Territorial Pissings

Irchester United v Wellingborough Whitworth

Leicester Nirvana v Kirby Muxloe

Oakham United v Stewarts & Lloyds

Easter Monday and with the United Counties League seems to be my friend, it being their last fixtures of the season and having a number of derby games spread across the day, without being an signs of it being a groundhop.

With the first game being at 1100 somewhere near Wellingborough, it was a rather unseemly 0558 start off Sowerby.

Leeds at 0645 and a veritable HST fest, with Cross Country's 0705 to Plymouth, East Coasts 0705 to Aberdeen and the empty stock to Harrogate, and arriving in the background, East Midlands 0634 to St Pancras, which was 15 late off depot.

I had the option of getting the late running East Midlands service, but this would have meant I'd have two hours to kill in Wellingborough on Easter Monday morning, so I chose to stick with my multi leg option that filled up the time nicely.  This started with the 0705 Nottingham.

After Saturdays view, a very apt scene on the platform, with a discarded Prosecco cork alongside the local branding.

Regular readers won't need any clue on where this is, with the end signage now reduced to a single letter.

Into the back platform at Sheffield.

And a quick hop over to a Meridian on a St Pancras service, where I was joined by some not too bright Wednesday fans heading for QPR.  A particular highlight was a teenager struggling with basic words, as he was trying to find his seat 'revershun', with even his mates looking on incredulously as he admitted he had never seen the word 'reservation' before.  

It was south to Leicester.

If you added up all the entrances fees of games I attend in April and May, they still wouldn't qualify for this.  Today's maximum charge was £3 (including programme) 

The stabling point is now a right mix of junk.  Ex Fertis class 56s, and strangely, ex Capital Connect class 321s, somewhat off the juice.

With an HST heading north, I was onto the southbound stopping service. 

Which was taken three shacks to Wellingborough.  

There was a bus option to my first game, but being Easter Monday, I wasn't sure they were running, so decided to walk it.  

Diamonds aren't forever.

Walking did mean I could stop off at a couple of grounds on the way.   

First up was the Victoria Mill Ground of the town's second team, Wellingborough Whitworth, who were also the away team in the game I was heading to.

Strangely, the two football clubs in the town adjoin each other.

Next door is the Dog and Duck ground of Wellingborough Town, which is also currently being shared by AFC Rushden and Diamonds.

I'd clambered over a drainage ditch and then squeezed through a broken fence to access the ground, but fortunately, rather than eviction, my efforts were rewarded with a cheery wave from the groundsman.

The ground seems perennially on Groundtastic's at risk register, though maybe it is serious this time as it has moved to red status.

It was a pleasant walk through the tulip beds and the swans.

Onto the main road, just in time to see the bus go hurtling past, which did at least confirm they were running, and mean I wouldn't have another hours walk back.

Instead I got a chance to wander through here, which is the old ironstone workings that have returned to nature.

The locals didn't seem to have got the idea of joyriding, with the entrance being marked by a burnt out wheelbarrow, rather than a Citroen Saxo.

I was hoping for a quick spin on this, but it was closed.

Not that there seemed to be that much of interest anyway.

So, it was onto the village itself, the entrance marked by a huge sign and a dog shit bin.

Despite having Roman origins, the village grew up in the 1800s when iron ore mining started on industrial scale, though the quarries are now all worked out.  I was heading into the village... 

...to here.

Irchester United 2 v Wellingborough Whitworth 2, ChromaSport United Counties League - Division 1.

Irchester United were formed in 1883, playing in the Northamptonshire LEague, which became the United Counties in the 1930s.  They had a long spell out of the league, but had rejoined by the 1970s, also having a spell with the suffix Eastfield.  They have since returned to being United, which saw them win division 1 in 2010, but their spell in the premier ended after three seasons.

Wellingborough Whitworth started off as the great sounding London Ideal Clothiers in the 1970s, quickly moving through the Rushden and District and East Midlands Alliance, reaching the United Counties by 1985, where they have been in division 1 ever since, winning it in 2007.

Alfred Street is a large sports and social club, with the football and cricket pitches overlapping.

Their used to be a covered terrace at the car park end, but in the last couple of years, it has had new changing rooms built on it, and a couple of seated prefabs are now the only cover.

One touchline is hard standing.

The other is shared with the cricket club and is out of bounds to spectators. 

The early kick off time meant there was a sprinkling of ground cranks, but mostly it was locals.

To the game.  The ball went high.

The ball went low.

The ball went in.

And again.

The home side got a couple back.

And so it ended 2-2.

I was back to the bus stop, with the two hourly service to Northampton being convenient for the end of the game.

This took me back past the Dog and Duck.

And off in the centre of town.

With only a Heron Foods and the Age Concern shop being open, I was glad I hadn't got the earlier train and spent two hours here.  I headed back to the station, which seems to be having its car park turned into a housing estate.

It was another Meridian northwards, this one heading for Nottingham so was full of surprisingly tolerable Pompey fans heading for their promotion clinching win at Notts County.

I was off at Leicester again.

This time it was out of the station.  The city loves a statue.  The one outside is to Thomas Cook, who started his travel business by organising outings for the town's temperance societies, slightly ironic as it now seems compulsory to spend four hours in the departure side Wetherspoons before embarking on one of his holidays.  

It was another bus move.  Although I found that the 38a goes to a different place to than the intended 38.

So it was onto the 58a, which goes to a different place than the intended 58, so I got off and walked.

My stroll took me here.

Leicester Nirvana 2 v Kirby Muxloe 0, ChromaSport United Counties League - Premier Division

Leicester Nirvana first started in 1982, as the members of the Red Star youth team reached adulthood.  They were in the Central Midlands League by 1989, but dropped out in the 1990s, becoming just a youth side.  In 2008, they merged with Leicester Senior league team Thurnby Rangers, to become Thurnby Nirvana.  They have since been promoted through the East Midlands Counties to the United Counties, and have returned to the Leicester Nirvana name.

Kirkby Muxloe is a village that is fast being enveloped by the western suburbs of Leicester. The football team were formed in 1910, with slow progress that saw them finally join the Leicestershire Senior in the 1980s.  However, the last ten years has seen movement through the East Midland Counties, the Midland Alliance and then last season, the United Counties.  Their crest is the only one I know with a colour photo on it, like a Sampson woven badge,

Hamilton Park was Nirvana's home during their youth club era, but the rise to senior status saw them groundshare at Highfield Rangers.

Some of the stands from Gleneagles Avenue have been relocated, the second Atcost offering of the day.

This I also remember from Highfields, though it appears to be in the throes of being dismantled.

Writing swear words in wet concrete used to be a big a common thing in my childhood.  These days, kids seem to be into prolonged wheelies and crack, so it was heartening to see a return to a lost art.

The rest of the ground is hard standing.



The first half was pretty dire, some players watched another one kick the ball in the air.

Half time and reading the programme, it was clear that rather than relying on ability, player recruitment policy seemed to be based on the opportunity to automatically sort them by first name, in an Excel spreadsheet, automatically into playing position.  And in Greek as well. 

Meanwhile, the assistant manager was only three letters off a periglacial era Somerset landmark.

In the second half, Nirvana scored.

Kirkby thought they should have had a penalty.

But instead the home side got one, which they scored.

The game ending 2-0.

It was a bus back to the centre.

A statue celebrating Leicester's sporting triumphs, but guess which football one it commemorates?  Congratulations to those that think the most notable Leicester City triumph is the 2000 Worthingtons Cup Final win over Tranmere.

It was back to the station.

Onto a Stanstead bound Cross Country unit.

Into pie country.  This is also one of only three places where Blue Stilton cheese can be made.  The actual place of Stilton, near Peterborough, isn't one of them as the cheese was always made in the Melton area, then taken to the hotels there to sell to travellers on the Great North Road.

I was off at the next station, Oakham.

The station has a very famous signal box.

This is because it was modelled by airfix and has appeared on thousands of train sets.  Can I just say that I've taken this picture from Google images, I don't carry around plastic model building kits with me.  Well, not yet anyway.

A wander out of the town took me here.

A rather grand entrance.

Frosted glass, the modern day initialled ironwork gates.

Oakham United 4 v Stewarts & Lloyds 2, ChromaSport United Counties League - Division 1

I'd somehow missed that the Oakham United in the United Counties league are actually from Oakham, and not the same named works team of Mansfield Hosiery Mills who dropped out of the Central Midlands League in the 1990s.  The new lot were formed a couple of years ago when all conquering local side Rutland Rangers didn't have a ground to progress, so merged with the other senior team, Oakham Imperial, who played at the developable Catmose College.  They won the Peterborough league, and this is now their second season in the United Counties.  

Stewarts and Lloyds were and ironworks who developed into BSC Corby.  The football team were founded in 1935, and were the senior club in the town until the 1950s when a breakaway of players and officials saw Corby Town formed.  S&L continued in the United Counties, for a long time in the premier but the last couple of seasons has seen relegation and a struggle at the bottom end of the first division.  

The new Oakham side moved down the road from the previous school to this college, and have developed an extremely attractive set up.

The first team pitch sits adjacent to the school.

With an unlit training and reserve team pitch behind.

It was fantastic to see a new stand that differed from an off the shelf pre-fab.

Im not sure if there is a restriction on permanent buildings, but it was an all timber construction.

Meeting the minimum seating requirements through the power of the felt tip.

On the far side the dug outs were of a similar natural material.

Behind the stand was a duck pond with a waiting catch net.

Which was soon brought into use from a sliced keepers clearance.

The setting is fantastically scenic.

In the other direction, a mix of historic and 1950s school architecture.  A number of the spectators were either chain smoking or drinking from cans, which was a welcome sight as I was expecting a more horsey set.

So to the game.  The home side had an eleven foot tall left back.

This was a good moment.  The ref game an awful free kick decision to the derision of the players and crowd.  IT being in a decent position for a direct shot at goal, the defenders line up about five yards from the ball.  The ref started pacing out the proper distance, but realising he'd screwed up, started shortening his steps to get the required ten in by the time he got tot he wall.  So he started with a yard long stride, by halfway was was doing baby steps, and by the time he reached the wall, was moonwalking. 

Half time and into the bar.  Oakham is now well known for Oakham ales, who's citra beer seems to be taking over the real ale world.  I'd expected there might be a tie in with them, but instead there was one with the much more rateable Grainstore brewery, which is next to the station.  Not that I partook.  231 days and counting.

J watch saw three Jacks and a Jake.  I'm sure the away number 10 doesn't any stick about his name.

Into the second half and an attack by the home side saw the striker pulled back and a penalty given.

Which was duly scored.

Another soft goal soon followed.

Before Stewarts pulled one back.

But the home side scored another.

And then one more.

Stewarts did get another right at the end.

The game ended 4-2.  A lovely setting, a very friendly club.  Well recommended.

It was back to the station.

Back to Leicester for the fourth time of the day.

Though somehow I'd managed to miss this public information poster previously.  Who on earth does this, and what do you do if you find it unsecured?

More Meridian mileage.

This time back to Chesterfield, with the crooked spire on the right.

If I was to guess where in my life I was to encounter my first ever milk dispensing vending machine, I wouldn't have guessed Chesterfield station.

It was onto the following Leeds bound Northern service.

Back at Leeds, and due to the engineering works at Micklefield, services were running via Methley and reversing at Leeds in the through platforms, so it was a rare start from the Aire Valley bays for a Calder Valley service.

Back into Sowerby, sixteen hours after leaving, but with a very enjoyable lone hop around the United Counties league.