No Doors To Close - Weekend Matchgoing Aug 1/2

[Ray de Galles]

There are pre-season friendlies starting this weekend in England's non-league but I think down to Step 6 clubs are compelled to have them behind closed doors. Below that the county leagues appear to be allowed to have crowds as long as they socially distance (no groups larger than 6 people and gaps between groups/people).

There appear to be a few exceptions, Hellenic Premier side Virginia Water are playing their pre-season games at their traditional home The Timbers (they currently play their league games at Windsor's Stag Meadow) which is pending redevelopment and has an unenclosed pitch and clubhouse. They're not discouraging spectators as long as they follow general public guidelines and I have my doubts they'll open the clubhouse but their game against Balham tomorrow looks worth a punt - especially as I have to pick up my family at nearby Heathrow in the evening.

I am meant to have a ticket on it's way to me for the second day of Surrey v Middlesex in The Bob Willis Trophy on Sunday so hope to get there after loving my day at the pilot event friendly between the two sides at The Oval last weekend.

[Jumbo McGinnis]

I won’t be. The only games around this part of Essex are either a 3G pitch at a school or a, probably not even roped off, pitch in a park between teams I’ve never heard of, from leagues I didn’t know existed. It’s basically park football.

From the lists of friendlies I have seen published, it seems pretty common place and I imagine that most teams, especially those who are professional, won’t announce their friendly fixtures and will either host them at training grounds or will have them at grounds where fans aren’t allowed and just won’t announce them taking place to the public until after the event, so people don’t loiter around outside/watch over a fence etc.

I was hoping that I could get to some friendlies but I think it’s going to be tough now. I live in hope that I can watch an FA Cup game, if not a Ryman League game at some point in September.

[Southport Zeb]

Friday - Accrington v Enfield (T20 cricket)
Saturday - Football and cricket, exact venues tbc once I've confirmed kickoff times
Sunday - Clitheroe v Rawtenstall (cricket)

[Third rate Leszno]

British GT/F3 Championship motor racing at Oulton Park on Saturday.
Village 3rd XI cricket in the Liverpool & District competition on Sunday.

[The Mighty Trin]

I've got my girlfriend's parents coming to my house for the first time on Saturday. The house and garden are spotless and the cat is polished. And I'm expected to barbecue (my usual tactic is to drink heavily and let Australian and South African friends do it).

Having said that, my girlfriend has given me the green light to tick off the Scottish league grounds in the future (two done so far), so i shouldn't complain too much.

All my sport will be on TV for the foreseeable future, including the British GP on Sunday. Only the second time in 20 years I've not been there with my parents.

[Ray de Galles]

Ah, I won't be going back to The Oval as the govenment have put all the pilot sporting events on hold due to infection rates rising.

[Merlin the happy pig]

Decided to give the car a bit of a blow and went to QK Southampton 0-0 Romsey Town. QK play at step 8 in the Hampshire Premier Football League Division 1, a nice tidy ground given how low down the pyramid they are.

[Big Boobs and FIRE!]

August is the best time to visit Queens Keep, the ground is like a swamp from September onwards.

They used to play at the civil service club at Shirley, which was very plush and had the cheapest beer in football. It was mysteriously shut down overnight about 20 years ago.

[Southport Zeb]

Friday - Accrington v Enfield (Hyndburn Twenty20)

On Friday changes to lockdown meant people in Hyndburn, amongst other areas, could not meet people from other households in their own home. However it was fine for around 300 to watch the evening's cricket at Thorneyholme Road (one of the original Football League venues). In the cricket I've watched this summer, batting has generally looked much shakier than bowling, but Enfield managed to put together as good an innings as I've seen, finishing on 130-7. Accrington never looked like threatening and were soon 29-6. The lower order showed some fight, but they were eventually bowled out for 91.

Saturday - Boroughbridge v Harrogate Railway (Friendly)

The longest drive I've made for months (just over 2 hours) took me to Boroughbridge where I had as normal a Saturday as I've had for months. I had a walk in the country, bought lunch at a local bakery and watched my first football match since March. Clubs in the National League System are required to play friendlies behind closed doors, but this is not the case when matches are at clubs outside the system. Boroughbridge play in the West Yorkshire League, and so around sixty were in attendance for this friendly against local opposition. Nice enough ground with a small stand.

Railway could have been several goals up early on but were let down by some poor finishing. The home side worked their way into the game and opened the scoring just before half time. The second half saw changes on both sides, with Railway fielding some very young looking players. The visitors equalised from a corner but it was Boroughbridge who got the winner, as a free kick took a massive deflection off a defender and ended up in the goal.

Sunday - Clitheroe v Rawtenstall (Lancashire League President's Cup)

This was the first day of fixtures in the Presidents Cup, which is the Bob Willis Trophy equivalent for the Lancashire League. I went to Clitheroe, from whose ground you can see the castle. The home side put on as good a display of bowling as I've seen, strangling the life out of the Rawtenstall batting - Clitheroe bowled 15 maidens in 35 overs. If it hadn't been for one over that seemed to come from another match, in which 13 runs were scored, it could have been really embarrassing for the visitors. As it was they were bowled out for 57, with the hosts securing a nine wicket win in less than 10 overs.