Saturday 8th April 2017 3.00pm
Midlands League Division One
Leicester Road 11 Southam United 0 ht: 5-0 att: 60 hc Entrance £5 Programme £1.50 Coffee £1
Stenson 7,12,25,38 (pen), Holt 43, Bennett 68, McGlinchey 72,79,80, Sandhu 82,83
from Leicester Road Stadium
This game set a few personal records. It was my first home double figures ever – my previous best was 8, seen several times. It was also the second highest goals in one game I’d seen. Second to Johnstown Youth 0 Llanwchyllin 13, last season. I did choose Leicester Road as a venue mostly for the fact that a cricket score was likely. Southam United have had a retched season, conceding 176 goals before today and within the last week losing 0-10 at home to Leicester Road’s championship and proximity rivals AFC Hinckley.
Tuesday 4th April 2017 7.45pm
Anstey Nomad’s Davidson Homes Park completed the East Midlands League for me. 22/22. The fast A50 corridor has helped the speedy completion. If I list my completed leagues like a football club lists their trophies, then mine reads thus:
Ashville play at Villa Park and if their name was two words they’d be AVFC also. Ashville isn’t named after a place, but a street (like Graham Street Prims). They were founded by John and Joyce Dennett from 25 Ashville Road, Wallassey, in 1949. You’d be forgiven for not having heard of them as they play at Step 8 (EIGHT) of non league, in the West Cheshire Division Two. For their low place in the pyramid, their ground is remarkable – it could easily mingle a few steps higher up. 
Saturday 18th February 2017 3.00pm
The choice was between AFC Blackpool and Nelson, two of the four I’ve left to visit in the NWCL. Three of them are exactly the same distance away, to the mile. The two mentioned and Squire’s Gate. The other, Carlisle City, is a light year away.
Monday 2nd January 2017 3.00pm
The first outing of 2017, but the game I ended up going to was not on the agenda when I set out. I was set to go to Coventry Copsewood v Southam United, looking for a thumping home win, but had to divert as my traffic-enabled satnav told me the journey time was 2hrs 20 minutes, due to… well actually fairly typical M6 conditions, even on a non workday. The suggested alternative route added 20 miles to the journey, but anyway it became a point of principle to eschew the constipated north south route. So once again I headed out on the untrammelled A50, west to east, a driver’s paradise. 
Thursday 29th December 2016
Bedworth United have not appeared on my radar much over the years. They’re one of those border clubs that change between the Southern League and Northern League, dependent on the new geographical mix of clubs. In 2014-15 they were promoted via the play-offs to the Southern Premier. Last season they were relegated from the Southern Premier, but joined the Northern League Division One South. Despite not knowing anything about them, I’d chosen The Oval for this rare Thursday night action. 
Saturday 17th December 2016 15.00
Blaby & Whetstone Athletic continued my collection of EML grounds, now 18 out of 22. The EML has quickly become my favourite league, mostly for the attacking style of play adopted by most teams – it’s easily the highest scoring league for me personally – I’d bet it was in the top five of Step Six leagues nationally. Just this season, in my three previous jaunts to Holwell Sports, West Bridgford and Radcliffe Borough I’ve seen a 2-5, 4-4 and 5-1 respectively. 
