UCL/PDFL 'Hop 2019 - part two

Sunday 28th July 2019

The Sunday stage of the ‘hop had three more games in the United Counties League. Katie & Lee picked me up at the guest house in Kettering at 10 o'clock for the 11am start at Cogenhoe United. The Cooks joined the UCL Division One in 1985, winning promotion to the Premier Division in their second season and they have played in the top league ever since, becoming champions in 2004-05 season. 

The second match was a 1345 kick off at Irchester United, a club which has a long history, dating back to 1896 when they joined the Northamptonshire League. During the 1980s they were called Irchester Eastfield before becoming United again in 1990. The Romans were Division One champions in 2009-10, but are back in the second tier after relegation in 2013. 

Our final game of the weekend was at new promoted Whittlesey Athletic. The club were formed in 2014 following the merger of PDFL clubs Coates Athletic and Whittlesey United.
(Saturday's 3 matches)

687. Compton Park

Cogenhoe United v Loughborough University

UCL Premier Division (1100ko) 

 The ground has a seated stand with four rows of blue flip seats. There's a diminutive covered enclosure behind one of the goals. The rest of the ground is open with hard standing and a pair of brick dugouts on the far side. 

Matchday Facts

CUFC 0

LUFC 1(Akpobire 32)

Att.262

Admission £5

Pin badge £3

Coffee £1

Bacon roll £2

A tight game was settled in the 32nd minute when a low cross from the right was tapped in by Kel Akpobire.

688. Alfred Street

Irchester United v Wellingborough Whitworth

UCL Division One (13.45ko) 

Due to the neighbouring cricket ground spectators are limited to three sides railled off with a pair of dugouts at the spectators side. There's one main stand behind the goal with three rows of blue seats, along side the changing rooms, with the clubhouse at the back in the car park.


Matchday Facts

IUFC 3(Clark 7 Bail 71,81)

WWFC 3(Brittain 8 Crawley 45+2 Hazell 90+2)

Att.328

Admission £12

Pin badge £3(from Terry)

The best match of the weekend saw Ty Clark capitalise on a defensive error to fire the hosts ahead, before the visitors instantly replied when a corner kick was headed home by Remy Brittain after eight minutes.

The Doughboys took the lead in first half stoppage time with a neat turn and shot from the edge of the box by Jason Crawley. Substitute James Bail was teed up by Clark to equalise on 71 minutes, before he latched onto a through ball and finished well to put the Romans ahead. An entertaining game was concluded with a smashing half volley by Jonny Hazell in injury time to make it 3-3 at full time.

689.Feldale Field

Whittlesey Athletic v Huntingdon Town 

UCL Division One (17.15ko) 

Matchday Facts

WAFC 1(Ilsley 70)

HTFC 2(Roberts 69, Jones 83)

Att.340

Admission £4

Pin badge £3

Feldale Field is fully railed off with dugouts over the far side and a couple of temporary covered structures down one side. The ground has hard standing and is a work in progress with the likes of floodlights to be added during their debut season in the UCL.

The match looked to be heading towards our first goalless draw of the 'hop until a three goal burst in the last twenty minutes. Substitute Sean Roberts gave the away side the lead, but straight from the restart Matt Ilsley equalised with a diving header. The final goal of the weekend was by another Huntington Town sub Chris Jones and it was the best of the lot, he picked the ball up from midfield and fired in a 30 yard right foot shot into the top corner to win the match and finish of our football weekend in style.

#Heedhopper 

At Whittlesey Mark Wilko turned up which means GBG ticking. He had already called into the local pubs, but was keen for me to do likewise so at half time we nipped off to the Little B and The Boat Inn. You probably think this wasn't possible in 15 minutes but it was a team effort. Mark dropping me off at the first pub where I had a swift half and when I walked across the road to the other boozer, another half was waiting for me on the bar.When we drove back to the ground the players were back on the pitch just waiting for the referee to restart proceedings.

After the football Mark joined Lee, Katie and I in the George Hotel JDW (and I also had a swifty next door in Hubs Place) before the long trek home, finally arriving back in pumpkin hours at 12.30am.
Thanks to Groundhop UK for organising an ace event. 

UCL/PDFL 'Hop 2019 - part one

Saturday 27th July 2019

The United Counties/PDFL 2019 Groundhop kicked off the previous evening at Stamford Lions, then an early start on Saturday morning with the match at Parson Drove kicking off at 10.45am.  Katie, Lee and I swerved the first two matches and headed off from the north-east at 9.30am for the 1.45pm ko at the UCL/PDFL Head Offices, which is home to Orton Rangers in the Peterborough & District League. Orton were formed in 2016 and last season won promotion to the PDFL 3rd Division

Our second game of the day was at Rothwell Corinthians at 5pm. The club joined the UCL in 1995 and are now in the Premier Division after finishing Division One runners-up in 2014-15. The final game was a 7.45pm start at Burton Park Wanderers who joined the UCL in 1968 as Kettering Park Wanderers, before changing to their current name in 1973. 

684.Nene Valley Community Centre

Orton Rangers 4-1 Parkside Athletic

PDFL Division Three (1345ko)

 

 The league headquarters has three pitches. Orton Rangers (along with Peterborough Polonia) play on the first pitch in front of the main building. The pitch is fully railed off with dugouts on one side. 

Matchday Facts

ORFC 4(Harbor 30,72 Read 41 Fitzgerald 77)

PFC 1(Gifford 56)

Att.220

Admission £5

Pin badge £3

Coffee £1

The hosts went into the break with a two goal lead following a neat flicked header by Daniel Harbor and a well placed shot by Glen Read.

A lovely long distance chipped shot by Ollie Hurford halved the deficit, before Rangers took control with Harbor adding his second and youngster Jake Fitzgerald making it 4-1.

685.Sargeants Lawn 

Rothwell Corinthians 3-0 Lutterworth Town 

UCL Premier Division (17:00ko)

 

There's a small covered enclosure and seated stand on one side, with a further seated stand opposite. The changing rooms and Springfir Lounge are in the corner next to the admission entrance.

Matchday Facts

RCFC 3(Archer 5 Duffy 58 Henson 66)

LTFC 0

Att.316

Admission £5

Pin badge £3

An easy win for the home team once Ryan Archer gave them a fifth minute lead. They finally doubled the score just before the hour mark with a Niall Duffy effort from the edge of the box. Corinthians wrapped it up the points when Jordan Henson ran onto a through all and fired in to make it 3-0.#

686.Latimer Park

Burton Park Wanderers 4-0 Lutterworth Athletic 

UCL Division One (19.45ko)

There's three separate seated stands running down one side, one of which has Burton Park Wanderers on the facade with another adorning the name of ground sharers Kettering Town. There's covered terracing behind both goals with the team dugouts on the far side.


Matchday Facts

BPWFC 4(Allen 8 Thompson 14,20 Dalby 49)

LAFC 0

Att.284

Admission £5

Pin badge £3

Cheese burger £3

Coffee £1

BPR raced into a three goal lead after 20 minutes with Zach Allen and two well taken goals from Lee Thompson. It should have been four in first half stoppage time but Jordan Middleweight saw his penalty hit the crossbar.

The game died off after Adam Dalby made it four early in the second half, with the rotten damp conditions making the spectators look forward to the full time whistle.

#Heedhopper 

After the match we headed to Kettering as the "celebrity groundhopping couple" were staying a mile away from me in another guest house. I stopped off at the GBG listed  'Three Cocks' for a swift drink on route, before I finally settled into my digs after an anxious half hour when I couldn't gain access to my room. A good day of football in great company was spoilt somewhat by the awful wet weather, so I went to bed hoping for clearer skies in the second part of our UCL/PDFL 'hop.