Modus Hopper Random

The Draw of a Day Trip from Margate

2012-03-04T13:44:00.000Z

This might explain at least some of the headaches of the home directors

Hopperational details
Date & Venue	Saturday 3 March 2012 at The Abrahams Stadium
Result	Wingate & Finchley 2 Margate 2
Competition	Isthmian Premier League (Step 3)
Hopping	This fixture does not add to the lifetime list (see #203) but it was in the right place on my journey back having taken @yappattack to a checkup at Moorfields Hospital in the morning. My original Twitter friend and Man of Margate @JeremyJacobs was also in attendance.
This match in one sentence
After a bizarre start which had two goals in two minutes, Margate eventually needed a late penalty to rescue a point in windy conditions.
So what?
Mid-table security looks likely for both these sides but Margate will be the happier having avoided what would have been a seventh league defeat in a row.
Something random
How are Wingate & Finchley surviving at this level with a crowd of 105? Half of them were supporting Margate, including a bow-tie wearing band. Nice! Pic courtesy of Jeremy Jacobs.
The drama unfolds
The match kicked off at ten-to-eight according to the stadium clock on the far side. The first harmless-looking ball over the top landed in the Wingate & Finchley penalty area after about 20 seconds. Somehow, Tom Bradbrook had plenty of time to bring it down and fire in a daisycutter of a shot that crept in at the back post from the cutest of acute angles. No idea how it went in, and in fact two other sources have it as a header, but not a great moment for home keeper Bobby Smith. 0-1 From the first attack after the restart, a long ball down the middle dropped from the sky towards the penalty spot. Leon Smith (for whom the word burly was invented) jumped with Margate keeper Simon Overland, who was trying to punch clear. Smith made contact with the ball and his header looped into the net, Overland made contact with Smith who stayed down for a horizontal moment of celebration. Only two minutes gone, at most. 1-1 Neither team could maintain this goals-per-attack ratio and the game settled into a pattern, with Margate arguably having the advantage of the windy conditions. Here’s a scene-setter clip taken about 20 minutes in from the back of the main stand. The home side are in blue. Wingate & Finchley took the lead after 33 minutes. A curling ball from the right got into the 6-yard box and Gazmend Dauti arrived from midfield just before Overland to poke it home. They held on to the lead comfortably until the interval. 2-1 at half-time Margate made a double substitution at half-time and Tom Murphy and Matt Bodkin were to link up frequently with much greater pace and urgency. Several times one or other reached the byline but a final ball either missed the target or evaded the attackers. Here’s a second-half clip. Lean Smith continued to impress as a target-man with good strength, immaculate close control and layoffs and intelligent movement. Twice he found himself one-on-one with Overland. On both occasions the keeper came out on top. In stoppage time, Margate’s increasingly desperate attacks got them a penaty for handball. Here’s Dan Stubbs sending Smith the wrong way from the spot. 2-2 There was still time for an “if only” moment for each side. From Margate’s next attack, Smith made an excellent block but the rebound was skied by Richard Avery when it should have been easier to score. Here’s the home side’s last set piece, which has Overland scurrying to his right as the stadium clock maintained its ten-to-eightness. Final score 2-2
Man-of-the-Match
I usually ask myself which player decided the destination of the points – so this week it goes to Margate goalkeeper Simon Overland. Leon Smith was the best outfield player on the pitch by some distance, but although Overland lost out to Smith in a 50:50 for the goal, it was the keeper’s two one-on-one saves that kept Margate in the game and paved the way for their point. Honourable mention to the visiting subs Tom Murphy and Matt Bodkin.
A snippet from the programme
A very professionally produced programme including ads for lingerie (“Discover what lies beneath …”) and a vibrating platform (“I thought my footballing days were over until I used the TrueVibe…”). What should I find but an article from @DannyLast on Football’s Guilty Pleasures … “In our youth, the Italian word Panini meant more to us than Rossi or Tardelli. Walking around playgrounds or standing outside Spar with our pile of unwanted stickers of Coventry’s Mick Coop – resplendent in his chocolate brown kit – in a vague hope of finding that elusive shiny Liverpool badge and the second half of the Swansea City team sticker to complete our album.”
What I learned today (well, this month)
A non-expert summary of what I now know about eyes. Number 2 son Chris aka @yappattack is convalescing after a retinal detachment and treatment at Moorfields. Broadly speaking, there are three modes of treatment for retinal tears and detachments. Firstly, laser treatment can sometimes be used to stop a very small tear from spreading to other parts of the retina. Secondly, a scleral buckle is a strip of silicone stitched to the back of the eyeball to change the shape of the eye and close the gap to the detached retina. This is often used in conjunction with lasers or cryoscopy (very low temperatures) to create fresh scar tissue to keep the retina in place. Thirdly, a bubble of inert gas (sulphur hexafluoride) or silicone oil is injected into the eye to push the retina into place from the inside. Sometimes this will need the patient to maintain a certain head position for several days so the pushing is in the right direction. The method that is chosen will depend mainly on the nature of the tear or detachment. Chris’ scleral buckle from last week has proved insufficient so he now has an eyeful of silicone too for a few months. All pretty amazing stuff technologically and this is why more of our young people should be taking up the sciences. If ever you have the sense of losing part of your field of vision – such as a black curtain coming across or down (Chris described his starting with a “bubble” effect) – then get to Moorfields as soon as possible if you live anywhere near London, or to your local A&E.
What Next?
I am only planning one day at a time at the moment but I see there is a mid-Wales hop next week and a Central Midlands hop the week after that.

Hawayday at the Bay

2012-02-19T13:05:00.000Z

Hopperational details

Date & Venue

Saturday 18 February 2012 at Hillheads

Result

Whitley Bay 1 West Auckland Town 2

Competition

FA Vase Round 5 – a tie between two teams from the step 5 Northern League Division One

Hopping

I am here because I rolled a six. See last post. This is within the bounds of normal behaviour for a human being if you ask me. Venue #451 on the lifetime list.

This match in one sentence

The holders go out in a game that had drama at each end and tension in between, as a late equaliser was wiped out by an even later winner.

So what?

West Auckland go into the last eight, where they will be at home to either Billingham Synthonia or Bournemouth. Whitley Bay will be, as they say, concentrating on the league

Something random

Far and away the best random notice I have ever seen at a football ground, anywhere.

The drama unfolds

This is a game that has already been well covered, so I am sticking to the spirit and form of this blog and writing from my original notes and impressions, before reading others’ accounts. Honest.

As I headed north on Saturday morning, the Twittersphere spluttered into operation and the locals were warned of my impending arrival. And so it was that I was welcomed by @HuddoHudson, @NewcastleDavey and @sheeshkebab among others for some pre-match prattle in The Last Orders, across the road from the ground. They filled in some of the gaps in my northern league knowledge and were splendid hosts for the day as I embedded myself in the Bell-Enders. Loved the old-school bell and rattles of the long-standing Bay supporters.

As usual, I recorded a “scene-setter” clip after about ten minutes or so, standing in the bright but cold sunshine behind the goal. Bay are in blue. The clip ended with the referee’s whistle for a foul, and I pressed stop before the implications became clear. The game was not to restart until 3.50pm, some thirty-five minutes later, and from a purely selfish point of view after such a long drive I was relieved that it restarted at all.

All I can say is that my immediate impression was that the Whitley Bay player was over-stretching for a ball that the wind was taking away from him, and the wind was a factor in his mistiming. It didn’t look like malicious intent, and the reactions of the other players were horror at the injury more than anger towards the perpetrator. I now know that the tackler was Lee Paul Scroggins, and the injured party was Alex Francis. It was clear within seconds even to us behind the goal that this was a serious injury. The ambulance came on to the pitch and it took some time to stabilise Francis before moving him.

It gradually became clear that the game would continue, and at 3.50pm the red card was shown to Scroggins, over half an hour after the event, which was astonishing in itself. Whitley Bay made a substitution, either tactical or because the player concerned was too distressed to continue, and the rest of the half was played out in a surreal atmosphere – the police arrived as tensions were mounting.

Kyle Hayes, the Bay keeper, saved superbly from Adam Nichols as Town really should have taken the lead. Then Mark Bell in the other goal went down, rolling in agony after being caught by Paul Chow, but no card was shown. Within seconds, Bay’s Chris Fawcett was also needing treatment – in that instance I thought I saw a deliberate kick that the officials missed, but I’m not certain who did it. It was all getting rather niggly. There was time for Nichols to send in one dangerous cross for Town, and for Bay to go close (McFarlane, I think) with a shot just over. 0-0 at half-time

Whitley Bay started the second half on the front foot and here is the first of several decent saves from Bell, after 48 minutes.

Both goalkeepers were busy, in fact. Bay certainly looked dangerous as they came forward but there was also palpable anxiety whenever Town got the ball. Their wide players were finding plenty of space against ten men and there was one other occasion when a shot went straight at Hayes rather than into the net. It remained tense and we checked the programme to see whether extra time was playable today. Scores of phone calls were made to the Wives of Whitley Bay making apologies for lateness. Here’s another clip.

Town had another chance, with the ball being cleared off the line, it appeared, after a moment of goalmouth chaos, but we resigned ourselves to extra time until … well, Wow, what an ending. That is, if you are a neutral or from West Auckland.

With one minute of normal time to go, Matthew Moffat connected with a corner and he headed in. 0-1

Then this …

Great work by Robbie Dale to fashion the chance for Paul Robinson to score. 1-1

My final clip is the “if only” moment for the Bay...

… because, at 5.26pm, in the 6^th minute of stoppage time, a cross-shot at the other end was knocked back and it fell to Michael Rae who smacked it into the roof of the net. Final Score 1-2

There was a stunned silence, a moment of anger and frustration, and then the home supporters cheered their team, who had lost an FA Vase tie for the first time in four seasons. For this hopper, it was both a sadness and a privilege to see the run end – I’ve seen them win on the road and twice at Wembley – but now West Auckland fly the Northern League flag for at least one more round, and I hope more supporters will turn up to see it. They are a resilient side and all eyes will now be on them. They won both league fixtures too, and should not be underestimated. The Northern League supplied five of the last sixteen and will have two or three of the last eight in this year’s competition.

One day it would have to end like this. It's nature's way.

Man-of-the-Match

Robbie Dale (Bay) and Adam Nichols (Town) caught the eye in midfield, and both keepers did well – and on balance I am giving the nod to Mark Bell as I am a lapsed part-time associate member of the goalkeepers’ union.

A snippet from the programme

Bay Watch (Love it!) is a very professionally-produced programme which, for those in the know, clearly shows @damon_th of therealfacup celebrating wildly at Wembley during the Bay’s last win. There is a whole page devoted to “Whitley’s 5^th round drama” which prophetically concludes:

“Today is the seventh time that Whitley have reached this stage of the competition. On three previous occasions, extra time has been required and twice the tie has gone to a replay. There have been penalties, sendings-off and last-gasp equalisers. What drama will today’s game bring?”

The article covers, among others, the home draw against Brigg Town in 2001-2. “It looked all over for Whitley until Ian Chandler (now Bay manager) sent the fans wild when he scored a dramatic 119^th minute equaliser.” They went on to win the replay and the trophy. Lee Paul Scroggins had a happier day to some extent in 2002-3 where he scored Bay’s goal in a 5^th round home defeat by Oadby Town.

What I learned today

On a bright sunny day, it is possible to remove one layer of clothing at Hillheads and attend the match with nine rather than the recommended ten.

STOP PRESS: Michael (see below) and others have pointed out to me that I have used the Sunderland pronounciation of "Haway" and therefore I am like that secret agent in 'Allo 'Allo who has irritable vowel syndrome. So, listen, and I will say this only once, it should indeed have been "Howay" for the authentic Tyneside feel and I mode a mustook. I feel so sully, but I have lawned something useful!

What Next?

As readers will know by now, forward planning is not a strength but I am certainly eyeing up the Bournemouth v Billingham Synthonia replay next Saturday.

Decision Time: A Classic d6 Moment

2012-02-17T14:08:00.003Z

The video clip will show where you might bump into me on Saturday ... it's a foam-and-gravity decision this week for Modus Hopper Random.

It's random!

Welfare Fare Well on the Road to Wembley

2012-02-16T14:34:00.000Z

Hopperational details

Date & Venue

Wednesday 15 February 2012 at Inkersall Road

Result

Staveley Miners Welfare 2 Oadby Town 0

Competition

FA Vase Round 5. Both clubs are going well in their respective leagues, the Northern Counties East Premier (step 5) and the East Midlands Counties (step 6).

Hopping

Ground number 450 on the lifetime list and a chance to good to miss – a midweek rearrangement of a postponed tie.

This match in one sentence

The home side’s task was made easier by a fluffed goalkeeper’s clearance meaning they could defend the latter stages with the comfort of a two-goal cushion, and the keeper’s earlier penalty-saving heroics went to waste.

So what?

Staveley MW go into the last eight of this competition for the first time in their history where they will host the winners of the St Ives v Gresley tie. Oadby Town will now, in the words of the cliché, “concentrate on the league” where they are seeking to bounce back to step 5 at the first time of asking.

Something random

My eye was caught by the programme’s assertion that Staveley have been drawn at home only 3 times out of the last 16 FA Vase ties over the last eight seasons. I had to check this out of course, so here is a mathematical diversion despite the fact that the claim does not seem to match the complete club Vase record on the next page. These figures would apply to any club in any traditional cuptie competition.

Let’s assume that hotball conspiracy theorists are wrong and that all draws are fair and there is an exact 50:50 chance of being home or away.

For three successive ties, there are only eight (2 to the power 3) possible sequences (HHH, HHA, HAH, AHH, HAA, AHA, AAH and AAA) so it can be seen that the chances of three home ties out of three would be 1 in 8, or 12.5%.

For four successive ties, we have 16 (2 to the power 4) possibilities (HHHH, HHHA, HHAH, HAHH, AHHH, HHAA, HAHA, HAAH, AHHA, AHAH, AAHH, HAAA, AHAA, AAHA, AAAH, AAAA) of which only four (in bold) have exactly three out of four homes (not counting the HHHH sequence, stay with me on this!). So the chances are 4 in 16, or 25%.

As my readership plummets, we can see that for five successive ties there are 10 sequences with 3H and 2A (HHHAA, HHAHA, HHAAH, HAHHA, HAHAH, HAAHH, AHHHA, AHHAH, AHAHH, AAHHH) out of a possible total of 2 to the power 5 = 32. I have not listed the other 22 sequences like AHHHH that don’t have 3Hs. The chances of three homes out of five ties is thus 10 out of 32, or 31.25%.

The emerging pattern is shown in this table which will enable us to make the jump to 3 homes out of 16 ties without the need for a maths degree. The “powers of 2” in the third column will be familiar to most people. For the second column, I have shown how it is possible to work out the number in the next row from the ones before, because they turn out to be sums of successive “triangle numbers” which are 1, 1+2, 1+2+3 … or 1, 3, 6, 10,15, 21, 28, 36, 45, 55 … and so on. Beautiful, isn't it? So neat, so simple - and nothing so far that is beyond the old O level ;)

Number of Ties	Number of sequences with exactly three homes (X)	Total possible number of sequences (N)	Chances (X/N) as a %
3	1	8 (2 to the power 3)	12.50%
4	4 (=1+3)	16 (2 to the power 4)	25.00%
5	10 (=1+3+6)	32	31.25%
6	20 (=1+3+6+10)	64	31.25%**

** You might think that the chances of getting 3 homes out of 6 ties would be 50%, but out of the 64 possible sequences there is only 1 with no homes (AAAAAA) and 1 with six homes (HHHHHH), 6 with one home (HAAAAA, AHAAAA, AAHAAA, AAAHAA, AAAAHA, AAAAAH), and 6 with five homes (AHHHHH, HAHHHH, HHAHHH, HHHAHH, HHHHAH, HHHHHA). We have calculated 20 ways of getting exactly three aways above. 1+1+6+6+20 = 34 and the other 30 out of the 64 possibilities are 15 sequences with two homes and 15 with four homes. For homework, list them … sorry, old habits and all that. This isn’t a paradox because the average number of homes out of all the possible sequences is exactly one half.

Now we can continue to develop the pattern …

Number of Ties	Number of sequences with exactly three homes (X)	Total possible number of sequences (N)	Chances (X/N) as a %
3	1	8	12.50%
4	1+3 = 4	16	25.00%
5	1+3+6 = 10	32	31.25%
6	1+3+6+10 = 20	64	31.25%
7	1+3+6+10+15 = 35	128	27.34%
8	1+3+6+10+15+21 = 56	256	21.88%
9	56+28 = 84	512	16.41%
10	84+36 = 120	1024	11.72%
11	120+45 = 165	2048	8.06%
12	165+55 = 220	4096	5.37%
13	220+66 = 286	8192	3.49%
14	286+78 = 364	16384	2.22%
15	364+91 = 455	32768	1.39%
16	455+105 = 560	65536	0.09%

So we can see that the chances of Staveley being drawn home for EXACTLY three out of sixteen fair dichotomous draws was just under one percent, about the same as the chances of me gaining new followers after this blogpost. Now for the football.

The drama unfolds

The only downside of midweek matches is that my stills pix do not do justice to the impressive (and very blue-and-white stripey, but nothing wrong with that, oh no) facilities of this step 5 club. @BeatTheFirstMan and I chewed the low-fat alternatives before the game in the comfortable surroundings of The Arkwright Arms and then the clubhouse. Teamsheets (immaculately word-processed but labelled 6^th round, ooops) flowed like (insert something white and flowing here later) and I purchased the rights to the 13^th minute for the first-goal-scored. I hate waiting till the end to find that I have lost again. As temperatures plummeted, with chip butties in hand, we identified the planets visible overhead and awaited the teams.

Staveley (in the blue, of course) were playing towards Jupiter in the first half and the first action of note was a skied shot by Jordan Eagers after 3 minutes which will be dropping into The Great Red Spot in a few decades time. They also rattled the bar with an Ashley Foyle header after 7 as they imposed themselves on the early stages. My scene-setter clip from 10 minutes in includes glimpses of Venus as a very bright dot, low in the sky, and the aforementioned Jupiter, fainter and higher to the left. Things are looking up, and as any astrologer will tell you, when Jupiter is in the descendant in Aries then it is unlikely that goals will be scored from the penalty spot on days ending in the letter y.

By midway through the half, Oadby had settled and the game was more even. Their first real shot was straight into the midriff of Ian Deakin. Then Staveley’s Joe Thornton (I think) went on a strong run from the half-way line. As he reached the area, being forced slightly right, he went down as Elliott Shilliam came out to dive at his feet. No penalty, said the officials, and rightly so I thought. However, the ref pointed to the spot for a softer challenge after 40 minutes (though to be fair there were not many protests) and here’s what happened.

Great work by Shilliam to save Ryan Damms' penalty and Thornton's follow-up, and he needed treatment before the resulting corner. His evening was about to go from sublime to ridiculous in the next half-hour. First, the ball broke to Thornton and his low shot to the near post found a big gap en route to the back of the net. Staveley saw out the last few minutes before the interval without much difficulty. 1-0 at half-time

Whatever plans Oadby had for second-half tactics were ruined after 53 minutes, and sadly for them I was pointing the camera in the direction of their defence. You can actually hear a sharp intake of breath as Shilliam’s clearance became a pass. Who’d be a keeper?

Thornton won’t get many easier chances than that. 2-0

Oadby, of course, now had to take the game to the opposition and they so nearly got one back very soon from an inswinging corner that caused momentary defensive chaos. The next clip has one of several corners and set pieces that they had in this phase of the game.

Oadby’s Michael Reeve was very unhappy to be tripped in full flow in an incident that led to a yellow card for a home defender. Deakin did well to push away Jon Stevenson’s free-kick to his right. The next clip has a classic “Oooooh!” from the Oadby supporters (who, it has to be said, outsung their counterparts like the last time I saw them).

However, the home defence stood firm and it was only the occasional set-piece like this that really threatened.

The game finished with Staveley running the ball into the corner to see out the final seconds. Job done, very efficiently. Final score 2-0

Man-of-the-Match

As chosen by my viewing companion @BeatTheFirstMan, Staveley’s centre-back and captain Tom Jones. Visiting forwards were well-marshalled, colleagues were organised, headers were won, the sheet was kept clean and It’s Not Unusual by all accounts on The Green Green Grass of Home matches. @BeatTheFirstMan is not responsible for those gratuitous musical references.

A snippet from the programme

Plenty of Comic Sans content with good coverage of both clubs, and a very honest appraisal of the last time these sides met, in the first qualifying round of the same competition in 2008-9.

“A very poor performance by Staveley saw them beaten at Oadby Town. The manner of the defeat was so disappointing and demoralising. There was little effort and what effort that was on show was misdirected and naïve. With 5 defeats in the last 6 games improvements need to be made… Two games after, and two further defeats, the club made managerial changes.”

What I learned today

I can’t work my new smartphone with freezing cold fingers. Will practise and try to do better with the tweet update spellings in future. Shocking.

What Next?

Not a clue. I am making it up as I go along, so keep following @GrahamYapp on Twitter. There are some other 5^th round ties on Saturday, though, and there’s a good chance I will rock up for one of them.

Bison Come Back

2012-01-31T01:28:00.000Z

Bison in white

Simultaneous penalties are a chance to get-to-know one's opponent a bit better

Hopperational details
Date & Venue	Sunday 29 January at the Basingstoke Arena
Result	Basingstoke Bisons 4 Slough Jets 4 Bisons win in a shootout
Competition	English Ice Hockey Premier League
Hopping	#4 on the rinkhopping list
This match in one sentence
Bisons went behind four times, equalised four times, and got a win from the shootout.
So what?
A four-point weekend and a mid-table position for Bison after an excellent away win at Milton Keynes on Saturday. Jets take three which is enough to edge them up a place in the league table this week, to second.
Something random
I am so pleased to report that the Bison Zamboni goes clockwise and so my northern hemisphere theory is holding up. There was also a sighting of a two-legged skating Bison in jeans with a bucket of pucks. This kind of thing happens all the time in the world of ice hockey. However, a four-legged skating pantomime Bison would be really impressive and I hope they can work on this before my next visit.
The drama unfolds
I am gradually getting to grips with this sport although some of the reasons for the stoppages and penalties elude me as yet. I do know that if one player is off the ice because of a penalty, and there are 5 skaters v 4 (excluding netminders) for two minutes, this is called a powerplay. If there is a score, then the penalised team is restored to full strength. My first clip caught an example of this, the game’s first goal as Jets took the lead. 0-1 The pass is from Doug Sheppard, and the scorer is Darius Pliskauskas with just over 7 minutes gone. Nicky Chinn was the Bison in the sinbin, for “icing”, whatever that is. The match was pretty even – with 7m49 left in the period Slough netminder Gregg Rockman made a great stop from a one-on-one break, Chinn took a different penalty (for hooking) and then there was a flashpoint behind the net that sent one player from each side for two minutes of quiet contemplation. Ryan Watt (Jets) and Tony Redmond (Bison) were the guilty slashing parties, with the former getting two further minutes for the initial trip. The equaliser came from the powerplay with less than 3m to go in the period. Joe Miller scored from an acute angle and the score was deserved on the balance of play. There was time for Chinn to fit in his third penalty of the evening and he used his two minutes to stick pins into a model of the referee. At least that’s what I assume. 1-1 at the end of the first period Ryan Watt put Jets back into the lead after a minute of the second period, assisted by Dan Davies. 1-2 With the clock showing 15m42s left of the period, Plinkauskas was the next person to create a powerplay opportunity for the other side. The call was cross-checking, but I couldn’t distinguish it myself from tripping, hooking or pontificating. I suppose these officials know what they are doing. Within seconds the scores were level. It has been credited to Daniel Volrab but it was an unusual goal in that his shot was deflected up and over the netminder in a gentle loop before dropping behind the line. 2-2 Three minutes later Bison lost the puck in … right midfield, midrink, midcourt, whatever … and Watt sped away with it and passed to Pliskauskas, who finished neatly with a powerful shot across netminder Stephen Wall. 2-3 After two minutes of 4-on-4 (slashing again, I am told) Bison equalised. Even I could appreciate the timing and pace of Viktor Kubenko’s pass inside the defence to Tony Redmond who duly finished. Six minutes to go in the period. 3-3 Here’s a clip, which opens with Rockman’s third save in quick succession as Bison pressed, and ends with 1m20s on the clock. 3-3 at the end of the second period At some point after the end-of-period buzzer, another penalty was called against each side. Roughing and high sticks respectively. Pliskaskas got out in time to assist Watt to give Jets the lead yet again with 14m28s to go. 3-4 With six minutes left, and seconds after I had stopped filming, Marcel Petran smacked in a shot from distance for the fourth equaliser of the night. 4-4 Here is some third period action in two clips. The period ended with Bison on the attack, frequent restarts, and Dan Davies bizarrely getting a penalty with five seconds left that would give Bison a powerplay for the start of overtime. 4-4 at the end of the third period As it happens, Jets saw that powerplay out easily enough. Here’s a clip from the 5 minutes of overtime. Bison had the better of the territorial stats but no-one could find a goal. 4-4 at the end of overtime I accidentally pressed stop so my coverage of the shootout is split across two clips. Bison win on penalties
Man-of-the-Match
People that know about these things gave the honours to Kurt Reynolds (Bison) and Ryan Watt (Jets).
A snippet from the programme
From The Newcomers Guide to Ice Hockey (Thank you!) “The puck must enter the attack zone (beyond the blue line) ahead of any of the attacking players. It’s really as simple as that.” I watched an entire game without realising there was any kind of rule of this type at all, so that’s progress for me.
What Next?
Watch @GrahamYapp on Twitter for any announcements.

Police Called to Shootout in Sussex

2012-01-29T12:56:00.000Z

Hopperational details
Date & Venue	Saturday 28 January 2012 at The Jubilee Ground
Result	Three Bridges 2 Gresley 2 after extra time Gresley win 7-6 on penalties
Competition	FA Vase Round 4 replay
Hopping	#449 on the lifetime list and I am here, as is @TravellingFan, to continue the unfinished business from last week’s Derbyshire draw.
This match in one sentence
In a close and occasionally controversial game, ten-man Three Bridges took the lead in the second half of extra time but could not hold on, and the visiting captain saved the fourteenth penalty of the shootout.
So what?
Three Bridges win a lot of friends, but it is Gresley that go into the last 16 with an away tie at St Ives Town of the United Counties League. Three Bridges now have a league fixture pile-up but enough games in hand to go to the top if they can win them all.
Something random
Elvis Gresley (see last week’s post) was in attendance.
The drama unfolds
We had a better surface and no disruptive wind today, but Gresley started where they had left off last week and it took an astonishing save by Simon Lehkyj after 10 minutes to keep the game scoreless. He dived with a strong left arm to divert over a shot from Marc Goodfellow. An immediate second save at full stretch was irrelevant due to an offside flag but Lehkyj would not have known that. My scene-setting clip, starting at 15 minutes in, ended up telling the story of a critical part of the game. Camera, Action! Three Bridges are in gold-and-black. To sum up, Three Bridges had settled and were starting to create goalmouth action of their own. However, Goodfellow got to the byline before being fouled by James Grant (make a note of that) for a penalty. Both players, and one other from the home side picked up yellows for the altercation that followed, before Lehkyj saved Royce Turville’s spotkick. All this and still 0-0. Gresley had chances – another Goodfellow shot over the bar, a Turville header – before Three Bridges took the lead. A deflected shot fell into the path of the unmarked Tim Rivers who had time to write his autobiography, “How I scored twice in successive games against Gresley”, before planting a shot in the bottom right corner with half an hour gone. 1-0 We then had an unusual stoppage. All I can say for certain is that there was a conversation between Lehkyj, his captain Nigel Brake and the ref. The ref had a word with the home bench. Someone from the home bench came over to speak with the Gresley supporters immediately behind Lehkyj’s goal. The implication was that someone had “crossed a line” but I couldn’t say more than that. The home official was not well received by the Ambassadors for Gresley, it has to be said, but then someone from the visitors’ bench popped over for a word. I wandered over in that direction for the rest of the half, which was then curiously “flat” and not altogether pleasant, apart from an immediate yellow card for Bridges’ Charlie Cooke and yet another brilliant save by Lekhyj just before the interval. 1-0 at half-time After an intriguing and partially amusing announcement along the lines that there would be no alcohol outside the bar, "an FA ruling because of what happened in the first half ... that includes the man walking past me with a pint in his hand!" we started the game again. Gresley pressed again from the restart. Their first chance fell to full-back Jordi Gough and was reported as a UFO by a British Airways pilot taking off from Gatwick. It was almost three-quarters of the way through the game before the scores were level. Before that, Three Bridges should have gone two ahead but a Gresley defender made an important block. Here’s a clip. Then that man Lehkyj made a superb save to tip over a shot from Dean Oliver, but injured himself in the process. He decided to continue but Turville’s header from the resulting corner was right in the corner and he had no chance this time. 1-1 Three Bridges hit back and Abu Touray shot narrowly over. The referee, who had a busy afternoon all round, appeared to give a penalty to the home side before spotting that the assistant had flagged for an earlier offside. Home hearts sank further as Lehkyj left the pitch to be replaced by Rob Woodward, who immediately made a nervy clearance before making a good block with his legs. It was good to see Gary Hateley make a point of coming across to shake the hand of his opposite number. My three clips from this half have Gresley on the attack just as the police are arriving to keep an eye on us, Three Bridges hitting the bar, and Three Bridges on the attack as the whistle goes to send us into extra time and wipe out my chances of an evening ice hockey game! 1-1 after 90 minutes The first half of extra time was uneventful except for a second yellow card for a certain James Grant of Three Bridges, so they duly went down to ten men as the red card was waved. 1-1 after 105 minutes This clip shows how Three Bridges took the lead early in the second period with a goal by Touray. Cue celebrations! 2-1 The next clip starts with an astronomical diversion as the twilight deepened and the planets are exposed. Venus, looking like a very bright star, is just to the left of the tree as we look, The Moon looks like The Moon, and then the second slightly less bright “star” as I pan left and slightly up is in fact the planet Uranus. Fortunately, I remember where I am in time to cover the corner leading to substitute Rob Spencer’s dramatic equaliser. I claim the world’s first www coverage of an FA Vase goal and Uranus in the same clip. 2-2 Normally I’d go straight to the shootout but I’ll insert two clips for you to make your own judgements. I was filming in case of a late, late winner. Firstly, Joel O’Hara of Three Bridges fouls Danny Holmes who reacts strongly before getting up and waving away attempts to apologise. Secondly, a few moments later Holmes is booked himself for a horrible tackle from behind. From a distance, I thought it was on O’Hara (but will happily correct the post if I turn out to be wrong). 2-2 after 120 minutes To the shootout. The first four penalties were all good, with Gresley shooting first. Here’s the rest, which ends with the last word once again going to Honeymoon Hateley. One Gresley player even seems to offer the chance to Hateley to take his kick! I hope Charlie Cooke will quickly get over his moment of despair. Gresley win 7-6 on penalties
Man-of-the-Match
Hard to look beyond the two goalkeepers, who decided the outcomes of this game. A sympathy vote to Simon Lekhyj whose work both last week and this got us to the extra-time and penalties. However, it’s a results-driven industry and the well-tanned Gary “Honeymoon” Hateley gets the nod for his last game-winning touch.
A snippet from the programme
From the coverage of last Saturday’s draw: “Despite the very windy conditions, both sides contributed to a cracking cup-tie, although at times we found ourselves with a rearguard action and were indebted to great performances in the heart of our defence by Andy Howard and Callum Donaghey, a couple of crucial last ditch tackles/clearances by Charlie Cooke and Nigel Brake and a breathtaking goalkeeping display by Simon Lekhyj… Lekhyj proved the hero more than once in the final minutes, but Hateley also made crucial late saves to deny Touray and Brake to take us into today’s replay.”
What I learned today
Gresley are developing a consistent record in this competition – if defeat comes their way, I hope that a small tanked-up proportion of their excellent travelling support won’t spoil the day. They are a resilient side playing good football and well worth following.
What Next?
No idea! Follow the @GrahamYapp twitterfeed for details.

Lions Use Their Escape Claws at Leicester

2012-01-22T21:06:00.000Z

Hopperational details
Date & Venue	Saturday 21 January 2012 at the John Sandford Sports Centre, Leicester
Result	Leicester Riders 75 Milton Keynes Lions 77
Competition	British Basketball League
Hopping	I am here because of its proximity to my earlier hop to Gresley, and I reckon this is the 10^th venue on my lifetime courthopping list. For historical reasons, Lions are the BBL team that I follow more than any other.
This match in one sentence
Riders will be rueing their sluggish start, otherwise Lions would not have had chance for the penultimate play that took the points in front of a sellout crowd.
So what?
This was only the second defeat of the season for the home side. They are 3^rd on 8-2 while the Lions are in mid-table with a 6-7 record.
The drama unfolds
In the words of a Riders supporter during the first period, “We’re getting killed here. This will be a cricket score.” Both teams have signed veterans to steady their ships recently – first appearances for Robert Youngblood for MK and Yorick Williams for Riders. Both are well known to BBL watchers. Youngblood’s first points were a slam-dunk that got the Lions fans to their feet. Demarius Bolds and Howard Crawford were again very solid, and Nuno Pedroso looked comfortable as the visitors went to a nineteen point at the end of the first quarter. This is almost unheard of, and this clip has the closing minutes. Lions are in yellow. 10-29 at the end of Q1 Lions got into foul trouble in the second, rapidly running up a 0-5 foul count with 6m30 left and giving Riders lots of opportunities from the free-throw line, as well as slowing the game down. A personal foul was called against an incensed Lions’ Bolds, always the centre of attention and leading to a few minutes on the bench and a few wise words from the assistant coach in his ear. Riders gradually reeled the Lions in and the first half finished on a ten-point margin, down from sixteen only two minutes earlier. The clip again has the closing moments. 35-45 at the end of Q2 My third clip came earlier in the period, finishing with 6 minutes to go and the score at 42-51, still a nine-point margin after an even phase of the game. Lions called a timeout with 3m50 to go and the score at 48-53 as the tide was definitely turning. Riders got as close as two before Bolds seized a rebound and then drove the whole length of the court for two, and Pedroso scored just before the buzzer to make the margin six points. Nevertheless, Lions were looking nervous and Riders were looking confident. Rob Paternostro, the Riders coach (whom I last saw being animated and passionate for Birmingham Bullets a few years ago) was, er, animated and passionate again. 56-63 at the end of Q3 MK slowed the play much more than I have seen them do at home this season. One pass inside from Youngblood to Crawford was faster than anything seen all evening and got gasps of appreciation. With eight minutes to go, it was 60-67. Lions had another timeout at 66-70 with seven on the clock, and there was no score for another minute. However, Riders’ execution was better and they got to within one score again with a full five minutes left, at 68-71. Here’s a fourth-quarter clip. Lions still led by four at the three-minute mark but the final clip tells the story of an astonishing last minute. The first score in the clip is a steal leading to a drive and two by Cameron Rundles, and so Riders took the lead for the first time in the game at 75-74. The final score shows the ball being worked to the right for Adrien Sturt to drop in a three, as calm as you like, leaving time for only one play which the Lions were able to repel. One of the best climaxes to a game that I have seen. You were fortunate, Lions, but I guess you’ll take the road win. Final score 75-77
Man-of-the-Match
Despite that closing three from Adrien Sturt, I have to choose Daniel Northern of MK Lions. Not only 16 points, but also 18 rebounds.
A snippet from the programme
Flinder Boyd explains his unexpected departure from Riders in a letter to the fans … “I wanted to thank you for welcoming me back for my second stint in Leicester. I’m going to miss being a part of the club, but my departure isn’t basketball-related, it’s for personal reasons.” Well, that’s cleared that up, then.
What I learned today
Driving in Leicester when you don’t quite know where you are going could officially be described as “interesting”. I still refuse to have a satnav. It’s much more social to have other drivers shouting helpful advice.
What Next?
Not sure, watch @GrahamYapp on Twitter for details, but definitely thinking about Three Bridges v Gresley on Saturday next in Sussex for an FA Vase replay.

Drawing in Derbyshire

2012-01-22T16:35:00.000Z

Pew-type fittings to ensure equal width allocation for the bums-on-seats

The faithful have arrived and the pews are packed

This is a step 5 mascot called Elvis Gresley. Class.

Between songs, Gresley fans offer encouragement to the visiting goalkeeper.

Hopperational details

Date & Venue

Saturday 21 January 2012 at The Moat Ground

Result

Gresley 1 Three Bridges 1 after extra time

Competition

FA Vase Round 4

Both these clubs are title-chasing in their step 5 leagues – the Midland Alliance and the Sussex Division One respectively – and Three Bridges in particular have a ridiculous number of games in hand now.

Hopping

Venue #448 on the lifetime list and I am here because Gresley were the first unvisited and reachable home club to declare “game definitely on” on my Twittery timeline. Quasi-randomish rather than truly random, but that’s life. Nice to meet up with Steven aka @TheTravellingFan for the first time so you can catch his take on the game from the link on the right.

This match in one sentence

Gresley had the better of the game and the weather conditions after a disastrous start, but Three Bridges are no pushovers and it will be a fascinating replay.

So what?

The replay is next Saturday, and the winner will go into the last sixteen.

The drama unfolds

Gresley goalkeeper Gary Hateley had missed two games for a honeymoon. His understudy Tom Gutteridge had two clean sheets but nevertheless the man with the David Dickinson tan was back. He had a nightmare start – he brought down Abu Touray to concede a penalty after only five minutes. Fortunately Touray was heading away from goal otherwise he might have had a red card too. Tim Rivers slotted home the penalty. 0-1

0-1

My scene-setter clip catches a header by Gresley’s Michael Nottingham and the sterling work of the raffle-ticket seller in the background. Gresley are in red.

The locals were unhappy at their side’s poor showing in the first twenty minutes, and they did not look like a side who could have despatched King’s Lynn and Gornal Athletic from this season’s competition. They gradually turned up as the half went on. James Jepson turned up on the left and his cross was beaten out by Simon Lehkyj in the Three Bridges’ goal. Both Mark Goodfellow and Dean Oliver had efforts blocked in quick succession. My second clip is from just after the half-hour, a half-chance again for Gresley.

They were so nearly level after 40 minutes, as Goodfellow’s low driven cross only just eluded Royce Turville and Rob Spencer coming in. Three Bridges held on until the break. 0-1 at half-time

The blustery conditions worsened to order over the interval and if Gresley had made the original choice of ends then their captain is a genius. Or a meteorologist. The equaliser that had been coming duly arrived after 50 minutes as Spencer fashioned an unmissable chance for Turville from 8 metres directly in front of goal. 1-1

Three Bridges thought they had equalised almost immediately but, as my American friends would say, there was a flag on the play. It was a lino’s, for offside. The game settled into a windswept regular pattern. Gresley pressing and looking likely to score with Jepson prominent in midfield, and Three Bridges looking potentially dangerous on the break but never quite finding the right final ball. Here are a couple of clips.

Lehkyj distinguished himself by doing just enough to claw the ball away, more than once. One such occasion, together with an unsuccessful appeal for a pen, is caught on the next clip.

There were no more goals, so we went to extra time. 1-1 at 90 minutes

Gresley continued in the same direction for the first period. Here are three short clips to sum up. A Gresley shot goes high and wide. Tim Rivers hits the bar to remind everyone that Three Bridges are still around. A Gresley shot goes closer.

However, there were no goals. Had Gresley missed their best chance? They now had to face a final fifteen minutes facing the wind. 1-1 after 105 minutes

To their credit, Gresley did manage some attacks during this time, but Honeymoon Hateley had the final say with a double save, as shown on this final clip. 1-1 at the end of extra time

All this counts for nothing as we move to Sussex next week. On the final final whistle, a Gresley player kicked the ball away in frustration and a Three Bridges player punched the air. All to play for.

A snippet from the programme

The progamme is called “Taken as Red” and this blogger approves of that for a start. The chairman thanks Harry Southern in an insight into how clubs run at this level …

“It takes a lot of hard work to run the Social Club and I can consider myself lucky having Harry at the club. Unpaid for over thirty years, thanks from the board and the supporters, Harry, I take my hat off to you.”

What Next?

A quick sprint to Leicester for some British Basketball League courthopping action – Leicester Riders v MK Lions.

Storm over Hertfordshire

2012-01-20T08:08:00.000Z

A seven-foot drama student in a meerkat suit makes a highly effective Goal Keeper (GK),
or failing that, a team mascot

Rachel Dunn nails another one for Storm

Unlike my recent ice hockey tangents, this was the nearest we got to a fight all evening

To play in the centre, you have to be both fit and flexible

Hopperational details

Date & Venue

Thursday 19 January at University of Hertfordshire Sports Village, Hatfield

Result

Hertfordshire Mavericks 47 Surrey Storm 62

Competition

Netball Superleague

Hopping

My first ever visit to a netball match, so this goes at #1 on my new Courthopping list. I am here because of a school trip – the young netball players of St Paul’s Walden School (hello everybody, this is what I do when I am not counting your dinner money) were here en masse with parents and friends. I only hope that Assistant Coach Mansfield of Surrey Storm will still be speaking to me if she ever reads this!

This match in one sentence

After a close first quarter and a fairly close second, Surrey Storm imposed themselves in the first few minutes of the third and the result was never in doubt from that point on.

So what?

Much too early to say with certainty as this is the first game of a new season, but they should be chuffed to bits in Surrey with this win.

Something random

Fair play to the Sky TV presenter who involved the young supporters before conducting the post-match interview. Looks to me like they had a great time.

The drama unfolds

I have captured four clips, one from each quarter, to give a sense of the occasion. The first quarter was keenly contested, and very even for most of it, with Storm just beginning to edge away to a 10-13 lead as it ended. Here are the final moments. Surrey Storm are in the pale blue - some would say turquoise.

In the second, Mavericks pressed hard to get on level terms but Storm coped with the demands and in the end doubled their lead to go in 22-28 up at the midpoint of the game. Again, here are the closing moments of the quarter.

Whatever was said to the Surrey side at half-time had an effect. They raced to an eleven-point lead in no time at all and frankly from that point on, the result looked never in doubt. Some people around me who had clearly played the game purred with pleasure at some of the moves. They finished the quarter sixteen up at 34-50. Here’s the clip.

If Mavericks were going to do anything to retrieve this, they had to work fast, so my final clip comes from early in the fourth where they held their own. However the damage had been done and the final margin was fifteen, at 47-62.

Player-of-the-Match

For the inexperienced observer (me) it was hard not to notice the scoring percentage of Storm GS Rachel Dunn. The official PoM award went to Storm’s Becky Trippick, and I can’t argue with that. She wins a bunch of flowers and a giant box of biscuits to work off in the gym before next time.

A snippet from the programme

Karen Atkinson, former England captain and head coach for the Mavericks, answers a question about the exodus of top players to the ANZ league.

“I am in favour of the National Squad players going to play in the ANZ… it is the best league in the world and the only way they can replicate the pressures of competing in test matches against Australia and New Zealand … we are still striving to have every single game (in this league) played at the highest intensity under extreme pressure in order to replicate international matches.”

What I learned today - *Tongue-in-Cheek Alert*

I have never before watched a game of serious netball, so here for the previously uninformed are some quick headline points to keep you in that state. I might be a bit confused about some of the fine detail.

The match has four quarters, which is good, as it means they won’t need to change the name. Each is fifteen minutes in length. Four quarters make a whole, and I have just written myself into one. There is one point for a goal, when the ball goes through the hoop. The pitch is divided into thirds with a semicircle at each end and a smaller circle to mark the centre. The centre circle would be a good name for this.

There are seven players on the court at any given time. All are labelled with a position that carries with it certain rules and restrictions. For example the GS (goal shooter) plays in the forward third, and can go and hang around under the basket in the semicircle while the other players exhaust themselves trying to get the ball to her. The Goal Attack (GA) is also allowed in there and the GS pretends to look pleased when the GA gets lots of goals too. They are the only ones allowed to score.

Very few people are allowed in the magic semicircle. Not even the Sky cameraman.
Or even Rupert Murdoch.

A player or two from the opposition either with the label GK (goalkeeper) and GD (goal defence) will be trying to stop the GS and the GA from scoring. This involves standing on tiptoe but falling over just in time to allow the shot to proceed. Sadly, the GK does not wear giant comedy gloves like they do in football. The authorities need to consider this.

The Wing Attack (WA) can go in the central and attacking thirds except for the semicircle, presumably because GA and GS would sulk. The Wing Defence (WD) will be trying to stop the WA or in fact anyone from going anywhere. There is also a C (centre) who is undoubtedly some kind of fitness freak who can go anywhere she likes except for the magic semicircles, preferably at speeds just short of a motorbike, but never on one.

There are complicated rules about feet but everyone seems to know what they are so that’s fine. Basically you can only move around when you don't have the ball. When you have the ball, you pivot on one foot like a demented flamingo for up to two-and-a-half seconds. You have three seconds to pass the ball, or else something terrible will happen. After each goal the game restarts from the centre. Somebody must know the rule about which team restarts. There's also a rule about the ball having to be caught in each third as it goes up and down, so no lobbing it hopefully from one end to the other.

There are two referees called umpires. They get upset about contact but no-one gives them a hard time. This is very refreshing, it has to be said. There are no line judges, but fifteen people sit at nearby tables keeping count and working out all the stats. Another hundred and fifteen televise the match for Sky. No fights, no Zambonis, but all good.

All joking apart, enormous respect to these two teams who put on a great spectacle, well received by a sizeable, young and enthusiastic crowd with several school parties. The game is fast at this level. I gradually learned to watch the build-up play as well as the shots. Compared with basketball, there is less variation in the actual way in which the ball goes through the hoop. Therefore there is more to appreciate about the way in which the teams get the ball into the shooting semicircle to create the scoring opportunity. It is a pass-and-move game requiring physical speed and speed of thought.

Great stuff – I love competitive live sport between teams that are enjoying what they are doing, and I got a programme too so I am a happy hopper. Recommended for a family sporting night out.

What Next?

Back to footy on Saturday, and, weather permitting, an FA Vase game somewhere random, or if weather is dodgy, somewhere close to Hertfordshire. Could even be some basketball or ice hockey thrown in – I’m on a sporting roll, and look out for more tangents later on this year including some more courthopping and a pilgrimage. Announcements appear from @GrahamYapp on Twitter along with other random stuff.

Flames Subside as Jets are Turned On

2012-01-16T19:48:00.000Z

Hopperational details
Date & Venue	Sunday 15 January 2012 at Spectrum, Guildford
Result	Guildford Flames 3 Slough Jets 4
Competition	English Premier League
Hopping	This is venue #3 on my new Rinkhopping list, after MK and Slough.
This match in one sentence
A turnround in the third period gave Slough a great victory in an anti-climax of a game for Guildford.
So what?
Flames lead MK Lightning by three points, who lead Jets & Manchester Phoenix by one. Phoenix have played one game more.
Something random
I am pleased to confirm that the Guildford zamboni goes in a clockwise pattern (see previous posts for my Northern Hemisphere theory). The Spectrum is a well-appointed arena, part of a large leisure complex in which people can follow both healthy and unhealthy pursuits.
The drama unfolds
After their 6-5 road win at MK Lightning the day before, the Guildford faithful were hoping for a home win to increase the gap at the top of the table. Indeed, when they started well and took an early lead through Greg Chambers on a powerplay, all was well with the world. 1-0 My scene-setting clips, while I was getting used to the camera movement and angles needed from my perspex position, show the other powerplays of the period, one for each side but neither converted into a goal. Almost nine minutes into the second period Doug Sheppard equalised. 1-1 The lead lasted only ninety seconds, before Andrew Hemmings restored the Flames’ advantage, and then Branislav Kvetan scored a powerplay goal (caught in my fourth clip) to give a two-goal margin at the end of the second. It has to be said that things were looking all hunky-dory for Flames at that point. Jets had had a reasonable amount of territory without looking particularly dangerous, and neither the game nor the arena had the passion and intensity of the game I was at yesterday. 1-3 I don’t know the technicalities of this sport well enough to explain what happened in the third. There were no penalties for a start. Joe Greener scored after three minutes or so, and then Adam Calder and Adam Greener scored in quick succession to give Slough the lead for the first time. 3-4 We all anticipated a vigorous Flames response, with over seven minutes left, but as my final clip shows, Slough managed to keep the puck up at the other end for a large proportion of those final minutes and the inevitability of an away win gradually settled over Surrey. No roughing, interference, cross-checking, slashing or weeing in an opponent's Powerade. Shocking. Other polluted energy drinks are available. Final score 3-4
What Next?
Another change of direction on Thursday evening with a new sporting tangent for the blog! I hope you are all shivering with anticipation.

Care: Combustible Materials

2012-01-15T15:17:00.000Z

Hopperational details
Date & Venue	Saturday 14 November at The Thunderdome, Planet Ice, MK
Result	MK Lightning 5 Guildford Flames 6
Competition	English Ice Hockey Premier League
Hopping	Have discovered rinkhopping this season and this isn’t my first visit, but it was such a big game that it deserves some more attention. These are the top two teams in the second tier of competition in England.
This match in one sentence
Heartbreaking for Lightning after they have reeled Flames in over the last month, but the visitors were lethal from short-range in a compelling contest.
So what?
Guildford stay top – MK needed the win to displace them. These two teams meet again in Surrey on 5 February and by then it may turn out to be a must-win for Lightning. As of now, Guildford have opened a three-point lead and halted a recent run of defeats.
The drama unfolds
I got there early to get right up against the Perspex for this one. Harder to keep up with the action when filming clips, but closer and more visceral. Lightning came out flying and took the lead through Leigh Jamieson. 1-0 A 2-minute penalty for interference for Michael Wales allowed eventual man-of-the-match Rick Plant to get an equaliser from the resulting powerplay. 1-1 The first clip will cause gloom in MK and joy in Guildford. With Flames’ David Longstaff serving 2 minutes for cross-checking, Nathan Rempel breaks away to give the lead to the visitors. Note the goal-line technology that confirms the score with the red light behind the goal. It’s a man with a switch. 1-2 Here endeth the first period, and the second got feistier after Pucky the mascot had done the YMCA dance. Here’s the Lightning equaliser from Adam Carr. 2-2 However, within second of the restart, Plant got his second of the night. 2-3 Nathan Rempel was the first to sit down for roughing. This is much more serious than “handbags” in football, and greatly enjoyed by all present, it would seem. The third clip includes a closeup of referee Goodwin to remind those with an MK postcode to cross him off the Christmas card list. It also finishes with Matt Towe’s goal that gave Flames a two-goal advantage. 2-4 Mr Goodwin continued to be the centre of fan attention, with Grant McPherson (Lightning) and Neil Liddiard (Flames) coincidentally penalised for various combinations of roughing, interference and looking at the linesman with narrowed eyes. Lightning fought back and scored before the interval through Wales. All to play for in the final period – brilliant stuff. 3-4 Lightning made a sensational start to the third. It was Jamieson scoring again, only 14 seconds in. 4-4 However, within two minutes Rick Plant completed a hat-trick… 4-5 … before Lightning drew level once again with Carr’s second goal. 5-5 The decisive goal came from David Longstaff. 5-6 My other clips are from the frantic final minutes. There had been angry exchanges and stick-waving between players on the bench which saw McPherson get a penalty for incitement. The final play was a 6-on-5 with netminder Alex Mettam removed but Flames held on for what may turn out to be a vital win. Fantastic entertainment, it has to be said. Final score 5-6
What Next?
An as-yet unexplained tangent on Thursday which will appear as a blogpost on Friday. For football, FA Vase Round 4 on Saturday and if weather permits it will be a random selection! For ice hockey ... am now jumping in the car to get to Guildford Flames v Slough Jets!

8-1 With My Surroundings in Kempston

2012-01-15T13:36:00.000Z

Yaxley's Sam Bettinson (9) was always a physical presence for the visitors

For the record, Lee Jordan caught it, and the snow on it.

Hopperational details

Date & Venue

Saturday 14 January at Hillgrounds

Result

AFC Kempston Rovers 1 Yaxley 1

Competition

United Counties Premier League (step 5)

Hopping

This is venue #447 on the lifetime list. The adjacent pitch is used by AFC Kempston Town of the Step 7 Bedfordshire Senior League and appears at #303 from May 2010. They are now known as AFC Kempston Town & Bedford College after a new strategic partnership was formed for this season. You can also pick up my previous encounters with both teams from the tag cloud on the right.

This match in one sentence

A set-piece earned Rovers a point although Yaxley carried the greater threat in open play in an apparent reversal of league table form.

So what?

AFC Kempston Rovers (whom I last saw winning the Hinchingbrooke Cup at the end of last season) are having a solid season after promotion from step 6 and drop one place to 8^th after this result. Yaxley are in a relegation fight and could go bottom in Desborough Town win their games in hand.

Something random

Mobile phone mast failing to hide in Scooby-Doo trees No.37

The drama unfolds

The players took a while to adapt to the conditions – whether it was the low temperature affecting the bounce, or just the surface, I couldn’t say – but the first few minutes were disjointed save for a Yaxley header which clipped the post. Let’s give the home keeper Aaron Bodger the benefit of the doubt for good judgement.

My scene-setter clip is from the quarter-hour point. It is one of those that goes on a bit too long with nothing happening, but I was scared to stop filming because it looked as if something might happen soon. This is why I did not pursue a career in sales and marketing. The sun is shining, the sky is blue, and so are Yaxley.

Yaxley were looking more likely to score and good work by Luke Hipwell, wearing 7 but playing up front to confuse me, set up a chance that needed a superb saving tackle by Sam Macrae. I have a pic of the pass but not the tackle, so you have to take my word for it.

Kempston gradually got into the game and started to impose their league table position, so I wandered down to the other end. Just in time to watch from a distance as Yaxley took the lead after 38 minutes. Hipwell beat his man in the area and fashioned a shooting chance, and it looked like Bodger had no chance. There is nothing else of note to report before the interval. 0-1 at half-time

I tweeted the half-time score, as is my wont, and must apologise for tweeting Kempston Rovers 8 Yaxley 1 to the footballing world. It was cold, I didn’t put my specs on, and my phone display is on its last pixelated legs. I am very sorry, I am very embarrassed, and I will accept the three points on my provisional tweeting licence. On the other hand, I am quietly pleased that so many people noticed! I promise to tell the whole truth to Lord Leveson, as he is sure to ring up next week.

To the second half, in the presence of the Eurocopter EC-135 G-CHSU overhead (I like to keep passing planespotters interested).

Bedfordshire Police search for the idiot who caused riots by tweeting a wrong 8-1 half-time scoreline

Kempston Rovers started well and Yaxley keeper Lee Jordan blocked a shot well after good work by Jordan Jarrell marauding from fullback down the right. This set piece came soon after, to level the scores after 53 minutes. The scorer is Phil Draycott.

After that, both sides traded chances for ten minutes or so. Hipwell created another chance and this time it was the other Rovers fullback Sam Brown with the last-ditch saver tackle. Bodger was a bit fortunate when a clearance was charged down but fell nicely back to him. At the other end, Rovers missed a clear header from a corner. My final short clips are from the latter stages of the game. Yaxley finished the stronger of the two sides and they show the pressure they created from crosses, but Bodger has the last word. Draycott hits another freekick over the bar for the hosts.

The match nearly ended in controversy. The burly Andrew Phillips came off the Kempston bench as an impact player in more ways than one. He won the ball, to howls of protest, on the left and sent the ball across, too deep but Jarrell was up there again. His pass gave a shooting chance to Danny Watson, but it went high and wide. Final score 1-1

Man-of-the-Match

Luke Hipwell of Yaxley got on the scoresheet and was involved in most of the creative work for the visitors, so he gets the nod today.

A snippet from the programme

The club has included as a centre-spread the copy of the FA press release about the proposals to review step 5/6 in the national hierarchy. Like any consultation run by “authority” it seems to have bred misinformation and conspiracy theories, but here are some of the bullet points, summarised. It is said that a majority of the fourteen leagues are in favour of change, with a key aim being to equalise travel (so some teams will have more, some less).

Every effort should be made to establish twelve step 5 divisions of 22 clubs (to feed to and from the six step 4 divisions)

Clubs must achieve the necessary ground grading by 31 March 2013

The first season will be 2013/4 and there will be one or two transitional seasons where divisions might have up to 25 teams before adjustments can be made to relegation arrangements

The next step will be a series of regional meetings. Whatever happens, some groundhoppers may have to amend their programme storage systems or spreadsheet league codes …

What I learned today

Rovers are known as The Walnut Boys.

What Next?

A little jaunt to Milton Keynes for the biggest game of the English Ice Hockey Premier League season so far – MK Lightning v Guildford Flames. Post to follow. Hoping the weather will be good for FA Vase Round 4 next Saturday.

St Margaretsbury Good News Today

2012-01-08T15:04:00.000Z

Hopperational details
Date & Venue	Saturday 7 January 2012 at The Recreation Ground
Results	St Margaretsbury 2 Holmer Green 0 (and MK Lightning 7 Telford Tigers 2)
Competition	South Midlands League Premier Division (Step 5)
Hopping	A local one for me today, #446 on the lifetime list, followed by some Premier League ice hockey action.
This match in one sentence
A goal in each half from St Margaretsbury and Holmer Green failing to test a substitute keeper until it was too late.
So what?
St Margaretsbury are solidly mid-table but Holmer Green are facing a relegation battle. Only Hanwell Town are below them, by three points but with a game in hand.
Something random
Composition of Scooby-Doo tree and not-quite-full moon not quite at the intersection-of-thirds No 26
The drama unfolds
The first incident of note came after 7 minutes. The two photos show a routine-looking goalmouth incident and its outcome. St Margaretsbury are in the red-and-black. Actually, the unlucky keeper, Bert Greenwood could have had a full burial and memorial service before anyone noticed his plight, so I hope he got some better attention later on. Number 10 and captain Anthony Anstead took the Number 1 jersey and in goal-chasing mode I decided to hang around at that end, anticipating a Holmer Green barrage. Here are some clips to set the scene. Actually, the home side began to look the more likely to score. Adam Lawton shot over after a nice move with triangles in it, and David Edmee in his pink boots was looking direct and tricky. Meanwhile, the new number one was coping well enough as this clip shows. St Margaretsbury tool the lead after 31 minutes with an explosive contender for goal-of-the-season from Leigh Rose and his distinctive hairstyle. A long ball was flicked on, it fell and sat up nicely and he half-volleyed it from about 25 metres into the top right corner. A wonderful goal. 1-0 With the sun appearing low in the sky and making photography tricky, I completed my circuit just before half-time and took a clip from behind the other goal. There was no further score before the interval. 1-0 at half-time The second half was preceded by a wonderful announcement to St Margaretsbury’s Adam Lawton… “Adam, your mum’s here now, pull your finger out!” I wonder if this would have worked on Peter Odemwingie earlier in the season, but never mind. The ref forgot momentarily that the teams change ends at half-time and there was a comedy moment when a Holmer Green player shouted, “What ARE you doing?” to get the reply, “Giving you a freekick!”. You just don’t get these things in the Premier League. Holmer Green started the half strongly and for a time an equaliser looked to be only a matter of time. However, they soon conceded a freekick by fouling #9 just outside the box and Ed Taylor’s direct left-foot shot curled round the wall into the corner of the net. The keeper Nick Hancox didn’t even have chance to dive, and it looked a soft goal. 2-0 After that, the game became even and end-to-end. St Margaretsbury rattled the bar. Holmer Green had a goal disallowed when they thought that the sub keeper had dropped the ball rather than being fouled. Edmee continued to cause problems, and Joe de Silva had a very good second half in midfield for the visitors. Holmer Green hadn’t done a lot wrong, but they hadn’t done enough in the final third. My last clip is taken from the main stand side in the closing minutes and catches the away supporters' bemusement at the disallowed goal. Final score 2-0 There was time for a quick jaunt up the M1 to watch MK Lightning demolish Telford Tigers 7-2 in the English Premier League of ice hockey. The visitors took a two-goal lead in the first period and a major shock was developing until the home side woke up. They drew level in the second period, and this clip shows the turning point – a power-play goal to give them the lead for the first time in the match. They never looked back and added four more in a one-sided third period.
Man-of-the-Match
Honourable mentions to Edmee and de Silva, and of course Anstead for a clean sheet from his unexpected stint between the sticks, but I give the nod to St Margaretsbury’s #9 Leigh Rose for the finish and the indirect assist which decided where the points went today.
A snippet from the programme
Mostly adverts of course, but very nicely produced to a high standard. I liked the announcement of cheaper bar prices for members by a new bar committee. A learning point for all clubs in the eastern counties, perhaps? “One of their first actions taken was to aggressively re-negotiate with the Green King Brewery to get a better deal on the cost of the bar products.”
What I learned today
The club was founded in 1894 as Stanstead Abbotts FC. The change of name to St Margaretsbury was a condition of the move to their current location in 1962. The ground is in a very pleasant setting alongside a waterway (not sure what exactly but it connects to the Lee Valley waterways to the south), but alas, no ballboy-in-a-boat as far as I could see. The large building visible in the background of the early clips is part of Amwell View, a specialist special school (yes, special schools can have specialist status too) for children with severe learning difficulties.
What Next?
No idea – follow @GrahamYapp on Twitter for announcements! MK Lightning have a big game against league leaders Guildford Flames next weekend.

Enfield Town Over the Redbridge

2012-01-03T22:43:00.000Z

Hopperational details

Date & Venue

Monday 2 January 2012 at The Queen Elizabeth II Stadium, Donkey Lane, Enfield

Result

Enfield Town 3 Redbridge 0

Competition

Isthmian League Div One North (Step 4)

Hopping

After a long fruitless day in the car yesterday I needed somewhere a little closer to home – I had not yet seen Town at their new (and impressive) home. Lots of hoppers in attendance, and this is #445 for me on the lifetime list.

This match in one sentence

The Redbridge challenge fell away somewhat after a tight and feisty first half, and in the end this was a comfortable win.

So what?

Enfield Town are second behind Leiston – a point behind and having played a game more. Redbridge are 15^th but their FA Cup exploits mean that they have three or so games in hand on those around them. However, if they won them all they would still only be 9^th.

Something random

Arty Composition of Non-League Scooby-Doo Trees and Sky No.73

The drama unfolds

It took Town only three minutes to take the lead. Adam Wallace did his stuff on the right in the box and crafted a straightforward chance for Jon Moore. I consigned my 31-min golden goal ticket to the same pocket as the bread pudding wrapper. Another investment disaster. 1-0

Moore scores and it's 1-0

Here’s my scene-setter clip.

Redbridge came close twice in quick succession after 16 minutes. Firstly, Nathan Gordon sent a dangerous low cross skimming straight through the six-yard box from the right. When it came back from the left, he just failed to connect at the far post.

Home players ask themselves questions and Nathan Gordon looks peeved

My second clip (as you will see I am strolling around the perimeter as usual) is from 28 minutes in. It ends with a great run on the break from Redbridge’s Joe Gardiner, which drew ooooohs of relief from the Town supporters.

Adam Wallace, however, was repeatedly catching the eye with his willingness to take on defenders and his intelligent final balls in the box. Matthew Turpin also caught the eye in the busy Redbridge defence. This corner came after 33 minutes.

As half-time approached I noted, “Will one goal be enough?” but then there was a flare-up just before the whistle. Wallace had been felled in a challenge a moment earlier, and then Redbridge #10 Ryan Wade jumped for the ball near the touchline. Sadly, my direct line of sight was impeded by the dugouts but there was a loud reaction from everyone nearby. Wade got a yellow card, and Town supporters howled in protest, claiming that he had led with his elbow. There were plenty of hoppers with cameras, and from what I saw being shown around it would not surprise me if incriminating evidence has appeared by now to support that view. Ref and linos had to intervene between players and bench staff as the whistle went, and Wade came in for loud and sustained personal abuse from one of the home staff. It was a highly unpleasant atmosphere as finally the ref and linos walked along their protected pathway to the sound of obscenities from a line of youngsters. 1-0 at half-time

Fortunately, the nastiness seemed to evaporate during the break, but Town certainly set about the task of extending their lead with plenty of energy and purpose. I took an early clip while keeping an eye on the development of an interesting non-league sunset. It shows two shooting chances for Town’s Liam Hope.

I do enjoy a good non-league sky ... you don't get these in the Premier League

After 55 minutes, fair play to Hope. He unselfishly gave up another shooting chance to set the ball up for Neil Johnson, arriving from midfield. A good goal, and well deserved in the context of the second half. 2-0

There were a few more incidents of note but nothing that really looked like affecting the destination of the points. Someone was sent off from the Redbridge bench (though in this set up it was easy for him to get messages through so it was symbolic only). Town’s goalkeeper Neil Imber made a good save from a corner, and his otherwise impressive teammate Walid Matata was booked, I assume for diving.

I joined the Redbridge supporters and took a clip of their attempts to get back into the game.

I sidled up to the balcony and took a clip looking down on the action.

I was edging towards the exit and was thus in a good position to capture the final goal. Everyone celebrates with Hope for touching in substitute Leon Osei’s freekick in the closing moments. However, it seems that Hope has had a touch of conscience or realism as all the records give the goal to Osei. Have a look and see what you think. Final score 3-0

Here's the match post from Enfield Town stalwart @thecoldend - unfortunately he didn't know I was there so our paths did not fully cross this time, but I am still grateful for all the tweeting support that he has given to this blog since it started. If you are not following him then you should - he has posts with numbers in them too.

http://thecoldend.blogspot.com/2012/01/town-back-to-winning-ways-against.html

Man-of-the-Match

Tough decision, several good performances within the Enfield Town side but on balance I choose #7 Adam Wallace, especially for his first-half showing.

A snippet from the programme

This is an excellent glossy effort with substantial articles that are much better than average for this level. There is a two-page analysis of the season from manager Steve Newing, but of necessity written before the Christmas programme.

“Certainly there is no team to fear in this league but there are teams to be respected along with others all the way to the bottom who are capable of taking points off anyone. If we were to replicate our points tally over the second half of the season we would end on 88 points, which with the league being its most competitive for the last three seasons would go mighty close to winning it. The move into our new home here at the QE has come at exactly the right time for the club.”

What I learned today

This is a venue that exceeded my expectations in many respects. A massive car park, my first ever pre-match bread pudding (I should probably not eat anything again until February to be honest, 43 gazillion calories for 50p), a distinctive main stand. I am not generally a fan of grounds with athletic tracks but the QE2 is far and away the best I have found. The stands behind the goals sit neatly within the track, and this makes a massive difference to the atmosphere.

Enfield Town's main stand is a Listed building rather than the listing ones you often find

The physical location of the end stands is a key feature of the design

What Next?

For the record, on New Year’s Day I reacted with a resigned laugh rather than rude words as the news of the Colwyn Bay postponement reached me – I had just crossed Offa’s Dyke. It’s not the first time, and it won’t be the last. I think it’s about time I returned to the roots of the blog and introduced a random element for next Saturday, but at this time of year weather is always a factor and I tend to leave decisions until as late as possible. Watch this space, or @GrahamYapp on Twitter. Thank you for all the support – December was a record month for hits, and I am grateful for all your interest and comment.

A Win for the Tipton Ten at Studley

2012-01-02T10:24:00.000Z

Nice touch to give the lino a private beach (and well done Studley for getting the game on)

Hopperational details
Date & Venue	Saturday 31 December 2011 at The Beehive
Result	Studley 1 Tipton Town 3
Competition	Midland Alliance (Step 5)
Hopping	Second game of the day after the dramatic finish at Bloxwich United earlier – see previous post for details.
This match in one sentence
A day to forget for Studley as they missed a penalty with the scores level and then failed to capitalise when Tipton went down to ten men.
So what?
Studley are 15^th and Tipton Town are 6^th in the division.
The drama unfolds
Tipton Town had the first chance of the game and Craig Bannister pinged the post while I was still interviewing a cheeseburger. (It passed.) Studley’s new keeper Richard Taylor was soon in meaningful action again, saving low to his right as the visitors looked more likely to score. My scene-setting clip, from 27 minutes, actually starts with the handball decision and the penalty kick that gave Tipton a deserved lead. Dave Bate is the scorer. Studley are in blue. 0-1 A super tackle by a Studley forward tracking back was needed to stop a direct run from the Tipton midfield, and then a home centre-back made an acrobatic clearance. Then, somewhat against the run-of-play, Studley got to the other end and another penalty was awarded for handball. Here it is (from a distance). Chris Collins is beaten by Lei Brown. 1-1 The officials were coming under constant pressure and yellow cards were traded after a minor altercation. The Tipton player was Mitch Plows and his caution was for his retaliation after a bad tackle. The ref, however, always presented an image of calm control and from a neutral’s perspective I thought he handled the occasion well. The visiting fans in particular would not agree! There were no other goals before the interval. 1-1 at half-time There was another big shout by Tipton for a penalty (nailed-on handball, the Black Country fans would say in a nod to their industrial heritage) before the third spot-kick of the game was awarded … to Studley a few minutes later, after 58. However, keeper Collins did his job in saving from Brown this time, as the clip shows. Tipton then lost Plows to a second yellow card for a tackle within two minutes, so home optimism was renewed, as was visiting disdain for the officials. Studley did not reckon on a route one goal from Tipton’s impressive Nathan Waite after 67 minutes. He controlled the ball well and got into a shooting position. Taylor got a hand to it, but it curled in just inside the post. 1-2 The ten men had just over 20 minutes to survive, and they started to come under pressure. Shouts of “Don’t give up!” echoed among the home side’s players. Tipton brought on an extra (and sizeable) defender and re-organised, and I have two more short clips from the closing moments as Studley pressed (and I was wandering round towards the exit, as the positioning shows!). From one attack, a clearance fell to Tipton substitute Leigh Downing just beyond half way and he rode his luck to advance and smack in an insult-to-injury goal as we entered stoppage time. 1-3 Incredibly, there was still time for Studley to hit the bar with the final action of the game. It was not their day. Final score 1-3 Acknowledgement to Tipton Town website for assistance in identifying players' names. Apologies that I have picked up fewer Studley names but I will work on this and will amend the post as details become available.
Man-of-the-Match
The Chris Collins' penalty save was a turning point but Nathan Waite’s goal just earns him this arbitrary honour today.
A snippet from the programme
I shall sulk about the fact that an interesting article about the career of Ossie Ardiles makes no mention of his Wembley promotion play-off win in 1992-3 as manager of West Bromwich Albion that led to the team returning to the second tier, and earned him the chance to manage Tottenham Hotspur. I’d forgotten that the Falklands conflict had brought about a loan spell at Paris Saint-Germain in 1982-3. It’s a double-header programme (for which the editor apologises, but it’s understandable!) and I will pinch one of the questions from “Chris’s Quiz Time” for your entertainment. Name the six football league teams with North, South, East or West in their name. (Answer below!)
Something Random
Hereford & Worcester had the highest per capita concentration of Yapps in the 19^th century censuses. I have managed to trace my own ancestral line to the county, but sadly I cannot yet prove any link to the Yapps who delivered the milk in Studley in the 1950s.
What Next?
As things turned out, an aborted trip to Colwyn Bay on New Year’s Day, but I am still hoping that something or somethings local will survive for Bank Holiday Monday.

Quiz Q answer: Northampton Town, Preston North End, Southampton, Southend United, West Bromwich Albion and West Ham.

Star in the Descendant as Bloxwich Wake Up

2012-01-01T11:22:00.000Z

This game was available on Freeview

Hopperational details

Date & Venue
Saturday 31 December 2011 at The Red Lion Ground, Somerfield Road, Bloxwich
Result
Bloxwich United 3 Continental Star 2
Competition
Midland Football Combination Premier Division (Step 6)
Hopping
A short journey from the planned hop to Tividale, whose 11am match was postponed, for this 12 noon confrontation.

This match in one sentence
The archetypal game of two halves, with the visitors' two-goal half-time lead finally wiped out in a controversial climax just after the home goalkeeper had been correctly sent off.

So what?
Continental Star were second recently but find themselves in fourth - the divisional leaders Bolehall Swifts had an 11-2 win today. Bloxwich United are safely in mid-table.

The drama unfolds
I had not done any pre-match research but a quick look at the league table suggested that Continental Star would need a win to keep any realistic title challenge alive. They started the stronger and were indeed the more imposing physically of the two sides on a wet pitch. Here's the scene-setter clip, with the home side in red:

They took the lead after 12 minutes with a direct free kick, as captured here. The scorer is Davion Hamilton. 0-1

The second goal came nine minutes later. A superb ball from the back gave #9 Daniel Holgate a chance to run at the defence, and in full flow he would take some stopping. He rounded the keeper and shrugged off the challenge of defender Steven Coyne, but in bundling the latter to the floor and the ball over the line there were shouts for a foul, and if not a foul then offside, and if not offside then not picking on someone his own size, from the Bloxwich bench. The referee had a lengthy conversation with the lino before confirming the goal. 0-2

Holgate scores Star's disputed second goal

Consultation in progress

The rest of the half got a bit feisty at times as the tackles flew in on the tricky surface and the ref was working hard to keep a semblance of control. Star looked likely to add a third but Bloxwich improved defensively. I struck up a conversation with two hoppers who had dropped in for the first half on the way to a higher-level game, and we all agreed that they had probably seen enough to get the sense of this match. How wrong we were. 0-2 at half-time

I still cannot really offer any explanation of why this game turned the way it did, unless complacency was setting in to the Star players. Bloxwich had a goal disallowed before they pulled the first back on the hour mark. It was an odd-looking goal, a high loopy shot from Tony Simkiss dropping out of the sky and over the Star keeper, Lucien Nrabando. 1-2

The game was now more evenly contested. Holgate had a good chance for a third in a one-on-one with the keeper, but his rolled goalbound shot was intercepted by a defender in the six-yard box. The game changed and the tide turned when Bloxwich substitute Adrian Jones crossed to the far post from a freekick and Ashley Southall scored. 2-2

Here are some clips from around the 80 minute mark.

Having been at the other end, anticipating Star's third, I now moved round, and the lino will be pleased that I did. I happened to be filming and in the right place to capture the key moment. The next clip clearly confirms that Nrabando handled the ball outside the box in stoppage time, and so his red card was correct.

It was necessary to put an outfield player in goal, and then Adrian Jones stepped up to take the free-kick. 3-2

There was time for one other horror-tackle moment before the final whistle. Plenty of drama for the passing neutrals, of which there were many. Final score 3-2

Man-of-the-Match
It has to be Bloxwich United's substitute #12 Adrian Jones for the cross leading to the equaliser and the dramatic freekick winner to secure the points.

A snippet from the programme

From the history of the home club:
"In 2001 plans were announced to merge Blakenhall and Bloxwich Town to form Bloxwich United FC. The team were to play at Blakenhall's Red Lion ground, whilst redevelopment work took place at Abbey Park, home of Bloxwich Town. Sadly, just 19 games into the Southern League Western Division season, the plug was pulled on the club... Bloxwich Town were to bounce back and were reformed for the start of 2002/3 ... the club rather surprisingly folded in May 2005. The emergence (after three years) of Bloxwich United AFC will put the town back on the footballing map. By working together we can help raise the profile and kudos of Bloxwich."

What Next?
M5/M42/A435 to Studley (blogpost to follow), arriving at 2.55pm just in time to see their game with Tipton Town.

The Cooks Have the Ingredients of Success

2011-12-28T15:20:00.000Z

This was taken in case there was a "not much on the bench" joke later.

Hopperational details
Date & Venue	Tuesday 27 December 2011 at Compton Park, Cogenhoe
Result	Cogenhoe United 1 Northampton Spencer 0
Competition	United Counties Premier League (Step 5)
Hopping	#442 on the lifetime list, geographically convenient to visit on my way back to Hertfordshire from the West Midlands.
This match in one sentence
Cogenhoe (aka The Cooks, and sorry about the post title) managed to score from just one of their many chances.
So what?
Both teams sit just below the midpoint of the table, though Spencer have played six games more. Unless something dramatic happens in the second part of this season, both teams should be secure enough at step 5.
Something random
Another Scooby-Doo tree for the catalogue…
The drama unfolds
Cogenhoe, with a stiff breeze behind them, took control from the start and pinged the crossbar loudly within the first fifteen minutes. They used the wind to create defensive havoc from corners and set pieces, as shown in the first clip. Credit to the Spencer defence for holding firm – tonight’s clips will show that their keeper Quincy Shorunmu was a busy man. Cogenhoe are in the blue kit. Cogenhoe hit the post again … Shorunmu made (or may not have made, as a goal kick was given) a great save … Matt Gearing reached the byline and put a goal on a plate for Perry Wells, who missed it … and impressive left midfielder Courtney Herbert shot over. A goal was overdue. It eventually arrived just after the half-hour. A beautiful curling pass from the left fell perfectly into no-man’s land between defence and keeper and Karl Bates sneaked in and did enough to finish despite Shorunmu’s partial block. 1-0 Bates had another half-chance, making a nuisance of himself through the centre and finding a one-on-one position, but Shorunmu again did enough. With my freezing fingers, I noted, “Will one goal be enough?” as the first half ended. Spencer had made no real impact as an attacking force but now they would have the easier of the conditions. 1-0 at half-time I sought shelter for the second half, as the clips will show. Spencer captain James Allcock got an early yellow for a mistimed challenge, and Bates almost touched in the hard low-driven free kick at the near post. My second-half clips all follow the pattern of the half. Spencer gained more territory, and had a few “ooh!” moments, especially from corners and set pieces, but Cogenhoe always looked dangerous themselves. Bates and Wells were both comfortable as target men with backs to goal, and they were both adept at first-time flicks. Attacking movement was good and they showed some variation at set plays. Herbert always looked a threat, but somehow Spencer held on and kept the margin to one goal, helped, it has to be said, by Cogenhoe finishing that did not match up to the approach play. In the closing minutes, some Spencer players realised they might nick a point and could be heard urging Shorunmu to hurry up with goalkicks and clearances. They were never out of the game at 1-0, but it is hard to recall a really clear chance. Dean Love, in the Cogenhoe goal, had to work harder in the second 45, and be alert as to when to come out to clear, but from where I was standing at the other end, they looked comfortable enough in defence for most of the time. The last clips are from the closing minutes. Final score 1-0
Man-of-the-Match
Tricky choice … Karl Bates decided the destination of the points and was always involved, but he missed a few chances too. Quincy Shorunmu was a busy man. The Spencer centre-backs deserve some credit too. However, I’ll nominate Courtney Herbert just because of the ripples of anticipation he caused whenever he got the ball.
A snippet from the programme
No programme today so here is a photograph of a teamsheet.
What Next?
Hmmm … I see there are four fixtures this evening, three of which I could get to. I’m tempted.

You Have to Be a Linnet to Win It

2011-12-27T01:25:00.000Z

Hopperational details
Date & Venue	Monday 26 December 2011 at The Walks Stadium
Result	King’s Lynn Town 1 Holbeach United 0
Competition	United Counties Premier League (Step 5)
Hopping	Venue #441 on the lifetime list, and the second part of a Boxing Day double following the morning ko at Norwich United.
This match in one sentence
King’s Lynn Town just about came out on top in this hard-fought clash of 1^st v 2^nd in the league in front of an amazing crowd of 1040.
So what?
The title for this division may now be decided – the harsh reality is that this was a must-win match for Holbeach. They are now 7 points behind and have played three games more. Only King’s Lynn’s own complacency or some sort of self-destruct process (see below) could mess this season up, it appears, unless Long Buckby can sustain a challenge by winning all or most of their games in hand from their present third place.
The drama unfolds
The home side tried to impose themselves on the game from the start, and my scene-setter clip is from about 15 minutes into the game. Holbeach were by no means overawed by their opponents or the occasion and posed threats of their own. Really clear chances were relatively few as both defences did their jobs, and there were no goals in the first 45 minutes. Holbeach had a penalty appeal turned down, and I was too far away to give my own opinion. The second clip is also from the first half. 0-0 at half-time The second half opened with Town pressing for a goal, but Holbeach confirming their continued presence with a disallowed goal (for offside) and a good shot (blocked by the keeper) in quick succession. Here’s a clip from early in the half, followed by one from the 65-minute mark. The decisive goal is captured at the end of this final clip. It came after 70 minutes and the scorer is Stuart Wall. 1-0 Holbeach continued to press but this left spaces at the back and the next really good chances fell to the home side. Town seemed comfortable enough in holding on for the win, and perhaps the chairman will be happier this evening. Final score 1-0
Man-of-the-Match
For an important goal, possibly season-defining, and a big part in a clean sheet: King’s Lynn Town’s Stuart Wall.
A snippet from the programme
It’s a double programme for this fixture and the forthcoming game against Newport Pagnell Town. Neither chairman nor manager mince their words following a 3-2 WIN over Yaxley. Note, that’s WIN, i.e. NOT LOSE, when you score more goals than the other team. Here’s the former, in scary mode: “It is frustrating that in such an enjoyable time of the year I have to start with criticism, but unfortunately that is what the team deserves after their embarrassing performance against Yaxley. While Yaxley raised their game and showed 100% commitment we seemed to do the exact opposite. Thankfully luck saved us from a last-minute equaliser and somehow we clung on to all three points. After the game I spoke to (the manager) and made it clear I was not going to tolerate players in the team who were not showing 100% commitment but feel it is their given right to be here … Gary now has three games to sort out the attitudes of these players and if I see no change then the club will have to take some action.” I saw the corresponding fixture last season, a 6-0 win for the Linnets. Click on either team’s name in the tag cloud on the right to jump to the report.
What I learned today
The Walks is a good place for Scooby-Doo style scary trees, but apart from that all similarities to other step 5 venues end. Having arrived at the ground, I bought my ticket at the separate four-lane ticket office and entered along with 1039 others. 1040!! What kind of crowd is that for a step 5 game, albeit between the top two teams in the division? I watched the first two minutes of the match on the CCTV widescreen in what other clubs would call the “Refreshment Hut” but here it is Café Verde, complete with sofas under the main stand. I contemplated a temporary change to my hopper observation rules, but quickly dismissed the idea and went in search of some old-school terracing. King’s Lynn Town in this incarnation have only been in existence briefly, as a phoenix club at the same ground as their predecessor. The previous club had been playing at step 2, but for the same geographical reasons that hit Bishop’s Stortford this season, had ended up in Conference North having been promoted from a southern step 3 league. Financial issues led to them folding, and the new club was placed in step 5. They lost out to St Neots Town last year but are now well-placed to make a step up at the end of this season. Teams in this league have faced St Neots Town and King’s Lynn Town in successive seasons and they may be quietly looking forward to a more level playing field next time round. Farsley, coming out of the wreckage of Farsley Celtic, and Chester from Chester City, have all been forced by the FA leagues committee to spend time at step 5 in recent years. There may well be other examples that I am overlooking. The step 5 to step 4 promotion/relegation is one that does not work quite as well as the other levels, with six step 4 leagues somehow having to interact with fourteen at step 5. There isn't an easy solution - England is a funny shape and not built on a grid of roundabouts like Milton Keynes - and communities that have seen a football club fold through no fault of their own deserve to have another chance somewhere and somehow.
What Next?
An urgent scan of the fixture lists to see if I can sneak in a Tuesday night hop alongside other commitments.