Beckenham 3 v Bearsted 4 in the Kent League yesterday. A very healthy crowd of 119 watched a very entertaining game. Rightly or wrongly, you would not have known there should be restrictions adhered to at football. No in/out doorstep for the club house, no stewards advising you to distance, getting served at the bar in the old fashioned way. Fantastic! I even met 'the real' Dave Mehmet as well, he's a coach at Beckenham.
Over the years I've tried to do the 92 with CAFC matches only. Was up to the late 70s in the 1990s/2000s, then it seemed 1 in 3 teams were moving to new grounds. Gave up on my ambition.
Beckenham 3 v Bearsted 4 in the Kent League yesterday. A very healthy crowd of 119 watched a very entertaining game. Rightly or wrongly, you would not have known there should be restrictions adhered to at football. No in/out doorstep for the club house, no stewards advising you to distance, getting served at the bar in the old fashioned way. Fantastic! I even met 'the real' Dave Mehmet as well, he's a coach at Beckenham.
My house makes an appearance on Charlton Life!
What number are you mate, we had a nightmare parking up.
Beckenham 3 v Bearsted 4 in the Kent League yesterday. A very healthy crowd of 119 watched a very entertaining game. Rightly or wrongly, you would not have known there should be restrictions adhered to at football. No in/out doorstep for the club house, no stewards advising you to distance, getting served at the bar in the old fashioned way. Fantastic! I even met 'the real' Dave Mehmet as well, he's a coach at Beckenham.
My house makes an appearance on Charlton Life!
What number are you mate, we had a nightmare parking up.
Beckenham rent their own car park to the car garage around the corner to store all his new cars on so have no spaces on their ground for their fans.
Because of that, when a game is on the roads nearby are always busy.
That is multiplied by the fact a few extra fans are there at the moment.
Doesn't bother me as it is max two lots of 90mins a week and I can watch footy from my front and back windows in return!
Lydd 1 Forest Hill Park 3 in the Kent League 1st division. In front of an advertised gate of 52, there was probably only 2 there to witness an excellent display by the away side, the scoreline flattered Lydd.
Lydd is very pleasant but a must to drive to. We got a lift from Ashford, without this the buses take around an hour and do not run very often.
Over the years I've tried to do the 92 with CAFC matches only. Was up to the late 70s in the 1990s/2000s, then it seemed 1 in 3 teams were moving to new grounds. Gave up on my ambition.
Automatic promotion from the National League makes it more difficult too. I think it's a good thing, but who'd have thought that you'd have had to go to Barrow to do the 92?
Over the years I've tried to do the 92 with CAFC matches only. Was up to the late 70s in the 1990s/2000s, then it seemed 1 in 3 teams were moving to new grounds. Gave up on my ambition.
Automatic promotion from the National League makes it more difficult too. I think it's a good thing, but who'd have thought that you'd have had to go to Barrow to do the 92?
You just know we'll get them midweek!
We saw Maidstone there about 4 years ago, that was a long day out. Barrow is not the most inspiring of places.
Over the years I've tried to do the 92 with CAFC matches only. Was up to the late 70s in the 1990s/2000s, then it seemed 1 in 3 teams were moving to new grounds. Gave up on my ambition.
Automatic promotion from the National League makes it more difficult too. I think it's a good thing, but who'd have thought that you'd have had to go to Barrow to do the 92?
You just know we'll get them midweek!
We saw Maidstone there about 4 years ago, that was a long day out. Barrow is not the most inspiring of places.
A question for the experienced non-league groundhoppers:
What would you say the threshold is to justify a ground to be 'ticked off'?
For Kent, when you get below SCEFL Division 1 you get into Kent County League (Division 11-13), and from pictures it looks hard to really call them "grounds" when in many cases it is literally just a cordoned off pitch.
Not trying to have a dig with my question, but am actually curious to know if there is an 'insiders' answer on this sort of thing when it comes to groundhopping.
Would it be a case of where you have to pay to watch that it is considered to be valid? Or is there no real rule as to how low you can go?
A question for the experienced non-league groundhoppers:
What would you say the threshold is to justify a ground to be 'ticked off'?
For Kent, when you get below SCEFL Division 1 you get into Kent County League (Division 11-13), and from pictures it looks hard to really call them "grounds" when in many cases it is literally just a cordoned off pitch.
Not trying to have a dig with my question, but am actually curious to know if there is an 'insiders' answer on this sort of thing when it comes to groundhopping.
Would it be a case of where you have to pay to watch that it is considered to be valid? Or is there no real rule as to how low you can go?
Anything in the pyramid that leads to promotions ultimately the professional game. Having said that I draw a line at Kent League, below this you are talking playing fields with dressing rooms, and not charging for admission(which I like).
Snodland 0 Rusthall 4, yesterday in the Kent League division 1. A gate of 116(not fiddled much) witnessed an easy win for Rusthall, suffering shocking weather, a rundown ground in a miserable little town. The one interesting point was the turnstile waiting to be installed came from the old Wembley stadium.
Paid another visit to Witton albion, another win now 3rd in the Northern Premier League with a game in hand. My daughter's boyfriend made it to the front page of the programme . Attendance 449
Broadbridge Heath 2 Langney 0, a headcount of 100 for yesterday's Sussex League Premier Division game. I made contact with a Broadbridge official in the morning who said he expected the game to be on as their drainage system was excellent. I explained to him that we were travelling from Bromley and he said that he would keep in contact. Travelling down to Horsham we were safe in the knowledge Horsham v Welwyn Garden City would be played on their 3g pitch. We waited at Horsham station for the phone call, this came at 14.15 as the match referee had only just arrived!!! We then jumped in a cab to tick off another ground. Once inside my new friend approached me and we had a chat, the guy could not have been more helpful.
Football is back! Sungate v Basildon Town today. This is Step 7 in the Essex Olympian League. Public grounds allow supporters, private grounds do not, officially. This game was staged at Ilford Wanderers rugby club over in Hainault. A crowd of around 20 watched a 1-1 draw. With no tea bar facilities available until next Saturday we had to make sure our clothes kept us warm.
Football is back! Sungate v Basildon Town today. This is Step 7 in the Essex Olympian League. Public grounds allow supporters, private grounds do not, officially. This game was staged at Ilford Wanderers rugby club over in Hainault. A crowd of around 20 watched a 1-1 draw. With no tea bar facilities available until next Saturday we had to make sure our clothes kept us warm.
That's an impressive rail around that pitch. They've got rugby and football, do they have horse racing as well?
Football is back! Sungate v Basildon Town today. This is Step 7 in the Essex Olympian League. Public grounds allow supporters, private grounds do not, officially. This game was staged at Ilford Wanderers rugby club over in Hainault. A crowd of around 20 watched a 1-1 draw. With no tea bar facilities available until next Saturday we had to make sure our clothes kept us warm.
That's an impressive rail around that pitch. They've got rugby and football, do they have horse racing as well?
A very pleasant day was had yesterday. Hartley Wintney strolled to a 4-0 win against Folland Sports to win the Hampshire Invitational Cup in front of a very respectable crowd of around 250.
A very pleasant day was had yesterday. Hartley Wintney strolled to a 4-0 win against Folland Sports to win the Hampshire Invitational Cup in front of a very respectable crowd of around 250.
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Anyway, I was at Cray v Bishop Stotford today, Cray lost 3-1 after being 1-0 up.
They still produce a high quality programme?
😉
What number are you mate, we had a nightmare parking up.
- Erith Town vs Crowborough (SCEFL Premier)
- Sporting Club Thamesmead vs Kent Football United (SCEFL Div 1)
- Folkestone Invicta vs Potters Bar
Of the three, Folkestone had by the far the biggest crowd and highest standard of football.
Very much enjoying the experience of learning about non-league and will carry on groundhopping across these divisions until we can return to Charlton.
Because of that, when a game is on the roads nearby are always busy.
That is multiplied by the fact a few extra fans are there at the moment.
Doesn't bother me as it is max two lots of 90mins a week and I can watch footy from my front and back windows in return!
It's like Sheerness but a bit more menacing!
What would you say the threshold is to justify a ground to be 'ticked off'?
For Kent, when you get below SCEFL Division 1 you get into Kent County League (Division 11-13), and from pictures it looks hard to really call them "grounds" when in many cases it is literally just a cordoned off pitch.
Not trying to have a dig with my question, but am actually curious to know if there is an 'insiders' answer on this sort of thing when it comes to groundhopping.
Would it be a case of where you have to pay to watch that it is considered to be valid? Or is there no real rule as to how low you can go?
Having said that I draw a line at Kent League, below this you are talking playing fields with dressing rooms, and not charging for admission(which I like).
Snodland 0 Rusthall 4, yesterday in the Kent League division 1.
A gate of 116(not fiddled much) witnessed an easy win for Rusthall, suffering shocking weather, a rundown ground in a miserable little town.
The one interesting point was the turnstile waiting to be installed came from the old Wembley stadium.
Broadbridge Heath 2 Langney 0, a headcount of 100 for yesterday's Sussex League Premier Division game.
I made contact with a Broadbridge official in the morning who said he expected the game to be on as their drainage system was excellent. I explained to him that we were travelling from Bromley and he said that he would keep in contact.
Travelling down to Horsham we were safe in the knowledge Horsham v Welwyn Garden City would be played on their 3g pitch.
We waited at Horsham station for the phone call, this came at 14.15 as the match referee had only just arrived!!! We then jumped in a cab to tick off another ground.
Once inside my new friend approached me and we had a chat, the guy could not have been more helpful.
Football is back!
Sungate v Basildon Town today. This is Step 7 in the Essex Olympian League. Public grounds allow supporters, private grounds do not, officially. This game was staged at Ilford Wanderers rugby club over in Hainault.
A crowd of around 20 watched a 1-1 draw. With no tea bar facilities available until next Saturday we had to make sure our clothes kept us warm.
Only in the summer.
A very pleasant day was had yesterday.
Hartley Wintney strolled to a 4-0 win against Folland Sports to win the Hampshire Invitational Cup in front of a very respectable crowd of around 250.