Isthmian League Premier Division (Step 3)
Monday 2 January 2023
Played at Imperial Fields (ground share at Tooting & Mitcham United)
FC Deportivo Galicia 3 v Bagshot 1
Combined Counties League Division One (Step 6)
Tuesday 3 January 2023
Played at Bedfont Sports Recreation Ground (ground share at Bedfont Sports)
Westfield 2 v Nottsborough 2
Nottsborough win 4-2 on Penalties
Surrey Premier Cup 2nd Round
Wednesday 4 January 2023
Played at Wibbandune Sports Ground (ground share with Colliers Wood United)
Buckhurst Hill 1 v Enfield 6
Essex Senior League (Step 5)
Friday 6 January 2023
Played at Roding Lane
I'm in the middle of my own Great Replacement. (temporarily) I can't roam the country to microbreweries & craft beer pubs, So, I'm finding consolation in still being able to get out of the house, keep my steps up and peruse far flung 'burbs, by replacing with Ground Hopping and Ticking.
This week has turned into four games, four new ground ticks. Three of those were ground shares, watching the tenants rather than the landlords.
Buckhurst Hill's Roding Lane is the 416th ground I've watched and ticked football on.
Kingstonian
That was on a Double Header day. Kingstonian in the afts, the Blades at QPR on the night. The last time I can remember mentioning Kingstonian in the Blog was when The Blades went away to entitled moaning bastards AFC Wimbledon. That game was played at Kingsmeadow - Kingstonian's ground. I'm happy enough with my inflammatory comments at the time, but I realise I've been a tad uncharitable to Wimbledon over the years.
Kingstonian moved out of their Richmond Road ground in 1988, having played there since 1902. Basically because they couldn't afford to keep it going anymore. They had a season and a half ground share at Hampton's Beveree ground. And then moved to Kingsmeadow (effectively as lease tenants, the ground was owned by Kingston Council) in 1989. But, Kingstonian lost the Kingsmeadow lease in October 2001, when they went into administration. In April 2002, the lease was assigned to Rajesh Khosla (property developer - here we fucking go), who also owned Kingstonian.
When AFC Wimbledon started in 2002, they were tenants of Kingstonian, who were tenants of Rajesh Khosla, who leased from Kingston Council. Fuck Sake.
Then AFC Wimbledon raised the moolah to buy the lease from Khosla. So, I suppose, Kingstonian then became ground share tenants at their own ground. In turn, Wimbledon had to eventually sell their stake in Kingsmeadow to finance their new gaff. Kingsmeadow was sold to (checks fucking notes) Chelsea - for their Women & Youth teams. And, wouldn't you just know it, Chelsea couldn't find room for Kingstonian.
In 2017, Kingstonian had to share at Leatherhead. Then they moved to share at (today's opponents) Corinthian Casuals. And, this season here at today's venue Tooting & Mitcham United. Confused? You will be.
Anyway. Wimbledon - new gaff. Kingsmeadow - Chelsea Women and kids only. Kingstonian - well as the Corinthian Casuals firm's chant goes;
"Kingstonian get thrown out of everywhere they go, everywhere they go…."
Unhelpful I feel. Although not without humour.
Maybe Kingstonian also need to keep the costs down at Imperial Fields. Nowt-Nowt at half time, with the floodlights still off. They flicked to kick the lights on for the second half and Corinthian Casuals raced to a two nil lead by the 52 second minute. Cue one of the Casuals;
"Putting the lights on has really changed the game for us."
A late Kingstonian goal with two minutes to go made it a lively finish in front of a two team partisan 336 crowd. All told, an enjoyable game between two teams with long, if broken a bit in places, histories.
FC Deportivo Galicia
Migrants Welcome. Have you been to Spain mate? It was a Fascist Dictatorship until 1975. With cheap booze & fags. The 50s & 60s were difficult days for (some) Spaniards. Britain welcomed many migrants & refugees from Fascism. There were pockets of Spanish migrants in different parts of our country. One pocket was in West London, where a lot of Galicians had rocked up. As we all would, those Spaniards wanted to meet up with their mates and countrymen. And, in 1968, they found a way through football, when Centro Gallego de Londres was formed.
Until 1995, they were playing Sunday League football. In 1993/94 they'd won the treble. And they switched to Saturday, Middlesex County League football. Sure, they've had a few rocky times since. But, the club still retain a clear Galician identity. In their kit and badge certainly. But, it was also noticeable that coaching instructions from the bench, and gloriously from the lads in the stand to my right, were barked out in English AND Spanish, depending upon which kid they were aimed at. Lovely.
Like many London clubs of a more recent vintage, as they progress up the pyramid, they need a ground that meets league standards.
"Why don't they just buy some land, and build a small ground Phil?"
"Whaaaat? At London land & property prices? Are you off your fucking head?"
So, ground share, inevitably (see also Westside below). This one out near Heathrow. And I mean it looks like the planes are going to land on the clubhouse roof. A neat, flowing game. One-One at half time. Goals on 81 and 90+7 brought it home for FC Deportivo.
Westside
In case you haven't cottoned on, this Blog is brought to you by the medium of BACKSTORY. Westside FC were formed in 1996. They are a Christian Community Football Club based at West Side Church, in Wandsworth, South West London.
Their stated aim is;
"to enjoy playing football in the right spirit, with as much class as possible and to pass on the incredible news of God's Free Gift of eternal Life to all those who want it."
I'm an unremitting Atheist. God's Free Gift was knocked sideways by Daniel Barber's Free Kick. Which was the equaliser for Nottsborough on 84 minutes.
Hang on. What's that? Equaliser for Nottsborough? Sounds like a made up place name. Don't tell me some fucker has just splurged Nottingham and (for eg) Loughborough together to make Nottsborough.
Well. The Carrier Bag Firm are indeed certifying that is exactly what fucking happened. Would you have preferred Loughingham? John Lister was a centre half who'd played for Loughborough University. Jonty Hill, a centre forward who'd played against him for Nottingham University. They had both moved to BigSmoke, and on a beery night out, the idea of forming a team and playing together came out of the bottom of a glass.
Nottsborough also have a stated motto;
“Nikkerus Nakkerus Dropperus Floorius”
roughly translated from the Latin as;
“niknaks niknaks on the floor”
In the modern vernacular, I Shit You Not. Google them if you don't believe me.
And also a stated aim;
“Committed to playing quality, competitive football with like-minded pals, to win where we can but always to have a laugh."
Westside play in the Combined Counties Division One, Step 6. Nottsborough are playing in a County League, outside the National League Step system. Despite that, they got to the Final of this Surrey FA Cup last season. Losing to FC Deportivo Galicia as it happens.
So, despite their self pisstaking motto & having a laugh aims, I can confirm - this is the cup - this matters - let's get at it - (also see Sheffield United v Millwall). Westside went two up on 67. Notts clawed one back on 81. And that superb Borough free kick by Daniel Barber on 84 dented God's Plan. (Narrator - there is no plan).
So, Nottsborough's 1X111 penalties beat Westside's X11X on the night to see the lower league side through. As Westside know the story to their cost;
"When you're a Jet, you're a Jet"
(couldn't resist)
Buckhurst Hill
Poor from Buckhurst Hill and Enfield. No fucking discernible Backstory. High scoring game. Didn't feel as one sided as that. Enfield had their set pieces sorted. Big centre half sent up, corners hung in under the bar. And remarkable long throws from the Enfield 18. No run up, just long bend, long levers. Although The Buckhurst Stags scored first, those set pieces, a few goalie goofs, and BHFC heads falling to the floor made it comfortable in the end for Enfield.
The Hypochondria
My name is Phil, I'm a Type II Diabetic. I have had no indiscriminate (waves, are you there Jimmy H?) choccies, biccies, sweeties or ice cream since my last Blog.
I average SIX units of alcohol per week over the past 7 days, in the week, that did climb briefly over my target of 14.
More encouragingly, my 30 day average units of alcohol is EIGHT per week.
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Stats
I have now Blogged from 1,196 games in 3,062 days
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