Andrzej Perkins |

How I watched football (2019-20)

andrzej.perkins — Thu, 06 Aug 2020 08:11:29 +0000

A round-up of my favourite images from the 2019-20 season.

9 – Barrington 5-2 Foxton Reserves

andrzej.perkins — Sun, 15 Mar 2020 11:24:52 +0000

With everything around the M25 off, I ventured up the M11 to Barrington, just outside Cambridge for a local derby in the Cambs Senior League Division 2A.

Barrington’s village green is supposedly the longest in England and having been formed in 1893, there’s a fair bit of history to the village’s football club.

The villages of Barrington and Foxton are only five miles apart, and in football terms, they seemed even closer than that. Practically everyone on the two sides appeared to know each other, and after a quick look on the league website this morning this proved to be the case. A sizable contingent of both sides had played for the opposition at some point, but a special mention should go to Daniel Alder, who has had six separate spells with Barrington and three with Foxton.

So the game was played in good spirits, but not without a bit of needle.

Barrington had Luke Chadwick (of Manchester United fame) bossing things in the middle; and he found it a breeze against two midfielders whose combined age was still less than his own.

The turning point for me came pretty early when a Barrington forward clattered the Foxton keeper who was jumping to collect a loose ball. The keeper was petrified to come off his line for the rest of the game and was lobbed from the edge of the box twice (I think). He wasn’t helpe either by a defender who hit a half-volley into his own net from the edge a similar position. Barrington were 3-0 up with barely a quarter of an hour gone.

The home side were 4-0 up at the break and despite Foxton launching a mini revival to get it to 4-2, a screamer from the edge of the box with about 10 to go put an end to any thoughts of a come-back.

I was made to feel very welcome by Barrington Chairman Steve Woodward, who made me a cuppa before the game. I politely turned down his offer of joining them in the pub afterwards though.

Attendance started at around 10, but by the time players from other teams whose games had been called off started to arrive and the sizable contingent of spectators from cars parked up, there was probably closer to 50 there.

8 – Sevenoaks Town 2-1 VCD Athletic

andrzej.perkins — Sat, 29 Feb 2020 20:42:33 +0000

Quite a lot of weather going on at this one; glorious sunshine sandwiched torrential hailstones, as well as a howling wind throughout.

The game had a strange atmosphere – there was just over 200 in, but it didn’t feel like many were that interested in what was going on on the pitch. Maybe I’ve watched too much Essex Senior League football, with 22 men doing little else but shout at each other for a couple of hours.

With so few games on, there was a good turn-out from the hopping fraternity at this one – Futbology showed nine others when I checked in midway through the second half – perhaps that explains it.

This one took a long while to get going. Both teams spent the first half-hour or so pumping long balls out for throws. Once they cottoned on to it being a bit windy, things settled down a bit.

VCD dominated the first half, with Bode Anidugbe pulling the strings in midfield. They kept things simple enough until they got to the Sevenoaks box, but then started to over-play things and never really tested Patrick Lee in goal.

After half time VCD seemed to lose the attacking intent they had in the first 45, so it was a bit of a surprise when Robert Hylton-Bartley headed home unmarked from a corner. They could have sealed the three points, but Ainsley Everett made an absolute dog’s dinner of a one on one chance.

Everything positive from Sevenoaks came through the two wingers – Ryan Hayes and Tyrell Richardson-Brown. Hayes’ physique was more akin to a lumbering centre half, but VCD allowed him far too much time on the ball, and it cost them. His goal-bound shot looped over the stranded keeper after taking a couple of massive deflections to pull Sevenoaks level on 86 and with pretty much the last kick of the game he crossed for Andrew Pugh to head in unmarked at the back post.

VCD were furious, calling for offside, but in vain. A video on the Sevenoaks Twitter looks to have him just about on. As soon as they kicked off again, the referee blew for full time.

The Sevenoaks supporters who were closest tended to agree with their opposition. A draw would have been a fair result, on balance.

Greatness Park is a compact but serviceable ground, with upgrades in 2017 (including a 3G pitch) bringing it up to step 4 standard.

7 – Takeley 0-3 Walthamstow

andrzej.perkins — Tue, 25 Feb 2020 08:33:04 +0000

5th v 3rd in the ESL.

Takeley’s pitch is renowned for being one of the most called-off in the league. I can see why now – it’s so nice they don’t want anyone playing on it! A pitch inspection was passed at half 10. I suspect that was it not for the presence of a Walthamstow official at the inspection, this one would have been P-P.

Stow parted with their manager a couple of weeks ago and as is the way with non-league, everyone except for four players left with him. But the players have been replaced, arguably with better ones and new manager Max Mitchell got off to a winning 4-0 start in his first game.

An end-to-end game, where Stow could have hit double figures if not for some wasteful finishing, and Takeley had a couple cleared off the line. Stow’s first was a 50-yard cross which the wind took the ball over everyone, off the back post and in. Stow’s next two were the result of some fantastic passing play.

The ferocity of the wind wasn’t clear until we moved behind the other goal in the second half, and at times it was a wonder the Takeley goal kicks didn’t go backwards and out straight for a corner.

Stow’s win moves them up to 2nd, still three points behind leaders Saffron Walden, but with three games in hand. Takeley and Hadley look to have dropped out of the title race, leaving the top two and Hashtag United in third.

6 – Wingrave 4-3 Aylesbury Raiders

andrzej.perkins — Sun, 26 Jan 2020 10:43:39 +0000

My first visit to a game this low down the pyramid, lured in by promises of a picturesque village ground. The ground didn’t disappoint; surrounded by village houses and a church, though the clubhouse was slightly out of kilter with the rest of the ground.

I was a bit worried by Wingrave’s warm-up; everyone standing in a circle trying to keep the ball in the air. But despite the very heavy pitch, both teams tried to keep the ball on the deck.

Wingrave went two goals up early, being the quickest to react to a couple of fortuitous deflections.

It looked like Raiders would capitulate at this point, with most of the team arguing amongst themselves to shouts of “it’s the same thing every week” and “go and find another team then”.

The referee, who was more preoccupied with stopping players swearing than anything else, gave the Raiders right back a yellow for his persistent use of expletives. He’d not learn his lesson though, and would be given a second yellow in the second half for the same reason.

A Raiders penalty with about 35 played looked like they might get back into it, but the first decent corner of the half resulted in a bullet header making it 3-1 to Wingrave at the break.

Powered by a combination of half-time fags, vaping, bananas and a favourable second half slope, Raiders brought the game back to 3-3, and had plenty of chances to take the lead.

In the end, a soft free kick was bundled in at the back post by Wingrave to give them the three points they only just deserved.

5 – Lyme Regis 3-4 Upottery (21-9-19)

andrzej.perkins — Fri, 04 Oct 2019 09:41:47 +0000

Nothing says lads weekend away more than a watching some football. That football isn’t always in the Devon & Exeter Football League though. Still, this game was in the Premier Division at least.

We were staying in Charmouth, a couple of miles down the coast, and after a heavy few days, it was nice to get away from the beers for a couple of hours and see what some proper village football had to offer.

Lyme Regis’ ground is known for its spectacular views of the sea, but the trees have been left to grow, and there’s now only a few corners of the pitch where the deep blue pokes out from behind the bushes. It still remained a charming setting though, and you got the impression the same people had stood in the same spot since they could remember. Or during the holiday season at least.

I’d always assumed that the standard anywhere outside the Essex Senior League was pretty decent, but I was quickly proved wrong. The bodies were willing, but the skill just wasn’t there. The visitors took a 1-0 lead late in the first half and despite Lyme Regis getting a goal back, were all set to see out the game, leading 4-1 with just a few minutes to go.

Two late Lyme Regis goals could have set up a grandstand finish, but it was too little too late, as the referee blew up just as Upottery kicked off for the fourth time.

4 – Aylesbury United 0-3 Walthamstow

andrzej.perkins — Tue, 10 Sep 2019 15:58:39 +0000

This blog was supposed to be a Walthamstow-free zone. But an FA Cup draw away to Alyesbury United brought the opportunity to visit Chesham and their beautifully old-school Meadow ground.

Having beaten Great Wakering Rovers 2-0 in the Preliminary Round of this season’s competition, we were drawn away to another step 4 side. The supporters’ nerves weren’t shared by the players, who were quietly confident on the coach.

There were days a few seasons ago where we’d struggle to get 30 through the gate for a home game. We’re now taking that many away for a game on the other side of town and on a Sunday. The 20-odd on the coach were joined by another ten or so at the ground. At times it felt like a home game for us, despite being outnumbered by about 170 in the crowd.

Chesham’s personal meet-and-greeter shook everyone’s hand as we got off the coach, a #nicetouch. From then it was following Stow’s resident Beer Hunter, Graham Larkbey’s recommendation to the Red Lion, which was conveniently the closest hostelry to the ground. Not a craft beer in sight; us east Londoners would have to stick to Fosters, but at £11 for a steak and chips lunch, there was little else to argue about.

Suitibly watered, we made it to the ground just in time to squeeze one more beer out of the bar at Chesham. The FA’s regulations on not drinking within sight of the pitch being flounced at every opportunity.

There were plenty of nerves among the Stow faithful. Beating one team from the level above was achievement enough, but another one? Now that’s a tougher proposition. With captain Vinny Murphy out through suspension and top scorer Dwade James on the bench carrying a knock, it looked even worse.

Only a few minutes in, and Yes! A penalty! Samrai Gebrai being hauled down in the box, in remarkably similar fashion to a penalty he won against Wakering. With usual taker James on the bench, the responsibility fell to Callum Ibe, who blasted his effort straight at the keeper’s knees. All hope of a result pretty much gone.

But we needn’t have worried. A few minutes later Gebrai was the creator again, shooting from the edge of the box; an effort the keeper could only palm into the path of Danny McCullock for a tap-in.

The Aylesbury keeper had been pretty chipper until then. He took the accusations of being dressed like a banana on the chin and with a smile on his face. But once he was a goal down, he became remarkably quiet, much like the home fans.

McCullock then earned us a second penalty after being pulled down by the home keeper, and this time Billy Jones made no mistake.

Aylesbury hadn’t lost a game all season, and had drawn their last three at home 0-0. This lack of attacking guile showed when just on half time they were given a great one-on-one chance which was spooned miles high and wide.

The second half was something of a non-event; Aylesbury failing to get through our two solid banks of four. The one chance they did have was blocked on the line by a combination of James Bransgrove in goal and Jamie Bennett, and all that did was help create our final goal of the afternoon – this time Gebrai from the penalty spot after Ibe had been swiped out. At only 18, Gebrai clearly has much bigger balls than I’ll ever have.

After a few more celebratory pints (and a bonus case of Moretti from the delighted bar manager as a thank you for drinking him out of everything except stale Carlsberg) and we were back on the coach for a sing-song round the M25.

In honesty, it felt a bit subdued on the coach. This team is going on to bigger things, and beating average step 4 opposition isn’t something out of the ordinary anymore.

Tuesday evening we’re back at it with an Essex Senior Cup 1st round game against West Essex. The winners will be away to Stanway Rovers or FC Clacton. Talk about back down to earth with a bump.

3 – Epping Town 2-1 Corinthian (AET) (7-9-19)

andrzej.perkins — Sat, 07 Sep 2019 12:32:47 +0000

Another Saturday without a Walthamstow game gave me the opportunity to take in some Olympian League football for the first time.

Epping Town are one of my closest clubs, but one I hadn’t visited since their rebirth in 2018.

Saturday’s game against Corinthian had the potential to be a cracker. A cup game so early in the season between two sides who we’re some way away from being sporting acquaintances.

Both teams were in division four of the Olympian last year, but both have been promoted two divisions after a two-horse race to the title. In the end, Corinthian picked up the silverware, but only as Epping were docked three points for playing an illegible player. According to some onlookers, the Corinthian side turned up to one of Epping’s final games of the season in quite a state – a number being guilty of abusing Epping’s female physiotherapist.

Little remains of the once-great Stonards Hill ground, save for a perimeter fence and a couple of steps of standing.

The first half lived up to the niggly billing, with some pretty rash challenges being followed by handbags, and some pretty bad play-acting from Corinthian.

Epping had a goal disallowed for offside but for all the effort, there was not much going on in front of goal.

The referee took his time coming out for the second half, meaning the break was almost 20 minutes and it seemed to have the desired effect as both sides were pretty well behaved for the first quarter of an hour of the half.

Epping were still in control; their long ball over the top working time after time but there was never anyone in the box waiting for the cut back and the easy tap-in.

It wasn’t much of a surprise then when Corinthian took the lead. A free kick swung in from deep was bundled in at the back post. The club linesman raised his flag, but was overruled by the referee – after taking quite an earful from the Corinthian management.

Corinthian were then guilty of one of the worst misses I’ve ever seen, a midfielder somehow shooting wide with an open goal from a little over a yard.

This perked Epping up a bit, but perhaps in the wrong way as a rash challenge in midfield was met with a straight red card, followed by a sin-binning for dissent. It was now 11 v 9 and surely only one winner.

But Epping dragged themselves back into the game and with mere seconds left, they equalised after Corinthian couldn’t hold out Joey May’s mazing run past about four defenders.

The fitness wasn’t there for either side to make extra time anything other than a procession towards penalties… that was until the 119th minute when May’s free kick was deflected past a hapless Nathan Warren, who had spent most of the game chatting with spectators rather than concentrating on the game.

The quality of play at this level was a lot better than I’d expected, but I’d always been told the Olypmian League was a place where people just wanted to pay football and avoid the aggro of senior non-league football. I feel that assumption be a bit off the mark.

2 – Waltham Abbey 2-0 Uxbridge (31-8-19)

andrzej.perkins — Mon, 02 Sep 2019 11:11:08 +0000

It’s not even the end of August and Walthamstow were already without a game on a Saturday. We’ve only played two league games so far this season. Tower Hamelts, on the other hand, have played six.

But this Saturday saw the start of this season’s FA Vase, with the first qualifying round being played. Stow’s third-placed finish last season means we’ve been given a bye to the first round proper. This would have been the perfect opportunity for the Essex Senior League to schedule some tasty ties between last season’s top finishers, but their blazé approach to creating fixtures with any semblance of logic (see us having seven of our first eight league fixtures scheduled at home) means we’re left twiddling our thumbs.

Social commitments and a subtle hangover meant I took the easy option at headed down to Waltham Abbey to see some familiar faces host Uxbridge. Walthamstow played both sides fairly regularly at various points in time, and I was surprised to see the West London side have the exact same committee as the same time we played them almost 15 years ago: a lot more grey and wrinkly, but just as committed.

Both teams had started the season with four points from three games, though I expect Abbey will be aiming for the play-off places come the end of the season; if the improvements to their ground and nothing else are anything to go by. The latest additions to Capershotts on this visit were a new Portakabin for the burger bar, and some neat fencing in the car park.

On the field, Abbey had former Stow players Junior Appiah and Leon McKenzie starting. Both were released from Stow for varying levels of indiscipline and neither were entirely positive influences on the game on Saturday; from a team-work perspective at least.

Abbey lost possession within two touches of the kick-off, and this was a sign of things to come in the first half as neither side was able to get any kind of a grip on the game. Uxbridge were looking to exploit the long ball (not the greatest idea against two six-foot-plus centre-backs) while Aron Gordon was Abbey’s biggest threat. He saw a lot of the ball, but was more often than not ushered out into the corners. McKenzie – who’s best use these days is as a target for the ball into feet – was bypassed altogether.

Gordon almost gave Abbey the lead with about 10 minutes til half time when his deflected effort clipped the cross-bar, and Uxbridge should have had a goal of their own when they raced straight up the other end, but Michael Kalu spooned over when through on goal.

The game desperately needed a goal, and McKenzie made no mistake from the penalty spot after Appiah was bundled over by the otherwise impressive Mark Goodman. This seemed to wake Uxbridge up, and they controlled the final five minutes of the half without creating much.

There was a change of approach from the visitors at the break, and their decision to keep the ball down and play on Abbey’s carpet worked instantly. Uxbridge dominated the second half, probably having 75% of the ball, and spurring chance after chance. They hit the woodwork no less than four times, twice in two touches at one point. Abbey lost their full complement when Louis Bowen was given his marching orders for a clumsily out of control challenge which could have been a lot worse had he actually connected with the Uxbridge player.

But try as they might, Uxbridge couldn’t find a way through. It was no surprise then that McKenzie made it 2-0 with 71 minutes played. He’d seen so little of the ball all game that the Uxbridge defence (now consisting of just two players) completely forgot about him and allowed him all the time he wanted to run onto a long ball and roll it home.

From here Uxbridge knew the game was up, and as some pretty sinister-looking clouds rolled in, the game petered out; Uxbridge with nothing but a journey round the A406 to look forward to.

1 – Hertford Town 2-1 Barking (26-8-19)

andrzej.perkins — Thu, 29 Aug 2019 11:47:52 +0000

Where do you draw the line between someone who likes taking photos of grounds and a groundhopper?

After years of struggling with an ancient entry-level SLR, I took the plunge this summer and went for something far more respectable… Still almost ten years old, but respectable nonetheless.

And it didn’t take long to get noticed either. Another photographer at the game caught me at half time, impressed with my kit. “I’ve got no idea what I’m doing with it,” I protested. True enough, but even though I’ve only been using it for a couple of games, I’ve been delighted with the results.

I’m usually at Walthamstow in the Essex Senior League, taking about 15 minutes worth of photos before the lure of a drink and a sing-song with The Rabble behind the goal becomes too much. So the August Bank Holiday gave me the chance to extend myself a bit and focus on the camera and not the beer (day two of a solid 7/10 hangover also contributed significantly).

The morning started with a trip to Islington to the North London Programme Fair with the intention of picking up a stack of late 90s Leyton Pennant programmes in a vain attempt to build up our club’s programme back catalogue (or at least the ones I edited and then thrown away). Apparently, the old tat I’m after isn’t quite old enough for the sellers at the fair. I didn’t leave empty-handed though, a Leyton programme from 1957 for £3 was decent enough reward for the trip.

I hadn’t planned on going to a game today, but the heat in my flat ushered me towards the door. A quick look at the Groundhopper app (has there ever been such a loaded name for an app?) revealed some potential fixtures. Cheshunt? Maybe… Harlow? Local derby but a ground I’ve visited far too many times. Wingate & Finchley? Hendon? Not sitting on the North Circular in this heat.

In the end, I opted for Hertford Town v Barking; a ground I hadn’t been to since the final day of the 2002-3 season, when we (then as Leyton Pennant), stayed up at Hertford’s expense. And a ground with character; something so lacking in the M25 borderlands.

The walk down to Hertingfordbury Park leads you down a narrow curvey lane, and I was reminded of a photo that was in the Hertford boardroom on my last visit, showing the entire ground under several feet of water. The main stand pokes its triumphant head over the perimeter boundary giving a teaser into a true non-league ground a hundred or so metres down.

It took a while for the ground to fill up; the crowds no doubt keeping close to the shelter of the bar for as long as possible. I’d seen videos of the Hertford fans a couple of hundred strong during their promotion season a couple of years ago, creating a decent atmosphere behind the goal.

By 3 pm though, they were 60-or-so strong, and making a pleasant if subdued sound when their side attacked.

There wasn’t much confidence from the home fans going into the game, having lost all three of their games before today. Barking’s travelling support had a bit more reason for optimism though, having beaten Aveley in the FA Cup two days previously.

But they hadn’t won in the league, and it soon became clear why. Barking controlled the opening 20-odd minutes but lacked the guile upfront to make the most of the possession. Especially once central midfielder Kojo Apenteng went off injured, Barking lost all sense of a game plan.

Hertford grew into the game, but with it being scoreless at the break, you wondered how either team would score.

As is the case with two poor sides, it would take a moment of genius or a mistake for the deadlock to be broken. Unfortunately for Hertford, it was the latter, as keeper Nick Hayes parried a routine effort straight to the feet of Theo Fairweather-Johnson who gleefully poked home.

This seemed to bring Hertford, and their fans, to life and the next half-hour was almost one-way traffic. Nestled among the pleasant home contingent in the second half – all of us trying to seek out a tiny patch of shade, we saw Isaac Pedro score a fine header to draw Hertford level and then Prince William Domafriyie make the most of another goalkeeping howler to squeeze the ball in at the near post.

Barking’s fans looked like they were wondering if they’d ever win again, while the sun, a few beers and surprise victory put the smiles back on Hertford’s faces.

A spare of the moment decision gave me one of the most enjoyable games I’ve seen as a neutral in quite a while. At the moment I’m clutching at the straws which say ‘photographer’ and not ‘groundhopper’. After all, I didn’t even by a programme.

(N.B. Hertford Town do not print a paper programme.)