Sunday 17
November 2019 at The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Result
Tottenham Hotspur Women 2 Arsenal
Women 2
Competition
FA Women’s
Super League
Hopstats
Ground 706 on
the lifetime list. Restores for now my complete current “92” for the top four
divisions in England (or 91 when you take account of Coventry City as a
groundsharer). Likewise it means that I have been everywhere currently in use down to Step 2 National League N & S for the moment. Brentford’s and York City's new grounds will be opened sooner rather than
later too so there will always be the need for restoration.
Context
Spurs Women
usually play at The Hive, Barnet, but an international weekend and the
prospect of a big crowd meant that this first WSL meeting between these local
rivals was switched to the new place. The season is five games old. Reigning
champions Arsenal have a slightly better win-loss record, 4-1 as opposed to
Spurs’ 3-2. The hosts have priced the fixture very attractively (£7 for my
ticket) and have made a pitch for parents-and-children attendance. I dare say
there will be a few more groundhoppers dotted around too.
In one sentence
A record
crowd (38000+) for a women’s club game in England saw Arsenal take the points with a
composed, stylish and efficient performance.
So what?
Still early
in the season but it seems that Arsenal will be title challengers and Spurs
will be at least safely mid-table.
Match Report
I’m late with
this and the game will have been covered in detail already for anyone interested,
so I will be brief and impressionistic. It was a predictably cagey start to
the game. Arsenal looked a touch more composed on the ball, and their
patterns of movement looked promising. Spurs were more robust. There were few
clear chances initially but by half-time Arsenal probably should have been in
front. Spurs will also point to chances that could have gone in and changed
the narrative, especially a shot by Kit Graham that went straight at keeper
Manuela Zinsberger. In the end any Arsenal nerves were calmed by a great
finish from Kim Little. She controlled a defensive header that fell nicely
for her to control, manoeuvre and then fire into the corner of the net.
Arsenal
managed the game very well from then on. A short backpass gifted them a
second, scored by Vivianne Miedema, and it looked for a moment as if Spurs
could collapse. Anything more than 0-2 would have been harsh on the home
side, who played a full part in an enjoyable, entertaining game of football.
Rachel Furness caught the eye with an all-action and energetic display.
As a neutral
and blogger, I just have to comment on the cultural differences between the
equivalent fixtures in the men’s and women’s game. I do not side with those
who think the latter lacks something in the way of “passion”, that word that
is so often used as an excuse or a proxy for poor personal standards or
outright lack of self-control. The game played at this level deserves to succeed
and all the signs are that it will. The men’s game changed forever once the
suits realised there was so much money to be made from media and advertising. Like
many groundhoppers, I lost a lot of interest from that point onwards and I
hope the development of the women’s game does not make the same mistake and
create too big a gulf between the rich and the poor clubs. There’s no
evidence at all that Sky, BT and their sponsors really care too much about
their wider unintended impact. There, I said it.
I can only
imagine that with a capacity crowd, the local infrastructure comes under severe strain. I watched a couple of teenagers deal with this by clinging
limpet-like to the back of a bus as it headed south down the High Road. Not
recommended. The teacher in me wanted to intervene, but I couldn’t get close
enough and maybe it’s just as well.
Pix
It is a phenomenally impressive stadium. Up to now I’d have chosen The
Emirates as best club stadium in England, but this one now takes the honour
in my book. The asymmetry has been used cleverly to create a clear home end.
The range of food outlets is impressive and diverse. Lighting, signage, sight lines and space are all excellent.
Goalkeeper Top Colour Stats
New this season – a pre-match
prediction based only on keeper top colours as a preliminary test of the
data.Proper statistical significance
test to follow in due course.
Today was a
contest between two very different shades of green.
Pre-match Prediction based on Keeper
Top Colour:
Prediction:
Draw
Was the
prediction correct?
No
% of
correct predictions so far
52% (32
from 62)
Based on conventional 3pts for a win,
1pt for a draw, but also -1pt for a goal conceded (GC) and +5pts for a clean
sheet (CS).Colours ranked on a points
per game (PPG) basis. The odd decimal places were caused either by
half-and-half tops or sub keepers in a different colour.The Fire Cracker colour was confirmed with
the help of the social media team at Dulux UK.All of this arises from a comment
attributed to Petr Cech that orange is the best colour for a goalkeeper
because it changes the behaviour of other players around the box.
Follow @GrahamYapp
on Twitter! I’ve been everywhere down to Step 2 now, and I have two grounds
(Atherton Collieries & Radcliffe) left at Step 3 and seventeen at Step 4. I've not been very active as yet this season but these remain my priorities.
The shadow shows that large parts of the roof are partially transparent
Hopperational details
Date &
Venue
Saturday 1
September 2012 at the New York Stadium
Result
Rotherham United 4 Bradford City 0
Competition
League Two
(Fourth tier of full-time professional football in England)
Hopping
This new
stadium restores my current “92” and Rotherham become the first team I have
seen at THREE home grounds after visits to Millmoor (28/12/02) and the Don
Valley Stadium (26/08/08). I think this is one of the best of the "newest generation" of stadia.
Pre-match preparation
The local
newspaper quotes the management as being pleased with Rotherham’s
performances up to now this season, even though results have not always gone
their way. They are encouraged by
early attendances at the new stadium – this is only the second competitive
game there – and hope to keep them high.
Both clubs have their eye on promotion. I also had time before kickoff to walk the short distance for a last look at Millmoor. When I was last here, Neil Harris and Steve Claridge were among the scorers as Mark McGhee's Millwall beat Ronnie Moore's Rotherham. I particularly remember Claridge's mildly provocative (and quite justified!) celebration - he had taken a stream of abuse from the home fans and seemed to enjoy scoring right in front of them.
Millmoor is being dismantled
Millmoor's floodlights are still visible close to the new stadium
This match in one sentence
Bradford
City missed chances at crucial moments and therefore found themselves on the
end of a sound beating with four well-worked goals and an impressive home
performance.
So what?
Rotherham
move up to fifth and Bradford City drop into mid-table, but it is still very
early days in the season.
The drama unfolds
The stadium clock showed 57 seconds when the net was rippled Michael O'Connor's dipping shot from a central position about twenty metres out. What a great start for the home side that was. 1-0 Here is a clip from immediately afterwards - Bradford just might have levelled immediately. The clip also confirms that this is a very smart and well-designed stadium - with over eleven thousand in (and a capacity of twelve thousand), the atmosphere was excellent. Rotherham are in red.
A magnificent tackle (fairly sure it was Ian Sharps) broke up a Bradford break and this was critical in the buildup to the next goal after 34 minutes. O'Connor got the ball on the left and although his cross missed the strikers in the centre, Gareth Evans was arriving on the right and he scored with a composed finish against his previous club. 2-0 Ben Pringle's curling shot went in off the post ten minutes later to give a scoreline that would have been beyond anyone's expectations. 3-0 Bradford had a goal disallowed for offside before the break - Scott Shearer's save fell for Nahki Wells who blasted the ball into the roof of the net, but the flag was up. Nothing was going right for the visitors. 3-0 at half time Here is a clip of Rotherham on the attack early in the second half.
The second half was always interesting but less dramatic - the damage had been done. Evans got his second goal of the afternoon with four minutes to go. 4-0 Most of the 2300 away supporters streamed out and the match ended in a joyous celebration of Yorkshire bragging rights. Final score 4-0
87 minutes on the clock
The programme
Rotherham
manager Steve Evans is a man who polarises opinion among football
supporters. He seems to be much loved
here at the moment! In his programme
notes he is full of praise for the club chairman whilst at the same time
criticising his counterparts at Crawley (Evans’ previous club) and Port Vale,
implying that their management of club finances is inferior. I suspect that this is not dissimilar to pouring petrol on a fire.
Something
random
There are a
number of interesting exhibits at the new Riverside library. Rotherham’s heritage as a coal mining and
metalworking town is covered – the large derelict building (Guest & Chrimes) next to the ground
was a leading manufacturer of taps and fire hydrants. There are also items of memorabilia
relating to Arthur Wharton (“the first black professional footballer”) and referee Howard
Webb (who has the freedom of the town).
The football club has also loaned the 1996 Auto Windscreens
Shield. Interesting stuff.
Hopping for Moorfields Update
Four goals
added to the tally, so the average remains within the bounds of my initial
prediction with 41 after 10 games.
What Next?
Newport
County is my next “landmark” club as they have switched venues this
year. Maybe next week! Watch @GrahamYapp on Twitter for announcements.
Scotland
(St Mirren, Glasgow Celtic) and Wales (Bala Town, Aberystwyth Town)
Here are fifteen shades of Graham for the 2011-12 season. No, I am not doing fifty. No, I haven't read it, but I am with the zeitgeist innit. Enjoy.
1
Corby Press On
Corby Town 6 Bishop’s Stortford 1
17
August 2011 (Conference North)
Reason Chosen:
This was
the first competitive game at Corby’s new stadium.
What’s Happened Since?
Bishop’s
Stortford’s manager Ian Walker, or former England goalkeeper Ian Walker,
and/or son of former Norwich City manager Mike Walker (depending on which
paper you read) left the club by mutual consent (although again that depended
on which paper etc etc) in December.
The club had been placed in the Conference North (where they will be
staying again, it would appear) at a very late stage and player recruitment
had been tough. They recovered to
finish a creditable tenth. Meanwhile,
Corby Town have been through a takeover – they finished 17th and
have just appointed former Northampton Town boss Ian Sampson as manager for
next season.
Completing
a personal-best run of six FA Cup ties and replays in consecutive days,
publishing the world’s first footage of the International Space Station
passing over an FA Cup match, and a magnificent game which included an
outfield player saving a penalty with his first touch as a stand-in
goalkeeper.
What’s Happened Since?
Gornal
Athletic went out with credit at Kidsgrove in the next round. I was there, making a contribution to the
season’s record for therealfacup. In
the league, these two served up a 4-5 in December as Gornal won their league
with a game to spare. They move up to
the step 5 Alliance Midland League next season. Shifnal Town finished in lower-mid table.
Non-league
venues at their best – great clubhouse, wind-assisted goals, a cricket boundary line across
the pitch and cows in the adjacent field chasing after a wayward ball.
What’s Happened Since?
Wokingham
& Emmbrook won the replay 2-0 but lost at Winslow United in the next
round. Both teams had mid-table
finishes in their respective Hellenic leagues.
Match-of-the-season
for me. A gripping cup-tie played in
abysmal weather conditions and a credit to everyone concerned.
What’s Happened Since?
Needham
Market were beaten at home by Nuneaton Town in the next round. In their leagues, both teams had promotion
near-misses. Ely City finished
runners-up behind Wroxham in the Eastern Counties League. Needham Market reached the play-offs
(again) but lost out to Enfield Town in the final.
A chance to
watch from the oldest stand in continuous use – the main stand at the
Wellesley dates from 1892 – and an example of the randomness that often
decides my hopping life. I was here
because the New Zealand All Blacks had scored exactly 37 points in their
Rugby Union World Cup win over France.
What’s Happened Since?
Great
Yarmouth did not win another league game until the last day of the season and
they will drop to step 6 next year.
Their AGM on 11 June may be “interesting” as they say in the
diplomatic corps. The club are
advertising a number of positions ranging from Treasurer to bus driver. Felixstowe & Walton finished just above
the relegation zone.
A trip to
Brighton’s impressive new home was needed to keep my current lists of 92
(Premier League, Championship, Leagues One & Two) and 116 (same plus
Conference National) up to date.
What’s Happened Since?
Hull City
finished 8th and Brighton 10th. As I write, the vacant managerial post at
the former is being offered to Steve Bruce.
By far the
biggest crowd of the season, the biggest stadium and the highest-ranked
club. Hard not to ignore all that
history and feel the pressure, expectation and edge that goes with it.
What’s Happened Since?
Celtic duly
won the title in a season dominated by off-field issues at their city rivals
Rangers. Hibernian escaped relegation
by one place and reached the Scottish FA Cup Final where they were thumped by
their city rivals, Hearts.
3
December 2011 (English Premier League Ice Hockey)
Reason Chosen:
The blog’s
first diversion into the crazy world of grown men with sticks trying to kill
each other on ice. Many thanks to the
MK Lightning tweeters who picked up the blogpost and reacted with good humour,
making this the second most-viewed post of the season.
What’s Happened Since?
I am now up
to six on the rinkhopping list and the Northern Hemisphere Net Coriolis Force
Zamboni Clockwise Rotation Theory remains intact. MK made the playoffs but lost out to Slough Jets.
An
impressive crowd of 1040 for a 1st v 2nd clash in step
5.
What’s Happened Since?
It seemed
at the time that King’s Lynn had got a grip on the division after this result. They were 12 points ahead on Easter Monday
but Long Buckby reeled them in with games in hand, and beat them 2-1 at home
with two games to go. When King’s Lynn
could only then draw at home to Desborough Town, Long Buckby made no mistake
and won the league. However, there is
a happy ending. King’s Lynn’s record,
with 106 points, gets them a promotion after all from the step 5 pool and
they join the Northern Premier League Division One South next season. Holbeach were overtaken by teams with games
in hand and finished sixth.
My
first-ever diversion into the world of top-tier netball.
What’s Happened Since?
Both teams
made the mid-season split into the top half.
Storm had been second, just behind Northern Thunder. However, Storm beat Thunder home-and-away
in winning all six post-split matches.
These two ended up facing each other in the grand final after
relatively easy playoff semi-final wins.
Mavericks lost to Thunder to go out at that stage. Thunder won the grand final by 2 points.
Not the
first blog diversion into courthopping, in which I have pre-blogging
“previous” at any rate, but the most dramatic. A buzzer-beating three-pointer from Adrien Sturt, captured on film, sealed a magnificent road win for the Lions.
What’s Happened Since?
Lions’
season rather ebbed away and they finished outside the playoff positions, a
big disappointment for them. Riders
finished strongly, finished the regular season as runners-up and made it all the way through to the
play-off final where they lost to Newcastle Eagles.
The first
game, a 1-1 draw, had suggested there could be dramatic unfinished
business. The blogpost includes the world’s first simultaneous video coverage of Venus, Uranus, the Moon and
a goal.
What’s Happened Since?
After all
that, Gresley were thumped at St Ives in the next round. Both teams, however, can look forward to
step 4 as they ended the season as champions in their respective leagues.
Having been
sent on this journey by the roll of a die, this turned out to be a day
dominated by hospitality and hospital.
Under normal circumstances, the teabar notice about Bovril supply
would have been enough for a day. I
had not expected to witness Whitley Bay’s first defeat in this competition in
four seasons, but the drama was astonishing.
I had footage of a controversial tackle that was over half-an-hour
earlier than the consequent red card, delivered when the ambulance had left
the pitch. The three goals in the game
were late, later and unbelievably late.
This became the most viewed Modus Hopper Random Blogpost of all time.
What’s Happened Since?
I
originally published the post with Howayday in the title, but was saved from
further embarrassment by prompt instruction in north-eastern vowels by
several friendly correspondents. There
really should be a local version of Pygmalion, if you ask me. (e.g “the rain in the Tyne falls mainly
down the drain”) In following rounds, West
Auckland disposed of Bournemouth Poppies and Herne Bay to reach the final at
Wembley, where they were runners-up to Dunston UTS. In their very competitive league, West
Auckland also finished second (to Spennymoor Town) and Whitley Bay ended up
sixth.
Nearly got into the fifteen (you can pick these from the tag cloud on the right):
Non-League Day 2011 at Stourport Swifts
Good wins for Witham Town (in the league) and AFC Totton (in the FA Cup)
Freezing all known appendages at Curzon Ashton
My Three-Hop Deluxe Adventures in a Yorkshire Landscape
The mathematics of Staveley's run of home ties in the FA Vase
The goalkeeper at the end of a rainbow at Dronfield Town
The worst ground I have ever visited - sorry, Bletchley Town, it's you
The location of Colwyn Bay's ground and a goal by Frank Sinclair
The Vosper Thornycroft Pigeon Club hut at Sholing FC
Theale's celebrations in winning the Reading Senior League
Thank you for all the interest and
encouragement. I hope to cross paths
with more readers next season, randomness allowing, as I seek to get all the current
grounds down to Step Three added to my lifetime list. I will also pay plenty of attention to the
early rounds of the FA Cup. Have a good
summer, and look out for the occasional diversion on here!
