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.

 

Wimborne to be Wild after Late Farnham Equaliser

 

 

Hopperational Details
Date & Venue	Saturday 23rd August 2025 at The Memorial Ground
Result	Farnham Town 1 Wimborne Town 1
Competition	Southern League Premier Division South (Step 3)
Hopstats	Ground #803 on the lifetime list. I’m in the area this bank holiday weekend and this ground was on my priorities list.
Context
Farnham are new in Step 3 this season and have started well with two wins and a draw. Wimborne have one win, one draw and one defeat.
Match Report
It looked early on that we could expect goals today. A heavy touch from the Farnham keeper Zaki Qualah almost led to a chance for Wimborne to score from distance, and then the Wimborne keeper Cam Plain made one of the best saves I've seen for ages with a one-handed save. Farnham's Ben Purcell also needed to make a superb defensive intervention, so it was a bit of a surprise that we waited as long as 27 minutes for the opening goal. Wimborne took the lead as Max Bustamante poked in a rebound after his side had caused chaos with two corners in quick succession. Farnham missed their first chance to equalise with Bobby-Joe Taylor's skied penalty miss just before the interval after Jack Dean had been tripped. A decent game so far with plenty of goalmouth action, and I managed to suppress my need to straighten some wonky team pictures in the clubhouse during the break. The teams traded chances again in the second half. Plain saved well with his feet and then his team hit the post. Farnham, having made five changes, were still very much in the game. It took a goal-line clearance by Drew Ecott-Young on 77 minutes to protect the visiting lead. The hosts had two more chances in the closing minutes and Wimborne defenders were frequently getting their bodies in the way. The Farnham joy had to wait until several minutes of added time had passed. Brandon Mason, who had often been involved in foraging down the spaces on the left flank, was brought down on the byline. This time Great Evans did the honours from the spot and kept the Farnham unbeaten run going with the last meaningful kick of the game. Definitely a good hopping day out in the sunshine for this passing neutral.
So What?
The teams will complete their weekend double-headers on Monday as follows: Farnham travel to Dorchester and Wimborne host Weymouth.
Pre-match Entertainment
A stroll around the very attractive streets and alleyways of Farnham town centre, with lots of historical and architectural interest, then walking to the ground via the churchyard and along the edge of Bishop’s Meadow. If you are making a day of it, be prepared for car parking to cost as much as your match ticket!
Pix
Farnham in claret and 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 Yellow played Green. Pre-match Prediction based on Keeper Top Colour: Prediction: Away Win Was the prediction correct? No % of correct predictions so far 48% (90 from 188)
What Next?
This tick leaves me with Everton (Premier League) and Worcester City (Southern League Premier Central) to restore my coverage of “everywhere in England down to Step 3”. In the meantime, as I am in Portsmouth for the weekend, I plan to make the short journey to AFC Portchester on Monday.

 

Quorn Mete Out a Bard-Bashing

 

Note to loyal readers : I am back on Twitter/X as @ModusHRandom this season, just for the blog. No politics, education, science or general life events this time. I remain of the view that Elon Musk is a deluded, self-interested and manipulative individual and that Twitter under his stewardship has become a toxic mess. However, so many lower-league clubs are still using it for their communications I will need it later in the season to check on pitch inspections and so on. Roughly one third of the 1500 followers on my original account were football-related, and if you care to follow again then you are more than welcome. The spirit of the blog remains unchanged for the new season.

Hopperational Details
Date & Venue	Saturday 16 August 2025 at the Stotto Stadium
Result	Quorn 5 Stratford Town 2
Competition	Southern League Premier League Central (Step 3)
Hopstats	First game of the season, 801 on the lifetime list and I am here for the chance to edge closer towards completing all current Step 3 grounds again.
Context
Quorn are new to Step 3 and have started the season well with a win and a draw. Stratford have lost both league games so far and have yet to score.
Match Report
I wasn’t close to the penalty decision that meant that my golden goal ticket went in the bin even earlier than usual. Zak Goodson got to a through ball first and poked it past the Stratford keeper, Jake Weaver, but away from the goal (I thought). However, it was clear that Weaver brought the striker down with significant contact, and Goodson converted the penalty himself. The Quorn lead was doubled in the 15th minute. The goal seemed to be a surprise. Initially credited in the stadium to Rodrigo Goncalves, it now seems to have been recorded as an own goal. This time Stratford hit straight back and it was a good finish by Ty Deacon. He latched on to a neat through ball, turned the onrushing defender, and buried it inside the post. The scores were level after 25 minutes. Left fullback Finlay Brennan arrived in the six-yard box at the right time to score into the top left corner as the ball came across. There were remonstrations within the Quorn side as the defence showed their frustration with their colleagues that they had lost the ball in a dangerous central area. It mattered not much in the end. Goodson got his second goal with a left-foot finish just after the half-hour mark and then it took some restorative heroics from home keeper Tom Allsopp to protect the lead. A colleague’s sliced clearance dropped from high into the area and his initial punch was ineffective, but he bravely rushed out to block the resulting shot. So, the score was 3-2 at the end of a very entertaining and open first half. During the interval I kept my Duolingo streak going and put my 50:50 ticket in the bin.  There were fewer chances in the second half, although it was still a very entertaining game, until Quorn added two more in the closing stages, both through substitute Cain Noble. His first was a good finish at the end of a well-worked break and the second was more of an opportunistic poach after some penalty-area pinball. Overall I felt that 5-2 was slightly harsh on Stratford, but Quorn definitely impressed with their one-touch approach play. An excellent start to the groundhopping season for this passing neutral. When you arrive as a hopper, a question that often comes to mind is whether the home club has enough people who care about it. From turnstiles to snack bar to clubhouse, it looks like a Yes for Quorn and they look very well set up to be competitive at Step 3.
So What?
I usually refuse on principle to comment on league tables so early in the season but the current one makes much better viewing for Quorn fans than Stratford fans.
Pix
Quorn in red.
Goalkeeper Top Colour Stats Update
The background to this, and the latest keeper top colour league table, is here on this dedicated page. Today two very different shades of green (home and away shown below) concede seven goals between them, but not enough mutual damage to displace Green from third place in the table, now based on my last 331 games.    Pre-match Prediction based on Keeper Top Colour: Prediction: Draw Was the prediction correct? No % of correct predictions so far 48% (89 from 186)
What Next?
Advance planning is tricky for me these days so expect last-minute decisions. Promotions have increased my number of unvisited Step 4 grounds to 37, and at Step 3 I now have Worcester City (again) and Farnham Town to visit to restore full coverage of that tier. At higher levels of course, there is Everton’s new stadium too, at some future date which is unlikely to be soon due to ticket availability. Thanks, as ever, for stumbling across this blog.

Hungry Hungerford Deliver Parkway Flooring

No printed programme, and at the time of writing I haven’t managed to locate the way to download the e-programme. Here's the club crest on the toilet block instead.

Hopperational Details
Date & Venue	Saturday 15 March 2025 at Bolitho Park
Result	Plymouth Parkway 0 Hungerford Town 2
Competition	Southern League Premier Division South (Step 3)
Hopstats	796 on the lifetime list and I’ve been wanting to visit this ground for some time. It temporarily re-completes my coverage of all grounds in the English pyramid unless I count Everton as already open. As far as I know Hashtag United (at Aveley) are the only club currently groundsharing so this is “The 251” which is the 92 plus 72 National League (3 x 24) plus the 87 (88 minus 1) grounds in the four step 3 divisions of 22.
Context
Lower mid-table plays upper mid-table. I suppose Parkway will need a few more points to avoid a relegation fight, and Hungerford might still sneak into play-off places.
Match Report
I like Bolitho Park – it’s neat and tidy with covered seating or standing on three sides, and decent enough facilities and services for this level. I think it is the club’s second season at this level. On the pitch, the home side made a rather shaky start to this game and gave Hungerford confidence. It wasn’t much of a surprise when Rafa Ramos put the visitors in front midway through the first half. He had plenty of time to control a pass from the right flank and complete a composed finish. With just the one goal deficit at the interval, words must have been said at half-time, and Parkway started the second half brightly. However, they fluffed one good chance by not spotting a final pass and meanwhile Hungerford showed their threat with a header that looped on to the bar. To be brutally honest it was all rather flat, with not much for the home crowd to cheer. Their side never really threatened more than the odd half-chance, and then Ramos got his second with 81 minutes on the clock to seal the away win. There was time for Hungerford’s Louis McGrory to get a second yellow and thus a red card in stoppage time as they tried pragmatically to hold the ball at the corner flag. He got to the showers about ninety seconds earlier than his teammates, but the suspension will frustrate the management I should think.
So What?
The clubs end the day in 15th and 7th place respectively in the division. Parkway are seven points clear of the relegation places and Hungerford are six points short of a playoff place.
Pre-match Entertainment
I had stayed overnight on Friday, so had time for a walk around a couple of Plymouth dockyard areas. This is a city steeped in British colonial and maritime history. It’s the first time I’ve ever visited the city centre and I think I will be back at some point to engage more with those historical and cultural features. It made a very good impression for a short break in the future. First appearance of the buoy-meets-gull joke this season
Ground & Match Pix
Plymouth Parkway in Yellow.
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 a different shade of itself and keeps one clean sheet. Pre-match Prediction based on Keeper Top Colour: Prediction: Draw Was the prediction correct? No % of correct predictions so far 49% (87 from 176)
What Next?
Nothing much else in March because of some other commitments, except for Cambridge United v Northampton Town on 29th, but I hope to get a few more grounds ticked before the end of the season. I suspect Everton will be my priority somehow at the start of 2025-26. I have 34 left at Step 4 but I dare say that promotion and relegation will change that. I’d like to get that list done by the end of next season if at all possible. It’s not realistic for me to try to get any further down the pyramid than that!