Saturday 18th February 2017 3.00pm
North West Counties League Division One (step six)
AFC Blackpool 0 Ashton Town 5 ht: 0-2 att: 76 Entrance: £6 Prog £1 Coffee £1
– : Robinson 41, Ablewhite 45, 64 (pen), Tyrer 86, Munro 90
from The Mechanics, Jepson Way, Blackpool
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.
I plumped for the lower division offering at Blackpool, attracted by the lowly positions of both teams. Blackpool were fourth bottom, but visitors Ashton were miles adrift in bottom place, 16 points under the relegation zone, with their only win in 26 coming at today’s reverse fixture, a 3-0 win on 20th August. Other than that they’d recorded two draws and 23 losses. Continue reading
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. 
Sunday 23rd October 2016 1.30pm (German Local Time)
There are three Berlin clubs in the North East Regionnaliga. Two of them were at home on the Sunday; after we arrived on Saturday afternoon for four days’ family holiday in the German capital – Berlin AK07 and Berliner FC Dynamo (the other, FC Viktoria 1889 Berlin, were away). The big clubs Berlins Hertha and Union of the 1st and 2nd divisions respectively had played on the Saturday.
Saturday 24th September 2016 2.30pm
You can’t get a more Welsh sounding name than Brymbo, so why does Billy Connolly say it in my head? Brymbo also sounds like it could be Frodo’s great grandfather, with his father being Bilbo and grandfather Bungo.
Saturday 17th September 2016 2.30pm
