The second half was very different from the first half. There were periods when Chelsea were completely dominant. There were no prolonged periods with Arsenal in charge. The match was still entertaining but in this second half some of the challenges were more determined and a few yellow cards were shown.
When Eden Hazard came on he made a difference. He provided the cross through a mass of defenders for Marcos Alonso to get a touch into the net and Chelsea took the lead. The Arsenal response as it has been for years was to carry on exactly as before. With many teams you will see a sense of urgency upon going behind. Arsenal are, of course, above that. We are so good that we will win without having to put any effort in. It has always been thus. Unfortunately that is why we never beat the really top teams. There was no "determination to win".
Our third match is against West Ham who have bought very well in the summer. If they get their act together this will be the third tough match in a row. The one hope I do have is past experience. When have West Ham EVER got their act together. They could go three goals up and we will win 4-3. That would be a great match to watch for us but if Unai Emery is doing his job then perhaps we will see a better defensive performance maybe at the cost of attacking flair.
I shall watch the lower leagues now.
Until next Saturday ...
Saturday, 18 August 2018
Half Time Chelsea 2 Arsenal 2
It is hard to understand what I have just watched.
There have been some dazzling individual performances but Arsenal still have no idea how to defend.
This is a long standing problem that Unai Emery has to fix using some magic formula that none of the pundits seem to know or understand.
Chelsea were dominant in the early exchanges and took a two nil lead with goals from Pedro and Morata. They could have had more.
Something then snapped in the Chelsea formation. Arsenal scored two goals and missed three much easier open goals. Mkhitaryan and Iwobi got the goals.
Shooting practice is required for Aubameyang, Mkhitaryan and Iwobi as they each missed from a position that it would have been easier to score. Sky shots.
So with Chelsea running the show they went 2-0 up then took their foot off the gas. Arsenal could have had 5 in reply but only managed to put two in the onion bag.
I hope that the second half contains the same level of entertainment.
There have been some dazzling individual performances but Arsenal still have no idea how to defend.
This is a long standing problem that Unai Emery has to fix using some magic formula that none of the pundits seem to know or understand.
Chelsea were dominant in the early exchanges and took a two nil lead with goals from Pedro and Morata. They could have had more.
Something then snapped in the Chelsea formation. Arsenal scored two goals and missed three much easier open goals. Mkhitaryan and Iwobi got the goals.
Shooting practice is required for Aubameyang, Mkhitaryan and Iwobi as they each missed from a position that it would have been easier to score. Sky shots.
So with Chelsea running the show they went 2-0 up then took their foot off the gas. Arsenal could have had 5 in reply but only managed to put two in the onion bag.
I hope that the second half contains the same level of entertainment.
Saturday Post Match
In reverse order then:
Twitter confirms that EXMOUTH TOWN beat Torpoint Athletic 4-0 with three goals from "Ace High" and one from Boere. This has peaked my interest and I must drop in "at the end of the line" next time I am in Exmouth.
Roman Glass are now 4-1 up against BUCKLAND ATHLETIC although there is no confirmation yet that this is a result. According to the tweets Les Afful scored from the penalty spot but apart from that it was a fairly easy home victory.
There is a similar situation going on at Moneyfields. They are 3-1 up against BARNSTAPLE TOWN. Ben Paul scored the Barnstaple goal after the Moneyfields side had gone 3-0 up. Once again this is not a confirmed result but that often happens when teams are defeated. Fans do not feel the need to confirm defeat although there is usually a confirmation when the team wins.
Back to Flash Scores and they confirm that TIVERTON TOWN have won their match against Walton Casuals by 5 goals to 1. The summary page shows that T.Bath scored in the first and second minutes. That should have put Walton on the back foot. J.Price scored in the 39th minute for a 3-0 half time scoreline. Two more goals were added by M.Landricombe and R.Allen. A comprehensive victory for the team that are sitting at the top of the table.
Billericay have beaten WESTON-SUPER-MARE by 4 goals to 2 and Weston have had a man sent off. Billericay went 3-0 up with three different goal scorers before Weston fought back. A goal by C.J.Jagger in the 73rd minute gave my team some hope and that hope grew with another goal in the 78th minute by J.Lee. His enthusiasm for the fight may have got the better of him as J.Lee then got sent off in the 80th minute. That was the end of the fightback as Billericay scored a 4th goal in the 81st minute.
EASTLEIGH also had a players sent off. A.Boyce got his first yellow card in the 62nd minute but went for his second yellow in the 64th and as we all know that is too soon after the first. A red card had to follow. P.McCallum scored the only goal in reply to the Wrexham three. The result was a defeat by 3 goals to 1.
EXETER CITY scored in the 21st minute but Newport equalised in the 82nd. The result is a 1-1 draw. J.Stockley the scorer.
SOUTHEND UNITED beat Bradford 2-0 with goals from T.Hopper and S.Cox. A good result that puts us in 8th place according to the EFL.
I can now relax and expect a good performance from a new Arsenal up against the old enemy Chelsea.
Have a lovely Sunday.
Twitter confirms that EXMOUTH TOWN beat Torpoint Athletic 4-0 with three goals from "Ace High" and one from Boere. This has peaked my interest and I must drop in "at the end of the line" next time I am in Exmouth.
Roman Glass are now 4-1 up against BUCKLAND ATHLETIC although there is no confirmation yet that this is a result. According to the tweets Les Afful scored from the penalty spot but apart from that it was a fairly easy home victory.
There is a similar situation going on at Moneyfields. They are 3-1 up against BARNSTAPLE TOWN. Ben Paul scored the Barnstaple goal after the Moneyfields side had gone 3-0 up. Once again this is not a confirmed result but that often happens when teams are defeated. Fans do not feel the need to confirm defeat although there is usually a confirmation when the team wins.
Back to Flash Scores and they confirm that TIVERTON TOWN have won their match against Walton Casuals by 5 goals to 1. The summary page shows that T.Bath scored in the first and second minutes. That should have put Walton on the back foot. J.Price scored in the 39th minute for a 3-0 half time scoreline. Two more goals were added by M.Landricombe and R.Allen. A comprehensive victory for the team that are sitting at the top of the table.
Billericay have beaten WESTON-SUPER-MARE by 4 goals to 2 and Weston have had a man sent off. Billericay went 3-0 up with three different goal scorers before Weston fought back. A goal by C.J.Jagger in the 73rd minute gave my team some hope and that hope grew with another goal in the 78th minute by J.Lee. His enthusiasm for the fight may have got the better of him as J.Lee then got sent off in the 80th minute. That was the end of the fightback as Billericay scored a 4th goal in the 81st minute.
EASTLEIGH also had a players sent off. A.Boyce got his first yellow card in the 62nd minute but went for his second yellow in the 64th and as we all know that is too soon after the first. A red card had to follow. P.McCallum scored the only goal in reply to the Wrexham three. The result was a defeat by 3 goals to 1.
EXETER CITY scored in the 21st minute but Newport equalised in the 82nd. The result is a 1-1 draw. J.Stockley the scorer.
SOUTHEND UNITED beat Bradford 2-0 with goals from T.Hopper and S.Cox. A good result that puts us in 8th place according to the EFL.
I can now relax and expect a good performance from a new Arsenal up against the old enemy Chelsea.
Have a lovely Sunday.
Saturday Pre Match
Arsenal are away to Chelsea at 17:30 which is likely to be our second successive defeat. We have a chance as I have identified Chelsea as one of the teams we will be competing with but we are away from home and Unai Emery still has a lot to do in organising our defence and getting the players to function as a team. Under Arsene Wenger we were good but we had a set of individuals who were expected to produce goals and assists without the need for organisation. If we were organised then Wenger was much worse than we thought.
Brentford are at home to Sheffield Wednesday at 15:00 tomorrow so there is a second match that we will not know about come 17:00 tonight. Let's have a look at my lesser lights.
Before we do I notice that Arsenal Women are at home to West Ham United Ladies tomorrow at 14:00. That could be a good watch if there is any coverage.
Southend United are at home to Bradford. The BBC site suggests that Southend have had 60% possession and have had 10 shots to Bradford's 2. If things continue in that manner I expect us to win.
Exeter are 1-0 up against Newport but it seems to be against the run of play as Newport have had 54% possession and 4 shots to Exeter's 2. Still, it is goals that count and we have that vital statistic in our favour.
Eastleigh are at home to Wrexham and midway through the first half we are recorded as being 2-0 down. Statistics have not yet made it to National League level on the BBC website but I have no idea why. Is it technology or merely a matter of getting an employee to the ground?
Weston-super-Mare are away to Billericay and at National League South level there are no recorded scores, so we will probably have to wait until 17:00 to get the result. Let me just check Twitter. Nothing there, but Facebook tells me that Billericay have gone 1-0 up. The effort us fans have to go to finding out about our teams.
The BBC cover lots of foreign leagues but will not go to the effort of adding the Southern League. Moving to FlashScores I find that Tiverton Town are already 3-1 up against Walton Casuals. That gives me a good feeling about at least one of my teams. I really must go and watch them as they are only 30 minutes up the road and I have not bothered partly due to worries about parking.
Even FlashScores does not extend to the Southern League Division One South. Why did the F.A. have to make things to complicated by adding another Premier Division to the Southern League? Barnstaple Town are away at Moneyfields. I will check social media to see if there is any information there. Back in a minute or two ......
Found something on the Moneyfields FC Twitter site that suggest they are 1-0 up. Oddly, this is not repeated on the Moneyfields FC Live site. I presume therefore that the non live site is way ahead of the 'Live' site. The Barnstaple site is ahead of both of them as they show that Moneyfields are now 2-0 up.
My Western League pick is Buckland Athletic and they are away at Roman Glass St George today. Twitter has confirmed that Roman Glass are 1-0 up at the moment.
Lastly Exmouth Town in the South West Peninsula League. The Facebook page tells me we are home to Torpoint Athletic. I will have to call in there sometime soon as according to Twitter "Ace High" has scored three goals already. Another feelgood factor having a team 3-0 up.
I will try and follow up as I did last week and I will seek out any videos of the actual action.
Fare well whatever you do with the rest of your day.
Brentford are at home to Sheffield Wednesday at 15:00 tomorrow so there is a second match that we will not know about come 17:00 tonight. Let's have a look at my lesser lights.
Before we do I notice that Arsenal Women are at home to West Ham United Ladies tomorrow at 14:00. That could be a good watch if there is any coverage.
Southend United are at home to Bradford. The BBC site suggests that Southend have had 60% possession and have had 10 shots to Bradford's 2. If things continue in that manner I expect us to win.
Exeter are 1-0 up against Newport but it seems to be against the run of play as Newport have had 54% possession and 4 shots to Exeter's 2. Still, it is goals that count and we have that vital statistic in our favour.
Eastleigh are at home to Wrexham and midway through the first half we are recorded as being 2-0 down. Statistics have not yet made it to National League level on the BBC website but I have no idea why. Is it technology or merely a matter of getting an employee to the ground?
Weston-super-Mare are away to Billericay and at National League South level there are no recorded scores, so we will probably have to wait until 17:00 to get the result. Let me just check Twitter. Nothing there, but Facebook tells me that Billericay have gone 1-0 up. The effort us fans have to go to finding out about our teams.
The BBC cover lots of foreign leagues but will not go to the effort of adding the Southern League. Moving to FlashScores I find that Tiverton Town are already 3-1 up against Walton Casuals. That gives me a good feeling about at least one of my teams. I really must go and watch them as they are only 30 minutes up the road and I have not bothered partly due to worries about parking.
Even FlashScores does not extend to the Southern League Division One South. Why did the F.A. have to make things to complicated by adding another Premier Division to the Southern League? Barnstaple Town are away at Moneyfields. I will check social media to see if there is any information there. Back in a minute or two ......
Found something on the Moneyfields FC Twitter site that suggest they are 1-0 up. Oddly, this is not repeated on the Moneyfields FC Live site. I presume therefore that the non live site is way ahead of the 'Live' site. The Barnstaple site is ahead of both of them as they show that Moneyfields are now 2-0 up.
My Western League pick is Buckland Athletic and they are away at Roman Glass St George today. Twitter has confirmed that Roman Glass are 1-0 up at the moment.
Lastly Exmouth Town in the South West Peninsula League. The Facebook page tells me we are home to Torpoint Athletic. I will have to call in there sometime soon as according to Twitter "Ace High" has scored three goals already. Another feelgood factor having a team 3-0 up.
I will try and follow up as I did last week and I will seek out any videos of the actual action.
Fare well whatever you do with the rest of your day.
Wednesday, 15 August 2018
Video Highlights
The highlights that I have been able to find on YouTube:
PREMIER LEAGUE
Arsenal 0 Manchester City 2
FOOTBALL LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP
Stoke City 1 Brentford 1
FOOTBALL LEAGUE ONE
Southend United 2 Doncaster Rovers 3
FOOTBALL LEAGUE TWO
Morecambe 0 Exeter City 2
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Eastleigh 1 Bromley 0 (VLOG)
Barnet 1 Eastleigh 2 (Barnet VLOG)
NATIONAL LEAGUE SOUTH
Wealdstone 4 Weston-super-Mare 1
Weston-super-Mare 2 St. Albans City 3
SOUTHERN LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION SOUTH
Swindon Supermarine 0 Tiverton Town 1
Tiverton Town before the Water Polo match.
Still searching for more ...
STOPPED SEARCHING!
PREMIER LEAGUE
Arsenal 0 Manchester City 2
FOOTBALL LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP
Stoke City 1 Brentford 1
FOOTBALL LEAGUE ONE
Southend United 2 Doncaster Rovers 3
FOOTBALL LEAGUE TWO
Morecambe 0 Exeter City 2
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Eastleigh 1 Bromley 0 (VLOG)
Barnet 1 Eastleigh 2 (Barnet VLOG)
NATIONAL LEAGUE SOUTH
Wealdstone 4 Weston-super-Mare 1
Weston-super-Mare 2 St. Albans City 3
SOUTHERN LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION SOUTH
Swindon Supermarine 0 Tiverton Town 1
Tiverton Town before the Water Polo match.
Still searching for more ...
STOPPED SEARCHING!
Tuesday, 14 August 2018
League Cup Results
As promised the follow up to my earlier post:
Bury scored in the 2nd minute of the match and Nottingham Forest waited until the 93rd minute to equalise. Forest then took their penalties and won by 10 goals to 9. Great entertainment for the home fans.
In my other selected matches Forest Green Rovers beat Swindon 1-0, Sheffield United drew 1-1 with Hull City but Hull won the penalty shootout by 5 goals to 4. Leeds beat Bolton 2-1.
My selected teams had mixed fortunes. Brentford won 4-2 while Southend lost 2-4 but they WERE playing each other.
Exeter drew 1-1 with Ipswich Town and I had low expectations for the penalties but my local team won 4-2.
In the National League Eastleigh beat Bromley and Weston lost 2-1 to Slough Town.
None of the F.A.Cup replay scores have come through on the videprinter but that is the penalty for watching online.
Hope this blog is reading better than it has in the past. I still have much to learn.
Bury scored in the 2nd minute of the match and Nottingham Forest waited until the 93rd minute to equalise. Forest then took their penalties and won by 10 goals to 9. Great entertainment for the home fans.
In my other selected matches Forest Green Rovers beat Swindon 1-0, Sheffield United drew 1-1 with Hull City but Hull won the penalty shootout by 5 goals to 4. Leeds beat Bolton 2-1.
My selected teams had mixed fortunes. Brentford won 4-2 while Southend lost 2-4 but they WERE playing each other.
Exeter drew 1-1 with Ipswich Town and I had low expectations for the penalties but my local team won 4-2.
In the National League Eastleigh beat Bromley and Weston lost 2-1 to Slough Town.
None of the F.A.Cup replay scores have come through on the videprinter but that is the penalty for watching online.
Hope this blog is reading better than it has in the past. I still have much to learn.
Weston-super-Mare Goal
If you are a facebook user check out this video of a giveaway goal.
Weston Goal
Follow up from my earlier post:
Yeovil have a good goal disallowed.
Yeovil miss a penalty.
Aston Villa score.
Weston Goal
Follow up from my earlier post:
Yeovil have a good goal disallowed.
Yeovil miss a penalty.
Aston Villa score.
League Cup Starts
In recent years I have lost interest in League Clubs as the fascination of non league clubs took over. Tonight I am renewing my interest by watching Yeovil v. Aston Villa on Sky Sports while following the other results on the BBC website.
I notice that Bury are 1-0 away to Nottingham Forest with 4 minutes gone. Leeds United are up against Bolton Wanderers, Sheffield United take on Hull City and in a local derby Swindon Town are up against Forest Green Rovers.
As far as my teams are concerned:
Brentford travel to Southend. They cannot both win.
Exeter are taking on Ipswich Town. We discussed going to this one but the last time I went it cost me £17 and I got much better value for money when I visited the cinema at a cost of £7. Maybe if the Tories had not reduced our wages to a pittance it would be easier.
In Europe AEK Athens are 1-0 up against Celtic and a team called Shkendija are drawing 0-0 with FC Red Bull Salzburg.
Eastleigh are up against Bromley in the National League.
Weston-super-Mare are away to Slough Town in the National League South.
At this stage of the season there are always plenty of F.A.Cup replays as the extra preliminary round continues.
That sets the scene for the evening. Now if I am a good blogger I will follow this post up with some results.
I notice that Bury are 1-0 away to Nottingham Forest with 4 minutes gone. Leeds United are up against Bolton Wanderers, Sheffield United take on Hull City and in a local derby Swindon Town are up against Forest Green Rovers.
As far as my teams are concerned:
Brentford travel to Southend. They cannot both win.
Exeter are taking on Ipswich Town. We discussed going to this one but the last time I went it cost me £17 and I got much better value for money when I visited the cinema at a cost of £7. Maybe if the Tories had not reduced our wages to a pittance it would be easier.
In Europe AEK Athens are 1-0 up against Celtic and a team called Shkendija are drawing 0-0 with FC Red Bull Salzburg.
Eastleigh are up against Bromley in the National League.
Weston-super-Mare are away to Slough Town in the National League South.
At this stage of the season there are always plenty of F.A.Cup replays as the extra preliminary round continues.
That sets the scene for the evening. Now if I am a good blogger I will follow this post up with some results.
New Season, New Team
The 2018-19 season is now underway. I need to get to know about my new team, Eastleigh. This selection was necessary as my old pick, Torquay, have fallen into the National League South. I could have replaced Weston-super-Mare with Torquay but I do like the online presence of Weston including their neat little video of the teams walking out before each match.
Arsenal have lost their opening encounter against the team expected to walk the premier league by a margin. The second match away to Chelsea is unlikely to prove fruitful either. From being a top team capable of beating anyone we have become part of the second tier behind Liverpool and the two Manchester clubs. We are now competing with Chelsea, Tottenham and perhaps Everton.
Brentford started well with a 5-1 battering of Rotherham and followed that up with a respectable draw away against Stoke City.
Southend United lost at home to Doncaster then earned a draw away at Plymouth.
Exeter City have won both opening matches at home to Carlisle and away to Morecambe. They top the League Two table.
Eastleigh lost their opening encounters against Sutton United and Solihull Moors before beating Barnet away at the weekend.
Weston lost 3-2 at home to St Albans at the weekend after losing 4-1 to Wealdstone in their opening encounter. This means that the only point they have earned was in the 1-1 draw with Truro City.
That covers the top six levels including steps 1 and 2 of the non league game. There have been changes further down that have been imposed (as I understand it) by the F.A. who due to their limited thinking want to impose a 1 - 2 - 4 - 8 system on the country. The way they have chosen to do that is by splitting the Southern League into two Premier Divisions and two subsidiary divisions.
As I can only pick one in MY pyramid I have selected the Southern Premier South as my division. This means that I do not need to change my selection from Tiverton Town who won their opening game away at Swindon Supermarine.
Barnstaple Town beat Ilfracombe Town 2-1 at the weekend but that was not a league match so I think we have to wait a bit longer before the serious battles begin.
Buckland Athletic were in the F.A.Cup at the weekend, losing to Pewsey Vale. For the uninitiated this was in the extra preliminary round which takes place before the preliminary round and that takes place before four separate qualifying rounds and only then do they call it the "First Round" of the F.A.Cup.
Finally, Exmouth Town. I am very impressed with this image that I found on inspecting their site:
http://www.exmouth-townfc.co.uk/first-team-fixtures/
This shows both their 4-1 win against Elburton Villa and their position in the league. Very impressive.
The pyramid does not stop there, however, and at level 11 is another team I am following.
Elmore FC
A 4-1 victory in their opening league match looks like a good omen for the new season.
Arsenal have lost their opening encounter against the team expected to walk the premier league by a margin. The second match away to Chelsea is unlikely to prove fruitful either. From being a top team capable of beating anyone we have become part of the second tier behind Liverpool and the two Manchester clubs. We are now competing with Chelsea, Tottenham and perhaps Everton.
Brentford started well with a 5-1 battering of Rotherham and followed that up with a respectable draw away against Stoke City.
Southend United lost at home to Doncaster then earned a draw away at Plymouth.
Exeter City have won both opening matches at home to Carlisle and away to Morecambe. They top the League Two table.
Eastleigh lost their opening encounters against Sutton United and Solihull Moors before beating Barnet away at the weekend.
Weston lost 3-2 at home to St Albans at the weekend after losing 4-1 to Wealdstone in their opening encounter. This means that the only point they have earned was in the 1-1 draw with Truro City.
That covers the top six levels including steps 1 and 2 of the non league game. There have been changes further down that have been imposed (as I understand it) by the F.A. who due to their limited thinking want to impose a 1 - 2 - 4 - 8 system on the country. The way they have chosen to do that is by splitting the Southern League into two Premier Divisions and two subsidiary divisions.
As I can only pick one in MY pyramid I have selected the Southern Premier South as my division. This means that I do not need to change my selection from Tiverton Town who won their opening game away at Swindon Supermarine.
Barnstaple Town beat Ilfracombe Town 2-1 at the weekend but that was not a league match so I think we have to wait a bit longer before the serious battles begin.
Buckland Athletic were in the F.A.Cup at the weekend, losing to Pewsey Vale. For the uninitiated this was in the extra preliminary round which takes place before the preliminary round and that takes place before four separate qualifying rounds and only then do they call it the "First Round" of the F.A.Cup.
Finally, Exmouth Town. I am very impressed with this image that I found on inspecting their site:
http://www.exmouth-townfc.co.uk/first-team-fixtures/
This shows both their 4-1 win against Elburton Villa and their position in the league. Very impressive.
The pyramid does not stop there, however, and at level 11 is another team I am following.
Elmore FC
A 4-1 victory in their opening league match looks like a good omen for the new season.
Thursday, 15 March 2018
Somerset County Womens League
When I first discovered the "Football Pyramid" several years ago I determined to fully understand it and document the leagues that I came across.
It was an education because although I knew about the Football Conference as well as the Northern, Southern and Isthmian Leagues I had no idea how things fitted together. I started listing the leagues and all the teams that were in those leagues and then came the fun bit at the end of each season as I tried to find out on the internet which teams were switching leagues and which ones were not.
I had assumed that things worked similarly to the Football League where teams at the top get promoted and teams at the bottom get relegated but very quickly it became apparent that this is not how things work. Some Football Clubs fold because they cannot fund the players necessary to play at a certain level. When a name disappears one of the relegated clubs is usually reprieved. I also found out that very often the players and fans will form a new club with a similar but distinct name and try to claw back from two or more levels down the pyramid.
The whole concept fascinated me so I got my spreadsheets working and quickly mapped out the Premiership (Top Level) down through the Football League and Football Conference. Therein lies another problem as sometimes entire leagues change their name and we now have to refer to the Conference as the National League. This caused me a problem as I was cross referencing clubs and NL was my designation for the Northern League but it had to be used for the National League so I started using NFL for the Northern Football League.
The first real insight was when I started noting teams from the Conference North and Conference South and wondered what happens when two teams from the North and two from the South are promoted if all the teams relegated are from either the North or the South. I have seen many times three teams relegated to one subsidiary division and one to the other with a random team transferred between the two Level Six divisions to balance things. How is that team selected and do they have any choice in the matter?
There have been many more insights as I worked through the 14 Level Nine Leagues and the 17 Level 10 Leagues. There are some changes going on that will change those numbers soon. East Anglia is a strange place and when they tried out regional accents around the country the broad Essex accent was the hardest for most of the country to understand. In recent years several London clubs havestarted to play their way out east.
When I got bored of the English Football Leagues somewhere between Levels 16 and 22 (not officially part of the pyramid but I still want to know) I looked at Scotland and Wales to try and work out their structures but the internet information is much more sparse so I moved back to concentrate on England pure and simple. What about Spain, Italy, Germany and all of the International Nations. They all have football league.
My niece started playing a good standard of womens football so I looked into the Womens Super League and subsidiaries and saw that some well known clubs have womens or girls teams in the feminine side of the game. Her team were promoted twice in two years and I wanted to know when I could start watching her on television. Unfortunately her club split with their manager and half the team left so she was left with the choice of switching or accepting relegation the following year. She has retired from football.
So to my point.
Millie Bright (Chelsea and England) has just appeared on my PC offering support to the Weston-Super-Mare Ladies as they enter a top of the table clash so I checked to see that they are in the Somerset County Womens League. They are playing Pen Mill who are second in the league. I notice that Merriott Ladies are bottom of the league but they would be if they are that Merry.
I have not tracked the Womens Pyramid beyond Level Five which contains regional leagues so I have no idea how many promotions are needed to reach the pyramid that I am aware of. If and when they do they will be in the South West Regional League and it may be as soon as next season if they keep winning.
There must be people that know all these things but at the moment I am enjoying the voyage of discovery.
It was an education because although I knew about the Football Conference as well as the Northern, Southern and Isthmian Leagues I had no idea how things fitted together. I started listing the leagues and all the teams that were in those leagues and then came the fun bit at the end of each season as I tried to find out on the internet which teams were switching leagues and which ones were not.
I had assumed that things worked similarly to the Football League where teams at the top get promoted and teams at the bottom get relegated but very quickly it became apparent that this is not how things work. Some Football Clubs fold because they cannot fund the players necessary to play at a certain level. When a name disappears one of the relegated clubs is usually reprieved. I also found out that very often the players and fans will form a new club with a similar but distinct name and try to claw back from two or more levels down the pyramid.
The whole concept fascinated me so I got my spreadsheets working and quickly mapped out the Premiership (Top Level) down through the Football League and Football Conference. Therein lies another problem as sometimes entire leagues change their name and we now have to refer to the Conference as the National League. This caused me a problem as I was cross referencing clubs and NL was my designation for the Northern League but it had to be used for the National League so I started using NFL for the Northern Football League.
The first real insight was when I started noting teams from the Conference North and Conference South and wondered what happens when two teams from the North and two from the South are promoted if all the teams relegated are from either the North or the South. I have seen many times three teams relegated to one subsidiary division and one to the other with a random team transferred between the two Level Six divisions to balance things. How is that team selected and do they have any choice in the matter?
There have been many more insights as I worked through the 14 Level Nine Leagues and the 17 Level 10 Leagues. There are some changes going on that will change those numbers soon. East Anglia is a strange place and when they tried out regional accents around the country the broad Essex accent was the hardest for most of the country to understand. In recent years several London clubs havestarted to play their way out east.
When I got bored of the English Football Leagues somewhere between Levels 16 and 22 (not officially part of the pyramid but I still want to know) I looked at Scotland and Wales to try and work out their structures but the internet information is much more sparse so I moved back to concentrate on England pure and simple. What about Spain, Italy, Germany and all of the International Nations. They all have football league.
My niece started playing a good standard of womens football so I looked into the Womens Super League and subsidiaries and saw that some well known clubs have womens or girls teams in the feminine side of the game. Her team were promoted twice in two years and I wanted to know when I could start watching her on television. Unfortunately her club split with their manager and half the team left so she was left with the choice of switching or accepting relegation the following year. She has retired from football.
So to my point.
Millie Bright (Chelsea and England) has just appeared on my PC offering support to the Weston-Super-Mare Ladies as they enter a top of the table clash so I checked to see that they are in the Somerset County Womens League. They are playing Pen Mill who are second in the league. I notice that Merriott Ladies are bottom of the league but they would be if they are that Merry.
I have not tracked the Womens Pyramid beyond Level Five which contains regional leagues so I have no idea how many promotions are needed to reach the pyramid that I am aware of. If and when they do they will be in the South West Regional League and it may be as soon as next season if they keep winning.
There must be people that know all these things but at the moment I am enjoying the voyage of discovery.
Tuesday, 13 March 2018
Monday, 27 November 2017
Change the Structure
My last post got me thinking.
The shape of the English Mainland most closely resembles a triangle so that should be the basis of the Non League Structure.
The National League should be divided into three feeder leagues with just the League Leader being promoted. The National North can stay but the National South should be divided into National South West and National South East.
Setting a 1 to 3 standard for leagues could very well encourage more Northern League sides into the Northern Premier League. They complain that the travelling costs are greatly increased following the step up, however, if there were a Northern Premier North, Northern Premier South West and Northern Premier South East those travelling costs would be reduced encouraging the Northern League to participate fully in the structure.
In the Isthmian League London is a huge block meaning that the M25 car park often has to be used to travel to matches. If there were three divisions the travel would be eased as there could be a South Division, Central Division and North Division.
The Southern League has been gradually shrinking in total area since the days when it was the only challenger to the Football League and three divisions may enable the return of a Central Division (rather than Southern North), South West and South East divisions.
Successful teams are usually better supported so the move from three parts to one should be manageable. The tripartite system would, though, make it easier on the teams lower down the leagues in terms of travelling costs.
I know that constant change makes it much more difficult to manage things but getting it wrong in the first place results in ultimate demise. It is not so long ago that Senior and Premier were interchangeable in terms of seniority. There was clearly confusion as can be seen from some of the divisional nominations around the country.
With more people finding out that being part of a smaller club gives you a feeling that being one in fifty thousand does not, we should support the lower leagues and encourage more people to support their local teams. To keep the pyramid alive we must not allow the Football League to absorb the National League into itself. This would become a chance to cut the smaller clubs loose. What we need is a strong National League at the top of the Non League game. We have that now and we must not lose it. Many dreamers are now funding those clubs outside the Football League and long may that continue.
What would you do if you had the opportunity to rearrange the football pyramid?
The shape of the English Mainland most closely resembles a triangle so that should be the basis of the Non League Structure.
The National League should be divided into three feeder leagues with just the League Leader being promoted. The National North can stay but the National South should be divided into National South West and National South East.
Setting a 1 to 3 standard for leagues could very well encourage more Northern League sides into the Northern Premier League. They complain that the travelling costs are greatly increased following the step up, however, if there were a Northern Premier North, Northern Premier South West and Northern Premier South East those travelling costs would be reduced encouraging the Northern League to participate fully in the structure.
In the Isthmian League London is a huge block meaning that the M25 car park often has to be used to travel to matches. If there were three divisions the travel would be eased as there could be a South Division, Central Division and North Division.
The Southern League has been gradually shrinking in total area since the days when it was the only challenger to the Football League and three divisions may enable the return of a Central Division (rather than Southern North), South West and South East divisions.
Successful teams are usually better supported so the move from three parts to one should be manageable. The tripartite system would, though, make it easier on the teams lower down the leagues in terms of travelling costs.
I know that constant change makes it much more difficult to manage things but getting it wrong in the first place results in ultimate demise. It is not so long ago that Senior and Premier were interchangeable in terms of seniority. There was clearly confusion as can be seen from some of the divisional nominations around the country.
With more people finding out that being part of a smaller club gives you a feeling that being one in fifty thousand does not, we should support the lower leagues and encourage more people to support their local teams. To keep the pyramid alive we must not allow the Football League to absorb the National League into itself. This would become a chance to cut the smaller clubs loose. What we need is a strong National League at the top of the Non League game. We have that now and we must not lose it. Many dreamers are now funding those clubs outside the Football League and long may that continue.
What would you do if you had the opportunity to rearrange the football pyramid?
League Rationalisation
Non League football has been stratified and there is now a standard although there are many variations as you descend the pyramid.
The National League is Step 1 of Non League and Level 5 of the pyramid. It has two feeder leagues At Step 2 (Level 6). They are the National League North and National League South.
Steps 3 and 4 (Levels 7 and 8) are the Isthmian, Northern Premier and Southern Leagues. They each have one Premier Division and two feeder leagues which in the case of the first two are North and South while in the Southern League it is East and West.
This idea of a Primary (Premier) Division with two feeder leagues is now the standard and I am sure that the F.A. will want to standardise that going on down through the pyramid. I have watched the changes over the last few years with keen interest and although there is some way to go I think we can see the direction in which the F.A. is pushing things.
Steps 5 and 6 (Levels 9 and 10) contain a variety of leagues, 14 in total at the moment. The F.A. has designs on reducing this to 12 Leagues so that each of the Step 3 Leagues will have two leagues feeding up to it. With all the bargaining and switching that goes on year after year as teams switch between leagues it would certainly simplify things if promotion and relegation was more rigid but I am not yet convinced that a perfectly matching pyramid is the best thing for the game of football.
The Hellenic League is already set up correctly with East and West divisions leading into the Premier Division.
The South West Peninsula League is similarly standard in structure but its Premier Division sits at level 10 so it does not fit the perfect system that the F.A. is trying to create. If each League has to have its Premier Division at an odd numbered step or level it would need to be regraded down to Level 11 which is the County Level so the F.A. have a problem unless they accept that there will be exceptions. The Western League works with Division One getting a promotion slot and the South West Peninsula League Premier Division getting a promotion slot. If the F.A. were to force a standard structure it could kill the game in the South West Peninsula.
Most of the other Leagues at Step 5 (Level 9) have a Premier Division and a Division One which works for them.
The key exception to this now that the Kent League has become the Southern Counties East League Premier Division and the Kent Invicta League has become the Southern Counties League Division One (a step closer to the standard required) is the Essex Senior League. It sits at Step 5 (Level 9) and has no Step 6 feeder league. The Essex Olympian League sits at Level 11.
The F.A. has plans to fix this by getting the Essex Senior League to merge with the Eastern Counties League (Premier Division and Division One) to create a Premier Division along with a Division One North and Division One South. This will fit the format that the F.A. is pushing but it remains to be seen how the teams involved adapt to greater travelling distances. Certainly, now that the Sussex League has become the Southern Combination we need to push any mention of the County in the League Name down to Level 11. The standard is becoming County Leagues at Level 11.
If that merger takes place then the total number of leagues at this level will be reduced to 13 and I will leave it up to you to work out which other leagues should be merged to remove the 13th member at this level and give the F.A. the perfect 12 that they are after.
What are your thoughts?
The National League is Step 1 of Non League and Level 5 of the pyramid. It has two feeder leagues At Step 2 (Level 6). They are the National League North and National League South.
Steps 3 and 4 (Levels 7 and 8) are the Isthmian, Northern Premier and Southern Leagues. They each have one Premier Division and two feeder leagues which in the case of the first two are North and South while in the Southern League it is East and West.
This idea of a Primary (Premier) Division with two feeder leagues is now the standard and I am sure that the F.A. will want to standardise that going on down through the pyramid. I have watched the changes over the last few years with keen interest and although there is some way to go I think we can see the direction in which the F.A. is pushing things.
Steps 5 and 6 (Levels 9 and 10) contain a variety of leagues, 14 in total at the moment. The F.A. has designs on reducing this to 12 Leagues so that each of the Step 3 Leagues will have two leagues feeding up to it. With all the bargaining and switching that goes on year after year as teams switch between leagues it would certainly simplify things if promotion and relegation was more rigid but I am not yet convinced that a perfectly matching pyramid is the best thing for the game of football.
The Hellenic League is already set up correctly with East and West divisions leading into the Premier Division.
The South West Peninsula League is similarly standard in structure but its Premier Division sits at level 10 so it does not fit the perfect system that the F.A. is trying to create. If each League has to have its Premier Division at an odd numbered step or level it would need to be regraded down to Level 11 which is the County Level so the F.A. have a problem unless they accept that there will be exceptions. The Western League works with Division One getting a promotion slot and the South West Peninsula League Premier Division getting a promotion slot. If the F.A. were to force a standard structure it could kill the game in the South West Peninsula.
Most of the other Leagues at Step 5 (Level 9) have a Premier Division and a Division One which works for them.
The key exception to this now that the Kent League has become the Southern Counties East League Premier Division and the Kent Invicta League has become the Southern Counties League Division One (a step closer to the standard required) is the Essex Senior League. It sits at Step 5 (Level 9) and has no Step 6 feeder league. The Essex Olympian League sits at Level 11.
The F.A. has plans to fix this by getting the Essex Senior League to merge with the Eastern Counties League (Premier Division and Division One) to create a Premier Division along with a Division One North and Division One South. This will fit the format that the F.A. is pushing but it remains to be seen how the teams involved adapt to greater travelling distances. Certainly, now that the Sussex League has become the Southern Combination we need to push any mention of the County in the League Name down to Level 11. The standard is becoming County Leagues at Level 11.
If that merger takes place then the total number of leagues at this level will be reduced to 13 and I will leave it up to you to work out which other leagues should be merged to remove the 13th member at this level and give the F.A. the perfect 12 that they are after.
What are your thoughts?
Tuesday, 31 October 2017
Relegation (1)
The truth is that many teams fold, go into liquidation or drop several levels due to refinancing or takeover bids so sometimes teams come up to replace teams that have quite simply disappeared. At Premier League and Football League level we have not seen a disappearing trick for many seasons now.
Today I am going to look at teams in the danger zone as many of them are teams I have followed in the past few seasons. I may gloss over the top few levels but they will all get a mention.
Bournemouth and Crystal Palace are at the foot of the Premier League but the surprise relegation candidate is Everton. They were one of the founding members of the Football League and have been at the top level since 1954 but there is a risk of that long run being terminated.
The Championship has Bolton Wanderers in the danger zone along with Sunderland who seem to be in free fall. Sunderland always have a habit of leaving it late although last season they left it too late. Burton Albion are the team who need a big mention as they were in the National League (Football Conference) as late as 2008-09 before moving into and up the Football League. They may have reached their pinnacle but I always support teams that have come a long way.
League One sees Plymouth Argyle at the foot of the table. As they are the big local rivals to Exeter I hear a lot about them and it would be funny to hear of them dropping as Exeter go up but the season is long and there will be many twists and turns on the way.
At the foot of the Football League are two teams I know nothing about and I refuse to find out at this stage of the evening. Morecambe are in touch with the teams above them but Chesterfield (the place of the twisted spire) seem to be losing touch.
I shall stop there and produce a part two where there are teams that interest me more.
Saturday, 14 October 2017
F.A.Cup 4th Qualifying Round
My interest in football allows me to know that today the National League teams join the F.A.Cup competition in the 4th and final qualifying round before the survivors this far get the opportunity to meet the Football League teams in the first round proper.
I tried checking the BBC Sport site for any information without luck. Sky Sports seem to have all the league games but no information about the F.A.Cup. I have changed to BT Sport and found that the news is working its way through so BT Sport it is for the rest of the afternoon.
Halifax Town v. Tranmere Rovers is an intriguing tie number one. Two ex league sides plying their trade at level 5 now.
South Shields (Level 8) at home to Hartlepool United (Level 5) is the next match to attract my attention.
Shaw Lane who have risen quickly to Level 7 are at home to Barrow (Level 5) in another match to watch.
Match number 9 is Buxton (Level 7) v. Gateshead (Level 5) so good luck Buxton.
The biggest gap I can see is little Shildon (Level 9) away to Guiseley (Level 5). Four Levels is huge but historically the Northern League refused to step up when they should have which is why we have the Northern Premier League as well, and there are many teams in the Northern League who should be playing at a higher level. You do have to support them though when you realise that travel costs are the largest costs many clubs face and as we all know money in some locations is not as plentiful as in others.
Eastleigh are at Level 5 and they are taking on the reformed Hereford who are at Level 7 but they have a following that has stayed with them since their football league days so I can see Hereford rising further under their current management.
An interesting "All Level 8" clash is Haringey Borough v. Heybridge Swifts and at least that guarantees a Level 8 side reaching the First Round of the F.A.Cup proper. Borough or Swifts? Who will it be?
Slough Town v. Folkestone Invicta is an "All Level 7" clash so we will see a couple of minnows in the First Round. Margate v. Leatherhead is another "All Level 7" clash.
The final fixture, number 32, sees East Thurrock United of the National League South taking on Ebbsfleet United of the National League.
I think I shall sit back and relax as half time approaches, watch the scores and prepare for the Arsenal match which is on TV from 17:30pm.
I tried checking the BBC Sport site for any information without luck. Sky Sports seem to have all the league games but no information about the F.A.Cup. I have changed to BT Sport and found that the news is working its way through so BT Sport it is for the rest of the afternoon.
Halifax Town v. Tranmere Rovers is an intriguing tie number one. Two ex league sides plying their trade at level 5 now.
South Shields (Level 8) at home to Hartlepool United (Level 5) is the next match to attract my attention.
Shaw Lane who have risen quickly to Level 7 are at home to Barrow (Level 5) in another match to watch.
Match number 9 is Buxton (Level 7) v. Gateshead (Level 5) so good luck Buxton.
The biggest gap I can see is little Shildon (Level 9) away to Guiseley (Level 5). Four Levels is huge but historically the Northern League refused to step up when they should have which is why we have the Northern Premier League as well, and there are many teams in the Northern League who should be playing at a higher level. You do have to support them though when you realise that travel costs are the largest costs many clubs face and as we all know money in some locations is not as plentiful as in others.
Eastleigh are at Level 5 and they are taking on the reformed Hereford who are at Level 7 but they have a following that has stayed with them since their football league days so I can see Hereford rising further under their current management.
An interesting "All Level 8" clash is Haringey Borough v. Heybridge Swifts and at least that guarantees a Level 8 side reaching the First Round of the F.A.Cup proper. Borough or Swifts? Who will it be?
Slough Town v. Folkestone Invicta is an "All Level 7" clash so we will see a couple of minnows in the First Round. Margate v. Leatherhead is another "All Level 7" clash.
The final fixture, number 32, sees East Thurrock United of the National League South taking on Ebbsfleet United of the National League.
I think I shall sit back and relax as half time approaches, watch the scores and prepare for the Arsenal match which is on TV from 17:30pm.
Wednesday, 4 October 2017
First trip to Plainmoor
I noticed on my fixture list that Torquay United were playing on a Tuesday evening.
This was my chance to go and watch a National League fixture and I spoke to the Mrs who fancied a day out in Torquay.
As it happens she had an appointment with her doctor in the morning and that took time as a blood test and flu jab were booked for late morning. We set off from the Doctors and I got to experience the newly built Kingskerswell bypass for the second time. It makes the journey to Torquay so much quicker and easier. We made our way to the Plainmoor ground and it reminded me of football from the past where the ground is in the middle of a residential area. The club needs to move if it wants to grow but perhaps the club are comfortable where they are.
The staff in the club shop were friendly as I asked for tickets to the match which was scheduled to start at 19:45. There was a short delay as "the girl who issues tickets" was in another part of the ground but we had time so I was happy to chat as we awaited her arrival. I had spotted a pair of front row seats still free when I had checked the club website but after a short talk about the possibility of rain I settled on seats a few rows behind that. It turned out to be a good place to watch the match from.
We drove on into the town and seafront area and started looking for parking spots. We were directed upwards to a multi storey car park but my wife has walking difficulties and did not fancy the walk back up to the car, so I turned around and we drove the length of the seafront and found some parking spaces at the far end but with a long walk back to the main shopping street we decided to drive on and look at the coast ending up in Brixham which has some happy memories from the past. It is a lovely fishing village with a friendly ambience and a pirate ship.
We decided on lunch at the Rockfish restaurant which is high priced but the views are special and we were able to relax and watch the fishing fleet landing their catches as we ate some of the already cooked fish. The choice of fish was extensive so I must return and try the gurnard as well as the mussels which is a long standing favourite of mine.
Following a slow amble around the town and a lovely cup of tea at The Coaching Inn which is surprisingly a Wetherspoons pub but with character. There is a covered alleyway with what looks like living rooms on each side but these are places to relax and enjoy a drink served by a friendly host who charges £1 if you want to use the toilet without buying a drink.
We stopped a few times on the walk back to the car to admire the assorted views on display. We heard that there is a ferry service from Brixham to Torquay that runs every hour so that may be an option the next time we are in the area. We saw what was probably a school group dressed as pirates on their way to the pirate ship and heard some yacht owners talking about the cost of repairs. My thought was "If you can afford a yacht ...".
In the late afternoon we returned to Torquay and made for the ground knowing that there would be a long wait before the match started. What we did not know at that stage was that the wait would be longer than we could have foreseen. We parked up and walked towards the ground where we found a bar called "Boots & Laces" that took us both back many years. The young men in there were full of life and the old men in there were sat quietly with their pints as the pool table was pounded and the Boomtown Rats played out on the video screens.
One pint was enough so we walked around to pick up a program for some light reading before the contest began. There was a small car park where we could keep an eye on the gates so we moved the car and paid for a valid ticket to cover the rest of the evening. From there we watched as many school age children emerged from what may have been youth team training. We saw the stewards being let in and waited for the gates to open. This took longer than we had expected but we found out why when we walked over to the gates and heard that the opposition were stuck on the motorway.
Eventually one gate opened and we were told that we would only be allowed in if we went straight to the bar. We did not need to discuss this.
We settled in the bar with a couple of drinks and waited, listening to the grapevine as the news filtered through that the match would not start until 8:15pm and that the Maidenhead United team coach would not be here until at least 7:45pm. Criticism of Maidenhead followed when it was noted that the Maidenhead fans has arrived so it was only the team that we were waiting for.
We had heard earlier in the day that the M5 South had been closed due to a chemical spill. This closure was close to Bristol which is where coaches to Exeter start their journey down the M5 if they have come along the M4 as I suspect that the Maidenhead coach did.
We got chatting to a friendly couple who told us that they were with their grandchildren shortly before coming to the match and as the young lad is a Torquay fan they had been banned from wearing their supporters outfits and were not allowed to talk about the match as it would unsettle the young lad shortly before bedtime.
The next we heard was that the Maidenhead team were in Yeovil. The time was now 19:00 and the trip across the Blackdown Hills is at least 45 minutes. Following that we heard that there is a curfew at the ground of 22:00 meaning that 20:15 was the very last time that the match could start and still be completed and only if the injury time was minimal.
A couple of lads joined us who "used to play football but now drink beer" and I know exactly where they are coming from.
People started to head out to the stands around 19:45 suggesting that some of them had failed to hear the news about the start time and I got talking to a couple about my first visit to Torquay and they showed genuine interest in this blog and asked if I would be making a You Tube video which got me thinking. It will probably not happen as I have always felt that I have a face for radio and a voice for newspapers. Some might also say that I have a writing style better suited to talking but some of my work has been appreciated and if nothing else it will make better writers feel good about themselves.
We headed out to the stand as the players were leaving their training sessions and heading into the changing rooms. When the teams came out there was no spare time if the match was to finish by 10 O'Clock. I have never before seen a match where the players (Maidenhead) went through the handshake routine and then spent 30 seconds warming up. This was clearly poor preparation for the match and Torquay had to take advantage.
The match started with Torquay using Arsenalesque triangles to pass the ball through the Maidenhead defence and I was convinced that if this was the standard I would be in for a thoroughly entertaining evening. Withing 4 minutes Torquay had taken the lead and one young player, Luke Young, was central to the moves that were being put together. This quality remained high as another move, this time down the right resulted in Luke Young himself scoring the second goal. I have someone to watch. The quality remained for the first 30 minutes but injured players were asked to get up rather than be treated due to the shortage of time. There was a head injury that forced some injury time and we have to accept that but on the whole the players got up and got on with it.
I spotted several moments of genius as players used their talent to beat first one then a second player before running into a third and losing the ball. The quality dwindled slightly as Torquay got their third and fourth goals but it was clear that some of the Maidenhead players were still on the coach. They had a nightmare journey and now they were having a nightmare match. Credit must be given to the Maidenhead fans who never stopped supporting their team and were singing even at 4-0 down.
I stated at the start of the second half that all Torquay had to do was manage the game out. Unfortunately they seemed to know this and the quality dropped as the ball spent a lot of time in the sky. At least four footballs disappeared over the stand on the far side and had to be replaced by a ball rolled out from the fourth official. Maidenhead at least matched Torquay in the second half but the goals were rarely threatened as shots went high or wide or clearances went out of the ground.
The fans went home happy and the chap I had been talking to in the bar spotted me and told me I was welcome back as if I was some sort of lucky charm. My lady seemed happy and she told me she was delighted to see the number of people with learning difficulties supporting the club and shouting at the tops of their voices even during the quiet patches. She also met an old work colleague who popped over for a chat.
When I first moved to Exeter I got talking to the residents, some of whom were young men who share my interest in football. They, of course, said that I should never visit Torquay (local rivals) or Plymouth (local rivals) and whilst I have read about the trouble caused by Plymouth fans when I pick up the local paper, the fanbase of this National League club came over as nothing but friendly.
Perhaps National League level is where it is at as I have enjoyed the BT Sports coverage of this level of football, sometimes more than the games that are from the Football League, but you cannot beat the Premier League for quality.
This was my chance to go and watch a National League fixture and I spoke to the Mrs who fancied a day out in Torquay.
As it happens she had an appointment with her doctor in the morning and that took time as a blood test and flu jab were booked for late morning. We set off from the Doctors and I got to experience the newly built Kingskerswell bypass for the second time. It makes the journey to Torquay so much quicker and easier. We made our way to the Plainmoor ground and it reminded me of football from the past where the ground is in the middle of a residential area. The club needs to move if it wants to grow but perhaps the club are comfortable where they are.
The staff in the club shop were friendly as I asked for tickets to the match which was scheduled to start at 19:45. There was a short delay as "the girl who issues tickets" was in another part of the ground but we had time so I was happy to chat as we awaited her arrival. I had spotted a pair of front row seats still free when I had checked the club website but after a short talk about the possibility of rain I settled on seats a few rows behind that. It turned out to be a good place to watch the match from.
We drove on into the town and seafront area and started looking for parking spots. We were directed upwards to a multi storey car park but my wife has walking difficulties and did not fancy the walk back up to the car, so I turned around and we drove the length of the seafront and found some parking spaces at the far end but with a long walk back to the main shopping street we decided to drive on and look at the coast ending up in Brixham which has some happy memories from the past. It is a lovely fishing village with a friendly ambience and a pirate ship.
We decided on lunch at the Rockfish restaurant which is high priced but the views are special and we were able to relax and watch the fishing fleet landing their catches as we ate some of the already cooked fish. The choice of fish was extensive so I must return and try the gurnard as well as the mussels which is a long standing favourite of mine.
Following a slow amble around the town and a lovely cup of tea at The Coaching Inn which is surprisingly a Wetherspoons pub but with character. There is a covered alleyway with what looks like living rooms on each side but these are places to relax and enjoy a drink served by a friendly host who charges £1 if you want to use the toilet without buying a drink.
We stopped a few times on the walk back to the car to admire the assorted views on display. We heard that there is a ferry service from Brixham to Torquay that runs every hour so that may be an option the next time we are in the area. We saw what was probably a school group dressed as pirates on their way to the pirate ship and heard some yacht owners talking about the cost of repairs. My thought was "If you can afford a yacht ...".
In the late afternoon we returned to Torquay and made for the ground knowing that there would be a long wait before the match started. What we did not know at that stage was that the wait would be longer than we could have foreseen. We parked up and walked towards the ground where we found a bar called "Boots & Laces" that took us both back many years. The young men in there were full of life and the old men in there were sat quietly with their pints as the pool table was pounded and the Boomtown Rats played out on the video screens.
One pint was enough so we walked around to pick up a program for some light reading before the contest began. There was a small car park where we could keep an eye on the gates so we moved the car and paid for a valid ticket to cover the rest of the evening. From there we watched as many school age children emerged from what may have been youth team training. We saw the stewards being let in and waited for the gates to open. This took longer than we had expected but we found out why when we walked over to the gates and heard that the opposition were stuck on the motorway.
Eventually one gate opened and we were told that we would only be allowed in if we went straight to the bar. We did not need to discuss this.
We settled in the bar with a couple of drinks and waited, listening to the grapevine as the news filtered through that the match would not start until 8:15pm and that the Maidenhead United team coach would not be here until at least 7:45pm. Criticism of Maidenhead followed when it was noted that the Maidenhead fans has arrived so it was only the team that we were waiting for.
We had heard earlier in the day that the M5 South had been closed due to a chemical spill. This closure was close to Bristol which is where coaches to Exeter start their journey down the M5 if they have come along the M4 as I suspect that the Maidenhead coach did.
We got chatting to a friendly couple who told us that they were with their grandchildren shortly before coming to the match and as the young lad is a Torquay fan they had been banned from wearing their supporters outfits and were not allowed to talk about the match as it would unsettle the young lad shortly before bedtime.
The next we heard was that the Maidenhead team were in Yeovil. The time was now 19:00 and the trip across the Blackdown Hills is at least 45 minutes. Following that we heard that there is a curfew at the ground of 22:00 meaning that 20:15 was the very last time that the match could start and still be completed and only if the injury time was minimal.
A couple of lads joined us who "used to play football but now drink beer" and I know exactly where they are coming from.
People started to head out to the stands around 19:45 suggesting that some of them had failed to hear the news about the start time and I got talking to a couple about my first visit to Torquay and they showed genuine interest in this blog and asked if I would be making a You Tube video which got me thinking. It will probably not happen as I have always felt that I have a face for radio and a voice for newspapers. Some might also say that I have a writing style better suited to talking but some of my work has been appreciated and if nothing else it will make better writers feel good about themselves.
We headed out to the stand as the players were leaving their training sessions and heading into the changing rooms. When the teams came out there was no spare time if the match was to finish by 10 O'Clock. I have never before seen a match where the players (Maidenhead) went through the handshake routine and then spent 30 seconds warming up. This was clearly poor preparation for the match and Torquay had to take advantage.
The match started with Torquay using Arsenalesque triangles to pass the ball through the Maidenhead defence and I was convinced that if this was the standard I would be in for a thoroughly entertaining evening. Withing 4 minutes Torquay had taken the lead and one young player, Luke Young, was central to the moves that were being put together. This quality remained high as another move, this time down the right resulted in Luke Young himself scoring the second goal. I have someone to watch. The quality remained for the first 30 minutes but injured players were asked to get up rather than be treated due to the shortage of time. There was a head injury that forced some injury time and we have to accept that but on the whole the players got up and got on with it.
I spotted several moments of genius as players used their talent to beat first one then a second player before running into a third and losing the ball. The quality dwindled slightly as Torquay got their third and fourth goals but it was clear that some of the Maidenhead players were still on the coach. They had a nightmare journey and now they were having a nightmare match. Credit must be given to the Maidenhead fans who never stopped supporting their team and were singing even at 4-0 down.
I stated at the start of the second half that all Torquay had to do was manage the game out. Unfortunately they seemed to know this and the quality dropped as the ball spent a lot of time in the sky. At least four footballs disappeared over the stand on the far side and had to be replaced by a ball rolled out from the fourth official. Maidenhead at least matched Torquay in the second half but the goals were rarely threatened as shots went high or wide or clearances went out of the ground.
The fans went home happy and the chap I had been talking to in the bar spotted me and told me I was welcome back as if I was some sort of lucky charm. My lady seemed happy and she told me she was delighted to see the number of people with learning difficulties supporting the club and shouting at the tops of their voices even during the quiet patches. She also met an old work colleague who popped over for a chat.
When I first moved to Exeter I got talking to the residents, some of whom were young men who share my interest in football. They, of course, said that I should never visit Torquay (local rivals) or Plymouth (local rivals) and whilst I have read about the trouble caused by Plymouth fans when I pick up the local paper, the fanbase of this National League club came over as nothing but friendly.
Perhaps National League level is where it is at as I have enjoyed the BT Sports coverage of this level of football, sometimes more than the games that are from the Football League, but you cannot beat the Premier League for quality.
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