Hungerford Town

I went to watch Mangotsfield play away to Hungerford Town on 1 September 2012. It was an easy drive down the M4, taking about an hour. To get to the ground, you drive through the centre of Town which is littered with antique shops, then through a housing estate and you are there. Not a massive amount of parking is available, but for a big crowd, parking on the adjacent streets appears easy.

It is a nice ground with small stands on each side, so plenty of cover is available. The pitch has a steady downward slop, and on the day, there was a steady wind blowing up the slope.

Main stand at the ground

Smaller stand at the ground

As I ended up being busy talking to lots of people (!), I did not have a chance to walk all the way around the ground. Consequently, I did not spot a tea, fast food outlet. I presume they have one. On the other hand, they do have a nice sized bar with a decent selection of beers. perhaps the bar doubles as tea outlet?

Anyway, I must say that everyone I met at Hungerford was very friendly. A few of our travelling fans had tipped them off they were arriving early, and so opened the bar specially for them. Top marks all round then!

As for the game, well, Hungerford won 2 – 1. Everyone at the ground agreed that the officials spoilt the game, and I understand a complaint is being lodged. In all the years I have been watching football, I do not think I have all 3 officials have a mare of a game at the same time. Multiple bookings, 3 sending off – including the wrong player and the Mangotsfield manager – along with a player striking another player to the head in front of the ref, and being unpunished. Think that gives you a decent picture of what went on!

Whilst I try not to be biased, the Mangotsfield players never game up and easily deserved a point. It was a day for the captain to do his thing and he did a fantastic job. I really cannot speak highly enough about him.

For me the final disappointment was the crowd. a meagre 90 people and Mangotsfield must have accounted for at least 1/3rd of the gate. Given all the chimney pots surrounding the ground, and the standard of play, where was everyone? Oh yes, pawing their way through the antique shops…..

Ashton Gate 25 Aug 12

I went to the Bristol City v Cardiff City game on 25 August. I must say at the outset that I am not a fan of either team! However, I live in Bristol and I go with friends who are ardent Bristol City fans. So it is as much about catching up with friends as it is watching a game of football. What a nice way to while away a Saturday.

As I go to several Ashton Gate matches every season I have a members card. It is really easy to ring the stadium and pay and they sort the card entry system out for you. The added bonus for the 2012/13 season is they no longer have an annual renewal charge. Also, I gather entrance prices for the card members are now variable and based on the opposition and how far in advance you book the ticket. I think this is a much better way of doing business.

Given that I live about 8 miles away from the stadium, travel is easy. In fact as my friend has a car park pass at the Winterstoke car park end, then it’s a doddle.

My friends and I have a long standing joke about the food outlets outside the ground. It’s all about pricing . Who in their right mind is going to pay £6.50 for a bacon and sausage baguette? Well, not me or anyone else I guess. And my long standing gripe is about the tea. For £1.80 you get a small cup with no lid. Price I pay elsewhere is usually around £1. I have no problem paying £2 for a cup when it is a decent size – and comes with a lid. Yes, I have a thing about lids where hot water is concerned.

I gather there are new style food outlets within the ground, but I did not try them on this visit.

I usually watch the game from high up in the Dolman stand and a photo of my view is hopefully on here. It is nice watching high up as you can see the formations and tactics in action.

View from my seat

As for the game itself, Bristol City won 4 – 2. I did not rate the Cardiff team and they do not look like the force they have been over the past few seasons. Perhaps they had an “off” day. Time will tell. Most of the goals came about via defensive errors.  I am also not yet convinced that Bristol City are anything other than a bottom 10 Championship team. Again, time will tell. Needless to say, being a neutral and watching 6 goals go in, it was a very enjoyable experience and the time whizzed by. One final disappointment was the size of the crowd. Just over 14k for a game like this on a Bank Holiday Saturday. Where was everybody?

Bishops Cleve AFC

Bishops Cleve play in the Evo-Stik Southern League, Division 1, South & West. I visited the ground on 22 August 2012 to watch them play Mangotsfield United FC – of which I am a Director.

It is a nice flat ground, with small grandstands on either side of the pitch. The place is very open to the elements and there was a variable wind despite it being a really nice sunny evening. It is located to the north of Cheltenham and about 10 miles south of Evesham. It is very close the back-end of the Cheltenham racecourse as well.

Can you spot my shadow

There were not many people at the ground – only 88 which is a shame given so many houses are nearby. It was also sad to see a fundraiser at the bar given their lawnmower had been nicked. How sad is that?

On the football side, this was just the second game of the season for both clubs. Not sure if it was a one-off, but Bishops Cleve have completely changed their style of play. In the past few season you could have guaranteed 30+ offside decisions, This time out it was end to end for pretty much the whole game and therefore really enjoyable.

I got the impression that the club does not have many volunteers and this is a shame. Their football programme is the bare minimum that you can get away with. The bar has a small but decent selection of beverages to choose from. Also the Directors entertainment and food, along with the players food was really good,

As a Director, I find away games always more enjoyable as I don’t have any responsibilities! The game was enjoyable and finished an even 2 – 2 draw. However, Mangotsfield were 2 up and should have perhaps held onto such a decent lead. Both goalkeepers made some cracking saves. The two that Mangotsfield conceded were right at the end of each half which smacks of lack of fitness, and waining concentration levels. Nevertheless, it was the first point of the season, so onwards and upwards!

Hope you like the following photos I took.