Moving For Goal Posts

 

I am pleased to announce that I can allow randomish events on Tuesday evening to determine where I go on Saturday for my FA Cup groundhopping, in keeping with the original spirit of this blog. They are only randomish rather than random in the strict mathematical sense, because it cannot be said that all outcomes are equally likely. However, I have no idea what the outcome will be, so it might as well be a random quantum fluctuation in spacetime for all the difference it would make.

The basic premise is that there are NINE grounds of interest hosting an FA Cup tie on Saturday. They are all unvisited Step 4 grounds that I am hoping to tick off this season.

I can link these to NINE fixtures that are being played in League Two this evening (Tuesday 17 August). Both lists are in alphabetical order of home team, as is conventional.

The LAST GOAL OF THE EVENING SCORED, as designated by the minute of the game on the official league website or some other reputable source, will be the key event that links tonight’s game to my hopping destination.

I think we can all agree that League Two just got temporarily more interesting ;) and I hope you will follow the unfolding story on Twitter later on. As opposed to blocking me forever.

League Two Fixture 14/08/21	Linked FA Cup Tie 21/08/21
Barrow v Exeter City 0-0	Basingstoke Town v AFC Totton
Bradford City v Stevenage 4-1 (1,30,38,88) (17)	Lancing v Haywards Heath Town
Bristol Rovers v Oldham Athletic 1-0 (35)	Liversedge v Knaresborough T
Colchester United v Mansfield T 1-1 (90+5) (72)	Shildon v Brighouse Town
Crawley Town v Salford City 2-1 (38,75) (7)	Stockton Town v Ossett United
Port Vale v Carlisle United 0-0	Yorkshire Amateur v Hebburn T
Rochdale v Forest Green Rovers 1-2 (48) (33,49)	Glossop North End v Kendal T
Swindon Town v Tranmere R 0-0	Lymington Town v Bournemouth
Walsall v Scunthorpe United 1-1 (47) (90)	Melksham T v Shepton Mallett

WHAT HAPPENED?

Bradford City scored the first goal of the evening, and also the last of the first halves, alongside one at Crawley. However, these things are decided in the last few moments so here's how it unfolded.

72': Mansfield take the lead at Colchester, sending me to Shildon.

75': Crawley take the lead over Salford, changing that to Stockton.

90': a late equaliser for Scunthorpe at Walsall looks like sending me west to Melksham.

88': Bradford City's fourth goal was actually later chronologically but this eventuality was covered by the small print so had no effect.

90+5: Frank Nouble wins a penalty for Colchester and it is scored by Freddie Sears so not only do they equalise, but they send me to Shildon again!

90+11: The final whistle finally goes at Rochdale but with no further goals. Shildon v Brighouse it is. Thanks for your interest!

Small Print:

If kick-off times are staggered for any reason, a 90^th minute goal in a game that kicks off earlier counts as “later” for this purpose than an 85^th minute goal elsewhere. In the unlikely event that all games end 0-0, I will draw lots in the traditional way to make the decision. If there are two “last goals of the evening” with identical times (e.g. 90+3) then I will toss a coin. If there are more than two with identical times, then I will draw lots or roll a suitable die, with each of them having an equal chance of being selected. If any L2 games are postponed, then they are simply ignored and there is no chance of going to the linked FA Cup tie. If for some unlikely but valid reason I am not able to go to the selected game (postponement, date switch, no tickets available) then I will go to the game linked to the penultimate goal of the evening, counting back if need be if that match is also unavailable.

Image credits:

Both obtained via Wikipedia and as I understand it covered by "fair use". League Two logo is shown there with a Football Manager 2019 licence and the FA Cup logo is of course via The FA.