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Battered by Bella - matchgoing thread 26-31 December

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    Battered by Bella - matchgoing thread 26-31 December

    With apologies to everyone who's been fucked over by the latest iteration of the Covid tiered restrictions, today I'm getting blustered and soaked by Storm Bella in the Paddock at Brunton Park for Carlisle v Bolton. I don't think this is a match-up I've ever seen before, which adds a little extra interest to what is already an eagerly anticipated fixture.

    #2
    I'm at Stockport Town for a 1pm kick off against New Mills. Paul Dickov's son Alex plays for the home side, Dad's in attendance. No rain yet but It's fucking freezing.

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      #3
      Originally posted by Third rate Leszno View Post
      With apologies to everyone who's been fucked over by the latest iteration of the Covid tiered restrictions, today I'm getting blustered and soaked by Storm Bella in the Paddock at Brunton Park for Carlisle v Bolton. I don't think this is a match-up I've ever seen before, which adds a little extra interest to what is already an eagerly anticipated fixture.
      I am of course heading for this same fixture, with slightly more protection from the elements (inside the ground at least, because I'll be spending pre-match standing drinking cans in the open air in on a day which alfresco drinking was not designed for). In normal times, assuming the same league position for the home club at least, this game would be pulling a rare five figure crowd into Brunton Park. 2020 huh.

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        #4
        After a bit of research, the last Carlisle v Bolton league meetings were 1987/88 in the old fourth division, so it's been a while.

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          #5
          I was just wondering if they'd met in the old first division, that year in the 70s Carlisle went up.

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            #6
            They were both in the second division the season before. Carlisle were promoted with Luton and my lot.

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              #7
              Originally posted by Rogin the Armchair fan View Post
              I was just wondering if they'd met in the old first division, that year in the 70s Carlisle went up.
              Apparently not, Bolton were in Division 2 during our one and only season in the spotlight.

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                #8
                By some distance the worst half of football I've seen this year.

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                  #9
                  I was just about to congratulate the Carlisle crew and arrange to meet up next season, but I thought that I'd better check the score first...

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                    #10
                    I watched as Southport conceded an injury time goal in a 2-2 draw with Curzon Ashton. Southport perhaps shaded things, but this was a match between two fairly mediocre teams who are unlikely to challenge for much this season.

                    This was my 100th match of 2020 - for comparison I reached the same mark on 16th June in 2019.

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                      #11
                      Carlisle 3-3 Bolton

                      Bit of a freak game in some ways, Carlisle stormed into a two goal lead with the wind behind them, added a third when Bolton's extremely shaky defence presented them with an opportunity and missed two good chances to put the game beyond the visitors before allowing them back into it with a close range header just before the break. Ian Evatt got himself booked for an embarrassing touchline tantrum and the rain began to fall (thankfully blowing over my head on the open terrace for the most part.

                      Bolton subbed their most hapless defender (Baptiste) at HT which made them a little more secure at the back, but they weren't really taking advantage of the wind and driving rain as they kept over-hitting passes. The longer the game went on, the more urgent they became, but Carlisle also worked some good opportunities and probably should've added a fourth before Bolton got one back with 4 to go. At that point I really should've cashed out my 25-1 bet on 3-2, but before I could get my shit together Bolton had equaliser with a close range header. The lad who scored was so pleased to have a crowd to taunt that he did a length of the Paddock arm waving celebration, which strangely he chose not to repeat when he was sent off in stoppage time for at least his third yellow card offence of the afternoon. Both teams clipped the outside of the post late on, a win would've been fantastic (and taken us top) but we need to take more of the many chances we're creating if we're going to deserve to win games as open as this.

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                        #12
                        I made it to Prenton Park for the first time in 11 months, which felt quite special in many ways. The result reminded me of the usual frustrations and made me question why I’d missed it so much, but it’s all hard to get so involved watching on iFollow.

                        We deserved a point, maybe more, but the XI we can put together should be far higher up the table, less possession and more penetration should be the motto for 2021.

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                          #13
                          Clipstone 2 Rainworth MW 2

                          I thought my 2020 matchgoing was over but for reasons too complex to explain, I found myself back in Nottingham over Christmas. I was pleased to tick off another EMCL ground with the added bonus that the 1pm kick off allowed me to get back to see most of Brentford's excellent win at Cardiff on iFollow.

                          Rainworth were the more accomplished team but two quick second half goals from the hosts meant they had to fight back from 2-1 down to get a deserved point.




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                            #14
                            Stockport Town 0-0 New Mills
                            NWCFL First Division South

                            Just as a plate of re-heated sprouts is an improvement on a dollop of cold, lumpy mashed potato so the second half here at Stockport's dreary Sports Village was a slight improvement on the first. The home side came closest to scoring but in truth a point apiece was more than either side deserved. The only participant to come out with any credit was the liner who spent much of the first half (I moved when the area between the two dugouts became too crowded) having to pacify New Mills' unseasonably narky coaching staff who seemed intent on starting a fight with the home bench for no discernable reason.

                            At one point in the second half a player from either side (Stockport in white) tried to get a game of Twister going but sadly no-one else joined in.

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                              #15
                              Borrowash Victoria 0-1 Graham St Prims
                              East Midlands Counties League Premier Division

                              Christmas in Derbyshire offered the chance of a last match attendance of the season on Boxing Day. I'm fairly certain this is the most local of local derbies I've ever attended, which didn't involve a groundshare; The Vics' Asterdale Bowl shares a car-park with Prims' Asterdale Sports Ground in Spondon. Seemingly cut into a hillside The Asterdale Bowl is a decent ground with two stands and a lot of potential to do more with the space they have. The stand behind the goal was, for this one, largely populated by locals in their early 20s who'd realised that whilst they couldn't meet in pubs they could have a beer in the ground; so whilst their noise was loud it rarely had any correlation with what was going on, on the field.

                              Two poor teams on a difficult surface didn't offer up much of a footballing feast. Both sides largely relied on long throws to fashion chances. The visitors looked more likely to triumph, though that was largely due to The Vics stubborn persistence with one up front which meant when they did get the ball forward their attacks fizzled out very quickly. The only goal came 15 minutes from time courtesy of the only time either side strung more than five consecutive passes together; a sweeping move down field ended with a first-time cross and a well-placed header. The red card the game had threatened for a long time came shortly after, not from the odds-on favourite – a Borrowash midfielder who was on a yellow for cumulative fouls and had committed to more since getting cautioned – but courtesy of a terrible two-footed lunge from a Prims midfielder. Predictably, the home side made nothing of the man advantage.


                              Borrowash Victoria are in red and white stripes... those power lines crossed diagonally across one corner of the field very much at a ball strikeable height.
                              Last edited by Uros Predic; 27-12-2020, 12:35.

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                                #16
                                I visited both grounds last season. It took me about half an hour to find the entrance to the Prims' ground. Mind you, after the game I got lost on the Derby ring-road when I was meant to be heading towards Nottingham so maybe it was my navigational skills that were lacking.

                                It sounds like neither team has improved since I saw them.

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                                  #17
                                  I just looked at this on Google maps. It reminds me of Horsham where the grounds of Horsham and Horsham YMCA were right next to each other but it was about a 10-minute walk to get from the entrance of one to the entrance of the other. Horsham's is now a housing estate sadly.

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                                    #18
                                    I was trying to think of other grounds/clubs that are that close to one another. Can only think of three off the top of my head...
                                    - Bedfont Sports and Bedfont & Feltham
                                    - Blackpool Wren Rovers and Squires Gate
                                    - Barrow and whoever plays on that ground nextdoor

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                                      #19
                                      Originally posted by Uros Predic View Post
                                      - Barrow and whoever plays on that ground nextdoor
                                      Furness Rovers

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                                        #20
                                        Originally posted by Uros Predic View Post
                                        I was trying to think of other grounds/clubs that are that close to one another. Can only think of three off the top of my head...
                                        - Bedfont Sports and Bedfont & Feltham
                                        - Blackpool Wren Rovers and Squires Gate
                                        - Barrow and whoever plays on that ground nextdoor
                                        It says a lot about how much I'm already missing matches that I've just spent a pleasant twenty minutes looking up all of the above and the Spondon clubs on Google Earth to compare them to the most famous examples of near neighbours, Dundee and Dundee United, for proximity.

                                        Whenever I've been to watch either of the Bedfont clubs I've ended up pondering :

                                        a) the madness that they frequently seem to play their home games at the same time and can't seem to compel their leagues to at least try and alternate their fixtures (though give they both have tenant clubs ground-sharing with them there will always be clashing games)

                                        b) how that fact means it would only take the use of a small step-ladder to be able to "watch" both games at once.

                                        c) how on earth a tiny place like Bedfont has previously supported at least three named non-league clubs

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                                          #21
                                          Sherwood Colliery 4 Teversal 0

                                          More EMCL action for me - but only just. I had been planning to see Teversal take on Sherwood Colliery this evening at their ground but some time in the last 24 hours the venues had been changed and the kick-off brought forward to 3pm. By the time I got to the ground, the 150 maximum capacity had been reached. Fortunately the ground is in a natural bowl and I managed to find a vantage point perching myself on a wooden fence.



                                          Result. Saved myself a fiver and I've had worse views in the away end at QPR.

                                          The Sherwood Colliery chairman is Gareth Bull who recently won ?40m on the lottery and he's invested some of that in the team. They were on a different level to their plucky but struggling opponents. Two goals in each half maintained their 100% league record and they are now just two points behind leaders Ollerton Town.
                                          Last edited by cantagalo; 28-12-2020, 18:50.

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                                            #22
                                            Well I was planning on attending Parkway's Vase game against Fareham but due to the visitors entering Tier 4 it was postponed so instead was off to the end of the road to watch Elburton Villa and that was cancelled too.

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                                              #23
                                              I'd targeted Runcorn Town v Warrington Rylands but the overnight snowfall waterlogged the pitch and that was that. Went to Keswick and bought a coat instead.

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                                                #24
                                                Radford 1 Dunkirk 2

                                                Now this really was my last match of the year. Another EMCL fixture but not far to go to this one. Radford's Selhurst Street ground is hidden away behind a shabby parade of shops and surrounded by housing in inner-city Nottingham, so well-hidden that most passers-by don't even realise it's there. It's a welcoming and friendly place, particularly when the bar is open but of course that wasn't the case this evening and the freezing conditions frankly made this one a bit of an ordeal.

                                                Radford sit at the bottom of the EMCL but this is largely due to this only being their sixth league fixture completed with most other teams already in double figures. It was an even battle but the Pheasants were unfortunate to go down to a late winner to mid-table Dunkirk. Attendance 115 hardy, frozen souls so no problems in getting in to this one.

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