Bedworth United

Thursday 29th December 2016
Northern League Division One South
Bedworth United 5 Loughborough Dynamo 1 ht: 2-0 att: 172
Cavanagh 9, Parrott 22, Christie 55, Creaney 57, Jeys 66 : Demidh 74

from The Oval (Entrance £9, Programme £2, Coffee £1)

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.

Three Men and a Blaby

Saturday 17th December 2016 15.00
East Midlands League Premier
Blaby & Whetstone Athletic 5 Ellistown & Ibstock 1 ht: 4-0 att: 40 Ent: £5 Prog £2 Coffee £1
Lane 3, Ireland 13, Bates 24, Preston 31, 79 : Thorpe 70

from Warwick Road

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.

Berliner FC Dynamo

Sunday 23rd October 2016 1.30pm (German Local Time)
Regionalliga Nordost (Step Four)
Berliner FC Dynamo 5 FC Schönberg 95 2 ht: 2-1 att: 612 Entrance €12 Programme €2 Coffee €1.50 Beer €2

Rockenbach de Silva 29, Göwecke 33, Srbeny 59 (pen), 70 Pröger 61: Dippert 35, Steinwarth (pen) 53

from Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Sportpark

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.

Despite Berlin AK07 being the older club, Berliner FC Dynamo’s fascinating history and quintessentially East European ground with comcomitant communist era floodlights decided it for me.

Brymbo

Saturday 24th September 2016 2.30pm
Welsh National League Premier Division
Brymbo 2 Llay Welfare 0 ht: 1-0 att: 35 (hc) Entry: £1.50 inc. programme Coffee £1
Bradshaw 25, McKenna 89

from The Crick, Tanyfron
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.

Brymbo FC are the last Welsh National side with a stand I’ve left to do. As far as I know the others I haven’t done are railed pitches. The Steelmen were founded as Brymbo Steelworks FC in 1943, have won the Welsh National League no less than fourteen times and have played at Cymru Alliance level (step two).

Welsh National League grounds I’ve visited

Overton Recreational

Saturday 17th September 2016 2.30pm
Welsh National League Premier Division
Overton Recreational 1 Brickfield Rangers 8 ht: 0-5 att: 46 (hc) no entry no prog coffee £1

from Overton-on-Dee Recreation Ground

Something always tempts me over to Wales on a spare Saturday, even though the only nearby grounds I have left to visit, have little about them, except great views in some cases. Even though the Welsh National League is tier three of Wales (one of four tier three leagues), the standard of grounds plummets sharply to the asymptote of pitch with goals.

Gedling Miners Welfare

Saturday 10th September 2016 3pm
FA Vase 1st Qualifying Round
Gedling Miners Welfare 2 Oakham United 3 ht: 0-0 att: 50 Ent: £5 Prog: £1 Coffee £1

Whitehead 83 (pen), ET 3 : Nelson 50 ET, 2, 18

from Plains Social Club

I’ve not seen many FA Vase games, so given I had a free Saturday and it was first round time, thought I’d check one out. I hit upon Gedling Miners Welfare, partly as I’d recently done the old Gedling Town ground, currently occupied by Real United and partly because they were playing Oakham United, and I love Oakham beers, which I assume come from the town. A weak link but one has to chose on some basis.

Corwen

Friday 12th August 2016 6.45pm
Welsh National League Premier Division
Corwen 1 Cefn Albion 1 ht: 0-0 att: 85 Ent: free Prog: no Coffee £1

from War Memorial Park

A warm Friday night in August, what better way to spend it than indulging in some Clwb Pêl-droed action in the Principality? In fact this was the first game of the season (along with games at Chirk and Llay). Corwen was just 10 miles west of Llangollen, so a stop off at the beautiful Denbighshire town was a pre-match given. The Corn Mill, lying next to the whitewater section of Dee river that pounds its way under the main bridge in town, sold a number of real ales, and had a veranda out front overlooking the rock-strewn rapids. As beer gardens go, it takes some beating.