Chronicles of the Berkshire Pig: Sent to Coventry

Bedworth United U21 v AFC Rushden & Diamonds Elite U21

Coventry United U21 v Leicester Nirvana U21

Coventry Copsewood v Stafford Town

Coventry Sphinx v Sporting Khalsa

Coventry United v Quorn

It was time to hit the road after a busy week of fending off stunted social media attacks by angry Bristolians, who seemed shocked to find that the outside world does not view Stockwood as the British Beverley Hills, and that the nautical twang to their dialect is viewed with affectionate amusement rather than deep aspiration.

Finally being off call meant the world was my oyster, so it was obvious to head for the golden sands, art galleries and historic architecture of, er, Coventry.

With morning games aplenty in either the West Midland Churches or the Midland U21 league, it was an early start, and with Northern Rail conductors actually at work for once, it was the 0604 off Sowerby.

Into Leeds with the promised lands of Neville Hill, shining like a beacon over East End junction.

I was onto a Cross Country service bound for Penzance, for some lucky people, the pleasure of 7 hour 27 minutes on a Voyager for the full 409 mile, 28 chain trip to journey's end.

We were however treated to sunrise over Frikley. Truly god's wonder.

The electronic reservation system was knackered in my coach so it was hand written reservations. Unfortunately, these were all in CRS code so not many people understood that DBY-SER is Derby to St Erth, . What also added to the fun was that some of the code was just guesses, so Newton Abbott that should be NTA was written as NWP which is actually the code for Newport, which the train didn't stop at, so even those with an understanding of reservations weren't able to help.

So most people just gave up and headed to another coach, so I had mine almost to myself.

I was off at Tamworth High Level.

Where a drop down to the perpendicular low level platforms took me to the West Coast main line platforms.

And a London Midland service heading for Euston via every lampost in Northamptonshire.

This was taken a couple of shacks down the Trent Valley to Nuneaton.

A half hour connection and a wander out of the station to view the world's loneliest parking space.

Then back inside and a procession of intermodal services taking containers from Felixstowe and Southampton to points north. I captured a photo for posterity as of course, post Brexit, everything will be made in the UK so no longer will the WCML be full of trainloads of imported Zanussi's.

I was onto the local service that rattles back and forth between here and Coventry, today with the luxury of a pair of 153s.

For me though, it was off at Bedworth. The town's origins are in textiles, specialising in no less than ribbon weaving, before the discovery of substantial coal deposits and the opening of the canal meant it became a mining area until they closed in the 1980s. Bloody Thatcher. The major activity in the town these days is discussing how to pronounce Bedworth, with various dropping of the w or the d.

I'd been here for the football a couple of times previously but had gone straight to the ground, so I was surprised to find it had such a large centre. I was perhaps less surprised to find it almost deserted.

The football ground is very close to the centre, situated within the Miners Welfare Park.

The park, like the town itself is extremely well kept. You see Stockwood, this is the sort of thing that an industrial based town gets praise for.

However, the entrance to the football ground I'd previously used was resolutely closed, though there were signs of life inside.

So it was back onto the main road where an alternate entrance was indicated...

...and was found.

Bedworth United U21 1 v AFC Rushden & Diamonds Elite U21 0, Midland Football League - U21 East

The football club were founded in 1905 as the excellent sounding Bedworth Evening Combination School. Like many West Midlands non-league sides, they have gone bust and reformed a few times, at various points playing in the Coventry & North Warwickshire, Central Amateur, Birmingham Combination, Birmingham & District and then the West Midlands (Regional) League. The 1970s saw them rise to the Southern League, where they remained until a couple of years ago, when non-league's tectonic plate like shift south, meant they were switched across to the Northern Premier League.

AFC Rushden & Diamonds were formed in 2011, after the original club's unsuccessful attempt to finance a football league team based solely on the income of hosting Eurosport snooker competitions. Having previously had enjoyable visits to both Irthlingborough Diamonds and Rushden Town, and then a less than enjoyable one to atmospheric void of Nene Park, I wasn't too concerned with the demise of the merged club. For the first season, the AFC club fielded just a U18 side Northants Senior Youth League, playing at Raunds Town. A senior side were set up the following year, playing in the United Counties League at Wellingborough Town. Since then, they progressed to the Southern League, but like Bedworth, have switched across to the Northern Premier. They have also returned home, playing at Rushden & Higham's Hayden Road ground.

The Oval has been the home of football in Bedworth since the war.

I'd first visited the ground in the early 1990s as a teenager doing a Heart of England railrover. There was a long, low cover on the far side with a seated section in the middle. By the end of the decade, it had been replaced by this elevated stand.

On the opposite touchline, the previous banking had previously been breached by the social club, and the remainder has been flattened to provide car parking.

At the ends, the oval shape is still discernible, but the pitch surround has been moved adjacent to the touch line. Interestingly, cars always used to park here, even though the railings were behind them.

At the opposite end, similar modifications have taken place.

However, vice a car park, a grass training area has been installed, as the actual pitch is now 3G.

As I was walking around the ground, the small group of spectators were discussing what a Fish Saloon might be, either a chip shop or else one of those dodgy beauty parlours where sticklebacks eat the dead skin off your feet.

I took my place in the stand, with carpet off cuts providing a thoughtful cover to the seating.

The stand gives an excellent view of proceedings.

Even if that is just bloody handshakes.

The game got underway.

A bloke took a corner.

I noticed there was a water park behind the far end.

The youthful lino kept an eye on this tussle.

This bloke caught a ball.

And made himself 'big'.

Bedworth scored.

Which was where I left it as I'm not that interested in the Midland League U21 East league.

It was back to the station.

For the same pair of dog boxes I'd had earlier.

Since the line re-opened in the 1980s, there have been a couple of new stations added. Firstly at the previous colliery and now warehousing at Bermuda Park.

And then passing here...

...there is also a station. However, there has been furore that it doesn't open on football days. The reason being that the normal single car unit cannot cope with passenger numbers. Signalling on the line precludes any increase in service frequency from its current hourly level. So to make longer trains would involve getting a rake of stock down to Coventry just to form one service before and after games, with other services in the Midlands going short all day.

Passing Butts Park, home to Coventry rugby union, and also fans side Coventry United, but more of them later.

Into Coventry station, where the train was deluged by Saracens fans who were taking it back to the Ricoh for the game their. You could feel the loyalty dripping off them, for a club they didn't know existed until a year ago playing a sport they previously had no interest. But look at them now, they've got shirts and everything. English Rugby Union in one picture.

Why thank you. I was onto a Birmingham bound London Midland service.

This dropped me at its first stop, Tile Hill.

There was a more direct way to my next game, but this took me past the Westwood offices of Network Rail, who's lavish opulence is beyond comprehension and it makes me angry every time I have to meet them there, as it is usually to discuss points failures due to their day to day maintenance being starved of investment. So keen not to have my ire raised, it was instead through the woodland at the back of the centre.

Good luck with getting that back. The real reward for the finder is that they now have an Ipad.

Passing through the woodland, it was then out into a business park, whose sole occupants were call centre workers, on very long vaping breaks. If anyone was unsuccessful in attempts to get through to First Utilities on Saturday, I know why.

And through a housing estate that they don't build in Bristol. Even in Bradley Stoke.

As the address for my next game was Westwood Heath Road, I'd assumed it would be at the ground that the youth sides of defunct ex-Southern League side Coventry Sporting play at. However, it instead turned out to be here.

Which went under this strange name.

Which is the sports ground of Coventry, wait for it...

...University. Did you guess correctly.

Coventry United U21 5 v Leicester Nirvana U21 3, Midland Football League - U21 East

Coventry United were formed in 2013 as the fans club of Coventry City after the latter decamped to Northampton. To their eternal credit they did resisted the temptation of calling themselves AFC Coventry. They started life in the Midland Combination, before moving up to the Midland League, where they have risen up the divisions. They have also encompassed Coventry City's ladies side.

eicester 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.

The ground is just the pitch, but with dug outs and the near touchline roped off for spectators.

The far side housed the dug outs and had a shallow grass bank, but I wasn't sure if it was open for spectators, so viewed from afar.

Tight behind both goals was chain link fencing, which didn't aid to viewing from there.

Even more so at the far end, because there were tow massive piles of horse shit, which was particularly ripe in the sun.

I'd joined in the second half and it had been a bit of a goal fest so far.

However, there was time to witness a couple more.

This included a hat-trick for one of what appeared to be brothers who were leading the attack for Coventry.

Coventry's red and green kit are actually the city's civic colours. Jimmy Hill being the man responsible for everyone thinking it is sky blue.

A lively game eventually finishing 5-3.

After the game it was onto the bus stop on Kirby Corner Road. On the left was the ground of the aforementioned Coventry Sporting. They were originally Coventry Amateurs playing in the West Midlands (Regional) League, but changed their name and somehow got promotion to the Southern league, as the ground was extremely basic, with one small stand and extremely crap floodlights. They folded in the late eighties.

This took me into the centre, passing one of the myriad of semi demolished religious architecture that Coventry seems to favour.

I was off at the bus station.

Where it was over to this, which might just seem like a car park, but was actually a line up of Coventry's automobile heritage.

Which enticed me into here.

There was the opportunity to shake my head at someone using the word 'reimagining' in a sentence that doesn't start with 'do you know the sort of word that complete cocks use?'.

But actually means a Rover 800 in wrapping paper.

Or an astroturfed Mark 2 golf.

To the museum itself, a timeline of transport manufacturing in Coventry. Starting with bikes and old cars.

Some slightly less old cars.

The shock that someone went rallying in a Talbot Samba.

And the even greater shock that Coventry built F1 cars.

But this was what I was really here for, shit 1980s cars. A Triumph dolomite and a Rover P6.

A Triumph Acclaim.

The chance to relive the scabbing lifestyle.

Whilst the BBC Coventry and Warwickshire outside broadcast Peugeot 405 estate was a particular highlight.

This was what we were really here for, the converted Daimler Fleetliner that took the victorious 1987 FA Cup winning team on a parade around the city.

Though for some reason the museum considered their major exhibit to be Thrust 2, which held the land speed record until the weekend, when it appears Wayne Rooney managed it in a Volkswagen Beetle through Alderley Edge at 1am.

For me it was more sedate travel, being another bus move, this time to the eastern outskirts of the city.

Where I was able to get in a bit of B-road grass verge walk of shame action.

Which took me down to here, with the added bonus of a previously unknown train ride offering.

A selection of sporting clubs to choose from, but also the inevitable Slimming World group. As I say, the new blight on non-league.

I was in here.

With a very obscure @nonleague_train on the left, being a 5 inch gauge miniature train and kick and clap rugby.

Adjacent, there was another football game already underway.

This was Copeswood Reserves playing Stockingford AA in division 2 of the Coventry Alliance.

There were a couple of goals in the short time I was watching.

However, this was the game I was actually heading for.

Coventry Copsewood 2 v Stafford Town 1, Midland Football League - Division 1

Coventry Copsewood were founded in 1922 as the works team of telephonics company Peel Conner. Various company mergers saw them become Magnet, then GEC, then GPT. They joined the Midland Combination from the Coventry Alliance in 1993, rising to the premier division. A further name to Marconi (Coventry), Coventry Marconi, and then in 2005 to Coventry Copsewood, when Marconi disposed of their interest in the sports club. They became part of the new Midland league in 2014.

Stafford Town were formed in 1976 as a split from Stafford Southend. The new side played in the Staffs County South league, but a link with Stafford Rangers saw them gain a playing presence to rise to the Midland Combination after one season. A move to the new Staffs County in the 1980s, was followed by stints in the West Midlands (Regional) League, Midland Combination and Midland Alliance. Rather hedging their bets as the leagues merged to become the Midland which they joined in 2014.

Allard Way was the works ground of the various organisations that had become Marconi, until their demise in 2005.

The spectator facilities are grouped on the far touchline.

This stand having emerged in the last decade, equiped with seats from Highfield Road.

The dugouts are for once, of a decent design, offering decent height as well as shelter, though are showing signs of a few bumped heads.

The original shelter was behind the near goal.

This was a cover with some very ornate bench seating.

At the opposite end, the seating was more limited.

The pitch is shared with the cricket club so on two sides, are temporary railings.

This does mean that spectators on this side stand right on one of the wickets. Still in a better condition than most West Indian test wickets though.

A decent entry into the world of agricultural torture equipment.

The game was still waiting kick off so I ventured back across the cricket pitch to watch a bit more of the thirds.

With the home side adding another. They eventually won 4-3.

However, there were signs of life in the main game, with handshakes underway.

Then a team photo for the home side.

But eventually, we were underway on an absolutely immaculate pitch.

The entrance to the pitch was cordoned off using a rope tied to the railings. Unfortunately, someone stepped on it, which pulled at the railings, causing a very eventful domino effect as the railings systematically collapsed.

The home side had the early play.

At some point they took the lead.

The home side went onto win 2-1.

With the railings now in a greater state of disrepair, I made my exit, as there were more games to visit.

So a wander through a mix of housing estates, before arriving here.

Or more precisely, this place. That's the sports club, not the Kidz Party Zone.

A whole host of activities to choose from.

But this was my next viewing choice.

Coventry Sphinx 3 v Sporting Khalsa 1, Midland Football League - Premier Division

Coventry Sphinx were formed in 1946 as the works team of automobile company Armstrong Siddeley. When the parent company merged with Rolls Royce in the 1960s, they changed their name to Sphinx, after the company emblem that the hosting sports ground was named after. They joined the Midland Combination in 1993, which merged with the Alliance in 2014 to became the Midland League.

Sporting Khalsa were founded in 1991, playing in the Walsall & District Sunday leagues. They tried a season in the West Midlands (Regional) League in the nineties, but dropped out straight away. There rise to prominence came from 2011, when they returned to the West Midlands League, winning my it in 2015, which saw promotion to the Midland League. They originally blamed at Bloxwich Town's ground, but have since taken over Willenhall's Noose Lane Ground. Much of the club's notoriety comes from them being set up by local Sikh community.

The pitch sits right in the middle of a huge playing field area.

There is a seated stand, named after Willie Knibbs, who was the teams manager who unfortunately died in car crash on his way back from a game in 2001.

Behind the far touchline is the Gaelic football pitch of Roger Casements, who didn't bother turning up when I went to see them in Nottingham in June.

It was Sporting Khasla who took the lead.

However, Sphinx quickly equalised.

Sporting Khasla have been one of the stronger clubs in the Midland league in the last few seasons, and had a few chances.

However, it was the home side who took the lead.

It was a decent attendance, enjoying the sunshine.

Khasla continued to have the chances.

I headed off at half time, but it was Sphinx who scored again, to win 3-1.

I was back to the Binley Road for a bus back to the city centre.

This dropped me off at the University.

Where it was a wander through the centre, which has improved immensely since the last time I was here. The post-war cathedral sits with the bombed out remains of the original. I have no idea why there are a group of people dressed in animal costumes on the steps on the left.

Coventry United 2 v Quorn 0, Midland Football League - Premier Division

It was now a chance to see the first team of Coventry United, having watched the U21s earlier.

Quorn is located between Leicester and Loughborough, and grew up around textiles and quarrying. The football club were founded in 1924 as Quorn Methodists, playing in the Leicestershire Senior League. They stayed there for the next sixty years, until the turn of the century saw promotion to the Midland Alliance. Further promotion was gained in 2007, to the Northern Premier. This was mainly as a result of money gained from a sell on-clause of former player Luke Varney, but when this ran out, they struggled and after four seasons returned to the Midland league via the United Counties.

Butts Park used to be a scruffy athletics track that I think belonged to the university. However, in 2004, Coventry rugby union sold their Coundon Road ground and took on the site. They built this large stand.

There is this small structure, purpose unknown, on the far touchline.

There was some other temporary seating but this has now gone. However, this does leave uninterupted views of the @nonleague_train, seen approaching on the right on the viaduct over the Spon End Road.

2G52 1614 Nuneaton to Coventry passes with the home side a goal to the good.

Which was soon added to for a second goal.

Coventry were top of the league, having won their opening four fixtures.

However, it then got a bit tasty as a home player made a strong tackle which the Quorn forward took umbrage to and ran off to tell the ref to send the player off, which he duly did. Possibly a harsh decision and whilst the offender seemed to take the decision without question, there was a fair amount of ill feeling towards the plaintiff.

A last look at the pair of 153s that had been part of the day, as they head back on 2G53 1642 Coventry to Nuneaton.

The game soon ended, 2-0, and with the keeper very reluctantly shaking hands with the none to popular forward from earlier.

For me it was a walk back to the station.

For a claustrophobia educing Pendolino move.

To the even more claustrophobia educing environs of Birmingham New Street.

Fortunately my next train was on one of Cross Country's three HST services of the day.

Not so fortunate was the Network Rail regulation of it, follwing a 92 minute late freight from Burton to Derby, then the Matlock local service, to Ambergate, an early Norwich service from Dore to Sheffield and then the all shacks Northern service from Sheffield to Leeds. Still, the evening sun was good as we crawled along the Derwent Valley through Duffield.