In Tiers - Actual Matchgoing 2nd -6th December

[Uros Predic]

You "popped up" on Futbology, then after my cursory polite enquiry about the game came your string of gloating texts.

It's amazing how much gloating can be inferred by just texting the score.

[Forest Gump]

Hadley 4-1 Raynes Park Vale
FA Vase

Hadley's number 7 Solomon Ofori was the difference between the sides, quick, skilful, great vision scored two, and made the most hopeful and aimless punts forward into searching through balls with his anticipation and movement. Looked like an obvious ringer, although a quick google doesn't reveal much, he played for Walthamstow so forrest gump may remember him.

Ofori's one of my favourite ever players - as you say, he's superb. He could easily play a division or two higher (and I think he did earlier in this career), but he doesn't seem to be too motivated by money, and has been at Hadley for a couple of seasons now. He was our top scorer in 2014-15, and we certainly weren't paying him anything then. We've tried to get him back a couple of times without much luck.

Here's a goal in what was pretty much his last game for us. About 15 minutes after the goal he was on the end of a pretty robust tackle, and didn't play senior football for about a year. (Go to about 1.20)

[Uros Predic]

Here are a few photos from the Croydon v Athletic Newham game at Crystal Palace Stadium

[Uros Predic]

Oh and here is the aforementioned Croydon fan completing his 400 metre celebration lap after the fourth goal (I'm not sure what he would've done had there been an equaliser during his lap)

https://twitter.com/glenglenglen/status/1335276878542876672?s=20

[mirko bolesan]

On Saturday I went to Taplow United vs Old Windsor in the Maidenhead Norfolkian Cup Quarter Final. The cup competition that kit clashes forgot. A really enjoyable game where the referee appeared to allow pretty much every foul go, allowing both sides to kick the crap out of each other. Old Windsor of the East Berks League coming out on top 4-1 winners against their Hellenic League Division Two opponents, but it was a lot closer than the scoreline suggested.

No refreshments available at this Step 7 venue, I saw one man climb the fence to go to the adjacent petrol station and come back with a carrier bag of cans. One side of the ground feels very rural whilst across the other is the A4 and a busy railway line. Of the dozen or so games I've seen this season seven or eight have been at Step 7 and I've quite enjoyed it. Easy to social distance and the football is often good fun too.

[Third rate Leszno]

You managed to get a non league train in too, MB - bb&f would be proud.

[Southport Zeb]

I went to three matches over the weekend. On Friday night I watched the reserve teams of Bootle and Poulton Royal in the bottom division of the West Cheshire League. Royals scored in the first and last minutes, but didn't do a great deal in between, with Bootle in control for the majority of the match, with the final score 4-2.

On Saturday I went up to Cumbria and the village of Kirkoswald. After a pleasant walk through the woods I watched the village team take on Windermere in the Westmorland League. This was a decent game between two evenly matched teams. It appeared that the forwards were suffering the lack of match practice more than most, as some poor finishing meant that the game entered its closing stages goalless. Windermere finally got some shots on target in the last ten minutes, but then found that the Kirkoswald keeper was channelling his inner Dino Zoff as he pulled off three spectacular saves. I had reached acceptance that my long run without a goalless game (going back exactly 14 months) had come to an end, but as the game entered stoppage time a home forward broke through and finished from the edge of the penalty area.

As was to be expected there wasn't much in terms of facilities at Kirkoswald, although they do have changing rooms which give little doubt about who they belong to, given that the name covers around half the available surface area. The Old Showfield is shared with the local cricket club and offers scenic views, including some snowy hilltops on Saturday. It also allows those who wish to combine spectating with playing on monkey bars, which is something that few clubs higher up the pyramid think to offer.

Sunday's game was a canine derby in the North West Women's League, with Warrington Wolves hosting Northwich Vixens. This was only the home sides second game of the season and the visitors third. Both had previously played Salford, with Warrington losing heavily and Northwich getting a draw, so I fancied an away win. This seemed likely as Northwich took a 2-0 lead early in the second half, but Warrington fought back and fairly soon got themselves back on level terms, Chances for both to win but it finished as a draw.

This game was played at Great Sankey Neigbourhood Hub on the western edge of Warrington. There are a couple of grass pitches here, but this match used a fairly new looking 3G pitch.