I ended up going to Buckingham Athletic v FC Clacton in the FA Vase rather than Old Bradwell United v Bovingdon in the Anagram Records Trophy. The home team had two men sent off including the goalkeeper, but scored with three minutes of extra time remaining to pull off a somewhat unlikely 2-2 draw with their higher-ranked opponents. Clacton brought fans wearing replica shirts and carrying a selection of large flags; Buckingham Athletic spurn such crass favouritism and as such tend to be monitored by interested local citizens. Still, a decent game played in sunshine and 24 degrees.
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Motherwell U21 2-0 Sligo Rovers. Sligo would have won this one if they had somebody up front who knew how to score. A decent following from Sligo of 152 although that should read 151 because I was in with them.
My Granddaughter has went and won two tickets for Scotland v Portugal tonight, so, I can see with my own eyes what a useless twat McLeish really is.
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Saturday : Slovakia 1 Czech Republic 2
Part of the background to this is that 2018 sees the two countries commemorating significant events in their common history. It is the 100th anniversary of the foundation of Czechoslovakia, and the 50th of the Warsaw Pact invasion. Whether because of this, or more general nostalgia, the rivalry between the fans, never exactly fierce, was totally non-existent yesterday. There was much back-slapping, embracing, and singing along to each other's anthems. It was almost a bit TOO friendly.
On the pitch, a dire first-half gave way to an exciting second and the Czechs, to most people's surprise, emerged with the win. They just about deserved it, and the vital goal, a powerful, twisting header by Patrick Schick, would have been worthy of a better tournament than the League of Nations. Slovakia would have been my favourites to win this group before it started. Now they look like finishing bottom. The Czechs need to follow up by beating Ukraine in the week.
Sunday : Rosina 3 Makov 0
The home side started this 4th tier clash with 10 men, as one player still hadn't arrived. It wasn't just any player, it was Radoslav Zabavnik, an ex-Slovakia international who played in the 2010 World Cup, as well as a few seasons for Mainz in the Bundesliga. Apparently, he'd got caught up in traffic en route from Bratislava. He took the field in the 13th minute, shouted a few orders at his fellow defenders, and Rosina gradually took control. Makov had started the day in third place, but offered very little.
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My day.
The plan.
Adjacent Trains to the ex-Czechoslovakian capitals.
A ground.
Pivo, cheese, football and trains.
Spunking cock graffiti.
Another train, from some place called Leopard.
More football. Not many people turned up.
Some ice hockey. Even fewer people turned up.
A train back to where I came from.
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Rochdale 2-3 Doncaster Rovers
Enjoyable away day with a good end to end game bookended by time spent in Manchester's breweries and taphouses. We rode our luck a bit in defence, not least when Rochdale's Ian Henderson managed to miss two efforts at a goalkeeper-less net from six yards in succession; the first blocked on the line, the rebound gloriously Rosenthald off the crossbar. But at the other end we were always threatening, particular when the ball was at Coppinger's feet. He set up all three today, the last of which was such an absolute peach of a pass that all our midfielder needed to do to score was remember to keep breathing. I've no idea what we'll do when he finally retires; almost feels like we should stop watching them.
Spotland was pleasantly welcoming; allowed in their clubhouse pre-match, not searched on the way in the turnstiles, and also the chippy opposite the away end lived up to hype. Shame we've suddenly acquired a load of Hooligan-uniform wearing teenagers who've decided that their Saturday afternoons are best spent travelling to other towns to lob flares about and gesture at opposition fans who have no inclination to fight them.
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Talked to my dad last night. He went to see Wellington Amateurs play Leicester Nirvana in the Vase on Saturday. It was Wellington Amateurs first ever game in the first round of the Vase, so a game of historic note. It was also their last game in the Vase for this season as Nirvana won 2-1 with a late penalty. A minibus of fans turned up from Leicester. It cost dad £3 to get in and he won the raffle so got to take a bottle of Hungarian chardonnay home.
He then proceeded to read me the Barry Town write up from the non-league paper even though I was at the game, knew the result, could have described the goal to him etc. Despite me telling him I knew the details because I was at the game, he kept on reading. I think he was fact-checking the paper, though why anyone would lie in print about a Barry Town result is beyond me.
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Sheffield 0-0 Morpeth Town
Made a late decision to go to this last night and was duly rewarded with my first goalless draw since mid-February, some 24 games ago. Morpeth are top of the league by some distance but not entirely sure how given that they didn't appear to have any strikers worthy of the name - player availability issues maybe? Most of their attempts on goal were trying to bundle in set pieces or midfielders taking pot shots from outside the box. They were rather mouthy and in the refs face, the number 7 (who looked like Steve Lomas) was a particular presence and there was great delight when the number 10 finally got carded. This all led to the game being rather stop start at times. Sheffield fashioned a few chances themselves but the draw was a fair result and the home side seemed pleased with it.
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Mickleover Sports 0-0 Matlock Town
First game in a couple of years decided to go as an ex team-mate is assistant manager at Matlock and Mickleover was where I played. This was awful, constant long balls that were easily batted away by the respective centre halves or sailed through harmlessly to the keepers. Both keepers were wearing long sleeves though, so there is that to be thankful for. Was better for me seeing the same faces that were there when I was playing from 94-2003 doing the same unpaid roles on the gate, Mr. Brown selling the raffle tickets (both his sons played at the same time as me and he must be getting on for 80 now). Ground has developed from the municipal sports park that it used to be and was quite a handy crowd there last night.
Another point of note was that I was catching the conversation of a group of 20 somethings next to me, one of them was talking of how the odds had changed prior to a game at Scarborough for Mickleover and that their mutual friend was upset as he had a couple of grand on the result. That shocked me, one that you could bet on a Mickleover game and two that people would drop two grand on what is essentially hobby football.
Result leaves both sides just outside the relegation slots.
Oh, I almost forgot: The bloke that we picked up last night lives opposite Frank Lampard's Derby County manager, Frank Lampard's house. Didn't see Frank though.
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