Ploughed Back In : Matchgoing May 14 - 20

[Ray de Galles]

It was, an absolutely lovely night with the result of no importance whatsoever.

Will do a proper write up when I get the chance but how good does this look?

[Ray de Galles]

I know the player you're talking about and I've seen him play on a few ocassions. I once saw him score a 30 yard piledriver. It gives me a lot of pleasure to know he's defying all conventions by playing at what is a decent level considering his size. Berks County have been promoted as part of the restructure. I'd love to see if he can do the same at Step 6 but I think the games might get too physical.

The anti-Zach Tull, in many ways.

[Uncle Ethan]

Perth Glory 5-1 Western Sydney Wanderers
A-League, Sunday 16 May 2021

I wasn't planning on going to this one as a 6.15pm kick off on a Sunday night is not the most enticing prospect, but with Glory's recent upturn in form giving them an outside chance of crashing the Finals party, I managed to persuade my son to come along too and keep me company (I did have to bribe him with teriyaki chicken sushi).

Another small crowd of 4,500, but a good 1,500 up on last week when we all had to mask up and The Shed was closed, were thoroughly entertained by a Glory side who have rediscovered how to score again. Birthday boy Andy Keogh celebrated his 35th birthday in style bagging 4 goals including a goal of the season screamer (about 45 seconds in) when he lobbed the 'keeper from about 35 metres. Glory were two up at half-time but WSW pulled one back just after the break with a beauty too, in off the far post, and it was game on. But Glory got a penalty to allow Keogh to complete his hat-trick and then he nodded in a 4th on the goal line. Having not scored all season, it was a very pleasant surprise to see him break his duck in such spectacular fashion.

Unfortunately the biggest talking point from the game was in the stands and the heavy-handed security throwing out a supporter who had the audacity to remove his top when Keogh scored his beauty, with security accusing him of being intoxicated. I was behind the opposite goal but you could see things were kicking off and at half-time a number of fans walked out in protest. Turns out this supporter may be autistic and even Glory chief executive, Tony Pignata, has tweeted that the security were totally out of order. Whilst I've personally never been treated badly or seen anything like this before, it's unfortunately another depressing episode in a long line of incidents of fans (from all clubs) attending an A-League match and being subjected to being treated like shite by the matchday security.

Bright side was Tony backing the fans. The supporter who was ejected is now tossing the coin at tonight's match. Went on Sunday with two of the sons and our mate Frenchy. First time we've been together in ages. Great fun. Can't make tonight though.

[elguapo4]

It was, an absolutely lovely night with the result of no importance whatsoever.

Will do a proper right up when I get the chance but how good does this look?

It looks great.

[Artificial Hipster]

Heywood St. James 0-2 Heyside
Manchester League Gilgryst Cup

The last time I traveled to rather than through Heywood I was probably 17 heading for the monthly 'Headbangers Ball' at the Civic Hall. I found myself shaking my head in despair on more than one occasion during this game which to put it mildly failed to live up to the hopes I had for it. A missed sitter apiece was the only real action of note until a very late own goal/deflected shot broke the deadlock for the visitors who quickly added a second lest lightning should strike twice in the form of something equally undeserved going in at the other end.

Phoenix Park is a funny old ground in a funny old town whose nickname, legend has it, derives from the fact that benches in its pubs had holes drilled in them for drinkers to thread their tails through. More prosaically it may be down to how locals pronounced the name of Heap ("ape") Bridge which forms the town's western boundary. The ground is entered behind one goal where hard standing on a raised terrace in front of a row of portacabins serving as dressing rooms offers a great view of the pitch and in the distance Scout Moor, crowned by the distinctive form of Knowl Hill which I climbed many a time as a child. The right touchline is grassed, culminating in a hill which seems to be formed entirely of nettle-coated horse shit. Neither the left touchline in its entirety nor the area behind the far goal are accessible to supporters which, given the position of the sun, which shone throughout, meant that this was a game 'enjoyed' largely through the medium of squints.

Heyside's victory puts them 2 points above Springhead in their group but they have only one game to play while Springhead have two. Mathematically Heywood aren't out of it but having won little during an impressive 139 years of existence, they showed nothing tonight to suggest that this year is going to be any different.

[NHH]

I used to train on Phoenix Park when I was a kid playing junior football, fact fans.

[Artificial Hipster]

I used to train on Phoenix Park when I was a kid playing junior football, fact fans.

You and Craig Dawson - he played for one of their youth teams in fact.

Are you from these parts then NHH?

[NHH]

Yep - spent the first 18 years of my life in Heywood. My Mum's lived in 4 houses on 4 streets within 500 yards of each other since the day she was born.

[Third rate Leszno]

Maghull 1-2 Ashville (West Cheshire league division 1)

A beautiful spring evening for this mid table fixture, with cricket on the adjacent pitch and the bar open, so a lot busier than on my previous visit in April.

Visitors Ashville (from Wallasey) took the lead early on and were the better side in the first half. Their no.6 wasn't the captain but he was an excellent talker, coaching and steering his fellow defenders loudly throughout. Maghull had very little attacking threat, at one point prompting their exasperated coach to shout "You might as well be in the club house!".

After the break Maghull made a few substitutions and I realised with a start that one of them used to work in my office. They did make an impact, but not before one of Ashville's subs had made it 2-0 with a well-hit low shot from the edge of the box.

After that Maghull reduced the deficit with a fine shot that went in off a post, missed two close range chances and generally dominated the last 15 minutes, without being able to conjure up an equaliser. This was Ashvilles last game of the truncated season but Maghull still have 3 to play, so could yet overtake them in the table.

[Lobachevsky]

the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is a
wierd place with10000 people scattered about.

the twat on the tannoy system insisted on blasting out uplifting music until the instant the game kicked off.

Spurs were as poor as at any time since the Tim Sherwood era.

villa deserved their win.

[Ray de Galles]

Wimbledon u23 1 Liverpool u23 3
Friendly
Plough Lane

I realised I never did post more fully about the game and I'm not sure I can really do it justice. The actual details of the match are a bit of a blur really, luckily The Dons opened the scoring in the sixth minute when departing overage first teamer Callum Reilly (who had specifically asked to play in front of the fans before leaving) netted from a hugely offside position right in line with our seats and the lineman who happily kept his flag down for some reason.

However from about 20 minutes in the superior technique and pace of the Liverpool side showed through and they went on to dominate, even though there was a scattering of other Wimbledon first team players getting some minutes in after injury/inacitivity. The visiting keeper Kelleher was the only name I recognised but 16 year old forward Kaide Gordon stood out scoring two.

On to more important things, the stadium is amazing and the atmosphere was rousing & emotional whatever was happening on the pitch. Lawd knows what the place will sound like when it's full because with only 25% capacity being used it was raucous. The contrast with the stadium and surroundings at Kingsmeaow could not be more stark. There is a pub on one corner, a "tap room" in an old warehouse behind one stand and the walk from Earlsfield Station already felt more like the approach to a match than the one down Cambridge Road ever did.

It's going to be a lot of fun getting to know the new/old place.

[Ray de Galles]

Hanwell Town 1 Harefield United 0
Middlesex Senior Cup Final
Bedfont Recreation Ground

I always look forward to County Cup Finals as a highlight of the business end of the season but forget they are often pretty cagey affairs. This one was a classic example but it warmed up as it got going and the second half was really enjoyable.

One reason for the slow start is probably that these clubs leave seasons were ended before Xmas and ties in this competition have been their only competitive fixtures. Neither team had ever won the MSC before so both were very committed but cancelled each other out for the opening period.

The low sun, scrappy play and artificial pitch that neither team were used to (Bedfont Sports' stadium being used as a neutral venue) added to the unabsorbing nature of the opening half, as did the fact that the ground have never been a favourite of mine. The incoming flights to nearby Heathrow were a really welcome distraction as was the strange choice of flags flying on poles around the ground; Greece, Bulgaria and Poland joining the St George's Cross and Union flag.

It all livened up after the break though and Hanwell started demonstrating their higher division quality applying a lot of pressure. The only goal came after 70 minutes with a solid header from a centre half from a corner. He celebrated with The Geordies supporters (Hanwell were formed by Newcastle fans living in London the 1920s) behind the goal who absolutely drenched him with lager, which must have been discomforting for the final stages of the game on a unseasonably cold night.

Not much more to report apart from the very drunk nature of the Hanwell fans (as evinced by the goal celebrations) and the fact that one of them tried to lead a chorus of 'Come Out Ye Black and Whites' which brought very pleasant Partridge associations. The team ultimately celebrated their win pretty wildly too, managing to smash the plastic podium the trophy was presented on as soon as they lifted it.

[DCI Harry Batt]

Wimbledon u23 1 Liverpool u23 3
Friendly
Plough Lane

It's going to be a lot of fun getting to know the new/old place.

What seat were you in?

[Ray de Galles]

East Stand, block 119. Not where our season tickets are (which reminds I must renew them) as the allocation was understandably more random for this game.

[DCI Harry Batt]

Ah yes, interesting. I did think about the east stand.

[Ray de Galles]

We enjoyed the view of the electricity sub-station (or whatever it is) in the corner opposite, sadly it will be behind us when we take our place in the main stand.

I was told that they are going to project images on that massive blank wall overlooking the south stand, do you know if that's correct?

[DCI Harry Batt]

I've no idea, I'm afraid. I think all sorts of things have been suggested and thought about, but it's a long way from finished and there's an awful lot to do before August.

[ursus arctos]

Google Maps says that it is indeed a National Grid substation