Laced-up boots*, no recorded noise - Weekend matchgoing 30 Oct - 2 Nov

[irony towers]

Friday night sees the Hersham Boys, in cahoots with their Walton chums - the team that gave Sham 69 their name, fact fans - taking on the combined might of Peacehaven and Telscombe in the First Round Proper of the Vase.

W and H were playing at Stompond Lane the last time I saw them, over four years ago, so it's my first visit to the Walton Hub.

*it'll be mouldeds for the all-weather surface, but that doesn't scan

[Ray de Galles]

Mouldeds are still boots, aren't they? Or are they officially trainers?

As you know, I'm hoping to be there too and will endeavour to say hello. Some Molesey mates and I are trialling cans at a match as our way of meeting for a socially distanced drink while in Tier 2. We had a trial run at W&H's Saturday night Vase fixture a few weeks ago ( the Hub's bar was closed for matches even before the new restrictions) and it was an enjoyable evening.

Where are you living now if it's been four years since you saw the team?

Saturday will probably be another Vase tie, Holmesdale v AFC Uckfield Town looking the most likely candidate.

[Simon G]

My cousin is playing for Gloucester City's BTEC team at the new Meadow Park tomorrow evening so I'm hoping to get along to there for the first time.

[danielmak]

I know a TV thread will appear at some point, but since this one is already rolling, do the FA Trophy and/or FA Vase games air on TV in the UK? I know the finals have aired on BT the past couple years, but what about earlier rounds? Anywhere other than highlights on Youtube?

[steviecowden]

has to be el classico(even though its never been played before),Inverness athletic vs loch ness at the cathedral-like pavilion park in muir of ord

[DCI Harry Batt]

Obviously I'd not be going to the game tomorrow even if it were allowed. I just hope it goes ok, and no-one gets hurt or banned on our side so they miss Tuesday's first game at Plough Lane.

The Walton Hub is shared with Casuals, right?

[Ray de Galles]

Yes, officially it's the Elmbridge Xcel (to include it's more "corporate" name) Sports Hub and is adjacent to the site of Casuals' old Riverside ground.

Because of the location and Casuals' relatively lofty league position they always seem to present themselves as the prime tenant, which irks me on W&H's behalf as they are the senior club in the area.

[Sporting]

Obviously I'd not be going to the game tomorrow even if it were allowed. I just hope it goes ok, and no-one gets hurt or banned on our side so they miss Tuesday's first game at Plough Lane.

What level of away support would there be if spectators were allowed?

[DCI Harry Batt]

Way too high, Sporting. Way, way too high. I don't really know how many, but every one is painful, to me.

[DCI Harry Batt]

Yes, officially it's the Elmbridge Xcel (to include it's more "corporate" name) Sports Hub and is adjacent to the site of Casuals' old Riverside ground.

Because of the location and Casuals' relatively lofty league position they always seem to present themselves as the prime tenant, which irks me on W&H's behalf as they are the senior club in the area.

What became of W&H's old gaff? Housing?

[Ray de Galles]

Yep.

[Uros Predic]

Not wanting to travel across London, and with disrupted train services going from my part of London to Kent looks like I'm restricted to matches within walking distance tomorrow.

Lewisham Borough's away game at Bridon Ropes looks most likely.

Borough haven't played a single home game yet this season, but as their twitter feed is so sproadic, and their website hasn't been updated in two years I have no idea why. I presume it's down to Lewisham Council not opening up Ladywell Arena, or not having the staff to maintain the pitch due to the pandemic. Maybe I can find out tomorrow.

[DCI Harry Batt]

I see Bridon Ropes play right by the QEH. With Lewisham Borough being from UHL. So a hospital derby. Have fun.

[My Name Is Ian]

I think I might take my kids to the almost Argentina kit wearing Worthing United vs Edgware Town in the Vase tomorrow. We moved from West Worthing to East Worthing a few weeks ago, and I don't think their ground is too far from where we live now. I have noted that their last couple of U18 matches there have been rained off, so I'm not 100% certain it'll even go ahead.

Regardless of this, the last time I checked Big Worthing were playing their home matches at Horsham because they're having work done to their ground. (You'd have thought that they'd have used the lengthy interval to get this done, but there we go.)

[Artificial Hipster]

Irlam v Seaham Red Star in the Vase is my first choice. The weather may yet have other plans for me.

[Third rate Leszno]

Bootle v Shildon in the Vase is my first choice, yellow weather warnings notwithstanding.

[Simon G]

I attended New Meadow Park last night to watch Gloucester City BTEC take on University of Gloucestershire's 3rds. It was literally men against boys as the Uni's bunch of 19/20 year olds bullied their 16/17 year old counterparts and were allowed to get away with it by, arguably, the worst refereeing performance I've ever seen. My cousin was scythed down on at least 3 occasions and on one other got a vicious elbow in the mouth. Not a single thing was said to the lad who swung the arm. 5 mins later my cousin belligerently trips an attacker and is rightly booked for it. However, no-one could blame him for acting in that manner given what had gone on beforehand.

Anyway, I think the final score was about 4 or 5-0 to the uni team.

[irony towers]

FA Vase First Round Proper: Walton & Hersham 3 Peacehaven & Telscombe 0

The four-hour round trip from Cambridge proved worthwhile for a number of reasons, not least the meet-up with RdG. The attendance of 250 was W&H's best at the Hub, an indirect benefit of Walton Casuals having first dibs on the Saturday 3pm slot.

P&T (Step 5) looked tidier than W&H (Step 6) without much of a goal threat, until the archetypal game-changing incident on 40 minutes when the P&T centre-back was the last man as he tripped the W&H attacker outside the box. The red card was justifiable but you'd be disappointed if it went against your team. W&H headed in the corner after the resultant free kick, and the lead grew to 3-0 soon after half-time, presumably because the P&T team talk consisted of the latest research on the damaging effects of heading, hence they declined to offer any challenge aerially.

If the competition is now scrapped owing to the impending lockdown, surely we have the right to be declared winners.

[Third rate Leszno]

Bootle 0-2 Shildon (FA Vase)
Att: 196



A blustery, cool afternoon in L20 for this strong match up in the Vase. Visitors Shildon had 11 league games under their belt and lay 6th in the Northern League, whilst Bootle have only had 3 league outings but had won the lot.

About a dozen away fans had ventured down from the North East and risked the wrath of the Covid police, but like me I suspect they were thinking this might be the last match they can get to this year.

The first half hour was really cagey with maybe one chance apiece, but it opened up towards the break and both sides had good chances that they couldn't quite convert.

The second half started with Shildon on top, and stayed that way for long spells. Bootle failed to close down the No.7 as he ran into the box and he slotted a low shot into the corner to put Shildon in front after 54 mins. Opening my Golden Goal ticket with slightly numb fingers, I'd only missed by 3, a lot closer than I usually get (last week I was 85mins out).

Shildon were really well drilled and made it difficult for Bootle to get the ball to their front men, as well as being very effective at blocking shots from around the box. They went 2-0 up with a shot from the edge of the box from their playmaker Chay Liddle and that immediately felt like it would be enough for them to see the game out - which it was.

[cantagalo]

Kennington 1 Fisher 1 (Kennington win on penalties)

I had intended to tick off a new ground at Lydd Town but luckily before setting off I had a look at their Twitter account which informed me it had been postponed due to Covid.

The only other match I could realistically get to was at The Homelands for some FA Vase action with Kennington, who have one of the few remaining 100% league records, facing opposition from the tier above in Fisher. They took an early lead, saved a Fisher penalty but conceded an equaliser towards the end.
It went straight to penalties and at 3-3 to sudden death.

I can bring you an exclusive picture of Fisher's losing penalty but it doesn't really do justice to a Panenka which slowly floated over the bar and gave Kennington a deserved victory.

[Uros Predic]

Bridon Ropes 0-0 Lewisham Borough
SCEFL Division One

As bad as the scoreline suggests, but more entertaining. These are two of the worst teams in this division and it showed; the match's pass completion percentage must've barely made it above 50%. But in turn that made for a fairly entertaining game as it swung from end to end.

Lewisham were arguably the better of the two sides; defended well, moved the ball into midfield where two of their better players were well, but were beyond useless in the final third – either launching speculative shots from distance or holding on to the ball too long to find a pass. The home side's only real chances came on the break and they brought two decent saves out of the Borough keeper, before they too resorted to firing shots wildly over the fence.

Two other points of note; firstly one player kept loudly belching throughout the game, at a volume audible from the opposite side of the field. Pretty much every five minutes there'd be a huge echoing burp, that I eventually pinned on the home side's number 4. Surely the very definition of 'ungentlemanly conduct' and yet not punishable by so much as a warning. Secondly, some quality, encouraging advice from the Lewisham centre-half when, with one of his midfielders trying to beat a man on halfway, he built his confidence with a scream of "DON"T FUCK IT UP!"

[Third rate Leszno]

Mint photos as always, Uros.

[Merlin the happy pig]

Midland Football League Premier Division. Highgate United 1-1 Newark.

I'd been to Highgate for a pre-season match verses Rugby Town last season. Unfortunately that was played on a training pitch behind the stand, so ticked off properly today.

[Forest Gump]

Ampthill Town 1-1 Walthamstow (Ampthill won 4-2 on penalties)
FA Vase 1st Round

Pretty abject performance from Walthamstow, going out to a team from a step below. Stow equalised with a free kick from the half-way line in the first half, and squandered a few good chances in the second, but never really looked like winning.

https://twitter.com/sportsshotsnews/status/1322639419413831680

Just under 300 in, which according to one person, was Ampthill's highest attendance in their memory. Apparently, Ampthill isn't much of a footballing town - the fairly well-to-do residents are a lot more interested in rugby and cricket. The home crowd were 'well up for it' though - I've never heard a crowd cheering every tackle from the first minute before.

It was a ground I'd had on my list for a while, and it didn't disappoint in the autumn sunshine.

[Artificial Hipster]

Irlam 0-2 Seaham Red Star
FA Vase 1st Round

A game short on quality at a ground crying out for a bit of love. To be fair to the players a heavy pitch and a swirling wind made playing any type of football difficult. A deserved victory for the Wearsiders though who adapted to the conditions better than their hosts, both goals, scored in the space of 2 minutes either side of half time being the result of Irlam mistakes.