McLoughlin to thank for a goalline clearance early in the second half. The swirling and gusty breeze was strengthening somewhat and Ashton’s first corner had caused defensive chaos. Jason Gilchrist then went close for Ashton before Runcorn hit the bar at the other end, that chance being created after good work down the right flank by Joe Ferguson right in front of me. The home side had grown in stature during the afternoon. Subs began to be deployed and Ashton added height with Tom Denton, although the breeze meant that picking him out was going to be tricky. As we entered the final minutes even Eastham joined the attack and might have been caught out from distance on one occasion. In a crazy and frantic few minutes there was a brilliant block by Adam Rooney. It was 90+4 on my watch before Gilchrist punctured the Runcorn defence with the Ashton equaliser. I love a footballing cliché, me, and both teams will feel they should have won this. A really good contest for the passing neutral. Scroll down for pix. My Sunday WSL game will have been well-covered elsewhere for anyone interested so I will be brief. The Joie is an impressive facility as part of the Etihad complex. This was a routine win for Manchester City in the end, whose first half moments of class set up goals for Vivienne Miedema and Laura Blindkilde Brown. Nikita Parris pulled one back for London as City didn’t always look comfortable at the back. It has to be said that there would be more atmosphere, however, on Mars compared with other top WSL games that I have watched recently at Chelsea (both venues), Arsenal (Emirates), Manchester United (Leigh) and West Ham. It was cathedral-like at times as Bunny Shaw added two second-half penalties for the home side. With Arsenal faltering with a couple of early-season draws, City remain best-placed to challenge Chelsea for the title. Two more early-career graduates regret not choosing maths, physics or chemistry
So What?
Runcorn and Ashton replay on Tuesday. Manchester City women are currently third and London City are ninth (of twelve) in the WSL.
Pre-and Post-match Entertainment
Too much time in the car, sadly. Only just made it in time for Linnets and on Sunday the Yappmobile in-car GPS more or less gave up trying to advise me on lane discipline in Manchester, leaving me to fend for myself at some interesting interchanges with vehicles coming at me from all sides like wasps to a jamjar. Then it was almost five hours back home with the Ryder Cup singles on the radio.
Pix
Linnets in yellow (of course).
Goalkeeper Top Colour Stats Update
The background to this, and the latest keeper top colour league table, is here on this dedicated page. On Saturday, Orange and Blue shared the spoils. On Sunday, Pink beat Yellow. However, no clean sheets for anyone. Pre-match Predictions based on Keeper Top Colour: Predictions: Away Win (Sat) and Home Win (Sun) Was the prediction correct? No & Yes % of correct predictions so far 48% (94 from 197)
What Next?
Forward planning and commitment impossible at the moment, so watch out for a last-minute decision for Saturday. The #keepertopcolourstats prediction goes out in the toxic wasteland of Twitter/X (@ModusHRandom) just before kickoff and no-one reads it except Elon Musk, I think. My hopping priorities when the chances arise are Everton (Premier League), Worcester City (Step 3), Liverpool Women’s WSL home in St Helens and 30 Step 4 grounds.

 

Sittingbourne Pretty as the Crows Plummet Out of the Trophy

Hopperational Details
Date & Venue	Saturday 20 September 2025 at the Charles Century Community Stadium, Fermor Road
Result	Crowborough Athletic 1 Sittingbourne 6
Competition	FA Trophy 2nd Round Qualifying
Hopstats	Ground #808 on the lifetime list. One of my thirty-odd Step 4 target grounds for this season. Headed south today because of the Met Office yellow warning for the north-west.
Context
Mixed season so far for the hosts, newly promoted from Step 5. Mid-table (Isthmian Division One South-East) and out of the FA Cup, but they set this tie up with an away win at Hassocks in the previous round. Sittingbourne are in the same division and reached last season’s playoff final. They have had a decent start in the league but are also out of the FA Cup. They beat Faversham Town 2-1 in the previous round of the Trophy and will probably start the day as favourites here.
Match Report
Sittingbourne could have been four or five up in the first half-hour. As it was their wastefulness meant that they had just the two. A neat finish into the bottom left corner by Jack Steventon to round off the first attack of the game, and a slightly bizarre stooped headed goal for experienced debutant Derek Asamoah after the ball had ricocheted around the six-yard box. The movement of the Sittingbourne strike force caused issues for the home defence, especially that of Asamoah. The visiting fans were in good voice and absolutely loved the determination of their new signing in winning the ball back in midfield. Sittingbourne were soon to go three up as Jean-Baptiste Fischer glanced in a header from a freekick. Crowborough finally caused a bit of action in the Sittingbourne box just before half-time, but nothing came of it. It would be important for Crowborough to get the next goal, and they did. The second half started as a mirror image of the first with a good low shot into the same corner of the same goal. Rushaar Samuel-Smikle the scorer. So, some hope of a challenge. That hope was snuffed out on 70 minutes with Sittingbourne’s fourth, Richard Hamill’s curling shot just evading the keeper’s outstretched hand. The fifth was an 80th minute screamer from Eman Robe, and the sixth from Ellis Brown in stoppage time wasn’t too shabby either. And so, back to the M25 and the Dartford Crossing (yes, the A282 before some pedant points it out). Nice ground, nice people, shame about the game – as a passing neutral I enjoy it more when the result is in doubt for longer. All credit to Sittingbourne, though – that was clinical. Someone press CTRL-ALT-DEL for Crowborough. They will have better days than this.
So What?
Usual cliché here about Crows concentrating on the league and Sittingbourne in the hat for the next round etc etc.
Pix
Crowborough in blue-and-black.
Goalkeeper Top Colour Stats Update
The background to this, and the latest keeper top colour league table, is here on this dedicated page. Today a catastrophic defeat for Purple, a win for Orange. Enough to make Purple drop two places. Pre-match Prediction based on Keeper Top Colour: Prediction: Home Win Was the prediction correct? No % of correct predictions so far 48% (98 from 195)
What Next?
Simple answer - no idea. Last-minute decisions based on the weather and work commitments will be the usual method this season. I have Everton and Worcester City to visit to restore "everywhere down to Step 3 in England" and just over 30 Step 4 grounds to go.

 

Shaftesbury Have a New Drawing-Frome Drama

Hopperational Details
Date & Venue	Saturday 13th September 2025 at Coppice Street
Result	Shaftesbury 1 Frome Town 1
Competition	FA Cup 2nd Round Qualifying
Hopstats	Ground 807 on the lifetime list.
Context
A clash between two Step 4 teams from the Southern League Division One South. This is Shaftesbury’s 10th game of the season, six of which have been in the knockout competitions. They have scored a fair few goals in the early games. A 5-0 replay win over Baffins Milton Rovers in the Extra Preliminary Round of the FA Cup followed a 1-1 draw. They then disposed of Thatcham Town (4-0 at home) and Exmouth (2-0 away) in the next two rounds to set up this tie, pausing only to win at Bristol Manor Farm in the FA Trophy. With three wins out of four league games, it’s fair to say they are enjoying a good start to the season among the leading scorers. Frome have three wins from three games in the league. In the FA Cup, they get here with a home win over Newquay in the Preliminary Round followed by a 4-0 win at Plymouth Parkway. The only blip in their season is a Trophy loss at Winchester last weekend, otherwise it’s an impressive defensive record.
Match Report
As a passing neutral, the best games are those in which the result is in doubt right to the end, and this ticked all those boxes. Tense at times, punctuated by sunshine and sharp showers, it was compelling. It could have been 1-1 after one minute. Shaftesbury hit the post with their first attack, and then the Frome keeper was in action at the other end to deal with a looping deflection. After that manic start, the game settled into mutual cancellation in midfield until Frome flashed a ball straight through the home six-yard box in the 29th minute. As we approached half-time, Shaftesbury forced some corners but they were well-defended. Then, one of those things that the young people of today call worldies. A home attack on the left flank broke down, the ball was recycled into midfield, and Alefe Santos, in plenty of space and time, fired a long-distance shot into the far right to break the match deadlock. At first, the second half followed the same pattern. The teams traded chances. Shaftesbury’s Brandon Mundy volleyed just wide and then a Frome cross was just a fraction too high for a heading opportunity. I noted that, “S will need a second (goal) here” as Frome gradually came to dominate the possession and territory. I was soon to add, “How have F not scored?”. Frome’s David Duru had an interesting few minutes. It was his persistence that created that chance, needing an amazing goalline block and clearance from a home defender to deny Charlie Holliday. This was followed by an attempted overhead kick – spectacular but wide – before he was floored with a head injury. He left the field after lengthy patching-up work and the added time was to become a big part of today’s story. Frome should have levelled sooner but substitute Sam Meakes hit the post when through one-on-one. We had goalmouth pinball, we had another pullback from Meakes go astray just behind the attacker when it should have been easier to score. It looked as if Frome were out of luck. Maybe Shaftesbury could have been better at so-called “game management”. However. At 5.03pm Meakes planted an unstoppable header from a right-wing cross to earn a deserved replay. As we left, someone loudly berated the referee about the added time to which he quipped back about giving value for money. I suspect he’s used that line before. There had been 14 or 15 minutes of added time, on top of the 4 or 5 from the first half. I won’t be able to get to the replay, but I’ll certainly look for the result. #sorrynotsorry about the blogpost title, but I have to have a pun (or two) in here somewhere, it’s the rule. It only works if you pronounce Frome like the locals!
So What?
Replay at Frome Town on Wednesday 17 September at 7.45pm.
Pre-match Entertainment
Nothing whatsoever, no time. Diversion from Hertfordshire via M4 due to closure of the M3, so yet another morning spent bumper-to-bumper on the dreaded M25 western section before joining the queue to crawl past Stonehenge on the A303. Witnessed some terrible and discourteous driving too. The other undoubted attractions of Shaftesbury will have to wait, sorry.
Pix
Shaftesbury in red-and-white.
Goalkeeper Top Colour Stats Update
The background to this, and the latest keeper top colour league table, is here on this dedicated page. Today Yellow v Green, same as last night (West Ham Women 1-5 Arsenal Women). My last 339 games have contributed to the table. Pre-match Prediction based on Keeper Top Colour: Prediction: Away Win Was the prediction correct? No % of correct predictions so far 48% (93 from 194)
What Next?
Not sure. Schoolwork demands really kicking in now so a lot will depend on the weather and whether my GCSE physics students have dogs with an appetite for homework.