Corby Press On in the Trophy

 

Hopperational Details
Date & Venue	Saturday 6th September 2025 at the Trade Tyres Community Stadium, Brownsfield Road.
Result	Lichfield City 1 Corby Town 2
Competition	FA Trophy First Round Qualifying
Hopstats	Ground #806 and I am here for pragmatic travelling reasons today. I was heading further north until the M1 decided against it.
Context
These two teams are both going well in the Midland Division of the Northern Premier League – 6th vs 2nd. Even though the difference is four places, at this stage of the season that is just one point. However, it’s hard to know how high each club views the FA Trophy as a priority. There is a novelty value for Lichfield – this is their first Trophy game.
Match Report
You can always get a sense on arrival at a ground as to whether a club is “on the up” or in decline. Lichfield City are clearly in the first category. They are in their first season at Step 4 having achieved promotion from the Midland Football League last season. It’s a neat and tidy ground, next to a train line, with very good spectator facilities and an artificial surface, but get there very early if you want an onsite parking space! The game overall was rather a disappointment, punctuated by frequent infringements. Corby took a lead in their first real attack when a looping deflection gave the home keeper no chance, just as I’d published the #keepertopcolourstats prediction of a home win. The teams then largely cancelled each other out and I got distracted by the retro design of the scruffy football itself. Some good defensive shadowing delayed a Lichfield shot before the rebound was netted but correctly disallowed for offside. That was the nearest to an equaliser in that first half. They came close again on 55 minutes with a shot that just passed the post but arguably Corby had even better chances from corners, one of which needed a last-ditch clearance near the goalline. Lichfield were struggling to create really clear openings and it was Corby who should have doubled their lead after 76 minutes, but the attacker stumbled for some reason. However, with ten minutes to go they did score again, and it was a good job too because Lichfield got a late consolation goal from the penalty spot with very little time left. I guess Corby will be happy with a cup win on the road, and Lichfield will be disappointed not to have done themselves justice in the attacking third.
So What?
Cliché alert : Corby go into the hat for the next round and Lichfield can concentrate on the league.
Pix
Lichfield in blue.
Goalkeeper Top Colour Stats Update
The background to this, and the latest keeper top colour league table, is here on this dedicated page. Today Pink takes on Yellow, and the away win is enough to shift Yellow off the bottom of the colour table simply because of the number of games seen. The table also includes the result from an unblogged game last night as I was at Stamford Bridge to see Chelsea 2 Manchester City 1 in the Womens’ Super League. Grey beat Pink. 337 games altogether now in the sample. The photo shows the moment that Yellow's clean sheet was denied by Lichfield's consolation penalty. Pre-match Prediction based on Keeper Top Colour: Prediction: Home Win (Corrected from original posting) Was the prediction correct? No % of correct predictions so far 48% (92 from 192)
What Next?
No idea. Possibly a Step 4 game on Saturday 13th September if I can sneak one in around other family commitments that weekend (which also mean I can’t make the organised West Wales Hop).

 

Carlton's Textbook Showing at Loughborough Students

 

Online-only programme accessed with a QR code from the bar area.

Hopperational Details
Date & Venue	19 August 2025 at Loughborough University Stadium
Result	Loughborough Students 0 Carlton Town 3
Competition	Northern Premier League D1 Midlands (Step 4)
Hopstats	#802 on the lifetime list
Context
The kindest way to describe the Students’ start to the season is to say that they are undefeated at home – with one point from three games. Carlton have two league wins and a big FA Cup victory on their list already. The visitors will start as favourites.
Match Report
This is an extremely impressive facility, set within a large university campus. The site is also hosting two international tournaments for teams of men and women with cerebral palsy, so there was a lot going on in and around the central stadium. There is unlikely to be a main stand and playing surface better than this anywhere else at Step 4 in the country. I made the most of a rare opportunity to sit a few metres above ground level, whereas many of the Carlton faithful kept to their habit of installing themselves and their flags behind the home goalkeeper, including of course the half-time change-of-ends. Carlton showed their status as favourites early on with a pressing game to disrupt the students playing out from the back. They made the first few half-chances but the Students couldn’t take the best one of the game so far after 11 minutes. They soon went behind to an old-school corner, with the big number five Dean Freeman winning the ball in the air, and his textbook downward header found the back of the net with the help of a deflection. My photo seems to show a bit of streetwise shirt-pulling in the process. At half-time there was only one goal in it and the home side could not be discounted. There had been some lovely one- and two-touch approach play from both sides. The student defenders caught the eye, but probably because they had been the busiest players on the field. They always looked just a bit more anxious and stretched than their comfortable Carlton counterparts. Insert your own “degrees of freedom” joke here. I wrote a note to myself that “Carlton will need a second”, and went for a Mars Bar (also a second). That game-settling goal duly arrived after 66 minutes with a volley from striker Ashley Chambers, and then the third was an absolute screamer from wide on the left flank from Niall Davie. Great goal, ten minutes to go. To their credit, young heads did not drop and the Students almost got a consolation in the dying moments, but this was a fair result in an enjoyable game for this passing neutral. The day ended with a dreadful journey back south down the M1 “thanks” to a series of roadworks. Good job it wasn’t a school night.
So What?
The early league table has Carlton top, ahead of Corby on goal difference after three wins out of three games. Loughborough’s earlier point keeps them one place off the bottom.
Pix
Students in purple.
Goalkeeper Top Colour Stats Update
The background to this, and the latest keeper top colour league table, is here on this dedicated page. Today, Grey beats Orange (as predicted) and keeps a clean sheet. Pre-match Prediction based on Keeper Top Colour: Prediction: Away Win Was the prediction correct? Yes % of correct predictions so far 48% (90 from 187)
What Next?
No idea, to be honest, with other duties and commitments in the diary. I unfortunately can’t get to the West Lancs hop this coming weekend but I may be able to get to something down south. @ModusHRandom on Twitter/X for the reveals.

 

Racing Stumble at the Last

 

The programme front cover shows Tyler Hollyoake (2006-24) and there was a minute of silence in his memory before kickoff.

Hopperational Details
Date & Venue	Saturday 7 September 2024 at Townsend Meadow, Hampton Road
Result	Racing Club Warwick 2 Hanley Town 3
Competition	FA Trophy 1st Round Qualifying
Hopstats	Ground 792 on my lifetime list and a return to a truly random decision-making process involving an octahedral die and a 1990s coin ...
Context
Two Step 4 sides but from different divisions within the Northern Premier League. Hanley Town play in the West division whereas Warwick are in the Midland. A knockout game may be a welcome break for the sides – neither has started particularly well in the league. I learned from some friendly home supporters (thanks, gents!) that a certain Callum Carsley was absent from the side due to supporting his dad Lee’s big day with England in Dublin. RCW are up to Step 4 this season after promotion from the United Counties League.
Match Report
As a passing neutral, I don’t enjoy one-sided games very much, so this was right at the other end of the dramatic scale. I try to think about the hinge point of each game, and generally speaking, the later it is the better. I don’t think I’ll see many with later dramas than this, with ex-Stoke and ex-Blues defender Ryan Shotton scoring in the 88th minute from a set piece. The Hanley player-manager put his side into the lead for the first time in the game. The score had been 1-1 at the break. A somewhat tetchy start as both sides tested out the officials resulted in Warwick taking a 10th minute lead. Josh McKenzie had an easy close-range finish after Hanley keeper Adam Whitehouse could not hold on to a driven low cross. It would have taken McKenzie’s mind off his early yellow card. Ryan Shotton about to do managerial things to support his keeper Another EFL veteran, Tom Pope (ex-Port Vale for example) levelled just five minutes later from the penalty spot. This was a disputed penalty given for dangerous play, a raised defensive foot getting too close to a somewhat stooping attacking head giving plenty of room for debate. I wasn’t close enough to make any other comment other than the ref won’t be getting Christmas cards with a Warwick postmark, but he was almost certainly technically correct under current guidance for referees. Whether the bounce height off a 3G surface is a factor in this is also a point of discussion.   Tom Pope makes it 1-1 from the spot The rest of the first half was pretty even, with defences holding firm. There were lots of aerial battles and the biggest goal threats came from set pieces, with both sides having plenty of height both at the back and the front. A Pope header had hit the bar. Hanley got on top, territorially at least, after the interval but Warwick looked dangerous on the break. They had wasted one such chance with a one-on-one before they took the lead, with 75 minutes gone. The perseverance of James Hancocks on the Warwick left flank allowed him to set up Archie Hamp in plenty of space. By this stage both sides had hit the proverbial woodwork again. Hanley did not fold and their second equaliser came on 86 minutes through Brandon Newell, assisted by Pope, and then came Shotton’s late, late intervention to put Hanley into the next round. As I say, great for the passing neutral with an interest in #keepertopcolourstats, but gutting for the hosts. One enjoyable feature was watching how the ex-EFL veterans managed themselves through a full ninety minutes. As a veteran myself, in a different field of course, respect is what I say!
Pix
RC Warwick in gold and black.     Not sure whether this arty attempt worked but you can decide
Goalkeeper Top Colour Stats Update
The background to this, and the latest keeper top colour league table, is here on this dedicated page. Today Green loses to Red. No clean sheets. No change in the colour league positions since last week. Pre-match Prediction based on Keeper Top Colour: Prediction: Away Win Was the prediction correct? Yes % of correct predictions so far 49% (84 from 171)
What Next?
A last-minute decision next Friday, probably. I'm on Threads (grahamyapp) with the tumbleweed rather than in the toxic cesspit of Twitter these days.
By the way …
The four fish on the Icelandic coin are capelin, and the non-fish side represents the four traditional protector spirits of Iceland – a giant, a bull, an eagle and a dragon. I picked up this coin on a 1996 visit that included KA Akureyri v Fram Reykjavik which was my first game outside England and sits in position 41 on my lifetime ground list.

 

No-Messing Nomads Into the Next Round

No printed programme, but available for online viewing. Here's a screenshot of the front cover.

 

Hopperational Details
Date & Venue	Saturday 31 August 2024 at Cropston Road
Result	Anstey Nomads 3 Alvechurch 1
Competition	FA Cup First Qualifying Round
Hopstats	Ground 791 on the lifetime list. Here because I wanted to tick off an unvisited Step 4 ground and this seemed a good choice for an FA Cup game as the visitors were from Step 3 in a different league. Nomads play in the Northern Premier League Midlands Division and Alvechurch are in the Southern Premier Central.
Context
Alvechurch enter the competition at this stage. Nomads had a thumping 5-0 win away at Grimsby Borough in the Preliminary Round.
Match Report
Anstey scored in the first minute through Leo Brown with their first attack, but for me this result was decided on the hour when Alvechurch striker Dan Sweeney had two good chances in quick succession with the score at 3-1. The first was a header straight at the keeper Conrad Logan, and the second was a shot that rolled just wide. If either or both of those had gone in, the last half-hour would have been more interesting, but as it was the Nomads were able to hold on fairly comfortably while still looking strong themselves on the break. This was an open and entertaining game for the passing neutral, with end-to-end passages of play and a good contest between attacking threat and defensive strength. The Anstey supporters had redefined optimism with their chant of, “We’re the famous Anstey Nomads and we’re going to Wemb-er-lee” just before the Alvechurch equaliser. This came when a defensive slip near halfway allowed Dylan Allen-Hadley to run unchallenged for a calm and composed finish with 25 minutes on the watch. The Anstey response was immediate, however, and they re-took the lead within a minute through Kyle Tomlin, and the score stayed that way until half-time. With hindsight, Alvechurch will rue missing two good first half opportunities. On one occasion they sliced open the home defence on their left flank but the cross from the byeline came in too close to Logan. The other was from a superb turn from Kieran Wakefield but his shot was then saved by Logan’s feet. The third Nomads goal was a peach, and came just five minutes into the second half. It was beautifully worked on the break through the centre and James Tague cut inside to curl a great shot in off the bar. They might have got a fourth but a deflected shot pinged back off the crossbar. By the way, well done to whoever chooses the eclectic pre-match music playlist. You are clearly dedicated to expanding the musical horizons of anybody under 30 years of age. Good work. Also thanks to the Anstey and Alvechurch social media streams for help in identifying scorers.
Pix
Goalkeeper Top Colour Stats Update
The background to this, and the latest keeper top colour league table, is here on this dedicated page. Today, Green beats Orange, as predicted, but no clean sheets. Pre-match Prediction based on Keeper Top Colour: Prediction: Home Win Was the prediction correct? Yes % of correct predictions so far 49% (83 from 170)
What Next?
Hopefully something next weekend from my priority list, but the length of journey will depend on how I’m feeling at the end of my first week in a new teaching job!