Squeaky-Bum Time : Midweek Matchgoing

[Ray de Galles]

Quite a full set of league fixtures this midweek and most of the non-league divisions mopping up unplaced matches before the final weekend of the regular season.

As mentioned on the D4 thread, I'm off to Dagenham & Redbridge v Wimbledon. My first new league ground in a few years and the only London League ground I have yet to visit (all of which will be redundant in a couple of week though, obviously).

.

[longeared]

Squeaky-Bum Time : Midweek Matchgoing

Hallam 3-1 Selby Town

Deserved win for Hallam having to come from behind at half time. Selby's defence was rather ponderous and it was always likely the home side would be able to get in behind them. Someone scored a hat trick and each goal was better than the last - a one yard tap in from a keeping error, rounding the goalie, then a curler from outside the box with virtually the last kick.

Good crowd (113) for this level. Appreciate this is outside the control of football in general, but could the weather try a bit harder?

Wednesday is Maltby Main v Tadcaster Albion.

[Southport Zeb]

Squeaky-Bum Time : Midweek Matchgoing

Went to Mersey Royal 1-0 Ellesmere Port Town last night in the West Cheshire League. Fairly dull game decided by an excellent free kick. Played at Levershulme Playing Fields in Bromborough.

Plans for the rest of the week:
Tuesday - AVRO v Dukinfield Town (Manchester League)
Wednesday - Ormskirk Town v Winstanley St Aidan's (Wigan League)
Thursday - Blackbrook v Avon Athletic (Warrington League)
Friday - Johnstown Youth v Castell Alun Colts (Welsh League Wrexham)

[Third rate Leszno]

Squeaky-Bum Time : Midweek Matchgoing

Carlisle v Luton tonight.
Liverpool v Everton tomorrow.

[andrew7610]

Squeaky-Bum Time : Midweek Matchgoing

I'm at Arundel vs Shoreham in the Southern Combination Premier . 2-0 to the home side at half time, although it should be about 5.

Spectacular setting under an almost full moon, in the shadow of the castle.

**edit** final score Arundel 4-2 Shoreham. Shoreham waited until they were 4-0 down before scoring an absolute pearler and then really raising their game. They missed a penalty at 4-2 which completely knocked the stuffing out of them and the game petered out. Didn't win the raffle.

[Third rate Leszno]

Squeaky-Bum Time : Midweek Matchgoing

Carlisle 1-2 Luton

Any lingering hopes of a last gasp stumble into the playoffs extinguished by a typically inconsistent Carlisle performance in front of a woefully small, sub-3500 crowd.

Actually played pretty well in the second half, but having already given Luton the space to score two simple goals and with our strikers misfiring, it was never going to result in anything meaningful.

Plus points from the evening were a chippy tea with a proper batter sausage, catching up with Walt Flanagan's Dog and others, a nice sunset and an oystercatcher caught in the glare of the floodlights as it flew by.

[cantagalo]

Squeaky-Bum Time : Midweek Matchgoing

Brentford 2 Cardiff 1

There really is nothing better than a match under the lights at Griffin Park. Work on the new stadium should start soon and I'm very conscious that these nights are now finite in number.

It wasn't a great game but I was delighted that Scott Hogan (20 months out through injury) scored the goals that ruined Russell Slade's evening and surely extinguished Cardiff's play-off hopes.

[Merlin the happy pig]

Squeaky-Bum Time : Midweek Matchgoing

Brackley Town 0-0 AFC Telford United

Brackley had a penalty just before half-time, it was hit with so little pace that the 'Keeper fell on it more than saved it.

[Ray de Galles]

Squeaky-Bum Time : Midweek Matchgoing

Though all the Wimbledon supporters and I had a wonderful time, there was an air of gloom across Victoria Road last night.

Visiting supporters made up around half of the little over 2000 crowd and, for the first time I can recall at any significant level, I genuinely did not hear a noise at all from the home fans.

You would imagine they may struggle in the Conference, though I suppose if they keep hold of John Still they have a chance.

Lovely chips, mind.

.

[KGR]

Squeaky-Bum Time : Midweek Matchgoing

Less than 1000 for their final home game, against Crawley, perhaps?

[Grimmer]

Squeaky-Bum Time : Midweek Matchgoing

A lovely atmosphere at the Crescent last night which was very surprising. It goes to show what a win will do for you - would the Daggers fans not perk up a bit if they'd nicked a win?

If D&R don't get a sub 1000 crowd for that, I would imagine you will get one at Morecambe soon. Their crowds are getting very sparse when they play the sides with the smaller away followings. Every year that they they survive I am (pleasantly) surprised.

[Guy Profumo]

Squeaky-Bum Time : Midweek Matchgoing

I assume this was from last night v Morecambe?

https://twitter.com/EoinShardlut/status/722531916889645056

A shabby trick from the U's there, loading down the opposition with chips and pies.

No wonder they won seven nil.

[Big Boobs and FIRE!]

Squeaky-Bum Time : Midweek Matchgoing

Glastonbury and Congresbury line up under the watchfull eye of the aforementioned Tor.

[longeared]

Squeaky-Bum Time : Midweek Matchgoing

Failed to make Maltby v Tadcaster thanks to no buses owing to an accident on the route. Ho hum. I'm now following the game on social media, Maltby lead 3-1 and Taddy, among a series of untruths and sour grapes, are making the slope sound as if they are playing up the Matterhorn.

[thanosleeds]

Squeaky-Bum Time : Midweek Matchgoing

Slovan Bratislava vs Spartak Trnava
From what I have understood, its the biggest derby in Slovakia. It finished 4-1. Crap attendance for such a match, at least both sets of fans kept singing for almost the entire game.

[Grimmer]

Squeaky-Bum Time : Midweek Matchgoing

From the footage Tad have put online, they were 3-1 down at half time having played downhill.

4-2 final score. Not "Tad All Over" tonight.

[Big Boobs and FIRE!]

Squeaky-Bum Time : Midweek Matchgoing

Glastonbury Town v Congresbury, Somerset County League, Division 1 West.

A pointless meeting back down south (electric train introduction, oh there aren’t yet any wries for them to run under, meeting adjourned) meant a free afternoon. Outward move was an early afternoon HST from Swindon to Bristol Temple Meads...

....for an all shacks Cardiff - Exeter unit.

This was taken as far as Highbridge and Burnham.

Reason for this was to clear the west Somerset guide pubs. First move was a bus up to Burnham on Sea.

This used to be a seaside resort in the 19th century, but is now full of aged smokers in younger smack heads. Like a lowland North Shields.

This is a particularly unadventurous CAMRA area, so the GBGs are just a string of Whetherspoons. First off was the sea front Reeds Arms for a Quantock - Wills Neck.

Bus stop was the site of the towns railway station, which was a branch of the legendary Somerset and Dorset railway. This is all that is left, and is part of the towns not-very-long heritage trail.

Next it was back on the bus. The First operation in the area has recently been rebranded as 'buses of Somerset' with a fleet of Apple liveried Single deck Alexander bodied Scanias. However, this ex- First Glasgow Dennis Trident was operating vice one of them so was a pleasant surprise.

Move was some south to Huntspill......

.....for the Crossways Inn, pleasingly not a Spoons, and cleared with a Whitstable - Rakau and a more local Cheddar - Karst.

Soon it was back on with the adventure, with traction back on diagram. Note amusing large sign to Secret World.

Destination was Bridgwater bus station, which is a fenced off part of an Asda car park.,

The town is like a larger, inland, Burnham. It used to be the home of the UK cellophane industry, but now just has its carnival, which is like Notting Hill if it were organised by the EDF.

Not sure why a carpet shop is deemed to be an Entertainment Zone, but I wasn’t going to question the chain smoker sat in the entrance.

Yet another Spoons and this one looked to be the pokiest, grottiest one in the chain. However, looks can be deceiving as inside it was even worse, to the extent that I actually took back the Blindmans - Icarus, only to be given a just as evil Exmoor - HPA.

Shockingly, I now had to pay for a ticket as the bus to Wells has recently transferred to Webberbus.

Soon after leaving Bridgwater, the bus climbs into the Mendips, with the reclaimed Somerset level stretching out below.

After winding through parts of The West Country I didn't know existed, the destination of Glastonbury and its famous tor with the 14th century St Michael's Tower atop, could be spied.

Glastonbury is now conjoined with the adjacent village of Street. This was famous for being the home of Clarke's shoes, but recently the site has been re-developed into a Next outlet unit, which just about sums up British manufacturing and retail since the eighties.

Finally, destination was reached.

Glastonbury is a centre for all sorts of made up bollocks like witchcraft, faith healing, lay lines and religion. This has transformed the centre with all sorts of new age shit.


Where crystal shops co-locate with non toxic hair salons.

And one of the murals like they have in Ireland yet instead of Bobby Sands or war time re-fueling of U boats, instead it depicts the LSD version of He-Man.

I contented myself with the town guide pub, the George and Pilgrim, although all six sticks were dud, including the chosen Britannia - Navigation.

The town is dominated by the 7th century abbey. I paid a visit, not because I was interested in the abbey itself, but because the football clubs original ground was remarkably in the Abbey Grounds.

I had these pictures, shamelessly lifted from an early copy of Groundtastic.

Sure enough, the original pitch could be made out..

…..now half consumed by a children's playground, full of well to do seventeen year olds called Josh, listening to grime.

I headed off to the new ground, which is situated out of town, with this sign being the first directions; tiny and situated after the turning it is telling you to take.


A proper sign was lost in this myriad of other tempting locations. Of interest is the Isle of Avalon caravan site, as The football club were originally known as Glastonbury Avalon. Avalon being the mythical island that the town sits on.

The ground was accessed by a grass path between the perimeter fence and an open drain.

Glastonbury moved to the ground in the early 1980s as they couldn't get planning permission for floodlights at the Abbey grounds. At the time it was a horrendous greyhound stadium. Bearing in mind the normal standard of greyhound tracks, you can only imagine what the lower end of this is like, and I include flapping tracks in that statement.


One of the prominent sights of the ground was a banksy-esque mural and semi-permanent Winnebago alongside.

However, the mural has been painted over and the RV now has wooden trellis around it.

Three pounds entrance and I was in. Fair warning about all drinks being cans.


Glastonbury Town 0 v Congresbury 1, Somerset County League, Division 1 West.

Glastonbury FC started in 1890, playing in the Somerset leagues before joining the Western league in the 1920s, for a long and unremarkable stint in the Western league, partly due to ground grading restrictions. They were finally relegated back to the Somerset league in 1999, and have been bouncing around the various divisions ever since, currently residing in division 1 west after promotion last season.

Congresbury is a village in between Bristol and Weston Super Mare. The football club formed in 1903 and have always played in the Somerset leagues.

The pitch element of the ground is vast as it still has remnants of the dog track which was last used in the late nineties.

The facilities are contained on one side. There is standing cover....

.....and a vast lean-to which were built using parts of the 1930s stand from the old ground.

The benches are on the far side of the ground, with a great collection of allotment sheds behind.

Prominent behind the town goal are Glastonbury Tor and Abbey.

A fantastic collection of agricultural clutter was on display, this ride on mower....

....or full sized options.

They could only be bettered by the display at the adjacent small holding.

Behind the far goal was a 1970s Ford Transit, editing smoke and aromas from the inhabitants that made it appear to be a late UK re-make of Cheech and Chong.

A club official saw me taking photos and was keen to show me the work they had been doing at the stadium recently. I tried desperately to look interested as he gave me an in depth account of the installation of mains sewerage. The clubhouse had also been refurbished and was in very good nick, with some reminders of glories past on the walls.

Soon it was time for the teams to make the not insignificant trek to the pitch.

You know the deal by now, I'm as interested in the game as you are. So here is a few shots of step 11 players doing things.



However, there was still time for another highlight, when it was noticed that the home keeper was bearing a completely unnecessary towel.

I left with about ten minutes to go. I think it was 0-1, though I may have missed a goal when I was phot the neighbours tractors.

Back into the centre for an hour long bus ride to Bristol.

By now it was pitch black, until the cityscape of Bristol was reached.

The bus deposited me at the foot of the Temple Meads ramp....

....just in time for the last service back to Swindon.


Far Out Times.

[GCostanza]

Squeaky-Bum Time : Midweek Matchgoing

Now that really is dedication to the cause!

[Third rate Leszno]

Squeaky-Bum Time : Midweek Matchgoing

Great to see another photo special, BB&F - the installation of internet at your northern base can't come soon enough.

I spent my evening at Anfield watching a hopelessly one-sided Merseyside derby - preceded by a visit to the Ship & Mitre, where I sampled the Saltaire - Stateside and Red Star - Lakota, the latter a Formby brew and very pleasant indeed.

[Crusoe]

Squeaky-Bum Time : Midweek Matchgoing

I find BBF's photo essays remarkably sooothing. Although the terrible spelling of "CUPA-SOUP" is nagging at me.

[Sean of the Shed]

Squeaky-Bum Time : Midweek Matchgoing

It doesn't take much imagination to work out what crops are grown on allotments in Glastonbury.

[Via Newbury Park]

Squeaky-Bum Time : Midweek Matchgoing

I feel a bit of a fraud for entering the thread, as I didn't get my act together to go to Greenhouse Sports v Bowers & Pitsea last night and the game I did go to this week has been covered.

Ray de Galles wrote: Visiting supporters made up around half of the little over 2000 crowd and, for the first time I can recall at any significant level, I genuinely did not hear a noise at all from the home fans.

I've heard more noise from us at Essex Senior Cup matches. If Daggers started well then maybe there might have been a bit more enthusiasm, but then again we've won two games at home and we're down with four games to go. Talking amongst ourselves has been more fun than watching the football all season.

Kryvbas Gripper Rih wrote: Less than 1000 for their final home game, against Crawley, perhaps?

I suspect the official attendence will be over 1000 once the season tickets are counted, although whether there are that many in the ground will be a different matter.