Turquoise Hayes Lane

Hopperational Details
Date & Venue	Friday 4 September 2026 at The Copperjax Stadium (Bromley FC)
Result	London City Lionesses 2 Manchester United Women 1
Competition	Women’s Super League
Hopstats	My second visit, nominally, to this ground in Hayes Lane which is completely transformed from my first (3 Jan 2009), when Bromley were in the Conference South. The blog hadn't started back then, so there are no photos to compare.
Context
Opening game of the WSL season, a 5400 sell-out. Lionesses are challenging the recent top order of teams with their ambitious billionaire owners, and they have recruited an impressive multinational squad for this season. Manchester United have a new manager and ambitions of their own. They were 4th, just outside the Champions’ League places, last season and London were 6th in their first season at this level. London City are the only WSL side that are not linked to a men’s side with the same name.
Match Report
This match will have been covered in detail elsewhere so I will be brief. The scoreline looks close but United’s goal was a very late consolation. London City scored early on and probably should have been further ahead at the break. Their energetic high pressing unsettled the visitors, and some of their United players were looking very disgruntled as the game wore on. The London marquee signings (Alexia Putellas, Maria Leon among others) have clearly adapted quickly to the requirements of this expanding and developing league. Even Mary Earps had to start the season on the bench against her former team. The opening goal, eventually recorded as an o.g. due to deflection The only downside for the hosts was the sight of Lucia Corrales being stretchered off in the second half. Manchester United had improved after the break but the second London goal came at the right time. It was a delightful backheel from Danielle van der Donk which I could not fully appreciate until I saw the TV replays later. On balance I think it will be good for the women’s game if this league becomes one where “anyone can beat anyone”, more like the men’s Championship than the Premier League. There has been some press coverage of the London shirt deal, which is said by the owner to be worth more than those of some men’s premier league clubs. The official name of the colour is … wait for it … hyperturq. The human race is doomed.
So What?
Too early to say really, but a definite ripple through the existing pecking order is on its way.
Pre-match Entertainment
To be honest, I avoided the fanzone and chose a good spot to stand whereupon I piled on some Duolingo points during the warm-ups. Increasingly, I'm pleased to say that I now know a French subjunctive when I see one.
Pix
I'm a chemistry teacher but pyro is pointless imo Nice second-half sky with shades of megapink and gigaviolet
Goalkeeper Top Colour Stats Update
The background to this, and the latest keeper top colour league table, is here on this dedicated page. Today Yellow (Elene Lete) v Pink (Phallon Tullis-Joyce). Pre-match Prediction based on Keeper Top Colour: Prediction: Away Win Was the prediction correct? No % of correct predictions so far 48% (108 from 224)
What Next?
Games taking place tomorrow at eight unvisited grounds, so a random selection will be made with the aid of three coins, one each from Barbados, Norway and the UK. Eight is two to the power three, you see, so with three two-sided coins there will be eight unique sequences when they are flipped. All will be documented in the next post.

 

Tidings of Runcorn and Joie

 

e-Programme front cover from Runcorn

 

Hopperational Details
Dates & Venues	Saturday 27 September 2025 at the Apec Taxis Stadium, Stockham Lane and Sunday 28 September 2025 at the Joie Stadium, Manchester
Results	Runcorn Linnets 1 Ashton United 1 & Manchester City Women 4 London City Lionesses 1
Competitions	FA Cup 3rd Round Qualifying and Women’s Super League respectively
Hopstats	Grounds 809 & 810 on the lifetime list and I am here for the logistic chance of a north-west weekend double after a last-minute window of opportunity opened up for me to travel.
Contexts
Linnets, of Step 4, have beaten Clitheroe (H, 1-0), Whitchurch Alport (A, 3-0), West Didsbury & Chorlton (A, 2-0) and Pickering Town (A, 2-0) in earlier rounds to set up this tie against Step 3 opponents. United entered two rounds later and have seen off Hallam (A, 2-2 & H, 2-0) and Scarborough Athletic (H, 2-0). In the Sunday game, Manchester City Women will be hoping to mount a title challenge again whereas Lionesses are newly-promoted (but well-financed).
Match Reports
The Runcorn game started brightly – no cagey openings here. Both teams and the referee sought to set the tone and Linnets’ Matty Rain received an early yellow card. Fortunately, no later card for him although there were several more during the afternoon. Ashton looked more threatening and were unlucky not to take an 11th minute lead when a deflection bounced up nicely for the home keeper. Linnets’ Scott Bakkor joined Rain in the ref’s notebook for dissent and I began to wonder whether a red card would change this game – but as it happened, no. It all continued as a good contest with the Step 3 visitors on top but creating no more clear chances. Runcorn started to show their own ambition and needed to snuff out an Ashton break when they had left themselves exposed. Then with 43 minutes gone, a magnificent save by Ashton’s Jordan Eastham kept out Peter Wylie’s header. This was a one-handed flyer of a save, quite magnificent. However, Runcorn did score in the final minute of the first half through Ryan Brooke – the proverbial team-talk changer and the pyramid underdogs ahead at the break. Linnets had Declan McLoughlin to thank for a goalline clearance early in the second half. The swirling and gusty breeze was strengthening somewhat and Ashton’s first corner had caused defensive chaos. Jason Gilchrist then went close for Ashton before Runcorn hit the bar at the other end, that chance being created after good work down the right flank by Joe Ferguson right in front of me. The home side had grown in stature during the afternoon. Subs began to be deployed and Ashton added height with Tom Denton, although the breeze meant that picking him out was going to be tricky. As we entered the final minutes even Eastham joined the attack and might have been caught out from distance on one occasion. In a crazy and frantic few minutes there was a brilliant block by Adam Rooney. It was 90+4 on my watch before Gilchrist punctured the Runcorn defence with the Ashton equaliser. I love a footballing cliché, me, and both teams will feel they should have won this. A really good contest for the passing neutral. Scroll down for pix. My Sunday WSL game will have been well-covered elsewhere for anyone interested so I will be brief. The Joie is an impressive facility as part of the Etihad complex. This was a routine win for Manchester City in the end, whose first half moments of class set up goals for Vivienne Miedema and Laura Blindkilde Brown. Nikita Parris pulled one back for London as City didn’t always look comfortable at the back. It has to be said that there would be more atmosphere, however, on Mars compared with other top WSL games that I have watched recently at Chelsea (both venues), Arsenal (Emirates), Manchester United (Leigh) and West Ham. It was cathedral-like at times as Bunny Shaw added two second-half penalties for the home side. With Arsenal faltering with a couple of early-season draws, City remain best-placed to challenge Chelsea for the title. Two more early-career graduates regret not choosing maths, physics or chemistry
So What?
Runcorn and Ashton replay on Tuesday. Manchester City women are currently third and London City are ninth (of twelve) in the WSL.
Pre-and Post-match Entertainment
Too much time in the car, sadly. Only just made it in time for Linnets and on Sunday the Yappmobile in-car GPS more or less gave up trying to advise me on lane discipline in Manchester, leaving me to fend for myself at some interesting interchanges with vehicles coming at me from all sides like wasps to a jamjar. Then it was almost five hours back home with the Ryder Cup singles on the radio.
Pix
Linnets in yellow (of course).
Goalkeeper Top Colour Stats Update
The background to this, and the latest keeper top colour league table, is here on this dedicated page. On Saturday, Orange and Blue shared the spoils. On Sunday, Pink beat Yellow. However, no clean sheets for anyone. Pre-match Predictions based on Keeper Top Colour: Predictions: Away Win (Sat) and Home Win (Sun) Was the prediction correct? No & Yes % of correct predictions so far 48% (94 from 197)
What Next?
Forward planning and commitment impossible at the moment, so watch out for a last-minute decision for Saturday. The #keepertopcolourstats prediction goes out in the toxic wasteland of Twitter/X (@ModusHRandom) just before kickoff and no-one reads it except Elon Musk, I think. My hopping priorities when the chances arise are Everton (Premier League), Worcester City (Step 3), Liverpool Women’s WSL home in St Helens and 30 Step 4 grounds.