Wednesday, 1 October 2025
Athersley Rec (01-10-2025)
Friday, 26 September 2025
Handsworth (26-09-2025)
Sunday, 17 August 2025
Gold Coast (17-08-2025)
Gold Coast United Women 0 - 1 Brisbane City (NPL Queensland Division), Sunday 17 August 2025
My first match outside the UK since 2016, and my second in Australia. A 16-mile round trip from Gold Coast to Coplicks Family Sports Park - a multipurpose site encompassing AFL, soccer...and baseball.
This was a reasonable tussle, with the second half a lot faster and more aggressive than the first. It was settled by a clever flicked header from Brisbane. Gold Coast had some opportunities but were not incisive or decisive enough in front of goal.
My main lesson in finding this fixture - and exploring other potential ones - is that there are now many opportunities to see "soccer" in Aus. The game below A-League feels like it has developed a lot since I last took in a match here. Soccerway is a helpful tool for scoping out international fixtures. My second lesson is that Gold Coast (like Australia) is huge - my legs will feel this for a few days!
Wednesday, 30 July 2025
Doncaster City (30-07-2025)
Doncaster City 2 - 0 Louth (NCEFL Cup), Wednesday 30 July 2025
A comfortable win for the superior Doncaster, in a match at Armthorpe's ground. Close to the M18, this is a possible evening match next season. Beautiful skies and sunset going into the second half. There's an article to be written about matches I've been to in July - a memorable handful down the years. Nice to get to a game before our long holiday.
Sunday, 25 May 2025
Sunday, 11 May 2025
Liverpool (11-05-2025)
Sunday, 27 April 2025
Liverpool (27-04-2025)
Liverpool 5 - 1 Tottenham Hotspur (Premier League), Sunday 27 April 2025
Champions! Exactly 11 years to the day since 'that' Chelsea match, Liverpool seal the title with an imperious performance. A special day on Merseyside.
Saturday, 26 April 2025
Retford (26-04-2025)
Wednesday, 9 April 2025
Rising Ballers (08-04-2025)
Rising Ballers Kensington 1 - 1 Windsor (Combined Counties 1), Tuesday 8 April 2025
On one of those strange April evenings, when the air is chilly but full of hope for Spring, I found myself in Greenford (West London) for a 1st Division Combined Counties match. This was my first in this league and indeed one of only a handful of matches I have seen in the West side of London. The Combined Counties covers Berks, Bucks, Hants, Herts, Kent, Oxf and the western bit of London - so I guess its footprint is 'the westerly bit of the South East'.
Rising Ballers Kensington (great name) share the ground of North Greenford United, located between Sudbury Hill and Greenford. Upon arrival I was about to hand over the entry fee (to a group of away fans!) before realising this was FOC. I had a cup of tea (including complimentary biscuits!) from the bar and surveyed the league table. Two points separated Rising Ballers and the visitors (Windsor - not Windsor and Eton!), both hovering over the relegation zone.
The match was full-blooded to say the least and started with a bang when Ballers had an early penalty saved. After this, Windsor dominated much of the half with their sharp passing and took a slender lead into the break. I nipped into the bar to see the end of the 1st half of Arsenal-Real Madrid (and to warm up!).
The second half was more even and Ballers really upped their game to match Windsor. Ballers - in a distinctive white and gold Madrid-esque kit - seemed like they wanted it just a little more. They deservedly equalised when they successfully converted a penalty, and after this either side could have won it. 1-1 was a reasonably fair result, although it didn't do either side any favours. Meanwhile, across London, it transpired that Arsenal had beaten Real Madrid 3-0 - a strange evening all round.
Wednesday, 2 April 2025
Stocksbridge (02-04-2025)
Stocksbridge Park Steels Reserves 1 - 0 Oughtibridge (Sheffield & Hallamshire Premier League), Wednesday 2 April 2025
Friday, 28 March 2025
Saturday, 1 March 2025
Avro (01-03-2025)
Avro 3 - 1 Clitheroe (Northern Premier West Division), Saturday 1 March 2025
Three scrappy (but well-deserved) goals for Avro and a penalty for Clitheroe. The home side's defence stood firm in the face of second half pressure.
I didn't realise that Avro was an aircraft maker (the now defunct energy company is completely different) so I have learnt something today. The ground was an odd collection of different styles and design, with a 3G pitch at the centre. I made it over the Woodhead Pass in time for tea and with some daylight left. Spring must be round the corner.