Back in the Game at East Grinstead

It’s good to be back after an enforced gap – I hope readers will tolerate a somewhat more pragmatic approach to blogposts for a while as I restore reasonable work-life balance.  I had to take a break from travelling and writing due to the increasing demands of my newish teaching & management job but things are now getting back under control.

Hopperational details
Date & Venue	Thursday 26 December 2013 at The GAC Stadium
Result	East Grinstead Town 1 Lingfield 0
Competition	Sussex League Division One (Step 5)
Hopping	Number 527 on the lifetime list, after a big gap since number 526, for work-related reasons.  This high noon shootout between local rivals is the first half of a Boxing Day double hop, and I am here because the club’s Twitter feed confirmed “game on” in plenty of time for me to travel from Hertfordshire.
Pre-match preparation
Not much, as most of the time has been spent trying to find a workable “double hop”, with most games in Sussex called off yesterday or this morning.  5th plays 7th in the league and the first league meeting of the teams this season.
This match in one sentence
A deserved win for the home side because of the sheer number of chances created, but they could have been made to pay for their profligacy in front of goal.
So what?
East Grinstead gain one place and Lingfield drop two, but there were very few games played today in this division.
The drama unfolds
On a heavy pitch but in bright midday sunshine, Lingfield’s keeper Rob O’Hara was soon called upon to make his first decent save of the afternoon, and I took a scene-setter clip after about 15 minutes.  East Grinstead are "The Wasps" so you can work the colours out for yourselves. Lingfield’s Richard Wetton was unlucky not to score with a great shot from 25m that hit the bar and bounced down for the home keeper, Mark Fox.  The home side wasted another chance when Rob O’Hara was stranded out of position but finally took the lead just after the half-hour.  Persistence from George Hiller-Jones on the left paid off and Sam Schaaf glanced the cross into the far corner.  1-0 after 34 mins Hiller-Jones was involved again just before half-time when he hit the woodwork after the ball had rebounded rather fortuitously to him in an acre of space.  1-0 at half-time Players began to tire in the second half as a combination of the seasonal surface and surfeits had their inevitable effect.  East Grinstead wasted a lot of chances, and on this occasion were even given a free-kick after they had seemingly wasted the advantage played by the officials. They almost paid the price with 12 minutes left but Fox recovered to make a save at an attacker’s feet on the edge of the area.  The play was now very scrappy and yet the home side still had the best chances and missed another good one in the 89th minute.  Hiller-Jones’ day was spoiled by his petulance after a collision – when asked by the ref whether he wanted the trainer, his reply (and I quote) of, “No, I want you to do your f*****g job” earned him a deserved yellow card.  I was two metres away and the ref was correct – it was not a foul.  This was understandably not a great game but the home side will be very happy with a result that keeps them above their near-neighbours and in touch with the divisional leaders.  Final Score 1-0
Ground Pix
The first "Scooby Doo Trees" of the season for me!
Match Pix
Huddle Stats
Lingfield huddled and lost – East Grinstead didn’t huddle and won. 2013-14 Summary so far: P W D L GF GA Pts Pts per Game Non-Huddlers 18 8 3 7 27 25 27 1.50 Huddlers 11 3 4 4 6 9 13 1.18 Twin Huddlers 1 0 1 0 2 2 1 1.00
Goalkeeper Top Colour Stats
East Grinstead’s keeper wore grey and Lingfield’s wore green so the result was in keeping with the seasonal pattern so far. 2013-14 Summary so far: 3pts for a win, 1pt for a draw, -1pt for a goal conceded and +5pts for a clean sheet P W D L GA (-1 each) CS (5 each) Pts Pts per Game Grey 8 5 2 1 6 4 31 3.88 Yellow 3 1 1 1 4 1 5 1.67 Green 6 2 0 4 8 1 3 0.50 Blue 2 0 1 1 2 0 -1 -0.50 Orange 3 1 1 1 6 0 -2 -0.67 Pink 5 1 3 1 10 0 -4 -0.80 Radioactive Bile 3 1 0 2 6 0 -3 -1.00
What Next?
A short trip northish to Chipstead for a 3pm kickoff against Leatherhead and a shocking end to #MarsBarWatch2013.

Arundel Boys Win but it Wasn't Cushty

Hopperational details
Date & Venue	Monday 26 August 2013 at Mill Lane (11am)
Result	Arundel 1 Pagham 0
Competition	Sussex League Division One (Step 5)
Hopping	Number 521, I am here for pragmatic geographical and timing reasons – it is the morning half of a Bank Holiday double hop.
Pre-match preparation
Three games into the league season, and Arundel have made the better start with two wins to Pagham’s one.  Both arrive at today’s game having scored four on Saturday in home wins.  Bound to be 0-0 then.
This match in one sentence
Pagham will be wondering how they left Mill Lane without at least one point.
So what?
Arundel climb to second in the league table, and Pagham slip to 17th, but it is still early doors or days.  Early something, anyway.
The drama unfolds
The game was played to the incessant drone and buzz of a helicopter overhead – flights were on offer from the top of the hill as part of the town’s Festival.  Pagham’s players and bench seemed notably grumpy with each other from a very early stage as they tried to impose themselves, but it was Arundel who struck first.  The game’s only goal turned out to be a good one – a left-wing cross from Dan Gibb found the head of Scott Tipper who made no mistake.  Someone (see below) would have got a good pic of his celebratory posing!  1-0 after 11 minutes I took my scene-setter clip after about half an hour – apologies if any naughty Pagham pagan language is audible!  Arundel are in red. I was wandering round the perimeter taking photos here and there.  After 41 minutes I was at the other end when Pagham's Joe Briggs hit the side netting, and it looked to have been a clear chance.  1-0 at half-time Pagham pressed and pressed during the second half.  They had many half-chances and an equalising goal looked on the cards for long periods.  Tipper had to come off with a nasty looking cut to the head, and we had a chat with the man whose job it is to use a custom-made implement to retrieve the ball from adjacent hedges and ditches.  As time went on, it began to look like Arundel could hold on, as the Pagham attacks became more predictable.  And so it proved.  Pagham will feel somewhat aggrieved.  Final score 1-0
Ground Pix
It has to be said – this must be one of the great settings for non-league football in England.
Match Pix
Something Random
The two vaguely familiar gentlemen lurking behind one goal during the first half turned out to be none other than Danny (European Football Weekends) Last and Stuart (The Ball is Round) Fuller.  They are two of several people who encouraged me greatly with RTs and comments in my early days as a non-league blogger.  Thanks again, and great to have met you, especially in random circumstances!
Huddle Stats
No huddles, so we don’t learn anything. 2013-14 Summary so far: P W D L GF GA Pts Pts per Game Non-Huddlers 11 5 2 4 13 11 17 1.55 Huddlers 7 2 2 3 5 7 8 1.14
Goalkeeper Top Colour Stats
Today we had grey (Arundel) and the first blue of the season (Pagham). 2013-14 Summary so far: P W D L CS(5pts) GA(-1 each) Pts Pts per Game Yellow 3 2 1 0 2 3 7 2.33 Grey 4 2 1 1 2 2 8 2.00 Green 4 2 0 3 1 7 -2 -0.50 Orange 1 0 0 0 0 1 -1 -1.00 Blue 1 0 0 1 0 1 -1 -1.00 Radioactive Bile 1 0 0 2 0 2 -2 -2.00 Pink 3 0 2 1 0 6 -6 -2.00
What Next?
Follow @GrahamYapp on Twitter for announcements!  No concrete plans as I have to turn my attention to professional stuff this week, but I have a choice of 82 FA Cup ties next Saturday and I am pretty certain I will be at one of them.