Category Archives: 2019/20 Season

Stiff Upper Lip

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The Stiffs FC 4 – 3 Trowbridge Tigers
Post-Season Friendly
Saturday 10th April 2021
St. Mary’s Rec, Steeple Ashton (view on map)
Attendance: ?
Admission: Free

The Visit:

Whilst semi-looking for a place to walk on a slightly overcast Saturday lunchtime, I happened to spot that local team The Stiffs FC of the Trowbridge & District League were hosting Trowbridge Tigers. It was a 1pm kick off in the nearby village of Steeple Ashton. I cleared it with my other half and we loaded up the car with our 10 month old boy. As this was hastily arranged, and with a baby in tow I only caught the 20 minutes or so before half time, but was treated to a couple of really good goals from the visitors. The first a decent one-on-one finish, followed by a great top corner finish which may have taken a very slight deflection. I learned after that these goals but the Tigers in the lead after trailing. The home side eventually won 4-3 but it did seem like a close encounter. I certainly hope to re-visit properly for a fixture in the near future, not least for the spectacular views of the surrounding countryside.

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2019/20 Season Review

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It will come as no surprise when I say that, for me, the 19/20 season ended in a less than ideal manner. Nearly 3 months since the last match I was able to attend, I have just about processed what has happened and now I look forward to next season (whenever that may be). In the meantime I anticipate the birth of my first child any day now with massive excitement. Part of me was slightly reluctant to do this review of the season for fairly obvious reasons, however I thought it would be good to draw a line under it. So here goes…

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St George’s Day

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Roman Glass St George 2 – 1 Cadbury Heath FC
Western League – Premier Division
Saturday 7th March 2020
Oaklands Park, Bristol
Attendance: 52

The Season So Far:

Going into this game it looked to me as though there was nothing to play for for either team: Roman Glass in 13th and with too much to do to threaten the teams vying for promotion, and Cadbury Heath in 17th yet 15 points clear of bottom placed Odd Down. To be honest I was just wanting to go to a game and, given the 3G pitch at Oaklands Park, this one was unlikely to be called off… especially given the lack of rain predicted for today.

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Swiss Role

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FC Zurich 1 – 1 Neuchatel Xamax
Swiss Super League
Saturday 22nd February 2020
Stadion Letzigrund, Zurich
Attendance: 7,722

The Season So Far:

I’m not normally a follower of Swiss football, my awareness of it mainly coming from teams such as Basel and Young Boys’ participation in European competitions. There are just ten teams in the Super League, today’s home team still battling for a place in the Europa League sitting in 5th. The visitors – relegation play-off survivors last seasons – looking up at all but one of their rival clubs. Surely this should be easy for FCZ!

Well, winter break friendlies aside, they were still looking for their first win of 2020. Before this, inconsistent results including a 3-1 away win over league leaders St Gallen and a 5-0 home defeat to Servette, suggested the outcome tonight would be less straightforward. On the other hand Xamax were looking for another win after beating Sion away the previous weekend.

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Better Late Than Never

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Bradford Town 2 – 1 Shepton Mallet AFC
Western League – Premier Division
Wednesday 12th February 2020
Trowbridge Road, Bradford-on-Avon
Attendance: 111

Bradford Town have been enjoying a fruitful season since I last visited in pre-season. Currently sitting top of the Western League despite their exploits in the FA Vase meaning they have games in hand over some of the chasing pack. However, their attempts to reach Wembley were dashed at the weekend as they went down 3-1 at home to Leighton Town of the Spartan South Midlands League. Winning all four league games so far this calendar year, Town should remain confident of challenging Plymouth Parkway for promotion to the Southern League, but will find tonight’s opponents – currently 4th – stiff opposition.

Shepton Mallet are 7 points behind their hosts but have played a couple more games, having been knocked out of the FA Vase back in October. They are in a rich vein of form, winning the last 6 matches, going all the way back to a 4-0 win over Odd Down on Boxing Day. While a late push for promotion is not out of the question, it will be a tough ask for the Somerset side with only one automatic promotion spot and only 2nd place entering the play-offs. This should be a great contest!

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The Cowes jumped over the Moon

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Bemerton Heath Harlequins 5 – 1 East Cowes Victoria
Wessex League – Division One
Saturday 11th January 2020
Moon Park, Bemerton
Attendance: 54

The Season So Far:

My second Wessex League game of the season sees me travel south to Moon Park, just outside of Salisbury. Home of Bemerton Heath Harlequins who I saw defeat Warminster Town in preseason. Harlequins currently sit 6th in the table and, given that the top 4 teams will be promoted (according to Wikipedia – i’ll try to find some further evidence), are well set to make an assault on the promotion places. However they come into this game off the back of 2 league defeats – their last league win being an impressive 8-0 home win against bottom club Folland Sports.

The away side, making the long trip up from the Isle of Wight, find themselves in 17th position. Despite this they should be reasonably confident of surviving given that, due to Pewsey Vale quitting the league, only one team will be relegated come the end of the season. A recent win against Folland, plus impressive draws against top half Downton, and Whitchurch United will give East Cowes reassurance that they certainly have a good chance of coming away from this tie with something.

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Another Day, Another Derby

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Ashton & Backwell United 2 – 1 Portishead Town
Western League – Division One
Saturday 28th December 2019
The Lancer Scott Stadium, Backwell
Attendance: 103

The Season So Far:

Around 4 miles separates these two clubs as the crow flies. The home side just north of Bristol Airport lie in 8th place (with a -4 goal difference) in the table, with the visitors from the banks of the Severn estuary in 15th (and a +2 goal difference!). Neither side played on Boxing Day so should be fresh and ready for this meeting – the home Stags’ last game on the 7th December saw them beat high-flying Calne Town 3-2 at home. Portishead won by the same scoreline that weekend, against Lebeq United, but the week after that lost to Warminster. You have to go back to September to find their last win before the Lebeq tie. Ashton & Backwell ended last season in 4th and will certainly look to emulate that kind of finish this time round. Portishead will look to improve on last season’s 16th place finish. Both teams’ erratic form suggests that this game could go either way and it will hopefully be an entertaining match up.

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A Match Made In Devon

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Plymouth Parkway 2 – 3 Tavistock AFC
Western League – Premier Division
Thursday 26th December 2019
Bolitho Park, Plymouth
Attendance: 564

The Season So Far:

Every year I hope for a Christmas miracle, and this year it looks to have happened; 2nd placed Plymouth Parkway at home to Devon rivals Tavistock on Boxing Day! Parkway find themselves 3 points behind Bradford Town with a game in hand and a superior goal difference. Behind them, Clevedon Town are just a point behind in 3rd, but have played 5 more matches. The home side have not played a match since the 7th December due to their last two games falling foul of the weather. An impressive season so far has seen Parkway lose only once in the league and rack up impressive wins including a 10-0 thumping of Odd Down. They also have an FA Vase 4th Round game to look forward to against Woodbridge Town of the Eastern Counties Premier.

Today’s visitors joined the Western League at the beginning of the season from the South West Peninsula League. Currently in 10th place, but with a good few games in hand over almost everyone around them, they’ll feel confident of climbing up the league in the near future. Like the hosts, Tavvy’s last two games were rained off, and their last game on the 14th was a hard-fought 4-3 victory over bottom side Chipping Sodbury. They were knocked out of the Vase by another Devon club Buckland Athletic in the 3rd round, so will look to focus their attentions on improving their league position and possibly claiming promotion to the Southern League.

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Left to their own Devizes

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Devizes Town 5 – 2 Bristol Telephones
Western League – Division One
Saturday 7th December 2019
Nursteed Road, Devizes
Attendance: 50

The Season So Far:

This is my second attempt at visiting Nursteed Road after braving rain of Biblical proportions in November, only for the game against Wells City to be postponed. This week’s visitors to Nursteed Road, Bristol Telephones, are struggling in the Western League again after only surviving last season due to the dissolution of Chippenham Park. With just one win to their name and having played 3 games more than Bishop Sutton above them, the Phones will need to start finding more wins from somewhere and soon. Devizes find themselves in 17th but have at least one game in hand over many of the teams around them in the table. However, 4 losses on the trot – including a Cup loss to Wiltshire County League side Trowbridge Town – will not fill them with confidence.

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A Game of Two Halves

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Melksham Town 2 – 2 AFC Totton
Southern League – Division One South
Saturday 23rd November 2019
Oakfield Stadium, Melksham
Attendance: 362

The Season So Far:

This bottom of the table clash will be Melksham’s first game in 2 weeks after last week’s game away at Bideford was postponed due to a bad accident on the M5 preventing Town from reaching Devon. 7 days earlier, despite their best efforts, they were knocked out of the FA Trophy by Gosport Borough from the league above. After 11 games, Melksham sit 4th bottom of the Southern League Division One South with just 2 wins to their name, the last of which way back in mid-September away at Highworth Town. Town will hope that home advantage plays a part this afternoon.

AFC Totton sit 2nd bottom, also with just 2 wins to their name. Last weekend for the 2nd match in a row they scored 3 goals. However Cinderford Town, and before that Yate Town, scored more. With a midweek Hampshire Cup victory against Petersfield Town, the team from just outside Southampton may well be less well rested than their Wiltshire opposition, but will hope to make it two wins on the bounce. If there is to be a winner in this game, it could prove to be a valuable 3 points come the end of the season.

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