Pitstone & Ivinghoe

[Rhodes 222]

An opportunity to start a thread on Pitstone & Ivinghoe with these photographs from a 2016/17 SSML Division Two fixture at home to Unite MK, at the Pitstone Recreation Ground on Saturday 29 October 2016, Unite MK won 4-2:

 

[Rhodes 222]

Some interesting links from when anoraks have visited Pitstone & Ivinghoe's Recreation Ground over the years. In addition a link to Bucks TV from back in the day covering video footage of then supremo Jerry Diamond speaking after a 3-2 SSML Division Two win over Tring Corinthians on Monday 30 August 2010 and a pre-season friendly fixture with 'the mighty' Aylesbury United on Saturday 24 July 2010 which Pitstone & Ivinghoe also won 3-2, Aylesbury United turned up with the bare eleven players and Coach Glyn Creaser had to play in goal (interesting match report below):

 

https://stevebthegroundhopper.blogspot.com/2018/08/pitstone-and-ivinghoe-v-bovingdon.html

https://laurencereade.com/2014/04/13/the-beacon/

https://www.baldocktownfc.com/teams/6241/match-centre/0-4201246

http://hoppingacrossthepond.com/pitstone-ivinghoe-v-totternhoe/

https://www.buckstv.co.uk/category/sport/football-sport/pitstoneandivinghoefc/

 

Played at Pitstone Pavillion and Sports Pitch which is a couple of hundred yards from Pitstone's normal ground, the ground is usually used by Pitstone & Ivinghoe and Cheddington United of the Aylesbury & District League. It is more or less on the site of the old Castle Cement ground

My headcount was 90 many of whom were from Aylesbury. The teamsheet which was included in the £1 admission was worth 20p or 30p on it's own. Good catering at the ground, teas and coffee 40p each, plus the club was doing hot food, burgers etc. Pitstone put on a good show at this temporary venue and to be fair every time I see them play I find their officals a very friendly and helpful bunch.

Pitstone were two nil up but Aylesbury got two goals back in the minutes leading upto half-time. The 2nd period was even to start with but Aylesbury began to tire and the last quarter of the game was all Pitstone. Aylesbury had a man "sin-binned" late in the second half and by this time they had managed to find a sub, it looked as though they may have ended up with 13 players but a few minutes prior to the game kicking off they had only nine men present at the ground. And at the start of play as quoted the very bare XI. A few of them did not look SSML Premier standard.

In the week I saw that despite cutting everything back to the bone Aylesbury United are very much in debt, rumour today was that manager Tony Joyce has not been seen at the clubs pre-season games. A club in crisis was one quote. Five years ago to the day I visited Buckingham Road for a friendly against Oxford United, the crowd given that day was 605 but after the event Aylesbury fans claimed on an unofficial website that it was in fact much bigger and one report said they thanked the 900 to 1,000 Oxford fans for attending, in the crowd of 605! The crowd that day was certainly way above 605 and certain remarks were made on the Website about the then chairman, when I visited later in the season nearly all the players from the start of the season had left and Aylesbury were fielding a number of youth players, in the last five years things have gone from bad to worst for the Ducks and on today's showing sadly they still seem to be on the way down.

The Pavillion ground which rumour has it Pitstone and Ivinghoe would like to move to is still some way short of staging senior football, four metres in fact. The pitch is to short, to get it to the correct length either a wooden electricity pylon would have to be moved at one end of the pitch, this would cost around £20,000, or the land behind the near goal would have to be leveled to create extra yardage between said goal and the dressing room complex, this would cost £5,000. To build a bar and function room on the ground would cost £150,000. The club have approached the football foundation for advise and to see if they could get any funding, but it appears they can't. As a club Pitstone do not have much in the bank themselves.

The ground at present is quite acceptable, it's enclosed so a gate can be taken, there is room for two pitches at the current length and there is a tea room and good dressing rooms and for todays game the pitch was roped on two and a half sides. There is a reasonable car park outside the complex.

One can only hope Aylesbury United can survive what appears to be yet more problems for the club, though they do still seem quite well supported.

The Pitstone assitant manager for this season is Banjo Malcolm, ex Milton United, Launton Sports and Ardley United.

[Rhodes 222]

YouTube action from Pitstone & Ivinghoe v The 61 FC Luton on Saturday 16 February 2019 in a 2018/19 SSML Division Two fixture, Pitstone & Ivinghoe won the game 2-1, the first half and second half are in separate links:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlBmp6mNvW4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfpEnpA_ElE

[Rhodes 222]

YouTube action from Pitstone & Ivinghoe v Aston Clinton on Saturday 26 January 2019 in a 2018/19 SSML Division Two fixture, Aston Clinton won the game 4-1, the first half and second half are in separate links:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvE945RuQfk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1B0K0Ct_j4E

 

[Rhodes 222]

YouTube action from Pitstone & Ivinghoe v MK Gallacticos on Saturday 23 February 2019 in a 2018/19 SSML Division Two fixture, Pitstone & Ivinghoe won the game 1-0, the first half and second half are in separate links:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPOqkXIYhrE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbwDfrIsjm0

 

 

[Rhodes 222]

Pitstone & Ivinghoe appear to have pulled their Development side out of the North Bucks & District League Intermediate Division for next season after just one uncompleted campaign where they were lying in sixth place when the curtain came down in March:

North Bucks & District League Intermediate Division 2019/20 

 

POS	TEAM	PLD	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	PTS
1	Willen First	15	11	0	4	59	25	34	33
2	Deanshanger Athletic First	14	10	1	3	49	35	14	31
3	Blisworth James King Reserves	14	7	3	4	30	26	4	24
4	Grendon Rangers Reserves	12	7	2	3	38	16	22	23
5	Twyford United First	13	6	2	5	33	34	-1	20
6	Pitstone & Ivinghoe United Development	15	6	2	7	35	42	-7	20
7	AFC Santander Saturday	11	5	2	4	26	17	9	17
8	Hanslope Reserves	10	4	1	5	24	19	5	13
9	Unite MK Reserves	14	4	1	9	27	57	-30	13
10	Buckingham United Reserves	14	4	0	10	40	54	-14	12
11	New Bradwell St Peter FC Reserves	12	4	0	8	22	42	-20	12
12	Mursley United Development	14	3	2	9	27	43	-16	11

[Rhodes 222]

Good news for Pitstone & Ivinghoe:

Pitstone Parish Council and Pitstone & Ivinghoe United Football Club are delighted to announce that the Football Stadia Improvement Fund (FSIF) are to provide grant funding of up to £35,924 towards the refurbishment and extension of their pavilion in Pitstone.

The development includes new changing and community facilities, covered walkway and viewing area, turnstile access, outdoor equipment stores, office and car park improvements.  These elements will meet the requirements of the football league and bring the club one step further down the road of being able to realise their ambitions of promotion.

The club and parish council are most grateful for all the support received from both the FSIF and all their other grant funders.

Funded with £6.5m each year from the Premier League, the FSIF – the sister organisation of the Football Foundation – is the country’s largest provider of grants towards projects that help improve the comfort and safety of lower league football grounds in both the professional and amateur game. These improvements range from new football stands and turnstiles to floodlighting and improved provision for disabled supporters.

Both the Parish Council and Pitstone & Ivinghoe United Football Club, along with their other partners and site users, look forward to inviting members of the public to view the new facilities once the work is complete.

https://pitstoneandivinghoefc.co.uk/news/pitstone-scores-with-£36-000-grant-win

[Rhodes 222]

Pitstone & Ivinghoe Development go into Division One of the Bedfordshire County League this coming season, they didn't appear too keen on the North Bucks & District League:

[Rhodes 222]

Pitstone & Ivinghoe Reserves are one of the new teams in a new look Division One of the Bedfordshire County League for the forthcoming campaign after a brief flirtation with the North Bucks & District League last season, the format looks a little bit confusing though and surely not ideal, make of it what you will:

[Rhodes 222]

Pitstone & Ivinghoe's Reserve team have been placed in Division One 'B' of the Bedfordshire County League, arguably the more difficult of the two divisions, and they will meet The 61 FC (Luton) Reserves and Ampthill Town Development. The Club didn't seem to take to the North Bucks & District League Intermediate Division last season and departed after just one uncompleted campaign due to the Coronavirus descending on us when lying in a respectable sixth place:

[Rhodes 222]

Is this correct or has it been overtaken by recent events and spectators will be allowed at Saturday's friendly fixture with Chipperfield Corinthians at Marsworth Road:

[Rhodes 222]

Pitstone & Ivinghoe will be all dressed up with nowhere to go on the first day of the new SSML Division Two season (Saturday 19 September) as they are without a fixture however the following Saturday they travel to the Recreation Ground to play New Bradwell St Peter for what is also a meeting of the so called 'Windmill Club's'. Last season Pitstone & Ivinghoe won 2-1 at the Recreation Ground in November in a close contest where a needless New Bradwell St Peter dismissal was the difference, New Bradwell St Peter had already surprisingly won 3-0 at Marsworth Road in August however Pitstone & Ivinghoe had rather an odd start to their campaign, for example losing 7-1 at home to MK Gallacticos and then beating The 61 FC (Luton) 9-1 just a week later.

[Rhodes 222]

Pitstone & Ivinghoe Reserves will kick off their Bedfordshire County League Division One 'B' campaign with a visit to The 61 FC (Luton) Reserves on Saturday 3 October, kick off 2.30pm, they are then on the road again to Bedford SA the following week followed by yet another awayday to Stopsley United on Saturday 17 October, this may be due to the facilities at the Recreation Ground being upgraded following the £35,924 in funding gratefully received by the Club from the Football Stadia Improvement Fund (FSIF). Strangely Pitstone & Ivinghoe Reserves do not appear to be involved in the Bedfordshire FA Intermediate Challenge Cup, with First Round ties taking place on Saturday 26 September, so the team will be able to go to watch the First team perform at New Bradwell St Peter that afternoon in their first fixture of the SSML Division 2 campaign.

Edited September 14, 2020 by Rhodes

[Rhodes 222]

On 01/09/2020 at 03:16, Rhodes said:

Pitstone & Ivinghoe will be all dressed up with nowhere to go on the first day of the new SSML Division Two season (Saturday 19 September) as they are without a fixture

Pitstone & Ivinghoe have arranged a friendly fixture for their First team against AFC Oakley M&DH to compensate for drawing the short straw on Saturday and not being given an opening SSML Division Two fixture, the Reserve side, who don't start their Bedfordshire County League Division One 'B' campaign until Saturday 3 October, also have a friendly against fellow Division One 'B' AFC Oakley M&DH Reserves:

 

[Rhodes 222]

Pitstone & Ivinghoe travelled to the Recreation Ground on Saturday (26 September) for their first SSML Division Two fixture of the new campaign against New Bradwell St Peter and came away with a 2-1 victory with goals from Alex Groom and Oliver Hubbard, over 200 photographs below courtesy of Sports Shots. This Saturday (3 October) they travel to the salubrious surroundings of the Orbital Fasteners Stadium in Kings Langley to take on Berkhamsted Raiders whist the Reserve team make their Bedfordshire County League Division One 'B' bow at the Kingsway Recreation Ground against The 61 FC (Luton) Reserves who unfortunately lost 16-0 at Bedford SA last Saturday in a Bedfordshire FA Intermediate Challenge Cup First Round tie:

https://www.sportsshots.org.uk/2020/09/27/ssmfl-d2-new-bradwell-st-peter-1-2-pitstone-ivinghoe/?doing_wp_cron=1601518639.3475430011749267578125

Edited October 1, 2020 by Rhodes

[Rhodes 222]

On 01/10/2020 at 04:21, Rhodes said:

This Saturday (3 October) they travel to the salubrious surroundings of the Orbital Fasteners Stadium in Kings Langley to take on Berkhamsted Raiders whist the Reserve team make their Bedfordshire County League Division One 'B' bow at the Kingsway Recreation Ground against The 61 FC (Luton) Reserves who unfortunately lost 16-0 at Bedford SA last Saturday in a Bedfordshire FA Intermediate Challenge Cup First Round tie:

Both Pitstone & Ivinghoe's First and Reserve team's were all dressed up with nowhere to go this afternoon following postponements of their fixtures and will have to wait until next Saturday (10 October) when the First team travel to MK Gallacticos who can do no wrong at present and the Reserves go to Bedford SA for their first Bedfordshire County League Division One 'B' fixture, Bedford SA were also twiddling their thumbs today, indeed only three Division One 'B' games took place due to unplayable conditions.

[tringarmy 77]

Pitstone have received planning permission for floodlights 

https://publicaccess.aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=documents&keyVal=QEHPUWCLGKV00

 

[Munchkin 187]

Fair play to them, had some great support from their Parish Council. Will be a decent set up once completed.

[Rhodes 222]

Pitstone & Ivinghoe's new facilities are almost ready for use, it was interesting to hear the feature about the Club on Ollie Bayliss's BBC Three Counties Radio Non League Show recently with their Chairman Bob Beasley saying he was over the moon about progress at the Club and the way things are currently going particularly where the recent approval, by the Parish Council, of floodlighting is concerned. Pitstone & Ivinghoe were due to entertain Bovingdon next Saturday (14 November) where the new facilities would have been officially opened however lets hope the fixture with Berkhamsted Comrades will go ahead on Saturday 5 December following the enforced lockdown period:

Edited November 7, 2020 by Rhodes

[Rhodes 222]

A nice shot of the Pitstone Windmill on a cold autumn morning, it is thought to be the oldest surviving Windmill in the UK, dating back to at least 1627. It was damaged by a severe storm in the early 1900’s and was finally restored to working order by volunteers in 1963. The idyllic view, towards the Ivinghoe Beacon on the Chiltern Hills, has remained unchanged since the Grade II listed  Windmill was built, it is currently owned and maintained by the UK’s National Trust and is occasionally open to the public during the summer months:

https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1310208

 

[Rhodes 222]

Step 7 Club's have until 31 December to apply for promotion which I gather may be the case for Pitstone & Ivinghoe now approval of floodlighting has recently been given by the Parish Council, Club's must finish in the top five of their division and meet ground grading requirements to have a chance of promotion:

https://www.nwcfl.com/news-articles.php?id=8333

[Rhodes 222]

On 20/11/2020 at 01:27, Rhodes said:

Step 7 Club's have until 31 December to apply for promotion which I gather may be the case for Pitstone & Ivinghoe now approval of floodlighting has recently been given by the Parish Council, Club's must finish in the top five of their division and meet ground grading requirements to have a chance of promotion:

https://www.nwcfl.com/news-articles.php?id=8333

This may be of interest to Pitstone & Ivinghoe, they must still have a fair bit of work to do in order to make the Pitstone Recreation Ground Step 6 compliant although I gather, in addition to the new building pictured above which also includes a function suite, they have incorporated new changing facilities, a physiotherapy room, a turnstile and a footpath surrounding the playing area. Under their excellent Chairman Bob Beasley, who was featured on Ollie Bayliss's BBC Three Counties Radio Non League Show recently, they seem to be a Club going places and resume their so far unblemished SSML Division Two campaign at Buckingham United tomorrow (12 December). Also tomorrow the Reserve side entertain Flitwick Town Reserves in a Bedfordshire County League Division One 'B' fixture following an excellent 3-2 win at Cranfield United Reserves last Saturday with goals from Ben Gallant, Izaak Larbi and Lewis Brooks:

[Rhodes 222]

On 11/12/2020 at 11:22, Rhodes said:

and resume their so far unblemished SSML Division Two campaign at Buckingham United tomorrow (12 December). 

Pitstone & Ivinghoe's first goal, by Albie Hall, in their hard fought 3-2 win at Buckingham United on Saturday 12 December was a lot like David Beckham against Greece at Old Trafford wasn't it. The Reserves Bedfordshire County League Division One 'B' fixture with Flitwick Town Reserves was unfortunatley called off on 12 December for Covid reasons, it would have been the first fixture taking place at the new facilities:

 

[Rhodes 222]

Photographs and a match report from Pitstone & Ivinghoe v Aston Clinton in a 2017/18 SSML Division Two Cup Semi Final, at the Pitstone Recreation Ground on Saturday 27 January 2018, Aston Clinton won 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 stalemate after ninety minutes:

Pitstone & Ivinghoe 1-1 (2-4 pens) Aston Clinton FC - Results - First Team (First Team) - Aston Clinton FC

Edited December 31, 2020 by Rhodes

[Rhodes 222]

Excellent photographs, courtesy of Sports Shots and also a groundhopper (see link), from a 2017/18 SSML Division 2 fixture between Mursley United and Pitstone & Ivinghoe, at Station Road on 24 March 2018, which Mursley United won 3-2:

Chorley02: Mursley Utd Versus Pitstone & Ivinghoe (3-2), Spartan South Midlands League Division Two, 2017-18, 24th March 2018. First ever visit. (chorley2002.blogspot.com)

Edited January 9 by Rhodes