Conference Call on 116

Hopperational details
Date & Venue	Saturday 10 August 2013 at The Hive
Result	Barnet 3 Chester 0
Competition	The Conference (Step 1)
Hopping	I am here to restore my “116” – this is Barnet’s new home after they made the hard decision to leave Underhill.  It is number 515 on my lifetime list.  This is the first competitive game at The Hive and the programme is a special edition.
Pre-match preparation
Dutch international Edgar Davids has remained as Head Coach of Barnet.  They were relegated from the League Two on the last day of 2012-13 and are today meeting a side who are entering the Conference for the first time in the upward direction.  Chester have been promoted on three successive occasions now since their reformation – I saw their clinching victory at Stockbridge Park in 2011-12.  Both teams, as is now the norm, have several new signings around a retained core.  Mr Davids is keen to point out in the programme that he is still happy to win games even if performances are not pretty.
This match in one sentence
Chester faded after a promising start and in the end Barnet’s victory was well deserved.
So what?
I refuse to make predictions this early in the season.  Oh, alright then – Barnet will make the playoffs at least and Chester will avoid relegation.
The drama unfolds
Chester had two very early chances as Barnet’s passing game started nervously – it took ten minutes before a slick home move gave a glimpse of the future.  Slowly but surely Barnet began to impose themselves on the game.  Four yellow cards (two for each side) were shown for tackles that were incompetent rather than malicious.  My scene-setter clip was taken around the half-hour mark.  Graham Stack was fairly busy in the Barnet goal during the first half. Chester continued to look dangerous from set-pieces, especially fast inswinger crosses delivered by Kevin McIntyre.  Parity at the interval was entirely fair on the balance of play.  0-0 at half-time Barnet opened the floodgates within a minute of the restart.  Luke Gambin finished neatly with his left foot even if there was an element of luck involved with the final pass of a swift move down the left.  1-0 after 46 mins Stack preserved the lead with a sharp close-range save around the hour mark.  Barnet fans near me were getting fed up with patient build-up play and ball retention, especially backward passes, but from one such move Mark Byrne turned on the shoulder of his marker and broke free down the right.  Jake Hyde couldn’t miss as the ball was delivered into the 6-yard box.  2-0 after 63 mins Chester’s fans threw smoke canisters on to the pitch and caused a short delay.  I have decided not to reward them with a photo of this petulant pointlessness.  Their side was soon three down – a great move through the middle and a neat dink to finish from Hyde again.  3-0 after 72 mins That was it, really … Barnet picked up two more yellows, Chester almost had a consolation goal, but McIntyre almost had (from where I was sat) a red card for grabbing at the referee’s arm.  Police had arrived in time to watch Chester fans streaming out, and it was another 40 minutes before I managed to get out of the car park.  To be fair, the vast majority of the visiting fans were brilliantly supportive of their team's effort, all afternoon.  Final score 3-0
Ground Pix
Match Pix
Something random
If you are coming to Barnet in the near future, I’d advise getting your tickets online and printing them at home.  That worked well.  Around 20 people missed the kickoff today as they were still queuing to buy or pick up tickets at the kiosk.  I thought the £5 special edition programme for this first competitive game at The Hive was fair enough, well-produced and a good read, but £5 for parking on top of my £21 ticket makes me happy that I will be back in steps 3,4 and 5 soon.
Huddle Stats
New this season on MHR – let’s find out whether the pre-match huddle makes a difference. We will only learn something if one team huddles and the other doesn’t.  Never mind, it will give science a start until CERN have found all their missing particles.  Today, there were no huddles. 2013-14 Summary so far: P W D L GF GA Pts Pts per Game Non-Huddlers 5 2 2 1 7 6 8 1.60 Huddlers 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 0.00
Goalkeeper Top Colour Stats
Also new for this season. I vaguely remember Petr Cech having a theory that orange was the best colour for goalkeeping tops.  Let’s find out whether there is any substance to it.  We have an early lead for yellow tops.  Today, Barnet’s Graham Stack played in yellow and Chester’s John Danby was in traditional green. 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 1 0 0 1 0 1 -1 -1.00 Pink 1 0 1 0 0 3 -3 -3.00 Green 1 0 0 1 0 3 -3 -3.00
Hopping for Moorfields Update
Just waiting for a few sponsors to return from their summer holiday but I hope very soon to be sending a big cheque to Moorfields Eye Charity which, when some Gift Aid is applied, will be worth almost £900 to them.  It’s not too late to make a small contribution – remember the original idea of this is that LOTS of people would give small amounts – and this recent post tells you how to go about it.  Thanks in advance, and thanks too to all the sponsors who have already paid up. http://modushopperrandom.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/hopping-for-moorfields-call-for-payment.html
What Next?
Follow @GrahamYapp on Twitter for announcements!  Very tempted by the FA Cup tie at Worksop Parramore (work commitments allowing) on Friday.

In case you missed this last month because your season started today, here is a recent "football game nostalgia" post - do you remember "Soccerboss"?

http://modushopperrandom.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/soccerboss-living-dream.html

I hope you’ll enjoy the 2013-14 format for the MHR blog.  I have tried to freshen it up without losing its essential tongue-in-cheekiness, and to reflect the fact that I am now out of semi-retirement and back in the classroom full-time.  In particular, the video clips were receiving very few hits so I have scaled back on these apart from an essential scene-setter.  You may also have to put up with a rant on educational issues from time to time.  Thanks as ever for your support and interest.  This season I will complete my coverage down to all of step 3 at least, as well as paying plenty of attention again to the early rounds of the FA Cup and the FA Vase.

Frimley Not So Green, Take a Point at Villa

Hopperational details
Date & Venue	Tuesday 6 August 2013 at Rectory Meadow
Result	Hanworth Villa 3 Frimley Green 3
Competition	Combined Counties Premier League (Step 5)
Hopping	Ground 514, not random but the nearest “unvisited” ground with a game for me this evening as I was in the dentist’s chair until 5.00pm!
Pre-match preparation
Both clubs lost their opening fixtures on Saturday.  Hanworth were missing the manager, the assistant (both on holiday) and several players for various reasons, so by all accounts put out an inexperienced side in their defeat by South Park.  Frimley Green were promoted as champions of the League’s Division One last season and lost at home to Croydon in their first game.  I saw Hanworth during their epic FA Cup run of 2011-12 http://modushopperrandom.blogspot.co.uk/2011/10/totton-up-prize-money.html but this is the first time I have seen Frimley Green.
This match in one sentence
Credit to Frimley Green for taking the lead initially and then coming back from a 3-1 deficit to earn a point with two late goals in a crazy ending to the game.
So what?
Both sides are off the mark for the season, and it’s still too early to make any sensible predictions.
The drama unfolds
Hanworth started positively but Frimley Green were not overawed and by the time the visitors took the lead it did not feel like a surprise.  As I saw it, a header from a corner was deflected and it probably goes down as an unlucky own goal for Adam Turner, though Frimley have credited it to Bobby Hogg.  0-1 after 18 minutes Centre-back Dan Griffiths was on hand to protect the lead after keeper Matthew Watson came outside the box but his clearance rebounded off an attacker towards the goal.  I took my scene-setter clip after about half-an-hour at which point Hanworth were waking up and realising they were in a game.  Hanworth are in red-and-white. I made a note that I thought the home side would go on to win the game.  Nevertheless Frimley Green had the two next best chances, only for Hanworth to then hit the bar with a shot from Andrew Juett and then equalise moments before half-time with a dominant header from Lee Higgs.  1-1 at half-time Hanworth created a good chance right after the restart but then so did Frimley.  The goal to give the lead to the home side was a proverbial screamer.  I reckon Levi King’s curling and dipping volley was from thirty of your pre-decimal proper yards and a great, great goal.  2-1 after 55 minutes The game should have been settled by the third goal.  Good work by Juett ultimately led to a tap-in for King’s second of the night, looking suspiciously offside from my viewing angle.  To be fair, the lino was better placed.  3-1 after 64 minutes Where did it all go wrong? Well, Frimley made some substitutions and “had a go” as they say.  They scored two in two minutes to take a share of the points.  Louis Hibbert and Martin Girling combined well and the latter’s shot beat the keeper and a retreating defender could not keep it out.  Both club websites seem to have this down as an own goal.  3-2 after 85 minutes I tweeted the news of that goal just in time to see Frimley slice through the centre of Hanworth’s defences and score through Matt Griffiths.  3-3 after 86 minutes There was still time for a second yellow for a Hanworth player with two minutes to go (I think it was Juett, apologies if I am mistaken) which meant Frimley Green were able to exert some more closing pressure in a bad-tempered ending to the game.  Final score 3-3
Ground Pix
This ground is under a Heathrow flight path and so close to a main road at one end that the screening trees are right up against the pitch boundary.  Can’t shed any more light on the Marilyn Monroe connections except that she was also spotted here back in December:  http://laurencereade.wordpress.com/2012/12/08/marilyn/
Match Pix
Something random
For what it’s worth, I draw the attention of the occupants of the covered standing to their own ground rule 2(b) as set out in the programme.  It would not be a part of the ground for a parent or grandparent to take a young supporter unless they are prepared for some vocabulary challenges later.  I watch a lot of football in a lot of places and this was one of the worst for loud foul and abusive language.  I couldn’t use my second half clip on here unless I’d set it to music.  The sexist jokes in the programme aren’t funny either.  It’s my opinion and I’m sticking with it.  No apologies.
Huddle Stats
New this season on MHR – let’s find out whether the pre-match huddle makes a difference. Neither team huddled.  This makes me realise a possible flaw in my methodology – we will only learn something if one team huddles and the other doesn’t.  Never mind, it will give science a start until CERN have found all their missing particles. 2013-14 Summary so far: P W D L GF GA Pts PPG Non-Huddlers 3 1 2 0 4 3 5 1.67 Huddlers 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 0.00
Goalkeeper Top Colour Stats
Also new for this season. I vaguely remember Petr Cech having a theory that orange was the best colour for goalkeeping tops.  Let’s find out whether there is any substance to it. 2013-14 Summary so far: (Note - early error now discovered and corrected on later posts - sorry!)
Hopping for Moorfields Update
Just waiting for a few sponsors to return from their summer holiday but I hope very soon to be sending a big cheque to Moorfields Eye Charity which, when some Gift Aid is applied, will be worth over £800 to them.  It’s not too late to make a small contribution – remember the original idea of this is that LOTS of people would give small amounts – and this recent post tells you how to go about it.  Thanks in advance, and thanks too to all the sponsors who have already paid up.
What Next?
Follow @GrahamYapp on Twitter for announcements!  I may head for Barnet in the Conference in order to recomplete my 116 (92+24).  Very tempted by the FA Cup tie at Worksop Parramore (work commitments allowing) on Friday week.

I hope you’ll enjoy the 2013-14 format for the MHR blog.  I have tried to freshen it up without losing its essential tongue-in-cheekiness, and to reflect the fact that I am now out of semi-retirement and back in the classroom full-time.  In particular, the video clips were receiving very few hits so I have scaled back on these apart from an essential scene-setter.  You may also have to put up with a rant on educational issues from time to time.  Thanks as ever for your support and interest.  This season I will catch up on a few new venues (e.g. Barnet) and complete my lists down to all of step 3 at least, as well as paying plenty of attention again to the early rounds of the FA Cup and the FA Vase.

Alton Town Moved by Epsom Assaults

Hopperational details
Date & Venue	Saturday 3 August 2013 at the Alton (Bass) Sports Ground
Result	Alton Town 0 Epsom & Ewell 1 (Panayi 51)
Competition	Combined Counties Premier League (Step 5)
Hopping	I am here for ground #513 on my lifetime list because I let four county cricket teams make the decision for me.  See http://modushopperrandom.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/a-spin-off-for-groundhoppers.html for details.  I am in Hampshire because Michael Carberry scored 94 against Glamorgan.  It’s random(ish) and it kept twelve people entertained during Friday.
Pre-match preparation
Alton Town have been geographically shifted from the Wessex League and this is their first-ever game in the Combined Counties League today.  Recently, there has been a scare for them as their landlords (the Molson-Coors brewery) gave them notice to quit their ground, but - perhaps helped by a significant local response to a petition – today’s match programme explains that there are now developing plans for a new ground and 3G pitch nearby.
This match in one sentence
The visitors dominated proceedings by and large but almost paid for their wastefulness up front.
So what?
That is the first game of the new league season for both teams, so much too early for any sensible predictions.
The drama unfolds
Quite how we got to half-time with a 0-0 scoreline I am not sure – Epsom & Ewell bossed the game from the opening minutes and created over a dozen half-chances as opposed to one solitary but decent chance for the hosts.  Alton defenders Rikki Long and Luke Axton-Hall both made goal-saving clearances from the 6-yard line, and Jamie Phillips was quietly relieved that his header went over his own crossbar as the visitors pressed again.  They hit the post for the first time with a direct freekick on 34 minutes before I took this scene-setting clip.  Alton are in white.  0-0 at half-time Epsom & Ewell started the second half where they had left off and soon pinged the woodwork again.  However, Anthony Panayi soon scored what proved to be the only goal to cue a delightfully over-the-top mass writhing orgy of a goal celebration.  I can’t tell you much more about the goal as I was involved in a complex relationship with a bottle of tomato ketchup at that precise moment in time.  0-1 after 51 minutes Substitutions were made and Epsom’s goalkeeper Kieran Campbell earned his match fee with two blocks in quick succession as Alton began to play with more threat.  The teams exchanged chances in an end-to-end finale that saw the home goalpost hit once more after a full-length save by Cathel McLean.  In the end, a fair result on the balance of play.  Final score 0-1
Ground Pix
Sadly, no action at the Alton Social Bowls Club today ...
Match Pix
Something random – Meet Michael
When, at a non-league ground, you meet a man with a bell carrying Sylvester and Tweety-Pie, you simply have to ask for a photo with a view to www publication.  Michael, I salute you, and I gather this is not the first time you have been mentioned in despatches.  He is an Alton Town supporter of fifty years’ standing.
Huddle Stats
New this season on MHR – let’s find out whether the pre-match huddle makes a difference. Alton Town huddled, Epsom & Ewell didn’t.  Alton Town lost. Huddling is a BAD thing on this occasion. 2013-14 So Far: Non-Huddlers - P1 W1 D0 L0 GF 1 GA 0 Pts 3 PPG 3.00 Huddlers - P1 W0 D0 L1 GF 0 GA 1 Pts 0 PPG 0.00
Goalkeeper Top Colour Stats
Also new for this season. I vaguely remember Petr Cech having a theory that orange was the best colour for goalkeeping tops.  Let’s find out whether there is any substance to it.  I will arbitrarily give 5pts for a clean sheet and -1 (minus 1) for each goal conceded. Alton’s keeper had a yellow top and conceded one goal. E&E’s keeper had a grey top and kept a clean sheet. 2013-14 So Far: Grey Tops P1 GC 0 CS 1 Pts 5 PPG 5.00 Yellow Tops P1 GC1 CS 0 Pts -1 PPG -1.00
Hopping for Moorfields Update
Just waiting for a few sponsors to return from their summer holiday but I hope very soon to be sending a big cheque to Moorfields Eye Charity which, when some Gift Aid is applied, will be worth over £800 to them.  It’s not too late to make a small contribution – remember the original idea of this is that LOTS of people would give small amounts – and this recent post tells you how to go about it.  Thanks in advance, and thanks too to all the sponsors who have already paid up. http://modushopperrandom.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/hopping-for-moorfields-call-for-payment.html
What Next?
Follow @GrahamYapp on Twitter for announcements!

I hope you’ll enjoy the 2013-14 format for the MHR blog.  I have tried to freshen it up without losing its essential tongue-in-cheekiness, and to reflect the fact that I am now out of semi-retirement and back in the classroom full-time.  In particular, the video clips were receiving very few hits so I have scaled back on these apart from an essential scene-setter.  You may also have to put up with a rant on educational issues from time to time.  Thanks as ever for your support and interest.  This season I will catch up on a few new venues (e.g. Barnet) and complete my lists down to all of step 3 at least, as well as paying plenty of attention again to the early rounds of the FA Cup and the FA Vase.

A Spin-Off for Groundhoppers

The Modus Hopper Random blog is going back to its quasi-random roots today.  What could be more reasonable than to give some of England’s county cricketers an unwitting responsibility for determining a small part of my future – the first Saturday fixture of the new competitive football season.

Four of the Step 5 leagues have got fixtures this weekend, and there are plenty of unvisited grounds on offer.

Today, the Midland Alliance will be represented by Warwickshire.

The Combined Counties League will be represented by Hampshire.

The North West Counties League will be represented by Lancashire.

The Wessex League will be represented by Somerset.

The basic premise is this – whichever individual batsman gets the highest score in the County Championship fixtures on Friday 2 August will determine which league I visit.  I will go to the nearest “new” ground (for me) to the relevant cricket ground, which would be:

Edgbaston, Birmingham (Warwicks)

Southampton (Hampshire)

Old Trafford, Manchester (Lancashire)

Taunton (Somerset).

I will deal with ties as and when the need arises.  I mean ties in the sense of equal scores, not ties in the sense of those things you have to wear round your neck in certain parts of Lord's.

So, the fixtures on my shortlist are:

MA: Alvechurch v Rocester

CC: Alton Town v Epsom & Ewell

NWC: West Didsbury & Chorlton v AFC Liverpool

WL: Hamworthy United v Totton & Eling

Morning Update:

Both Somerset and Warwickshire have ended up bowling rather than batting in their fixtures today, and the start of the Hampshire game has been delayed, though they have been put into bat by their opponents.  Lancashire are batting and have reached 34-0 off 14.4 overs at noon, so it looks like the fixture at West Didsbury has taken an early lead but Alton Town are still in the frame.  It does not look good for Alvechurch and Hamworthy.  The excitement is immense.

Lunch Update:

Hampshire have started batting against Glamorgan but are 26-2.  Opener Michael Carberry has got 20 of them however, so he could of course go on to make a big score.  Lancashire have cruised to 104-0 with Paul Horton on 59* and Luis Reece on 43*.  Looks like it will be between West Didsbury and Alton Town for tomorrow because both Warwickshire and Somerset won't have much batting time today - they are both fielding first in their games.  Excitement is now less than immense but still tangible.  Hitcounts suggest that there are eight people in the world paying attention to me.  That is better than some of my weekdays, so carry on ;)

2pm Update:

Horton has been dismissed without adding further to his score, which remains the highest of the day.  Reece is approaching his fifty and could soon take over the lead.  Carberry is still there on 27*.  Excitement levels stable but Mars Bar distraction imminent as I realised that last season's MHR #marsbarwatch blogposts never really addressed the Duo Mass Issue - a Duo is not the same total as two separate standard 58g bars.  Misleading?

Tea Update (4.10pm):

Luis Reece indeed soon took over the lead and went on to score 85 before getting out.  However, Carberry is still there on 77* at tea, with good support from Neil McKenzie who has reached 46*.  Either of these two could yet wreck my Destination Didsbury headline.  This could go down to the proverbial wire.  Excitement levels sustained.  But I don't get out much.

5pm Update:

Michael Carberry is out! But he reached 94 so as things stand I am heading for Alton.  His team-mate McKenzie is also out without adding to his 46 and it would appear that only Simon Katich (43* for Lancashire at Leicester as I type) could send me back to Didsbury.

END OF PLAY:
Katich was out for 62 meaning that Hampshire's Michael Carberry, with 94, has the highest individual score from my four counties - and I will be heading for Alton Town v Epsom & Ewell in the Combined Counties Premier League tomorrow afternoon.  It's random. Ish.

FAQs

Are you mad?

Quite possibly. Depends on your definitions.

Should Glamorgan have chosen to bat instead of putting Hampshire into bat?

There is no reason in the world that anyone else should care about this.

Does Luis Suarez play for AFC Liverpool?

Let me guess - you are not a groundhopper.  No.  Just no.

Where did you get the cricket ball image?

Wikipedia, for the licence see:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/en:GNU_Free_Documentation_License

Shouldn't you be preparing some chemistry lessons or something?

Probably yes, but shush.