Non League Day/Weekend Matchgoing Oct 11-13

[Ray de Galles]

An early start for the thread as I thought I'd flag up this season's official NLD - though I'm aware every day is Non League Day for some.

My current plans are ;

Friday - Non League Eve, Sporting Club Thamesmead v Ascot United in the Vase.

Saturday - Non League Day, Camberley Town v Banstead Athletic in the Combined Counties Premier

Sunday - Non League Boxing Day, Wales v Croatia in the Euro 2020 Qualifiers.

[Patrick Thistle]

I've also got tickets for Wales v Croatia.

Was looking forward to Barry v Penybont on Saturday but that has been postponed now due to international call ups. (The two Cardiff loanees to the Under-21s)

Might take Mrs Thistle out for the day on Saturday depending on the weather.

[Gangster Octopus]

If I make it, it'll be Rayners Lane v Park View.

[Simon G]

I was looking forward to going to Whaddon Road for Cheltenham v Newport, but Newport applied for a postponement due to international call-ups.

They only have one first-team player called up, but Michael Flynn has used the 3 internationals loophole in order to get other first-teamers fit and up to speed. I don't blame them for this - we're absolutely flying at home at the moment and I can see why he'd want his best players.

What's infuriating is that Newport is a bumper game for us - they usually bring nearly 1,000 fans and that is now going to be halved as the game moves to a Tuesday evening. It's likely also that the home attendance will be down on that of a Saturday as well meaning the club will lose a significant amount of money from the postponement.

Even more annoyingly, to me personally, is that I was due to meet an old work colleague for the first time in over a year as he lives in and supports Newport home and away but, due to the fact I cannot attend midweek games as the wife works and I have the kids, I now can't go to the game at all.

[wittoner]

Witton Albion V South Shields.

Worth mentioning because incredibly it's the first time we've ever been at home in the 10 years of Non League day.
South Shields usually bring a good following and are a friendly bunch so it should be a good day off the field.
Not expecting great things on it if our manager continues his approach of fielding "attacking midfielders" rather than actual strikers.

[Patrick Thistle]

Might take Mrs Thistle out for the day on Saturday depending on the weather.

This sounds really bad actually, like this is the second best option and I resent having to do it.

What I meant to say was - I'm going to ask Mrs Thistle if she has any ideas for a fun day out and together we can take advantage of a Saturday when we're not sitting in my Mum's house trying to help her dispose of my Dad's many possessions, which has been the case the last couple of weekends (apart from when I've escaped for a couple of hours for footballing reasons)

[RobW]

Peterborough v Lincoln for me. Think my third visit to London Road in about 20 years. Least it's a nice easy journey home when we get thumped.

Actually lost count of how many times i've been to Peterborough. I remember getting thumped 5-1 with Lee Thorpe scoring first (ball bouncing off his arse into the net) and Simon Brown having his one and only game in goal.
Was there when Keith Alexander was in charge of Posh and Ryan Amoo scored twice to beat them. IIRC i was there when Simon Yeo got a second yellow card after scoring for 'celebrating with the fans', when in fact it was the momentum of Lincoln players jumping on him that forced him towards the City fans. I also recall leaving the ground after about 70 minutes, which would have been the earliest i've ever left a game. I expect we lost 4-0.

[jameswba]

Slovakia vs Wales from the home end on Thursday. I bought the tickets, then resigned myself to not going after UEFA ordered a ground closure, and am now resigned to going again after Slovakia won their appeal*. It looks like being the last full international Trnava hosts for some time, as the new stadium in Bratislava is staging Sunday's friendly vs Paraguay and the Azerbaijan qualifier in November. The Bratislava stadium seems to have had more games without fans than with, thanks to Slovan's racist, hooligan tendencies, so hope the national team's followers behave themselves there.

To honour Non-League Day, I may well go to a 4th or 5th tier game on Sunday, but haven't looked at the fixtures yet. There's usually a game within walking or cycling distance though.

*A couple of weeks or so back, I was wondering whether to start a thread on this saga. I suppose the Welsh press has had a bit to say about it.

[Southport Zeb]

For non-league day I'm going to a top flight game - probably Coleraine v Warrenpoint Town. I had hoped to watch Derry City on Friday night, but that's been postponed due to international call ups. On Sunday I might go to Liverpool v Bristol City in the WSL.

[Bored Of Education]

I am going to Twerton Park for the first time in, what seems like, bloody ages for us vs Maidstone United, 11th vs 9th. Both teams have had up and down form of late so can't really call it. We have had a load of long-term injuries to a fairly small squad which doesn't bode well. Anyway, NLD ties in with our student day where they get in for £2 and its £2 a pint. Could be a big crowd for us to customarily play shit in front of.

[jwdd27]

Closest NLD suggestion is Halifax v Boreham Wood, which I'll skip as Halifax aren't non-league in my mind.

Otherwise it's NCEL action at Liversedge v Silsden. Liversedge is not the most salubrious corner of Kirklees, so not particularly tempting. I've previously been to either Steeton or Silsden, but like Hatfield and Stainforth (and Sandal and Agbrigg) their shared station means it looks odd when you see them out on their own.

Being slap bang in the middle of the country means that an "eastern counties" game as above is 10km to the east, while 10km to the south is the North West Counties League (first division north), and Golcar United v AFC Blackpool. I'd assumed the latter were an anti-Oyston phoenix club, but it seems they have been around for many years (formerly known as Blackpool Mechanics). I've never heard of Golcar United (it seems they're new to this level), but the clincher is that I can get there on my bus pass, so I will try to get along to... err... WMS Entrance Systems Park, it says here.

[Amor de Cosmos]

Sky are at Top Field for Hitchin Town against Bromsgrove Sporting. It's been a wretched season so far for the North Herts Canaries who've won just one out of nine matches, while Bromsgrove are comfortably ensconced in mid-table. I'd watch if I could but I can't.

[Patrick Thistle]

. I'd watch if I could but I can't.

You are Orville the Duck AICMFP

[Amor de Cosmos]

Quaaaack!

[ingoldale]

I've also got tickets for Wales v Croatia.

Was looking forward to Barry v Penybont on Saturday but that has been postponed now due to international call ups. (The two Cardiff loanees to the Under-21s)

Might take Mrs Thistle out for the day on Saturday depending on the weather.

Grange are at home to former Welsh League outfit Ely Rangers - come on down!

[Uros Predic]

Non-league football is for life, not just for Non-League Day.

I'll be crossing paths of sorts with jameswba and PT and RdG in the coming days...

Slovakia vs Wales in Trnava on Thursday, but in the Welsh end. My last visit to Trnava brought the first Welsh national win I'd witnessed... in my 19th match watching them. I'm oddly less confident than I was 12 (12?!?!) years ago.

Saturday it's Blansko vs Frydek-Mistek and a handily scheduled (enabling to go before my flight back) 10.15am kick-off in the Czech third tier.

Sunday is Croatia vs Wales in Cardiff. Already dreading the Welsh performance to be honest.

[Ray de Galles]

I was hoping you might be my (relatively) local guide for the Thamesmead game, UP. It seems to be in a Bermuda Triangle area of South-East London.

Have a great time in Slovakia, it feels very strange to not be going.

[jameswba]

Non-league football is for life, not just for Non-League Day.

I'll be crossing paths of sorts with jameswba and PT and RdG in the coming days...

Slovakia vs Wales in Trnava on Thursday, but in the Welsh end. My last visit to Trnava brought the first Welsh national win I'd witnessed... in my 19th match watching them. I'm oddly less confident than I was 12 (12?!?!) years ago.

Saturday it's Blansko vs Frydek-Mistek and a handily scheduled (enabling to go before my flight back) 10.15am kick-off in the Czech third tier.

Sunday is Croatia vs Wales in Cardiff. Already dreading the Welsh performance to be honest.

Blansko are in the same league as Frydek Mistek?? They're getting dangerously close to the big time there.

Blansko Klobasa got in touch after the last time our paths nearly crossed (in Trinec and Zilina) and I imagine he knows Trnava pretty well. If he and you wanted to say hello before the game, I could send my contact details by PM. It's a small place as you'll recall from all those years ago, though you may not recognise the ground itself.

[Bermuda Iron]

The Bermuda Triangle does not exist, not even in SE London Ray...

Gombey Warriors vs the 'minnows' of Mexico on Friday night for me, 10.00pm kick off FFS!

[Uros Predic]

I was hoping you might be my (relatively) local guide for the Thamesmead game, UP. It seems to be in a Bermuda Triangle area of South-East London.

I can tell you that to get into the ground you need to ignore any signs that point to turnstiles or entrances (these it seems are merely for decoration, like when buffet bars on provincial trains stations have old 'to the trains' arrows and platform signs adorning their walls) and go down the side of the ground into the leisure-centrey building; the entrance for spectators is up the stairs and through the bar. I missed five minutes of a match last season discovering this. When I suggested to the people taking my money that it wasn't easy to find your way in as a first time visitor their response was an unhelpful, but admittedly truthful "Well, you're here now aren't you?"

[Uros Predic]

Blansko Klobasa got in touch after the last time our paths nearly crossed (in Trinec and Zilina) and I imagine he knows Trnava pretty well. If he and you wanted to say hello before the game, I could send my contact details by PM. It's a small place as you'll recall from all those years ago, though you may not recognise the ground itself.

Aye, send them over. I'm not sure what our pre and post match plans are, and we may not have the chance, but BK often makes trips into Slovakia so probably be good for you two to be in touch for future occasions if not this one. I know you've met up before.

[jameswba]

The PM service doesn't seem to want to work. Perhaps if you send one to me, I should be able to reply.

Whatever, enjoy the trip. I bet the Blansko game will be better than tomorrow's. Slovakia have been inconsistent, alternating wins with losses, since Pavel Hapal took over, so the fact their last outing was the win in Budapest might not be such a great thing for them.

[steveeeeeeeee]

Plan and hope to go to Clapton CFC V Stonewall on Saturday.

[cantagalo]

Notts County v Torquay United

The fixture list is determined to send me to Meadow Lane. This will be my seventh Notts home game this season. I've only seen five Brentford home games and I've got a season ticket there.

[Tapiocahead]

Closest NLD suggestion is Halifax v Boreham Wood, which I'll skip as Halifax aren't non-league in my mind.

Otherwise it's NCEL action at Liversedge v Silsden. Liversedge is not the most salubrious corner of Kirklees, so not particularly tempting. I've previously been to either Steeton or Silsden, but like Hatfield and Stainforth (and Sandal and Agbrigg) their shared station means it looks odd when you see them out on their own.

Being slap bang in the middle of the country means that an "eastern counties" game as above is 10km to the east, while 10km to the south is the North West Counties League (first division north), and Golcar United v AFC Blackpool. I'd assumed the latter were an anti-Oyston phoenix club, but it seems they have been around for many years (formerly known as Blackpool Mechanics). I've never heard of Golcar United (it seems they're new to this level), but the clincher is that I can get there on my bus pass, so I will try to get along to... err... WMS Entrance Systems Park, it says here.

Despite sharing that train station, Steeton are in the North West Counties and Silsden are in the North East.

They're both away on Saturday so I may bob along to Guiseley v Altrincham or Park Avenue v Hereford.