Watching football with Lovejoy {Weekend matches]

[Merlin the happy pig]

Saturday. Southern Premier South, Hartley Wintney 1-1 Merthyr Town. Scrappy game, tidy, if basic ground. Given they hadn't played above step 5 until last season that's not surprising though.

Sunday. PROGRESS Wrestling Chapter 76: Hello Wembley. the biggest independent wrestling show in England for 30 years, with 4700 in attendance. Good show, although it did over run a bit which meant a few people missed the main event.

[Merlin the happy pig]

Three o'clock kick-off on a Saturday afternoon? It must be third tier Dutch semi-prof football! And it's IJsselmeervogels versus Spakenburg. The localest of local derbies, the teams share the same car park and, this being Holland, bike racks. Any closer and they would be semi-detached stadiums. IJsselmeervogels are top of the league and newly promoted Spakenburg are back after two seasons in the division below. The game sells out with a crowd of over 8,000 from of a local population of 19,000. IJsselmeervogels have more finesse but Spakenburg have the brawn and take the lead twice only to be pegged back each time. The final score is a deserved: 2-2. IJsselmeervogels slip to second in the league. Highlights can be seen here.

Footnote
As friendly as the rivalry got, the burger-fathers nevertheless decided to ban all alcohol sales throughout the town, inside and outside the ground, till after the match.

I've been to both G.V.V.V and fc DOVO who also share a carpark. Veenendaal seems to have quite a few clubs for such a small Town.

[Merlin the happy pig]

I got to Brackley about 1pm. By 1:05 I had pretty much exhausted what there is to do in the town.

There is an Antiques Cellar under the Waitrose which has kept me amused for half an hour or so on occasion, not much else though.

[Bored Of Education]

Going to see Bath City vs Welling Utd (which I always regard as Racistville due to only having been there to march against the BNP years ago). Two away games on Saturdays makes it feel like a long time since I saw a match. It was looking very slim pickings for October with only one home game but with home games in the FA cup and the, erm, Somerset Cup, it looks better. Tomorrow is the Community Day where, ostensibly, we try and get families along and whatnot by making it pay what you want. Should be a good gate which will be ace as all our home games have been big this season. The only issue is that we habitually fuck it up on these big games and Welling are one place above us. Might try and get the boy to meet me to watch the Chelsea/Liverpool game after as it is a curfew-friendly kick off.

Sometimes, it is comforting to play absolutely crap and get beaten for it. It's not rocket surgery and there is literally is no mystery to it. To be honest, Welling came for a 0-0, would have been happy for that result but we gifted them the two goals. I can't think of a player that had a good game today. There were a fair few players who tried hard today, just nothing came off for them. A fair other few players just had 'mares. Due to injuries, I think that our manager had to put out who he could and, when we went 1-0 behind and were chasing the game, tried a couple of things which didn't work.

It's not a huge disaster, it's just a bad day at the office. It's a real shame that it was in front of a massive crowd but - as I imagine - 'twas always thus for Community games and, hopefully, people will have enjoyed the event - if not the football - and, let's be honest, that is what football is about really. We have had a wake-up call about the difference between teams who are genuinely going for automatic promotion and those who, possibly, the play-offs are the target. I didn't think that Welling were too bad for a Steve King side. They chased us down all over the park, their number 10 was all over the place (hence the first goal) and the number 7 was awesome. OK, they were rolling around like goodness knows what but they were a pretty good side. The one thing I think is that there are enough ex-professionals in our dressing room along with chopsy players that the manager shouldn't have even had to have a go at them at the end as they were sorting it out themselves. As the saying goes, "we go again" next week in an FA Cup game that is extremely important.

[Sash]

Chelsea 1 Liverpool 1

Belter of a game tbh with some absolutely outstanding performances. In such matches you see just how fast, technical and physical football can be. Couldn't take my eyes off it.

The Sturridge goal was extraordinary. I was right behind it and seeing it dip just under the bar I was leaping up arms aloft... before checking myself just in time to stand up with feigned surprise, hands to mouth instead of up in the air. Tbh in my head it's still flying in.

The bonhomie after the game was quite... striking. Klopp and Sarri embracing, Zola hugging Sturridge, Hazard* joking with Sturridge, both managers falling over themselves to compliment the opposition and the quality of the match, etc.

*He is in outrageously good form. Wow.

[ad hoc]

Pah, we haven't had one since the 1999-2000 season

[Snake Plissken]

About the only thing more mirth-inducing is reading that Colin complained about not getting the benefit of the referee’s decisions against big clubs...after losing to Burnley! I’m not sure Snake has realised that The Clarets have suddenly become a G14 member.

533 days since we were awarded a penalty in the Premier League.

[Patrick Thistle]

Not seen it yet but Sam Vokes heading home a cross late on to beat Tan United has deliciously ironic echoes of Lille for some of us, made even more hysterically funny by the fact Burnley were dressed as Swansea for the victory.

About the only thing more mirth-inducing is reading that Colin complained about not getting the benefit of the referee’s decisions against big clubs...after losing to Burnley! I’m not sure Snake has realised that The Clarets have suddenly become a G14 member.

I didn't think Colin complained too much but I only saw thd MOTD2 interview.

It was a good header from Vokes from a nothing chance really. As I said in my review it was a master class in using your chances. Burnley had literally two chances and scored both of them.

A problem with all white kits is that they aren't the most flattering. Aaron Lennon looked positively tubby yesterday.

[Ray de Galles]

Thanks but I don’t seem to be able to see that in France, will try when I am back home tomorrow.

[ursus arctos]

[Ray de Galles]

Cardiff 1 v 2 Burnley

Masterclass from Burnley on how to be totally shit, score from your two attacks and take all 3 points. The annoying thing is when they actually played the ball on the ground they looked really good. But there was a lot of hoofing it up in the air. Their win was courtesy of two brilliant saves by Joe Hart - serenaded as England's number 4 by the home fans.

Cardiff, well, they had lots of pressure and made lots of chances. Again, when they actually played football instead of head tennis, they looked decent. Their goal came from a nice bit of play and poor old Joe had no chance when the shot came in. But, yeah, they'll be back in the Championship next year unless they suddenly unearth a hitherto unknown striker in their ranks. Josh Murphy might be that man, but Colin had him out on the wing.

Not seen it yet but Sam Vokes heading home a cross late on to beat Tan United has deliciously ironic echoes of Lille for some of us, made even more hysterically funny by the fact Burnley were dressed as Swansea for the victory.

About the only thing more mirth-inducing is reading that Colin complained about not getting the benefit of the referee’s decisions against big clubs...after losing to Burnley! I’m not sure Snake has realised that The Clarets have suddenly become a G14 member.

[tracteurgarcon]

The character before Ince’s name is visible on this page from the club store but disappears when one zooms in.

Also only appears on the violet one.

Strange.

I'm presuming that it's the Mind symbol that all EFL shirts feature this season.

https://www.mind.org.uk/news-campaig.../#.W7ERdq2-LVo

[Patrick Thistle]

Cardiff 1 v 2 Burnley

Masterclass from Burnley on how to be totally shit, score from your two attacks and take all 3 points. The annoying thing is when they actually played the ball on the ground they looked really good. But there was a lot of hoofing it up in the air. Their win was courtesy of two brilliant saves by Joe Hart - serenaded as England's number 4 by the home fans.

Cardiff, well, they had lots of pressure and made lots of chances. Again, when they actually played football instead of head tennis, they looked decent. Their goal came from a nice bit of play and poor old Joe had no chance when the shot came in. But, yeah, they'll be back in the Championship next year unless they suddenly unearth a hitherto unknown striker in their ranks. Josh Murphy might be that man, but Colin had him out on the wing.

[Patrick Thistle]

I went to Grange Albion 1-3 Trebanog

I'm not sure what level this is exactly but, from my tentative research, I believe it is the bottom division of tier 3 in the Welsh pyramid. Grange are my most local team. It was free to get in, there's no bar, no turnstile, no programme but it was an entertaining watch. Trebanog's third was scored from inside their own half but my overriding thought was what great potential Grange Albion have to be Cardiff's city centre based premier Welsh League club. You could get stands in behind one goal and along one side, a small bar in the corner with concrete walkway for the rest. They are in walking distance for Grangetown, Leckwith and Canton and only 20 minutes walk from the city centre.

I've never been to a Grange Albion game. Walked past the ground loads of times and the social club is about 3 minutes from my house as a slow amble.

[Southport Zeb]

I went to Grange Albion 1-3 Trebanog

I'm not sure what level this is exactly but, from my tentative research, I believe it is the bottom division of tier 3 in the Welsh pyramid. Grange are my most local team. It was free to get in, there's no bar, no turnstile, no programme but it was an entertaining watch. Trebanog's third was scored from inside their own half but my overriding thought was what great potential Grange Albion have to be Cardiff's city centre based premier Welsh League club. You could get stands in behind one goal and along one side, a small bar in the corner with concrete walkway for the rest. They are in walking distance for Grangetown, Leckwith and Canton and only 20 minutes walk from the city centre.

South Wales Alliance, Premier Division = fifth tier. Above it is the Welsh Premier League and the three divisions of the Welsh League.

[Aitch]

Three o'clock kick-off on a Saturday afternoon? It must be third tier Dutch semi-prof football! And it's IJsselmeervogels versus Spakenburg. The localest of local derbies, the teams share the same car park and, this being Holland, bike racks. Any closer and they would be semi-detached stadiums. IJsselmeervogels are top of the league and newly promoted Spakenburg are back after two seasons in the division below. The game sells out with a crowd of over 8,000 from of a local population of 19,000. IJsselmeervogels have more finesse but Spakenburg have the brawn and take the lead twice only to be pegged back each time. The final score is a deserved: 2-2. IJsselmeervogels slip to second in the league. Highlights can be seen here.

Footnote
As friendly as the rivalry got, the burger-fathers nevertheless decided to ban all alcohol sales throughout the town, inside and outside the ground, till after the match.

[ingoldale]

I went to Grange Albion 1-3 Trebanog

I'm not sure what level this is exactly but, from my tentative research, I believe it is the bottom division of tier 3 in the Welsh pyramid. Grange are my most local team. It was free to get in, there's no bar, no turnstile, no programme but it was an entertaining watch. Trebanog's third was scored from inside their own half but my overriding thought was what great potential Grange Albion have to be Cardiff's city centre based premier Welsh League club. You could get stands in behind one goal and along one side, a small bar in the corner with concrete walkway for the rest. They are in walking distance for Grangetown, Leckwith and Canton and only 20 minutes walk from the city centre.

[Southport Zeb]

I watched Southport lose at Brackley yesterday. We hit the post and had a goal from the follow up disallowed in the first couple of minutes, but after that it was a pretty toothless performance. Still it was a nice sunny day.

I got to Brackley about 1pm. By 1:05 I had pretty much exhausted what there is to do in the town.

[RobM]

Oakley 1 Musselburgh 2, excellent 3 points for the mighty Burgh.

[Billy Casper]

Fleetwood 1-3 Barnsley

A hard fought, but just about deserved win today.

Ched Evans and Joey Barton received a fair amount of stick from the travelling fans.

[ursus arctos]

You’ve got a bear for a mascot . . .

The ground is a bit different than Millmoor, though.

[Gangster Octopus]

Thanks for watching ua. I utterly adore the fact that someone in Manhattan has spent a couple of hours watching Rotherham United...

[ursus arctos]

The character before Ince’s name is visible on this page from the club store but disappears when one zooms in.

Also only appears on the violet one.

Strange.

[Gangster Octopus]

First draw of the season.

[Gangster Octopus]

Bugger

Heh, I thought that I'd posted that for a moment...