Rhodes

We appear to be alright at Hitchin Road:

Obviously no problems at The Brache, see the match programme: https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/files.pitchero.com%2Fclubs%2F73930%2FlWtGzfNfSX2X2C5fpTzn_25+Mar+23+-+Programme+Saturday+v+Cockfosters+FC+-+mergred.pdf

No problems at Hall Road this evening for what should be an exciting contest: After a pitch inspection tonight’s SSML League Cup Semi-Final is ON .. kick off 7:45pm.

What an attendance at Bell Close:

This one somewhat surprisingly survives:

This one survives, see the attractive on-line match programme: https://simplebooklet.com/raundstownvslondontigersspartansouthmidsdiv128032023

Karen - Thanks, just a recap on what is on so far then, Tring Athletic v Harpenden Town and Amersham Town v Wellingborough Whitworth have also bitten the dust. I might not be able to post again now until Thursday: Tuesday 28 March (kick off 7.45pm unless stated) Premier Division Arlesey Town v Leighton Town Aylesbury Vale Dynamos P Dunstable Town Biggleswade United P Risborough Rangers Crawley Green v Cockfosters Hoddesdon Town P Colney Heath London Colney P Leverstock Green Tring Athletic P Harpenden Town Division One Amersham Town P Wellingborough Whitworth Letchworth Garden City Eagles P Lutterworth Athletic Northampton Sileby Rangers v Burton Park Wanderers Raunds Town v London Tigers (kick off 8.00pm) Division Two Leighton Town Development v Codicote SSML Division Two Cup Semi Final Eynesbury United v Totternoe Wednesday 29 March (kick off 7.45pm unless stated) Division Two Risborough Rangers Development v Old Bradwell United SSML Division One Cup Final Holmer Green v Eaton Socon (at Ampthill Town FC) Bedfordshire FA Senior Trophy Final Elstow Abbey P Real Bedford FC (at Bedford Town FC) Thursday 30 March (kick off 7.45pm unless stated) Premier Division Dunstable Town v Risborough Rangers London Colney v Crawley Green Shefford Town & Campton v Leighton Town Division One Lutterworth Athletic v Burton Park Wanderers (at North Kilworth Sports Club) West Hertfordshire St Mary's Cup Quarter Final Harpenden Town v Amersham Town (at Spratleys Meadow, kick off 7.30pm)

Here's another photo from Ian Giffard and his son's visit to McMullen Park recently, the stand has had a lick of paint since I last visited in the 'bad old days' when 'one man and his dog' attended games. I'm not sure what the actual capacity of the ground is however there are spacious standing areas and plenty of scope for development with Chairman Mr McCormack's millions 😉

LondonEagle - Yes, unfortunately you were right, how very disappointing: Bedford Town Football Club MATCH POSTPONED Tomorrow's Bedfordshire Senior Trophy final between Elstow Abbey and Real Bedford at The Eyrie has been postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.

The programme cover for the Final on Wednesday evening, I doubt there is an on-line version of it available:

Holmer Green are obviously over the moon to reach a major Cup Final, congratulations to them as they are a nice Club and founded as long ago as 1908: Holmer Green battled their way past high-riding Ampthill Town by a single goal to a place in The SSMFL Division One Cup Final, the opponents will be Eaton Socon FC. Apart from the Wycombe Senior Cup Final four years ago, this is the first Cup Final contested by Holmer Green FC since 2006. But Holmer have won this Cup before, in 1996 versus Houghton Town 3-0 at Manor Fields, Bletchley and in 1999 in a replay versus Totternhoe 5-0 after a 2-2 draw, both games being at Hillingdon Borough. Congratulations to Manager Paul Batchelor and the players, an extra accomplishment to be noted is that in winning 4-0 at Buckingham Athletic and beating London Tigers and Ampthill Town both by 1-0 at Watchet Lane, The Greens have not conceded a goal in this competition.

Match reports so far where found, you have to hand it to Leverstock Green for always getting their match report out straight after a game 'come rain or shine': Saturday 25 March Premier Division Ardley United 1 Arlesey Town 1 Biggleswade United 2 St Panteleimon 1 Cockfosters 1 Dunstable Town 3 https://www.pitchero.com/clubs/cockfosters/teams/218161/match-centre/1-11116318/report Colney Heath 1 Shefford Town & Campton 2 Leighton Town 1 Potton United 0 https://www.leightontownfc.co.uk/teams/11587/match-centre/1-11116321/report London Colney P Baldock Town Risborough Rangers 5 Leverstock Green 0 https://www.risboroughrangersfc.co.uk/teams/186028/match-centre/1-11116323/report https://levgreenfc.co.uk/event/230325f/ Stotfold 2 Harpenden Town 2 Tring Athletic 2 Aylesbury Vale Dynamos 1 https://www.tringathletic.co.uk/teams/252691/match-centre/1-11116325/report

An interesting feature on this one from a visiting groundhopper:

I see that the Final of the Premier Division Cup, between Ardley United and Leighton Town, has been re-arranged for Tuesday 2 May, surprisingly again at Pancake Lane following the debacle last Wednesday with the very late postponement

You certainly wouldn't have bet on this Division One Cup Final at the start of the campaign: Wednesday 29 March SSML Division One Cup Final Holmer Green v Eaton Socon (at Ampthill Town FC, kick off 7.45pm)

Lets get ready to rumble then:

The midweek fixtures: Tuesday 28 March (kick off 7.45pm unless stated) Premier Division Arlesey Town v Leighton Town Aylesbury Vale Dynamos v Dunstable Town Biggleswade United v Risborough Rangers Crawley Green v Cockfosters Hoddesdon Town v Colney Heath London Colney v Leverstock Green Tring Athletic v Harpenden Town Division One Amersham Town v Wellingborough Whitworth (kick off 7.30pm) Letchworth Garden City Eagles v Lutterworth Athletic Northampton Sileby Rangers v Burton Park Wanderers Raunds Town v London Tigers (kick off 8.00pm) Division Two Leighton Town Development v Codicote SSML Division Two Cup Semi Final Eynesbury United v Totternoe Wednesday 29 March (kick off 7.45pm unless stated) Division Two Risborough Rangers Development v Old Bradwell United SSML Division One Cup Final Holmer Green v Eaton Socon (at Ampthill Town FC) Bedfordshire FA Senior Trophy Final Elstow Abbey v Real Bedford FC (at Bedford Town FC, kick off 7.30pm) Thursday 30 March (kick off 7.45pm unless stated) Premier Division Dunstable Town v Risborough Rangers London Colney v Crawley Green Shefford Town & Campton v Leighton Town Division One Lutterworth Athletic v Burton Park Wanderers (at North Kilworth Sports Club) West Hertfordshire St Mary's Cup Quarter Final Harpenden Town v Amersham Town (at Spratleys Meadow, kick off 7.30pm)

Cheryhopper from another Forum was at this surprisingly one sided affair at Dunstable Road: Spartan South Midlands League Division 2 Totternhoe 1-5 New Bradwell St Peter Attendance 67 h/c - F+N Visitors increased their lead at the top of the table to 7 points but have played 5 games more than 2nd placed Old Bradwell who were in Anagram Records Trophy action. Totternhoe were 14 points behind New Bradwell with 5 games in hand going into this so was expecting a close contest but it turned out to be anything but as visitors stamped their authority on the game early taking the lead with a header on the rebound after initial effort was blocked and they doubled their lead on 25 minutes with a low shot across goal into the far post from the left side of the penalty area. Visitors should have been further ahead but the hosts were handed a lifeline when awarded a penalty just before half time which they scored and it was suddenly a contest until the visitors reasserted themselves with two early second half goals. With 15 minutes remaining the home keeper was sin-binned when arguing with the referee after a visiting player was only yellow carded for kicking the ball at the head of a home player who was lying on the ground. The outfield player who went in goal for 10 minutes kept a clean sheet but with the regular stopper back between the sticks he conceded a fifth goal in stoppage time. Ground is in a lovely setting with hill views to the north and south, pitch railed on three sides, roped with dugouts on the fourth but the jewel in the crown is the covered terrace adjoining the clubhouse behind the near goal which was most welcome when we had a few showers during the game. Next door is Dunstable Town Cricket Club, where I have seen Bedfordshire and AFC Dunstable, whose old ground was in use, presumably their Reserves or possibly a Luton & District League game. There used to be another former South Midlands League Club just around the corner, Eaton Bray United were the dominant team in the League in the mid 1980's but played on a roped off park which would have prevented them progressing and I don't think they exist in any form nowadays.

Again, just to rub Dead Sea salt into Rushden & Higham United's gaping wounds, Moulton FC reached the prestigious Final of the Northamptonshire FA Les Underwood Junior Cup by defeating Northamptonshire Combination League Premier Division, and former SSML outfit, Irchester United 3-2 at Brunting Road on Saturday, see match photographs courtesy of photographer Richard Eason. Northamptonshire Combination League Premier Division Blisworth FC await Moulton FC in the Final of the competition, date and venue yet to be decided: https://richardeasonphotography.smugmug.com/Moulton-v-Irchester-United-Cup-25-March-2023/ https://www.moultonfc.co.uk/teams/139524/match-centre/0-5582974/photos

Cruz - Yes, no major difficulties for Real Bedford at Lutterworth Athletic on Saturday in a 4-2 win although they did surprisingly find themselves 2-1 in arrears at the interval. Luke Knight with two clinically taken penalties, Archie Culley and Lewis Burgess got the goals, Lewis pretty much threw the ball straight into the net, Rory Delap style, for his goal with the bemused home goalkeeper helping it over the line. See a match report: https://www.realbedford.com/news/controversial-own-goal-triggers-comeback-against-lutterworth-athletic

Not sure what has happened to Munchkin on here but no doubt he was at Abbey Road on Saturday to witness the thrilling Quarter Final tie which Old Bradwell United managed to win 5-4 on penalties following a pulsating 2-2 draw after ninety minutes. The penalty shoot out was a nail biter to put it mildly with the visitors 3-1 ahead at one point, and with one foot firmly in the Semi Final, however goalkeeper Liam Jahn made a critical stop at 3-2 with Ewan Keene, Josh Bird and Shaun Ennis then all going on to clinically convert their kicks. A very nice match programme was produced by the Club and good luck to them in the Semi Final at Herts Senior County League Premier Division leaders Bush Hill Rangers on Saturday (1 April), kick off 3.00pm: https://issuu.com/obufc/docs/obufc_programme_-_25.03.23_afc_walcountians_art

The belated Non League Day results, apologies: Saturday 25 March Premier Division Ardley United 1 Arlesey Town 1 Biggleswade United 2 St Panteleimon 1 Cockfosters 1 Dunstable Town 3 Colney Heath 1 Shefford Town & Campton 2 Leighton Town 1 Potton United 0 London Colney P Baldock Town Risborough Rangers 5 Leverstock Green 0 Stotfold 2 Harpenden Town 2 Tring Athletic 2 Aylesbury Vale Dynamos 1 Division One Amersham Town 2 Burton Park Wanderers 1 Ampthill Town 0 Northampton ON Chenecks 1 Buckingham Athletic 1 Wellingborough Whitworth 1 Eaton Socon 2 Northampton Sileby Rangers 3 Holmer Green 1 Rushden & Higham United 3 Letchworth Garden City Eagles 1 Winslow United 2 Lutterworth Athletic 2 Real Bedford FC 4 Moulton FC P Langford Raunds Town 3 Thame United Reserves 3 Rugby Borough 3 London Tigers 3 Division Two Berkhamsted Raiders 2 Eynesbury United 2 Bovingdon 1 AFC Caddington 0 Buckingham United 3 Risborough Rangers Development 1 Codicote 1 Aston Clinton 4 Pitstone & Ivinghoe 4 Tring Corinthians AFC 4 The 61 FC (Luton) 0 Leighton Town Development 4 Totternhoe 1 New Bradwell St Peter 5 Northamptonshire FA Les Underwood Junior Cup Semi Final Moulton FC 3 Irchester United 2 Anagram Records Trophy Quarter Final Old Bradwell United 2 AFC Walcountians 2 (after 90 mins, Old Bradwell United win 5-4 on pens)

The Moulton FC v Langford Division One fixture was postponed this afternoon due to Moulton FC's Northamptonshire FA Les Underwood Junior Cup Semi Final tie with Irchester United being hastily arranged by the Northamptonshire FA following the recent debacle involving Rushden & Higham United: Saturday 25 March Northamptonshire FA Les Underwood Junior Cup Semi Final Moulton FC v Irchester United (kick off 2.00pm)

Just to rub sea salt into Rushden & Higham United's wounds the Northamptonshire FA hastily arranged the Moulton FC v Irchester United Semi Final tie for today (Saturday 25 March), kick off 2.00, apologies for the late notification which also appears to have caught Full Time unawares as it is still showing Moulton FC's home League fixture with Langford. Good luck to Moulton FC this afternoon with Northamptonshire Combination League Premier Division Blisworth FC awaiting the winners in the final. Saturday 25 March Northamptonshire FA Les Underwood Junior Cup Semi Final Moulton FC v Irchester United (kick off 2.00pm)

This is a 'dead rubber' isn't it if ever there was one: