This Train Terminates at Cockfosters

Yes, we have all had a giggle at Cockfosters. But it probably means chief forester (if you believe Wikipedia) so doesn't that make you feel immature? Not me. However, no more knob gags for now. Cockfosters is where I went for Non League Day.

I wanted to go somewhere I hadn't been before and the proximity of Cockfosters' Chalk Lane ground to the Tube station made them an attractive option. Their opponents, Redbridge, are reasonably local to me and I hadn't seen them yet this season so off I headed into the the cauldron of the late summer Central line and wended my way up the surprisingly slow Picadilly line. Cockfosters isn't that far away surely.

Arriving at 5 to 3 didn't give me any time to get to know Cockfosters but the road up to the ground is lovely. The ground itself is bordered by 2 cricket grounds giving it a leafy idyll kind of a feel. I handed my money over roughly 4.7 seconds before kick off.

The Long Arm of the Draw

So, I had an early start this season at the end of June with Fulham's game against the minnows of Runavik but had not managed to fit anything in until last weekend. I had also decided that it having celebrated the arrival of daughter number 2 almost 2 weeks earlier that it was time for my eldest daughter's first match. Now 3 1/3 is a bit too young for league football so Orient was out but I reckoned on the more sparsely populated surroundings of Barkingside vs Southend Manor being a little more conducive to the her attention span. This was especially important as she hadn't actually expressed any interest in football itself; just going to the football with me. So armed with a bag full of goodies, a picture book and a doll I put the buggy into action and set off.

The one thing that I wasn't expecting on arrival was 2 policeman in the car park making sure that all was tranquil at Oakside. It seems that Essex Senior League football was now a major event in the aftermath of the riots. In the end 4 coppers stood on the terrace enjoying the football (admittedly I think all 4 were special constables but it was still an amusing sight.)

The Blog that Lived

It has been months since my last post. At first this was down to me being too excited about the Orient Arsenal game to get my thoughts into any kind of coherent form. After that real life took over and a mixture of pregnancy (mu wife's rather than mine!) and house hunting took over. Although I still went to games I didn't really have time to write anything meaningful. So, for me 2011/12 started way back on June 30th with £5 tickets for Fulham against the Faeroese heroes of NSI Runavik. Unfortunately drunk too much afterwards so no blog there and to be honest it would have just involved excruciating explanations of jokes about the Dentist if I had bothered so all's well that ends well. So here's to 2011/12

Dunston Checks In (or The Fifth Round Proper of the FA Vase)

It would be tempting to fill this with a bunch of tortuous and tenuous airport related puns. I'll try not to though. As soon as I saw the draw for the 5th round of the Vase I knew where I wanted to be. My only other game in the Vase this year saw Burnham Ramblers get tonked at St Neots. I have always wanted to go to Stansted and this seemed the perfect opportunity. A clash of cultures, accents and league reputations was all secondary to the prize of the quarter finals of the Vase. Stansted vs Dunston UTS

I arrived wildly early having built in far too much time for the journey and the bits and bobs I had to do on the way. I was still just beaten there by the Dunston supporters coach. Seeing as Stansted's last home game drew less than 30 paying spectators the concept of a supporters coach is slightly out of the ordinary. It was just nice to see a home club so pleased to see the away supporters. And not just because of the amount of beer they looked likely to buy.

Germane Pennant?

The mid season demise of Leyton FC set me to thinking. Since I caught the non league bug again this season I have been trying to get to places I haven't been before. I hadn't seen a game at Leyton's ground since the club that played there was known as Leyton-Wingate. I had been meaning to get to see Leyton but each weekend found a game I would rather be at. Now I'll have to see who ends up playing at the Hare & Hounds next season. So in the meantime I thought I'd better get to some games while some of the other local teams are still around. It seemed apt that I should scamper along to a Waltham Forest match quick smart. Waltham Forest is the amalgam of non league teams left in that borough after the juggernaut that eventually became Dagenham & Redbridge left town. It has always irked me that although half the teams that make up that merger of merger were from Waltham Forest that was ignored in the name. So it is left to Waltham Forest to fly the flag. Although I had seen Leyton-Wingate in the past on a number of occasions and had managed to see Walthamstow Pennant a couple of times I hadn't seen this incarnation of the club before. Logically enough they currently play in the borough Redbridge where the share the not much loved (as far as I can tell) Cricklefield Stadium.

Hamlet Moment vs Sitting Bull

I am looking for a London non league side to take an interest in. Unfortunately most of the East London sides seem a bit too depressing. I am happy to go along to Ilford or Redbridge but it doesn't really light my fire. I hadn't been to see Leyton since the club that played at the Hare and Hounds was known as Leyton-Wingate and I have now missed the opportunity to see the most recent inhabitants of the other Leyton Stadium. Non league football south of the river seems to be a little less moribund and Dulwich Hamlet have always interested me. Maybe it's the history but more likely I just like the name and the unusual kit.

Surrey I Haven't a Clue

I had been tempted to go to bed early and ignore the New Year but having waited until midnight to see the it in and catch a short snippet of Jools Holland's hootabloodynanny I decided to reward myself with a visit to Sutton. It was a grey, grey day but the clangour of St Paul's as I strolled towards City Thameslink (such an evocative name for a station, they really should have stuck with Ludgate Circus) put me in a proper New Yearsy kinda mood. As previously mentioned Sutton United do evoke a certain cup romance due to their giantkilling exploits against Coventry City over 20 years ago and although most of the terraces behind the goals have gone it is still recognisably the same ground. Train timetables meant I had plenty of time to hoover up the atmosphere. Sutton certainly seems to be a proper community club where everyone knows each other but this South London/Surrey derby against Tooting & Mitcham United obviously doesn't hold quite the same attraction as the Carshalton-Sutton one. Nevertheless the Tooting travelling fans were out in force and unlike Sutton at Carshalton made a very good job of making themselves heard all through the game. Before the game though we got treated to Sutton's mascot:

This is Jenny, she is a giraffe. That is all the explanation I have.