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Rugby League Challenge Cup 4^th Round

It’s an early morning start, alarm clock just gone off 04.15 on a Sunday morning.

I set about getting ready got a taxi booked for just after five to take me to the coach station for the 05.35 express to London Victoria.

After a shower and some breakfast of Weetabix (3) I go stand outside in the street I live in one of those where they switch of the street lights about one till seven its ok but the taxi drivers plus emergency people can’t see house numbers or names so by been outside about five it speeds things up.

Once at the coach station I join a few others travelling up to London or Heathrow Airport, the coach arrives a few minutes late but after a quick stop at Newton Abbot where off to Exeter to drop of a few for the North coach plus pick-up a few more then its out to the M5 Motorway and away we go. We pull into Taunton Services for a quick driver change then resume our journey towards the Airport after five minutes stop we return to the M4 Motorway into London and arrive at Victoria coach station a few minutes early.

After a quick check in departures of where the Torquay bus departs for tonight I set off for Victoria railway station to get my train ticket plus breakfast in the Wetherspoon pub on the station concourse.

I notice a big queue for tickets so join it to get my ticket for Twickenham it cost me £8.50 for a Day Travelcard with London Zones 1-6 which will do me for the day. Travel sorted now time for a large breakfast and a pint of beer job done.

About midday I decide to get train to Clapham Junction, then find platform for Twickenham its while on Clapham Junction I spot my first Dewsbury fan of the day we get talking then jump on the train to Twickenham. Once there he finds out which pub is brothers in it seems the bar under the main stands open so we set of to the Stoop.

I bought my ticket before setting of for £10 plus £3 booking fee so once we found the ground my new mate had to buy a ticket its then we found out only one stand was open so I could join him for a few pre-game beers my ticket was for the North Stand the away fans stand with only one stand open it didn’t matter where you pre-booked your seat. We find is brother get some beers in before kick-off, have a chat with other Dewsbury fans who have  travelled down from Yorkshire about our chances and once we see the team for the day its not looking good for the day.

Just before 14.00hrs we go find some seats and cheer the team out and for about ten minutes we look alwright but once the Broncos start scoring the games over its all about keeping the score down but by half-time broncos are 32 points up to Dewsbury’s nil. After a quick beer we return for the second half which the Broncos score two quick try’s plus converting so it leaves only pride Dewsbury have left to play for and yet they break free after some good passing play go over the line to score a try loud cheer greets this from the travelling Dewsbury fans.

After a few more scores from Broncos they go on to win the game by 72-4, we stay and cheer the team off and I walk back to Twickenham station for my return journey to Victoria and find somewhere for food and a drink before my return coach at 19.00hrs.

The return journey is ok till we hit the Newbury area on the M4 Motorway and roadwork’s that delayed us for about 40 minutes but after that it was ok once again we had a quick change of driver at Taunton then on our way to Exeter then straight to Torquay on time no drop offs in Newton Abbott, so about midnight back in Torquay coach station in a taxi home and in bed by 00.30 another great day out over watching sport.

London Broncos 72 Dewsbury Rams 4

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Today is the day of my long trip to Sheffield, at about 11.30 am I walk down to Torquay station to catch the 12.41 Virgin Cross Country train to Glasgow stopping at Sheffield.

While having a coffee & Bacon sandwich an announcement over the tannoy system informs me that the train hasn’t even got to South Devon yet and could be cancelled due to late running passengers are advised to get next train to Newton Abbot and travel on next train north from there. On the way to Newton the Virgin train passed us on its way to Paignton, on arriving in Newton station I enquired about trains to the North and was told our train was still running maybe a bit late but would still run.

Just after 13.00hrs the train arrived and I boarded to find my seat to sit back till Sheffield, to start my weekend away to watch a Rugby League game. My plans when booking this weekend was to watch Sheffield Eagles verses my home town Dewsbury Rams on the Sunday but that plan fell through due to both grounds that the Eagles hire been reseeded after the Football season one ground is used by Rotherham United and the other is the home of Sheffield United. So that game was played Friday night so my back up is Doncaster v Oldham Roughyeds 3pm Sunday.

My first job on arriving in Sheffield is to find a copy of the Rugby League Express weekly newspaper before finding my hotel for the weekend, I find the local street maps a bit hard to follow but my print out does help me and once I ask for the directions I find I have been going in the right direction just not far enough I have one more main road to cross then its next turning along yep got it my bed for the next two nights.

After a quick shower I walk into Sheffield centre and find a pub for the evening, after a walk around I find a local pub away from the main area and pay £2.55 for pint of John Smiths smooth so that’s me set up for the evening beer plus some decent music been played by the DJ about midnight I make my way back to the hotel after a quick stop for a cheeseburger I get back just before one.

Next day Sunday I make my way back to Sheffield station to work out train times to Doncaster plus cost after buying ticket £5.50 return I decide to get next train and have breakfast in Doncaster. After a short train journey I get to Donny and have quick walk around town before breakfast I find a pub get myself a coffee & breakfast sit and read the paper with a decent breakfast.

On leaving the pub I make my why up to the Keepmoat Stadium the home of Doncaster Rugby League Club it’s a bit of a walk but it’s a nice day not to hot but pleasant. On arriving near the ground I notice there’s a big athletics track with a schools match on. I walk down to the pub next to the Premiere Inn Hotel so yes it’s a Beefeaters pub for a couple of beers ticket office doesn’t open till 14.00 hrs.

A quick walk back finds the ticket office open I pay my £12 and walk around to the Success Doncaster Stand, on the way I get a copy of the days programme £2 before entering the stadium. Once inside I find that the club have opened two of the executive boxes for fans to get food & drink so I pop in for a beer. The view across the back from the windows is great across Keepmoat Lake and the surrounding country park.

Once the game starts it doesn’t take long to see that Oldham are going to struggle in this game in fact Donny put some great passing movements together but both sides have a chance to take the lead then Donny do score and by half time there 12-0 up Oldham will struggle to come back Donny go on to win by 30pts to nil. It was a decent game a bit one-sided but glad I came along and not just stay in Sheffield. A few fans where aware who I was after my comments on the rams face book site plus my letter in the Rugby paper about the Eagles shambles.

My walk back to Doncaster station was a bit quicker by following a few locals back along footpaths that made the journey shorter a bit of local knowledge does help. I have a short wait before the train back to Sheffield then walk back to my hotel for some food and couple cups of coffee before watching a bit of TV and bed after Saturday night could do with an early night getting old.

Up about ten Monday morning train back to Torquay not till 14.21 so no rush after a shower and packing my bag I walk into Sheffield Centre and find a pub for breakfast and once again read the paper. Train arrives on time only on the return journey I have to change at Birmingham New Street station I hate changing at this station its so big and I have about ten minutes to find my platform for my train to Torquay so I hope its running ok, per normal my platform is way down the other end of New Street we come in on Plat 17 Torquay trains on Plat 3b with four minutes to spare i get there.

So once again settle down for rest of my trip home all going well till we get to Bristol Parkway it seems school kids playing on the track between Parkway and Temple Meads stations stuck at a red signal till police round them up, we finally get back to Torquay at 19.15 about twenty minutes late not bad for a journey that long some trains have been up to a hour late due to kids and vandals.

Doncaster 30 Oldham Roughyeds 0

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After last weeks whiteout of Football across the country, today I get a chance to watch a game I spot in last nights local paper The Herald Express the top two of the WBW Solicitors South Devon Football League Premier Division playing at Homers Heath.

Buckland Athletics Reserves play Upton Athletic from Torquay Upton have been top dog’s of the South Devon football scene for many years winning leagues and Cups season after season. They have one or two players who have played at a high level in fact one player could have been at the very top but gave it all up for playing Saturday non-league football with is mates.

Just before getting the bus from Torquay I get a text from my mate he is on is way to the game got away from work early, so we meet up at Homers Heath for a few drinks and a chat in fact I have few beers for my Birthday last week (9.Dec) before the game. Once the game kicks off it looks like its going to be a decent game and most seem to think Buckland need a early lead and with Mike Booth dropping down from the first team, plus Kain Bond former Torquay United striker playing hopes are high for Bucks win.

The biggest shock was Buckland went into half time with goals from Mike Booth, Jamie Clifford, Matt Beer and Kain Bond it seemed like every time Upton went forward and lost the ball Bucks counter attack just split them apart in fact Buckland’s young guns where just to fast for Upton in the first half.

Early in second half Upton pull a goal through Ryan Little but no great comeback due to more goals Matt Beer second of the game, Kain Bond got two more in the second half to collect a hat-trick. Shane Shobbrook scored late on but by then Upton where 7-1 down and getting run ragged by the Buckland youngsters.

What most South Devon football fans thought was going to be a close game and Upton keep there unbeaten run turned out to be a rout with the Buckland young guns looking like every attack was going to lead to a goal poor old Upton every time they went forward and lost the ball Buckland broke forward with pace.

Upton have been at the top of the tree in the South Devon football scene but after today’s performance maybe its time for some players to step down, other clubs around South Devon are looking to push on and improve there team plus facilities to move on. Yet Upton over the years have missed out on improving Cricketfield Road or joining forces with one other Torquay based club standing still is not a option it will kill the club in the end.

Buckland Athletic Reserves 7 Upton Athletic 2

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It’s the first Saturday in December and I find myself writing about last week’s game instead of attending a game. Last weekend I was back in Devon for the Buckland Athletic v St Blazey game for the last weekend in November it was cold and it showed in the turnout only 83 brave souls turned up on any other Saturday you could count on 150+ with a big group up from Cornwall.

It was good to see about 30 fans came up from Cornwall after there problems recently some of you might have seen the pictures on TV about the recent floods in Cornwall and the fact St Blazey pitch was under water (see Pic on media) yet the fans and club members where in good cheer.

There good cheer carried on through the first half with the help of goals from Dave Trott who chipped the ball over James Wannell Buckland’s keeper, followed Chris Reski hitting a 25 yard drive past Wannell. Yet even two down us Buckland fans have seen it all before you who read my blogs regular know what I mean two down at half time we can pull it back I even warned a few Blazey fans about our record off coming back in the second half.

So it turned out goals from Antony Lynch (2) plus a own goal by Mamsey Sabo gave Buckland the three points in what was a great encounter with plenty of banter in the stand between the two sets of fans.

So it was back home and get set for the return to Leatherhead on my way home I had seen some Snow near Taunton and with delays with the trains on the Monday I thought I would have nightmare journey back to Surrey but I got back around four on the Monday evening it was very cold.

Woke up to snow on Tuesday not much but has the day went on it got very heavy, come late afternoon staff who lived of site where sent home and we who where living on site where allowed to go to our rooms or play pool, darts or watch the 24hr news. We became aware how bad it was when the collage van returned after the passengers got out to walk into Leatherhead due problems on the roads. In fact a E-Mail went out on Tuesday about one member of staff who left at three in the afternoon got home at 4am many stories of people taking hours to get home which in normal time would be a 30 minute journey.

So the first Saturday in December I had planned a trip to Cambridge City off, last night Leatherhead had a curry night planned for there Friday night game off. So that left Guilford City at home in the FA Vase you guessed that was off. We had more Snow over night Wednesday plus freezing weather it put pay to all local games in fact you could say has far as sport on this December Saturday 2010 its been wiped out across Britain.

Buckland Athletic 3 St Blazey 2

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Today it’s a trip to Sutton in Surrey to watch a game in the FA Trophy I normally watch Trophy games at Tiverton but for some reason last season I missed out so with Sutton United at home I thought I would pop along to Gander Green Lane to get my Trophy game in for this season. Also Sutton brings back memories of my teenage years following Leeds United way back in the seventies Sutton drew Leeds in the FA Cup at Gander Green Lane but no giant killing act Leeds won six nil with Allan Clark scoring all six if my memories are correct.

So it’s a train trip from Leatherhead vie Epsom I just missed the Sutton train but I did end up travelling with one of the female tutors from collage. Once at Epsom I had a short wait before catching the train to Sutton then a short trip to West Sutton, followed by a short walk to the football ground. Once at the ground I pop into the clubhouse where I had arranged to meet a Tony Kempster poster (it’s a web site where people post where or have been to watch a game of football) this one was travelling up from Clacton on sea. But before I entered the clubhouse I bought two programmes plus two scratch cards then went in where I found my Kempster man talking to another ground hopper from Manchester in fact a Man City fan who was down south for city’s game at Fulham Sunday.

So after our hello’s I scratch off my card to see I was a winner £10 it paid my entrance into the ground a good start to the day. We enter the ground from the clubhouse up through the player’s tunnel and find a decent spot to watch the game and have a chat about our travels. But this game gets of to a flying start with Suttons opponents Billericay Town nearly going down to an early goal with Sutton players claiming it was handled by Town player on the line. But only minutes later Ian Cousins felled Craig Dundas the Ref pointed to the spot and Andy Forbes dispatched the penalty into the town net. Both sides had chances to score but just before half time Ian Cousins once again brought a united player down to give them a second penalty and once again Andy Forbes put the ball into the back of the net.

Greg Oates put in a cross for Anthony Robinson to score for Billericay, but another goal from Andy Forbes is hat-trick it looked like game over only for Sean Bonnett-Johnson to pull one more back for Town. With both sides going for it and time running out up stepped Bradley Woods- Garness with a ferocious 25-yard half-volley to clinch the game for Sutton United.

Both sides played there part in what turned out to be an excellent FA Trophy game. A footnote while walking to the toilets at half-time I popped into the club shop and the city fan spotted there was a programme from the Sutton v Leeds FA Cup the price £25 nope didn’t buy it. The final score of 4-2 is my third 4-2 in a row.

Sutton United 4 Billericay Town 2

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