✔636 Greenfield Park

Shettleston 0-1 Dundee North End
Scottish Junior Cup 2nd Round
Saturday 29th September 2019

 Shettleston was originally a small village on the outer edge of Glasgow, but is now a city district incorporates the sub-districts of Greenfield and Sandyhill. It lies in between the neighbouring regions of Parkhead and Baillieston, four miles east of Glasgow city centre.

Famous people from Shettleston include journalist, novelist, playwright and broadcaster Cliff Hanley, who wrote the lyrics to the Scottish anthem Scotland The Brave. Football commentator and author Archie Macpherson was born and raised in the area, with his father playing centre forward for Shettleston, as well wearing the number nine shirt at Dalry Thistle and Largs Thistle.



Shettleston Football and Athletic Club was founded in 1903, beginning life in the Glasgow Junior League and are currently plying their trade in the SJFA West Region League One.  The Town reached the final of the Scottish Junior Cup in 1959, losing 2–1 to Irvine Meadow in front of a 65,211 Hampden Park crowd and reached the semi final stage in 2000-01.
Glasgow League winners: 1923–24, 1926–27
Central League A Division winners: 1976–77
Central Division One winners: 1985–86, 1998–99, 2001–02

Shettleston have enjoyed plenty of cup success, winning the Glasgow Junior Cup four times, the Central League Cup on three occasions and the West of Scotland Cup in 1973, ‘93 and ‘95.
The club’s best-known former player is Tommy Docherty, who went on to play for Celtic, Preston North End, Arsenal and won international caps, before commencing on a career in management, boasting he had "more clubs than Jack Nicklaus"
 Greenfield Park
401 Old Shettleston Road,
Glasgow,
G32 7JN
Scottish grounds visited 100
SJFA grounds visited 41
The club moved to Greenfield Park from their original home at Well Park in 1933, which had been sold off for housing. The turnstile entrance is behind the goal, where there's a fully covered enclosure with wooden benches bolted onto the terraces, with a wee separate section of eleven flip seats. The main side has the changing rooms, tea bar and terracing, including the old peaked roof enclosure at the bottom. Its open behind the far goal which runs around to the other side, which is now out of bounds apart from a scaffold camera stanchion. The large impressive social club is outside, opposite the turnstile entrance.
 Shettleston v Dundee North End
Macron Scottish Junior Cup 2nd Round
2.30pm ko
The Toon were punished for an early penalty miss, as the visitors booked there place in round three with a late goal. The match was a bit of a scrappy affair, with an array of clumsy fouls and quite a few yellow cards banished. North End were the much better side in the second half and grabbed the winner ten minutes from time, when the ball broke to Ryan Smith in the box, who turned and fired his team into the next round.
Matchday stats & Spondoolicks
SJFC 0
DNEFC 1(Smith 81)
Att.100.est
Entertainment 5/10
Admission £6
Coffee £1
 #HeedHopper
Another road trip in the pleasant company of Katie & Lee along with Facebook addict John McClure. The gang picked me up at 10am with Katie taking the A69/M74 route to the outskirts of Glasgow. On route we stopped off for the requisite JDW, calling at The John Fairweather in Cambuslang (a revisit for me but a tick for my fellow travellers). Apart from the busy traffic just outside Shettleston, the journey went smoothly both ways, so I was back home at half seven. After being a big part of my life for two years, it was good to watch a Scottish Junior Cup tie again at a ground full of character - a good'un for my 100th in Scotland.

✔635.Arbories Memorial Sports Ground

Padiham 4-0 Litherland REMYCA
North West Counties FL - Premier Division
Saturday 22nd September 2018
 Padiham was originally a rural village lying by the River Calder, surrounded by attractive countryside on an arc running across the foothills of Pendle Hill.The civil parish is part of the Borough of Burnley, found three miles west of the town. (population over 10,000)
The first recorded mention of the town, as ‘Padyngham’ dates from 1294 and for hundreds of years it was a market town, dealing in produce from Pendleside. The town expanded and was substantially redeveloped during the Industrial Revolution, and is now a picturesque conservation area on the edge of the Ribble Valley. 


 Padiham FC are one of the oldest clubs in Lancashire, formed in 1878. The Caldersiders were well supported, attracting a crowd of 9,000 for a derby match against Burnley in 1884. Following the legalisation of professional football, the club were unable to compete with their Lancashire neighbours and folded in 1916. The club lost their ground on the banks of the River Calder during World War I, and it lay dormant until after the end of the Second World War


The opening of the Arbories Memorial Sports Ground in 1949, saw the club revived with a crowd of 1,777 turned up to see their opening fixture of the season, when they returned to the Lancashire Combination League.
Lancashire Combination 1949-1982
North West Counties League 1982-1990,
2000-2013 Premier Division - champions 2012-13
2015-present
West Lancashire League 1990-2000 - Division One champions 1999–2000
Northern Premier League Division One North 2013-2015
Ruby Civil Arena
Arbories Memorial Sports Ground
Well Street,
Padiham, Lancashire
BB12 8LE
Capacity 1,688
Current NWCL League grounds visited 17/60
The turnstile entrance is behind the goal, where there is a covered terrace and a diminutive covered section. The clubhouse, changing rooms, refreshment bar and the 160 capacity main stand run down one side, with another covered stand at the bottom. On the opposite side is a covered section between the corner flag and the dugouts, with the rest of that side and the goal at the bottom of the slope open.  
 Padiham(8th) v Litherland REMYCA(15th)
NWCL Premier Division matchday 9/6
3pm ko
A brace on the stroke of half time by Michael Fowler handed The Storks a comfortable victory over Litherland. They took the lead in the 24th minute when a through ball was lifted into the path of Jack Tinning who fired in from close range. Padiham caught the visitors defence napping twice just before the break when long balls over the top were confidently finished off by Fowler.
The hosts had plenty of chances to increase the lead in the second half, with Fowler missing out on a hat-trick, but they did grab a fourth, when Chris Turner cut inside from the left flank and rifled in from 20 yards.  

Matchday Stats & Spondoolicks
PFC 4(Tinning 24 Fowler 45,45+1 Turner 57)
LREMYCA 0
Att.119
Admission £4
Programme £2
Pin badge £3
 #Heedhopper
The Smidrophenia Ale Trail moved onto Skipton in North Yorkshire, with my original plan being a match at nearby Steeton (Reserves at old ground). That match was postponed on Thursday so after looking for a Plan B, found that Padiham were the closest club to Skipton playing at home, so they had the honour of my presence!
We arrived in Skipton at 1pm and after a ‘Spoons lunch I left the breadknife in town and headed over the border into Lancashire for the 25 mile drive to Padiham.
I enjoyed my visit to to the Arbories Memorial Sports Ground, but not as much as our night out, where we supped in another twelve pubs, which took our total for this cracking week to 43 different beer bars. 


✔634. Nanpantan Sports Ground

Loughborough Dynamo 1-3 Basford United
Integro League Cup 1st Round
Tuesday 18th September 2018
 Loughborough is a town in the Charnwood borough of Leicestershire (population 57,600) In the 1086 Domesday Book its listed as"Lucteburne" later appearing  in a charter from the reign of Henry II as Lucteburga, and in the Pipe Rolls of 1186 as Luchteburc. The name means "Luhhede's burgh or fortified place.
The town is home to John Taylor Bellfounders, the world's largest bell foundry, which made the bells for  St Paul's Cathedral, York Minster and the Carillon war memorial in the town’s Queens Park. 
 Loughborough Dynamo FC were founded in 1955 by pupils from Loughborough Grammar school. They must have been Wolves fans, as they adopted the gold and black club colours and took their name from Dynamo Moscow, who had recently visited England to play Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Loughborough Alliance 1957-1965:Division 3 champions 1959–60
Division 1 champions 1964–65
Leicester & District League 1965-1972 and 1974-1989: Division One champions 1969–70
One season in East Midlands Regional League 1972-73 and Central Alliance 1973-74.
Leicestershire Senior League 1989-2008:Division 1 champions 2001–02, Premier Division champions 2003–04
Midland Alliance 2004-2008
Northern Premier League Division 1 2008-present
 Nanpantan Sports Ground
Watermead Lane
Loughborough
Leicestershire
LE11 3TN
Evo-Stick League grounds 33/62

The Sports Ground also hosts cricket, tennis and bowls with the football ground - now named the ADT Stadium at the far end. The turnstile entrance, changing rooms and clubhouse are behind the goal, with three rows of covered seating in front of the building. The rest of the ground is open with hard standing and the team dugouts at one side. 
Loughborough Dynamo v Basford United
Integro League Cup 1st Round
7.45pm ko

Basford booked their place in the next round after a sound second half performance. The Moes broke the deadlock in an even first half, when a cross from the right was fired home by Devante Reittie.
The visitors levelled the tie just after the hour mark, when a corner kick was headed home by Deon Meikle and they finished the match strongly. On 71 minutes Kole Lambert finished well from ten yards, then minutes later Nathan Watson got on the end of Bateman’s cross to wrap up the tie.

Matchday Stats & Spondoolicks
LDFC 1(Reittie 35)
BUFC 3(Meikle 62 Lambert 71 Watson 74)
Att.59
Admission £8
Programme £2
Coffee £1
 #HeedHopper
My visit to Loughborough was part of our ale trail holiday. The breadknife and I headed south on Sunday morning, ticking off a few pubs in Nuneaton and Stratford-Upon-Avon, before landing in Worcester for a few days of bevvy and a day at the gee-gees. We arrived in Loughborough on Tuesday morning, visiting ten pubs in the town, with our favourites being The Wheeltappers, Organ Grinder and Swan in the Rushes. 


✔633 The Pauline Charlton Sports Pavilion

West Auckland Tunns 1-3 Wolviston
Wearside League
Saturday 8th September 2018


Wearside League newcomers West Auckland Tunns are based 4 miles from the town in the village of Cockfield. The County Durham village is on the edge of Teesdale and dates back to the Iron age, with Coal mining beginning in the area during the medieval period. The village grew significantly when the South West Durham coalfield was opened during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the last of which closed in 1962.



The club are based at the Pauline Charlton Sports Pavilion, which is tucked away off the main road which runs through the village. It was opened in 2014 and named after the late county councillor for Cockfield, who also served as the mayor of  Durham. The pitch is railed off on all sides with dugouts in front of the pavilion, which houses the dressing rooms and a refreshment hatch. The parish council has ambitious plans to more than double the size of one of the rooms, to accommodate a variety of community activities. 

West Auckland Tunns(9th) v Wolviston(2nd)
Wearside League matchday 10/9
2.30pm ko
The hosts got off to a flying start, when a corner kick was cleared by the defence into the path of the Steven Clough who fired in from 12 yards. The home team wasted that good opening period by gifting an equaliser, when a mix up between goalkeeper and defender allowed a simple tap in for Mike McGee.
Tuns had the chance to regain the lead on the hour from the penalty spot. I was standing behind the opposite goal and just before the kick was taking the Tuns ‘keeper turned to let me know they usually miss. He was right of course, as the weak shot was well saved by the Wolvo ‘keeper.
The visitors capitalized on Auckland’s poor finishing by wrapping up the match, with McGee firing in his second, before a corner kick was headed home by Andy McGirr at the far post with just minutes left. 

Matchday Stats
WATFC 1(Clough 4)
WFC 3(McGee 25,75 McGirr 87)
Att.10hc
Admission £2

Footnote I dunno if its Tunns with one N or two. I've seen both versions written on various websites, but in the end plumped for the two N version, as its displayed on the welcome sign. 

✔632 Vertigo Stadium

Skegness Town 4-1 Clay Cross Town
FA Vase 1st Qualifying Round
Saturday 1st September 2018


We visited Skegness Town for one of the last matches at Burgh Road before their move to Wainfleet Road in 2016, which you can read about here (including a potted history of the Lilywhites) The club went on to win the Lincolnshire League that season and followed up with a seventh title in 2016-17 seasons. On the 25th May 2018 it was announced that Skegness Town would be promoted to the Northern Counties East Football League Division One, after an absence of 36 years.

The Burgh Road ground has now been demolished and replaced with a small shopping centre. The new ground named Vertigo Stadium after the club's sponsors, was completed in mid 2017 in preparation for the start of the 2017-18 season. The stadium was officially opened on the 21st July by Mayor Danny Brookes before a friendly against a Lincoln City XI, which ended with a 3-1 win for the hosts. 
The stadium amenities are at the entrance behind the goal. The building proudly displays the club crest and has changing rooms, refreshment kiosk and the Vertigo Lounge bar. There is two basic stands on one side which are split with seats and standing, with the dugouts on the opposite side. The rest of the ground is open with hard standing. The local car wash has followed the football team to its new surroundings, working next to the turnstile entrance just as it was at the old place.
Skegness Town v Clay Cross Town
NCEL Div.1(18th) v CML North(1st)
FA Vase 1st qualifying round
3pm ko
Every time I’ve visited Skegness there’s always been glorious weather, and a decent crowd enjoyed a thrilling cup tie in the baking sun.  Clay Cross put a dark cloud over proceedings, taking the lead on 34 minutes when a ball in from the right picked out Calum Lytham to stroke the ball home. The Lillywhites responded quickly with a superb 20 yard effort from Jordan Smith, which flashed past the keeper and into the far corner of the net, to leave the match finely poised at the break.
I was expecting a tight encounter in the second half, but the home team took full command of the tie. Smith fired in his second on 55 minutes, before Will Britton cut in from the left, went past a couple of defenders and gave the goalie no chance with an accurate drive minutes later.

Skeggy rattled the crossbar a few times, but the tie was settled when the ball was laid on for Britton to bang in his second and book their place in the 2nd qualifying round of the Vase.
Matchday Stats and Spondoolicks
STAFC 4 (Smith 42,55 Britton 59,72)  
CCTFC 1 (Lytham 34)
Att.158
Admission £5
Programme: sold out
Pin badge £3
#HeedHopper
Once we hit the A1 we changed our plans, deciding to stop off in Louth instead of driving straight to Skegness. It was a good decision, as there was an uncharted Wetherspoon’s to be had, as well as some GBG pubs and a cracking second hand record shop. We would have liked to spend more time there (another pit-stop in the future hopefully) but we had to be back on the road by 2.15, to get to the game for kick off. We enjoyed the match and the occasion, it was good to see some familiar friendly faces we know in the crowd and some familiar faces I wouldn't want to know.

Katie and Lee dropped me back home at Gallowgate View by 8.30pm, after another enjoyable day for the Far North Groundhopping contingent.