The Non - League thread

[dizzynewheights]

Will be at York Road tomorrow for the Official Opening of the new stand, including The MMS seat

Taking my boy to his first game too

[Four Of Clubs]

Will be at York Road tomorrow for the Official Opening of the new stand, including The MMS seat

Taking my boy to his first game too

...think I took my eldest to York Rd for his 3rd NL match - almost 10 years ago - how time flies [sniff]
- his actual NL debut was at a very dusty Krooner Pk, Camberley in a fairly uninspiring FA Cup Extra Preliminary game vs Thatcham at the end of August that year (2004) - 1-0 last kick of the match.
I was very proud of the fact that unlike some other 7 yr olds, he didn't get bored, whine, kick the seats and generally run up and down making a f£ckin nuisance of himself. He wasn't particularly interested in football back then (unlike his younger brother now, who actually plays in a team) but he just liked being out with his Dad - and I think he 'caught the bug' - : barely talks to me now other than to grunt, argue or generally be stroppy.

We had some very good years together trawling around NL - he got up to about 170 grounds before 'Teen-ism' really set in. Tends to go Bellringing now (his Mother's hobby) - does occasionally still venture out with me but is the exception. Decided I wasn't going to fork out for an RFC ST again for him this year - he'd moved into the over 16s bracket - as he misses so many home games. So bought the younger one (he's 12 next b'day) a £99 job instead and renewed his sister's. At least he can upgrade one of theirs if he wants to come or get one on his member card.

Enjoy it all while you can

PS - the match at York Rd I mentioned above, ended 3-3 vs StAlebuns. Both Magpies' CBs were stretchered off after about 10' - clash of heads going for the same ball - match delayed Ambulances called etc - so quite an eventful game for my lad.

[dizzynewheights]

Beatiful

To be fair mines only 2 and a half so I don't expect him to be even slightly interested in the game, although he's been pretty excited about it all week and is already a dab hand at the free kick game on my phone

Am hoping the trains passing along the back of the stand will be enough to keep him occupied and provided he isn't utterly terrified of the noise/crowds (lol) then he'll make his debut at the Madejski next week.

I'm shocked to learn you fit in a RFC season ticket on top of all the non league action

[Four Of Clubs]

I'm shocked to learn you fit in a RFC season ticket on top of all the non league action

... yeah been spoiled a bit with recent RFC successes but these days I feel an ever-creeping sense of duty rather than pleasure, when trawling over to the MadStad on a Saturday/Tuesday. If my kids weren't at all interested then I may waver more seriously.

Secretly I might prefer to be trundling around waaaay out in the sticks - for example trying to find Coleshill's ground for a N.Berks match.

Then again it only takes a game like Bolton or Blackpool last season to keep me hooked - it's in the bones you know!

Have missed a mere handful of home games since about '78 when I came back to football at Elm Pk - even ventured to Away matches for quite a while, then started alternating with NL some time in the eighties.

Didn't really develop the 'anorak-travelling-new-ground-grabbing' aspect until much later - perhaps early 90s - my records are pretty hazy around that time (much as my life was!) e.g. it looks as if I may have done places such as Ashford (Kent) and Dunstable in about '92 and those are places I would not have chosen as an occasional NL viewer. Previously used to stick to and repeat very local venues: Wokkers (that's Town @ Finch Rd), Bracknell, Windsor, Sluff (Wexham Pk), Newbury, Farnboro etc - not sure I could drive until about 85.

- plus in my early teens the seeds of NL football were probably planted as I had been a regular down at 'Ramsgit' for a couple of years - then eventually returned prodigal son like to Baaarks (as a stundent) and never looked back.

[Four Of Clubs]

Results locally in NL yesterday:

CONFP
Aldershot Town 3-1 Altrincham
Alfreton Town 1-3 Woking
CONFN
Hyde 0-1 Oxford City
CONFS
Basingstoke Town 0-1 Hemel Hempstead Town
Boreham Wood 2-0 Farnborough
Chelmsford City 0-1 Gosport Borough
Concord Rangers 3-0 Bath City
Havant & Waterlooville 1-3 Bromley
Maidenhead United 2-1 Sutton United
Salisbury City P-P Ebbsfleet United - 'Whites currently on the brink - big issues over their ownership and they are on the point of being turfed out of the Conference altogether.
St Albans City 0-1 Hayes & Yeading Utd
Wealdstone 1-1 Eastbourne Borough
Weston-Super-Mare 0-1 Bishops Stortford
Whitehawk 1-2 Staines Town

SOUTHP
Burnham 0-2 Slough Town att 450 - goals from Dyer and Parsons deep in injury time
Truro City 0-3 Chesham United
Weymouth 3-1 Hungerford Town
SOUTH1C
AFC Hayes 2-2 Hanwell Town
Aylesbury 1-1 Potters Bar Town
Barton Rovers 4-5 Egham Town -Sarnies were 4 up after half an hour - shows wot I know - tipped them to struggle after watching them v Cove in a PSF
Beaconsfield SYCOB 3-5 Bedford Town
Chalfont St Peter 0-2 Bedworth United
Godalming Town 1-0 Marlow
North Greenford United 1-2 St Ives Town
SOUTH1S&W
Didcot Town 2-0 Swindon Supermarine
Fleet Town 1-1 Evesham United
North Leigh 6-2 Mangotsfield United
Wantage Town 0-3 Taunton Town - not a great start for the Freds at this level for the first time

CCLP
Camberley Town 1-2 Molesey - bit of a setback for one of the pre-season favourites but 'Moles' big win at Chertsey in midweek, indicates they may challenge too - they'd have been disappointed with their average finish last season - they were in the chasing pack until late March when they slumped alarmingly with only 4 points from their last 11 games ?
Chertsey Town 2-4 Mole Valley SCR - 'Curfews' suffer badly at home again but at least they've scored goals now.
Colliers Wood United 2-1 Windsor - not the best follow up to their comfortable win in midweek?
Cove 2-1 Hanworth Villa - home side 100% and equal top with new boys Spelly - both sides away this midweek Cove go to Knaphill - Spelthorne at the Spectrum on Wed night vs Guildford - may well pop along
Farnham Town 0-1 Guildford City
Frimley Green 2-4 Bedfont Sports
Hartley Wintney 2-1 Epsom & Ewell
Raynes Park Vale 0-0 Knaphill
Spelthorne Sports 3-0 Badshot Lea
Westfield 0-2 Ashford Town (Middx)
CCL1
Ash United 1-1 Sheerwater
Banstead Athletic 0-2 Eversley & California E&C don't seem too traumatised on the field by their demotion back to Div One on the eve of the new season - don't know if any of last years squad have now reconsidered after their reported mass walk-out. On maximum points so far. Working feverishly behind the scenes to get their floodlight vs planning regulations issue resolved in good time, for the next assessors visit. Would be unfortunate to get the all clear and NOT finish high enough to take advantage.
Cobham 0-3 Worcester Park
CB Hounslow United 1-0 AFC Croydon Athletic
Dorking 1-2 Bedfont & Feltham
Epsom Athletic 4-4 Alton Town
Sandhurst Town 1-3 Chessington & Hook United
Staines Lammas 1-3 Farleigh Rovers

HELLP
Abingdon United 0-0 Newbury - took U's 13 matches to get their first points last season - equally Newbury will be happy to pick up a point as they had a torrid time too - eventually finished well adrift of Ab Utd and only above Ab T who,sadly, resigned from the Hellenic to drop into the NBerks.
Ardley United 3-1 Cheltenham Saracens
Binfield 6-1 Wootton Bassett Town two more for Davies I on his return to the club - Moles home to Nomads tomorrow night (Monday)
Bracknell Town 2-2 Milton United reportedly quite a lively tussle
Brimscombe & Thrupp 1-5 Ascot United - great start - may have ambitions to better their 3rd place in 13-14
Flackwell Heath 3-2 Thatcham Town
Kidlington 5-0 Holyport
Oxford City Nomads 1-2 Shrivenham
Reading Town 1-3 Highworth Town - not a good opener for RTFC - and they usually start very well - doesn't get any easier - next up a trip to many people's faves to walk this division Ardley - though 'Moles' and 'Yellamen' may have a say in that.
Thame United 0-2 Highmoor Ibis - promising start from the team 'everyone loves to hate'
HELL1W
Letcombe 1-3 New College Swindon
HELL1E
Brackley Town 'Dev' 2-1 Burnham Res
Chalfont Wasps 0-8 {EIGHT} Didcot Town Res
Easington Sports 0-2 Finchampstead
Headington Amateurs 1-2 Wokingham & Emmbrook
Old Woodstock Town 2-2 Henley Town
Penn & Tylers Green 3-4 Woodley Town
Rayners Lane 3-2 Chinnor
- good away victories for the bottom two in 13-14 - Finch and Woodley. The latter are playing home games at Scours Lane this season - together with the 'Sumas' all three will be looking for a means to improve their facilities or potentially face enforced demotion for 15-16 to the newly branded: 'Thames Valley League' (formerly the Reading Football League)
All in the same 'leaky' boat too - would need a revolutionary change within WBC for any of them to progress plans for new permanent sites, to enable grading to play on at STEP06 or above. As before Finch rumoured to be going in with Eversley but they still have issues of their own so that's on hold - news of a merger/share between Wok & Woodley has all gone a bit quiet too - were looking at a site over in west Bracknell but don't suppose either Binfield or the 'Robins' would necessarily welcome that?
There are FIVE other clubs in this very division who will also need to 'improve or move' - cannot honestly see Div One East remaining in this format at STEP06 though presumably the Hellenic League will try their best to ensure their membership isn't decimated. I'm not sure the West division is that much better off, with quite a few clubs 'courting' moves into the Western League

WESSP
(Fri 8th) Fawley 1-0 Andover Town
Hamworthy 1-1 Winchester City
Whitchurch United 3-3 Blackfield & Langley
WESS1
Fleet Spurs 3-0 Laverstock & Ford
Pewsey Vale 3-0 East Cowes Victoria
Tadley Calleva 6-0 United Service Portsmouth

...considered a 'Champagne game' [Anorak Terminology ] at Totton & Eling, down nr the bottom of the M3/M271 in the Wessex Premier - would mean I'd completed all grounds in one division. Actually more an 'Asti Spumante' moment, as I've seen T&E in former guise, BAT Sports(British and American Tobaccos ) on their previous ground (Southern Gardens) down in the town. Now they have a shiny new ground adjacent to AFC Totton's Testwood Stadium. There were some rumours that their bigger neighbours' recent financial troubles had 'locked' T&E fans out of the supposedly 'shared' facilities including the Bar/Social Club .
Another reason for treating it as a lesser 'celebratory' landmark, would be that I haven't actually been to Newport IoW's ground either - but I could discount them as they aren't on the mainland.
As it transpired T&E's match yesterday had been switched to Moneyfields nr Porstmarf - no idea why - think it was a very late change - so instead I 'ticked a new one' in the Hants Premier at AFC Stoneham (W4-1 v Liss Athletic) - pretty much a long throw from Eastleigh's Silverlake Stadium nr Soton Airport.

[Royalist]

Hearing Windsor having issues with players quitting or being unhappy as his friends are not playing. The current system at Stag Meadow just about works at this level but is clearly cracking under the strain of a side pushing for promotion.

Quite impressed i've done a ground FoC hasn't! TWICE! Would recommend a early season trip next august. Pretend its a family weekend break and 'accidently' find they are playing at home!

[Royal Rother]

If the players want to play with their mates I guess they should stick to their Sunday League teams.

Nobody gets paid at Windsor - whether that means the manager should show loyalty to the players who played last season (and failed to gain promotion) or try out some other new local faces who might improve on that, is open to debate.

The one who apparently walked out after the match yesterday will no doubt be missed by some and not by others. I'm in the latter camp.

[Four Of Clubs]

Quite impressed I've done a ground FoC hasn't! TWICE! Would recommend a early season trip next august. Pretend its a family weekend break and 'accidently' find they are playing at home!

...managed something like that last time we went on hols to IoW - me and the eldest (and one of the younger ones too I think) - managed to get in Brading AND Cowes Sports in the week we were there - sadly Newport weren't at home and East Cowes, the other Wessex Div One club is a git to get to.

Subsequently Brading have dropped back into the IoW leagues - miserable b&stards - means I've 'lost' a tick. Wacky ground overlooking a private areodrome (or possibly even two?) and has the railway line running along the touchline - the one with ex-LT Underground rolling stock.

Odd 'small world' co-incidence - whilst at camp site nr Wroxall - chatted to a bloke in the washing up queue, wearing an RFC shirt - he was one of the M'Stad drummers - was early season - the one where we won away at Leics on tele?

Wanted to 'manufacture' a family holiday THIS year down in Devon to try and get to a few of the more 'remote' westerly NL sides - one's I wouldn't contemplate trying to drive there and back. Bideford/Barnstaple/Ilfracombe - sadly dropped out pre-season - in the north or Bridport/Buckland/Dorchester/Weymuff etc to the south.

...sadly couldn't muster enough votes to squeeze it in amongst the FoC family schedules.

[maffff]

Went to see Dulwich Hamlet win their opener 3-2 on Saturday. Brilliant club, great fans. One of my more enjoyable experiences with the sport over the last few years.

[maffff]

[Linden Jones]

If you don't fancy trekking up to Middlesbrough on 30th August you can watch Maidenhead United take on Eastbourne Borough at York Road absolutely free of charge:

http://files.pitchero.com/clubs/1815/maidenheadfcfixtures_115423.pdf

[dizzynewheights]

Hi Steve

[frimmers3]

Those with BT Sport could,if they wish,enjoy Eastleigh versus the mighty 'Shots live tonight.

[Royalist]

Strange seeing Eastleigh in the conference. Then again i remember Windsor and Eton taking a weak side there and drawing 0-0 and being happy with that against Money Bags Eastleigh. If WIndsor and Eton thought they were spending a lot they must of been ambitious!

[Royal Rother]

Yawn

[Elmer Park]

The draw has been made for the Berks and Bucks Senior Cup and it surprisingly includes Reading

http://www.berks-bucksfa.com/cups/2014- ... #1st-round

[Royalist]

Can't afford the fine!

Fell asleep watching the Eastleigh game on around 88 mins And yep. A last min winner!

[liamobey]

Yeah. I've been down there a few times with my mate who used to live in Peckham.

It was great.

He's moved to Highbury now so his new local team is a bit more of an expense on matchdays.

[floyd__streete]

Yawn

Rattled

He's right though, isn't he

[floyd__streete]

The draw has been made for the Berks and Bucks Senior Cup and it surprisingly includes Reading

http://www.berks-bucksfa.com/cups/2014- ... #1st-round

IN.....for Marlow away