Chronicles of the Berkshire Pig: Thrupp Aware

Brimscombe and Thrupp v Royal Wootton Bassett Town

There is a third way out of Swindon by train. This is north west, along the Stroud valley, to Gloucester and Cheltenham. This evening’s game was along such tracks, so it was the late afternoon unit down the 'branch'.

Just past Kemble, is this field, which is rather nondescript other than it is the source of the river Thames. There is about half an hour a year when it is not either dried up or flooded.

Brimscombe and Thrupp are situated a few miles east of Stroud, and the ground is situated in the valley between the two.

My destination was the fairly quaint Cotswold station of Stroud.

First move was a stroll down the Thames and Severn Canal canal, which is in the process of being restored. The canal went from the Thames at Lechlade to Stroud, where it connected with another to the Severn. It contains the fourth longest canal tunnel in the UK at Sapperton, but was never a success as it kept running out of water due to no storage facility being included in its construction.

I was heading for a new guide pub in the south of the town. This was up a ferociously steep hill.

Destination was the Prince Albert. I was apprehensive what the pub sign might depict but they played it safe. It had a couple of Stroud Brewery sticks, of which a Shadow and a Budding organic were partaken.

From here it was a four mile walk to the ground. I was high up above the town.....

....wandering along quaint Cotswold lanes, but in the pitch black.

Making friends with some curious onlookers.

Eventually, way down the valley, the floodlights could be seen.

The next move was off the lane, and a footpath through a field, with the ground in the valley below.

The path then went into pitch black woodland....

....with a series of uneven steps to really add to the fun.

All that was needed now was an equally pitch black canal towpath. Oh look.

However, I had arrived.

Brimscombe and Thrupp v Royal Wootton Bassett Town, Uhlsport Hellenic League, Premier Division.

Brimscombe have been in existence for over a century, in local leagues until the late sixties when the were founders of the Gloucester County League. They then over reached themselves trying to reach the Hellenic, and had to merge with neighbours Thrupp and drop right down the leagues. However, a huge resurgence has taken place in the last ten years, getting back into the county league and then the Hellenic, being promoted to the premier division.

Wootton Bassett Town bounced around various Wiltshire leagues for most of the last century, before joining the Hellenic in the late eighties, flirting between the first and premier. They added 'Royal' to their name when the town was festooned with the title, for the great work it does in looking after grieving relatives of 18 year old soldiers who have been blown to pieces in politicians wars and whose remains are flown back to nearby RAF Lyneham.

The Meadow is one of the classic non-league grounds, for a couple of reasons.

Firstly, there was this legendary stand of unknown vintage, perched high above the pitch and of wooden construction with corrugated iron cladding.

However, in an act of utter heresy, it was replaced last year by this Arena UK pre-fab. I would quite happily put up with Blatter running football for the next thousand years if he were to impose a ban on these stands.

The other feature is that attempts have been made out to level the valley floor, leading to huge grass banks on two sides.

These give a host…..

….of excellent viewpoints.

An HST from Paddington, heading for Cheltenham, passes the ground.

The ground shows traces of its Gloucestershire League roots, with a combine dug out/equipment store/general shit, complex.

The relatively dry conditions meant a complete absence of @keepers_towels, which will disappoint my three followers.

Half time and a visit to a social centre no less.

A good selection of team photos through the ages and a club branded dart board, even if they have managed to misspell their own nickname.

Bassett had turned up in an all blue kit, so Brimscombe, who normally play in white and blue, were in their red change kit. The game was 9th versus 13th and the home side scored late on in the game and 1-0 was how it deservedly finished.