FIRST TWO WEEKS OF NOVEMBER 2020
AT THE ARMCHAIR GROUND [with comfy cushions]
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| TV CAMERAS WOULD BE HIGHLY IMPORTANT IN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS HERE IS ONE AT AFC NEWTOWN |
After a season of limited games and grounds for a lot of hoppers the current hiatus saw me continue to be reliant on the excellent S4C Wales coverage of The JD Welsh Premier League with the three clubs who were compliant to regulations filling in the next two weeks. Attached to this though was the chance to dip the toe in the water of Pay Per View [PPV] games something that previously was not in my favourable column, at least not the big clubs games. However with many of the smaller clubs becoming reliant on fans paying a reasonable price to watch a varying selection of coverage of their streamed games I jumped in for two weeks of virtual hopping that led to a fantastic selection of visits.
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| THERE WOULD BE NO TRAIN TRAVEL AT ALL TO ANY OF THESE FIXTURES |
Regulars to this blog will know that for me its about the travel, the towns or area the club is situated in and of course the people so this would be a little different as I plumped up the cushion in my chair for various positions of relaxation to visit some of the new grounds that had taken my fancy along side it has to be said a few old favourites. The pictures were selected from stock ones rather than use others so it is a little bit of a shame to not bring you some grounds that are less familiar but I'm sure Weszlo and Kelty Hearts are easily researchable. Here goes,
After starting at the end of October with a Welsh Premier League fixture between Haverfordwest County and Bala, which was a tremendous encounter, the last live game was in The Chesterfield Sunday League which saw in November and is blogged a few posts back.
CLIFTONVILLE V GELNTORAN 2 NOVEMBER
So it all started with an old favourite Cliftonville who were welcoming Glentoran to Solitude for a Belfast derby in the County Antrim Shield a trophy that the hosts held. That in itself had been a remarkable final trailing 1-0 they scored two goals in the 7 minutes of stoppage time to snatch the silverware away from the grasp of Ballymena United. So for £7 the camera view would be from the upper tier of the old stand and although dark surrounding the ground the twinkling lights of North Belfast were visible.
A spectacle it was not with an 89th minute winner for Glentoran meaning a new name would appear on the large shield this season.
SHAMROCK ROVERS V ST PATS ATHLETIC 3 NOVEMBER
The next night and a trip into southern Ireland and with Shamrock Rovers due to pick up the SSE Airtricity Premiership League trophy tonight an interesting Dublin derby in prospect, wrong. It ended 0-0 although the Tallaght stadium with its colourful seating arrangement added something to what was a dour affair. But it had only cost 5 Euros so I had sort of had a night out in.
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| CLIFTONVILLE MANAGER PADDY MCLAUGHLIN |
ABERDEEN V HIBS 6 NOVEMBER
Match night on a Friday is always different and although I thought a little while about this one at £12.99 I decided a trip to the granite city would be good with these two in third and fourth respectively in the SPL. The dons led 2-0 within a quarter of an hour and after that it was all very steady stuff so much so that my eyes had a small closure for ten minutes in the second half although I was back awake to see Hibs first shot in target in the 91st minute. This was a really poor encounter and the visitors never really showed up from the off.
KELTY HEARTS V EAST KILBRIDE 7 NOVEMBER
Saturday would see a quick dash down to Kelty and this top of the table clash in The Lowland League against former Scottish League opponents saw the top two competing and a chance to look at New Central Park. Sadly upon tuning in just before kick off there was a very little to see of the surrounding area it was an afternoon shrouded in mist and fog. Although it did relent at stages to see what looked like a very smart ground it was once again a very poor game from which the visitors took away a one nil win. This one had set me back £8 and after four games I had not seen a good encounter yet under the PPV banner.
BALA V TNS 7 NOVEMBER
An even sharper dash to the Welsh Prem for this rearranged fixture and thanks to Sgorio it would be a free game and it turned out to be the best of a poor bunch so far. TNS had taken the lead but Bala deservedly equalized. It was a strange game in that three weeks or so earlier the game was abandoned at 2-2 with 88 minutes on the clock due to floodlight failure. After much bewilderment at the FAW decision to replay it the same outcome in the sense of points was achieved but Maes Tegid is always worth a trip.
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| THE BEAUTY OF BALA AND MAES TEGID |
RANGERS V HAMILTON ACADEMICALS 8 NOVEMBER
Like a gambling addiction I was now chasing the big one I needed a win in the form of a good game. Having started the weekend in Scotland it was a mad dash back to Glasgow this time as I plumped up the cushion for a Sunday trip to Ibrox for top versus bottom. In the sense of a good game this was not it but in the application of a ruthless Glasgow Rangers side it absolutely was scoring four goal in each half were some sides would have taken their foot off the gas Steven Gerrard was not letting his side do that. So for a reasonable £9.99 this was probably the best performance so far.
FINN HARPS V WATERFORD 9 NOVEMBER
Back over the water to the north west of the Republic of Ireland for a league game which had it all to play for Waterford travelled up from down south to the delightfully named Ballybofey knowing they needed a win for a European place whereas the home side also needed three points to avoid a relegation play off. Finn Park is an old and worn out ground but its one of those that all hoppers love it has character and characters with a new ground started over a decade ago in the town hopes are not high for a move. However the supporters run club are making massive steps to keep the club going and are to be credited. Once again 5 Euros in and I even went for an additional 3 Euros for what is an excellent match programme, I went for the digital format but its well worth a look in either. Harps led through a first half Adam Foley strike a close range effort that the clubs declared a goal of the season contender with tongue in cheek, it was probably though their most important. A superb game continued with Waterford now only needing a draw, due to other scores, being denied by an unbelievable goal line clearance in the 95th minute by David Webster. The best game so far by a mile.
DUNGANNON SWIFTS V CLIFTONVILLE 9 NOVEMBER
Back into the north of Ireland and like buses you wait for one and two come along together in this case in another really good game of association football in The Danske Bank Premiership. So it was £7 with an excellent commentary team of Jonny Martin and Darren Murphy making this one even better there were also three different camera angles on show. Swifts were without a win but apparently playing well whereas Cliftonville travelled west looking to threaten the top of the league. Dougie Wilson gave Swifts a half time lead but Cliftonville equalised in the second half thanks to an excellent free kick from Garry Breen. But there was no denying Dungannon who as well as without a win had not scored a goal this season they got their second and first win when Wilson got his second from the penalty spot.
Another smart little ground it had been a pleasure to spend the evening at Stangmore Park and it was now two good games in a row.
GALA FAIRYDEAN ROVERS V BSC GLASGOW 14 NOVEMBER
Three whole days off without a streamed game and today there would be two to make up for it and both of the free variety. A much wanted visit to Galashiels would be achieved virtually and although the camera was set in the concrete sweeping stand of the 1960s at Netherdale you got a feel for the place as this Lowland League encounter was watched by the adjacent rugby ground and the cloud topped mountains in the distance. Excellent coverage and commentary was brought by the chaps on 'Mozza plays' on behalf of Broomhill Sports Club Glasgow. Two second half goals would see the borders side win this Lowland League clash but only after the visitors were harshly reduced to ten men for an innocuous looking second booking by a referee who had a challenging second forty five minutes. A nice game but this one was so much about the setting and its still on the list of 'to do's'.
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| ADRIAN CIESLEWICZ OF TNS FEATURING IN BOTH THE WPL SIDES GAMES |
TNS V BARRY TOWN UNITED 14 NOVEMBER
Back to Wales or more accurately England and Oswestry for this Welsh Premier League game again thanks to Sgorio. Another intriguing fixture in which at 2-0 TNS looked to have it sealed up for a certain three points but you lean never to write off a Gavin Chesterfield side and they came back with a goal and it has to be said towards the end were looking the stronger team but it was The New Saints who got over the line thanks to Louis Robles and the ever youthful Greg Draper.
KTS WESZLO V MADZIAR NIEPORET 15 NOVEMBER
The final day of this two week challenge[?] would start with an early Sunday morning flight to Warsaw International and Chopin airport, he of music and famous countryman, well I plumped up the seat again anyway in the armchair. A noon kick off in the Klasa A Warsaw game that saw top versus third at the stadium of RKS Okecie whom it would appear KTS [Klub Towarzysko-Sportowy] share with. I came across this one thanks to the Chesterfield Sunday League Secretary who was guiding me through his visits to Krakow and Hutnik Krakow Football Club and while researching found this game and had to have a look at some even further studying before viewing. The ground upon doing that research is literally a ten minute walk from the airport on the main Franciszka Hynka Road. Like so many eastern European grounds they are in the form of a running track or bowl around them, this though has long since disappeared to any intense purpose here. The club operate a good social media stream and this is probably helped that the clubs president as his own media outlet and today would be the main guest on presentation of this top of the table clash. The ground has a smart clubhouse set up with a nearly full side of open aired banked seats, there is a vast space behind each goal and the far side although with banking contains just dug outs. I believe this is somewhere around tier 5 in Poland although I stand corrected by the more knowledgeable.
Weszlo were romping the league with some big wins and are clearly a force to be reckoned with and on the up this will be the last game before the winter break in Poland and at half time a four goal to nil lead thanks to a third minute close range effort from Michal Kroplewnicki, just over the double figure mark Bartek Januszewski made it two without reply the same player got his second ten minutes before the break before the fourth was a wonderful move. A lovely one two down the middle fed captain Daniel Ciechanski, who had missed the target with a penalty mid way though the half, to convert from just inside the penalty box, clearly the class act in the side.
The second period was more measured but KTS did add to their tally although home keeper Domink Byszewski was called on to make a couple of sharp saves. The game was wrapped up with goal in 74 and 82 minutes from Krzysiek Kondracki and Gregorz Zaleski who slotted home from close range. This was a comprehensive win for a side who look destined for the title their league record so far has a goal difference of 83 and having conceded just four all season their four point gap at the top looks like extending in the new year.
A good game watched by 17,000 in the live stream which will have brought the club to many peoples attention I shall watch out eagerly for their results.
RANGERS WOMEN V CELTIC WOMEN 15 NOVEMBER
This one was £3.49 and I thought Glasgow derby why not, staged at the Auchenhowie training facility of Rangers it was an impressive performance from both women's sides with Celtic content to defend the Rangers early attack. So it continued with Rangers looking good but as so often happens in the second minute of time added on Celtic secured a one nil win from the penalty spot thanks to Summer Green. A fair encounter but I was tiring now.
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| NEVER DISCOUNT A BARRY SIDE UNDER THE MANAGEMENT OF GAVIN CHESTERFIELD |
WALES V REPUBLIC OF IRELAND 15 NOVEMBER
Back to Wales and courtesy of Sgorio game three of the day with cushion massager working overtime it was what most internationals have become, pass square for ten minutes and then pass back to the goalkeeper. The second half was though better and David Brooks notched the winner for the Principality in this Nations League game. Not a great match to finish on but the second week had certainly produced more excitement than the first.
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| GLASGOW DECKER COACH BUT HERE ON A RAIL REPLACEMENT SERVICE IN DERBYSHIRE CAN THE PICTURE LINKS GET ANY LOOSER |
A good filler for the shortage of live grassroots sport that allowed some free and not to expensive trips to different grounds and of course a return to a few old favourites in Wales. The virtual trip to Poland was excellent as was the Lowland League grounds and it certainly whets the appetite to visit some of these in future fixtures but hopefully this time by travelling to the actual game. As pop band M listed in their 1980s hit Pop Muzik, New York, London, Paris, Munich - this though was more like, Kelty, Aberdeen, Bala, Warsaw everybody's taking about ground hopping.
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| GOBOWEN FOR OSWESTRY FOR TNS |
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