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Yesterday, I travelled to Bedfordshire to watch a vital match at the bottom of the Southern League Division 1 Central between Kempston Rovers & Aylesbury United. Now, the home side were 5 points adrift of safety with 4 to play so it was MUST WIN for them really, whereas, the away team were 5 point clear of the drop, so, for them, it was MUST NOT LOSE. On arrival, my daughter and I were warmly met on arrival, and were treated brilliantly by all at Kempston Rovers, which I can’t thank them enough for, but, for this, I want to give my thought’s regarding the respective managers. Firstly, I sought out Kempston manager Richard Keil, as I had got in touch with him regarding filming the vlog. He was a great guy, and despite the pressure of the impending match, he gave me plenty of time. We had a joke where, I mentioned that his name was the same as the actor who played the baddie Jaws in the James Bond films, and if his team won, I already had a title of my video in mind. After a quick on camera interview, it was time to try to meet Aylesbury manager David Tuttle. Once again, he also was a great guy, we had a good laugh off camera, then we did a quick interview. After the interview’s, the managers and I were chatting, and I assumed they knew each other pretty well, as they had an easy way with each other. So, the match comes, and goes, and, for once, I will give a spoiler….it finished Kempston 0-5 Aylesbury….which, now makes it almost certain Kempston will go down and Aylesbury will survive. So…as the teams and management walk off, I noticed Richard went back to the dugout on his own to just sit, and, I guess, ponder and think about what he had witnessed. It was then I decided I wouldn’t ask for a post match interview with him. Not long after, David came out, walked across the pitch and went and sat with Richard for a few minutes. I thought that was real classy from him. They came back off the pitch together, and, now, I was certain they were mates from way back as there seemed a real decent bond, but, to my complete surprise, when I spoke to them again, they had only met once…the previous encounter between the 2 teams, which was David’s first match. It was such a decent thing to see on, what was a crappy day for the home side, and honestly, these 2 fellas really are representing the teams clubs brilliantly, and, I just wouldn’t be surprised somewhere down the line they may end up a management duo ( you heard it here first ). One final thing, Richard dropped me a line in the evening, thanking me for coming and apologising for not changing much after the match due to how he was feeling…he had no need to apologise, he was great. ….Oh, if you fancy watching the vlog (it’s a bit longer than usual), Here it is! Once again, a big thank you to Darren Ashley for sharing another one of his great Vlogs which always give a wonderful insight into non-league football and the people involved with the game at grassroots level. Don't forget to follow and subscribe to Darren's YouTube channel where you can watch all his previous content and get notifications for up coming Vlogs.

Another Saturday had rolled around and it was time to decide the next venue for us to ground hop, Its always a tough choice to pick a game but today was an easy one! I'd already decided where I was going a few weeks back as the battle at the top of the Isthmian League South East Division (step 4) between Ramsgate FC and Cray Valley Paper Mill has been nip and tuck between the two standout sides in the League all season and with them both sitting on 85 points and only separated by one on goal difference this was going to be the ultimate 6 pointer with only 3 and 4 games left to play respectively till the end of the season! On the way down from London on the train I read up on the two sides but having already seen Cray Valley PM play live twice this season already in the FA Cup against Carlshalton Athletic and on the TV against Charlton Athletic I knew they were a very good well organised side, I'd also been to see Ramsgate play at AFC Wimbledon in the FA Cup but was hard to gauge how good they were against the Dons who were ruthless on the night winning 5-0. The previous meeting of the clubs at Cray earlier in the season produced a 1-1 draw showing how evenly matched the teams are but Cray Valleys 100% away record of winning 16 out 16 on the road! showed that this was not going to be an easy game for the Rams who have only lost once at home all season! After paying £10 to get in which includes a free programme from the friendly turnstile operator I then bought a book of tickets for the half time raffle as you do, and then went to find the bar for a pint! There are two bars inside the ground and they are both situated on a raised area which gives you a great vantage point of the pitch with one of the bar indoors and the other outside with a serving hatch and next to that you can find the snack bar which had a great selection of food to pick from. The atmosphere was building nicely now with the ground filling up, one thing that struck me was the amount of youngsters in attendance which was great to see! Their was a good following of fans from Cray Valley as well and the outdoor bar area was buzzing with the beers flowing as we approached kick off with fans from both teams tying their flags on the barriers and the drum from the Ramsgate end getting the singing going on the terraced stand behind the goal. The stadium has a capacity of 3500 with covered terracing at both ends and a long seated stand down one side behind the dugouts, one nice little touch that shows the club go above and beyond for the kids that come along was two circular football cages at one end of the ground where the youngsters could have a kickabout! Onto the match, it was a very tight game as was to be expected with so much at stake with nothing between them and chances were few and far between, you can watch the highlights below in what turned out to be an enthralling game of football! Summary What a great day out on the South coast! in the end it was probably a fair result but until the last 10 minutes Ramsgate just didn't look like scoring against the well drilled defensive unit of Cray Valley, but hats off to the Rams who never gave up were urged on by the brilliant crowd of 2,563! Its a shame that their is only one automatic promotion spot as both teams deserve to go up but I have no doubt the runners up will go up via the playoffs. Cray Valley are in the driving seat with a game in hand and although today probably felt like a loss being 2 up so late, a draw was actually a very good result in the scheme of things. As for Ramsgate, I've got to say what a fantastic club and set up they have with a really nice family vibe and if I lived in the area I would be going back to watch them every week! Best wishes to both sides for the rest of the season!

My vlog travels took me this weekend to a very sunny Hertfordshire, where I took in Royston Town v Kettering Town... thanks to an invite from Royston media man, and board member Neil Macleod. After my days footy and filming had ended, I was so grateful of the invite, because Royston Town is such a lovely club, with very welcoming and friendly people… and the team was not too shabby either!!! I feared beforehand, that I may not get the greatest afternoons entertainment, as, both teams had reached the point in the season where neither could get promoted or relegated….but, luckily, I got a match I really enjoyed, even if it wasn’t Kettering’s finest afternoon… and I’m quoting the words of some of their supporters I spoke too. Talking of supporters, Kettering fans, as always, travelled in good numbers, and that made for one of the better match atmospheres I have heard this season, which, hopefully you may hear if you watch the vlog below. One final thing, as always, both managers, Chris Watters & Kettering’s manager Richard Lavery were very friendly when I asked (and was granted) a pre-match interview, and in Chris's case, he was extra helpful, because, the original one I did with him was spoilt by the glaring sun, so, I asked him was it possible to do it again, which he was happy to oblige with… now, can you imagine that happening in pro footy???… I can’t, and that’s why I always maintain and want to promote that Non-League really is the best!!! Here's the Vlog, hope you enjoy it! Once again, a big thank you to Darren Ashley for sharing another one of his great Vlogs which always give a wonderful insight into non-league football and the people involved with the game at grassroots level. Don't forget to follow and subscribe to Darren's YouTube channel  where you can watch all his previous content and get notifications for up coming Vlogs.

Yesterday, my Non League vlogging took me up to the midlands, for a clash between Walsall Wood & AFC Rushden & Diamonds. Wood came into the match, having, in effect, nothing to play for… however, for the Diamonds, they were hoping to pull of one of THE greatest relegation escape acts. They were on 4 points in January, 14 off survival, yet they had since hauled themselves to, basically, having to better relegation rivals Rugby Town’s result. The ensuing 90 minutes footy I saw was dramatic, and, nerves aplenty amongst Diamonds fans, with everyone knowing exactly what was going on in the Rugby match. At the end of the match, despite winning 2-0, it was despair for the away contingent, as Rugby had ended up winning 3-0 at Boldmere St Michael. I did an interview at the end of the game with a clearly despondent Diamonds player Cairo Taylor, and as I was wrapping up my filming, shock news came through that Loughborough Dynamo had issued a statement, basically, saying they wanted voluntary relegation. Absolutely shocking news for the players, fans and staff from Dynamo, but, a possible relegation lifeline for Rushden?… who knows. If you would like to watch the vlog, which I hope you do, as always, here it is below! Once again, a big thank you to Darren Ashley for sharing another one of his great Vlogs which always give a wonderful insight into non-league football and the people involved with the game at grassroots level. Don't forget to follow and subscribe to Darren's YouTube channel  where you can watch all his previous content and get notifications for up coming Vlogs.

Whilst scrolling through social media we came across a new page on Facebook called 'Girls Go Groundhopping' and watched one of their short Vlogs on a recent ground hop to a non-league game, we thought it was a great concept and was wonderful to see a dad taking his two daughters to the football. We got in touch with Tony the father of Freya and Scarlett and asked him all about Girls Go Groundhopping. What inspired you to start up your Facebook page with you and your two daughters? My eldest Freya started playing football for Widnes FC and I wanted to take her to some games so she could get a sense of what football is and the community and friendship it will bring her.  I wanted to share our experiences with people in the hope it would inspire other parents to take their kids. My sole aim as a parent is to introduce my girls to sport and communities around the country. Football in particular was massive for me as a child and it really helped build my social circles. This day and age we are all guilty of spending too much time on our phones or watching games on TV. We hope to inspire parents and children to get out and participate/watch sport at grassroots level. My inspiration for doing this channel/page was Darren Ashley (Dash71) who makes videos for Facebook and YouTube . Just watching him and his passion for watching football and making friends pushed me to start sharing our journey with others. How long have you been groundhopping with your girls? Our first Game was 12th of July whilst out in the USA we watched New England Revolution at the Gillette stadium in Massachusetts.  The girls loved the whole experience from the fan zones to the American way of chanting. Once we returned I wanted them to experience grassroots football at our local club (Runcorn linnets). Our first Game was Runcorn Linnets vs Newcastle Town on the 22nd of August which I would say was the PROPER football start to our ground hopping journey. How many grounds have you visited so far? As on 2nd of May 2024 we have been to 42 Games at 30 Different grounds, and after the bank holiday weekend it will be 44 Games and 32 different grounds! What do your daughters most enjoy about groundhopping? Freya loves the goalkeeper shirt colours, making friends and taking her football with the hope of going onto the pitch at half time.  Scarlett equally loves making friends and loud atmospheres, she always likes to stand with the ultras and learn some chants. Do you all support a particular football team? Me personally (Tony their dad) I'm a Liverpool fan but I lost the love for the game after Liverpool won the champions league in 2005 because it then became unaffordable for us to go (me and my dad). So for years I've followed football from afar with no real interest. My love for football has never dwindled but my obsession for one club did. The girls are both FC ST Helens women fans mainly because there is a player called Freya who obviously shares the same name as my daughter. The club have also gone above and beyond in making the girls feel welcome every time they go and also allowing them to walk out on the pitch with the ladies team  On a weekly basis the girls ask are we going to watch Freya this week. Do you all have a favourite particular ground hop? The one that stands out for the girls is Blackpool at Bloomfield road Vs Peterborough United because the atmosphere was unreal and they had a chant that was just simply 'SEASIDE' and the girls loved it. My favourite ground hop was probably Witton Albion for a couple of reasons, first being they are a fantastic community club, they instantly noticed that they hadn't seen the girls before and made us feel really welcome, we even got DM from the chairman after the game. Lastly sitting in the stands it was the first time I probably realised just how good this was for me and the girls. Best food you've experienced at a ground hop? Well if you check out videos out you'll see  we mostly just get a cup of tea and chips. So if you are Asking for the beat chips then 1874 Northwich is number one. Home made chips by some lovely old lady.  What do you think of the modern-day game and the Premier League? All being honest I've got a total disconnect to top level football now. My dad always used to say to me even though we see this great style of playing out from the back, when you break it down teams play not to lose rather than to win the game. It's only when you start going to league one games and below you see just how much winning actually means to people.  Nothing beats a long kick up the park, a flick on and a dink over the keeper for me.   What do you most enjoy about nonleague football? The communities and the access to players. Have you been to any grounds outside of the UK? We recently went to CF Benidorm which is now owned by David Villa the Spanish legend! And as I previously mentioned, New England Revolution. I'll also include Cliftonville, just because we jumped on a plane to Northern Ireland. What ground is on your bucket list to visit? UK I'd say Brighton, Abroad I'd love to go to Mainz ground in Germany What are your plans for next season? Currently I'd like to go to a game at every level North West Counties (or southern equivalent upwards) up to the premier league. It would be nice to complete one of the North West counties divisions and watch as many women's teams as we can. What is the best way for people to follow you and the girl's groundhopping adventures? We are on Facebook , Instagram , X , YouTube and Tiktok , just search GIrls Go Groundhopping!  A big thank you to Tony, Freya & Scarlett for sharing their story with us and we hope this inspires others to follow suit and we look forward to seeing the future adventures of Girls Go Groundhopping!

Sun beating down on a good natured pitch invasion, and grown men crying with joy. That was the scenes at the final whistle of yesterday’s National League North play off final, where, Boston United, in my opinion, deservedly on the day, beat Brackley Town. Although very much in the camp of really wanting Brackley to win, I couldn’t help but be happy for Boston and their fans, all in all, my experience of them, even before kick off, was that they were a great bunch. When I visited St James Park yesterday to record my weekly Non League vlog (found at the bottom of this post), I thought it may be tricky to do it in the way I usually try to, as, the ground was segregated, and I knew that if I was to get a half decent recording spot, it would mean having to stand at the same spot for a few hours… one movement, and it would be quickly taken. I managed to get bits and pieces filmed before finding my spot an hour or so before kick off, so, it actually wasn't too bad in the end. Talking of end, after the pitch invasion, and the high profile nature of the match, I thought it may be really hard to get any post match interviews from the winning team, however, I was wrong. Keaton Ward, who had scored Boston’s equaliser, and incidentally, it was his birthday too, was great, and, although manager Ian Culverhouse was super busy with interviews, he kindly still had time for a small time Non League vlogger like me. In fact, I knew the dressing room were waiting for Ian to make an appearance, and I didn’t want to hold him up, so, I actually said it’s best you go in for celebration’s and I would wait around for the interview. Unbelievably, Ian appeared within a couple of minutes, and gave me as much time as I needed, that just sums up Non League for me, no prima donna’s and everyone has time for you. One final thing, just after the full time whistle, I’m not sure how, but I found myself next to a very happy emotional and tearful man in a suit. I had a quick chat with him ( not recorded) whilst he was receiving congratulatory hugs… and it turned out he was Boston United chairman David Newton. A fantastic day all in all, congratulations to Boston United, I hope they do really well next season, and, hopefully Brackley Town will pick themselves up, dust themselves off, go again and, in 2024/25, finally get promoted. 🤞 Once again, a big thank you to Darren Ashley for sharing another one of his great Vlogs which always give a wonderful insight into non-league football and the people involved with the game at grassroots level. Don't forget to follow and subscribe to Darren's YouTube channel  where you can watch all his previous content and get notifications for up coming Vlogs.

We was recently invited onto the World Game-Changers podcast by Paul D Lowe along with Gary Clarke a big Nottingham Forest supporter and the commercial and marketing director at non-league club Carlton Town FC  to talk about the current state of football & to discuss whether it is still the beautiful game? The three core themes discussed were the Cash, Culture & Corruption. ‘I’ve lost interest & become disillusioned with football' ‘They’ve betrayed a working class sport & working class fans, it’s all about money' ‘You’re no longer a fan, you’re a customer' Please have a listen and let us know your thoughts and if it resonates with your views on the game in it's current guise.

Join us live with special guest Ian Storey-Moore on our Proper Football Podcast at 7 pm on Wednesday 3rd of July! Ian scored over 100 league goals for Nottingham Forest and earned one cap for England in 1970. In 1972, he moved to Manchester United but his league career was brought to an early end by injury in 1974. He went on to play for non-league Burton Albion, as well as North American Soccer League side Chicago Sting. He later served as player-manager for Shepshed Charterhouse, and for Burton Albion in his third spell at the club, before becoming chief scout at Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa. Ian is a football legend at Nottingham Forest who played with some of the greats throughout his career including the likes of George Best and Bobby Charlton and is still a keen lover of non-league football and a thoroughly nice bloke! Make sure to tune in and get involved with your questions and comments and don't miss out on the show! 👊🏼⚽️ Watch it live on our Facebook page or our YouTube channel here; 👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼 https://youtube.com/channel/UCtr7oTe3DH-Ymo4uxM6xULA Or X here; 👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼 https://x.com/ProperFootball8?t=F3XmqidOsyuiwYRrEY4O3g&s=09 Email us @ properfootball2021@gmail.com

Took myself off to vlog in Cambridgeshire yesterday, thanks to an invite from Soham Town Rangers FC manager Alex Cross, for their season opener v Harleston Town FC. After a 90 minute drive, I arrived early in a very warm Soham. Met on arrival by media man Jack, I was taken in to their, what a have to say, their very lovely and leafy ground, Julius Marin Lane. Apparently, during the off season, quite a few improvements had been made, outside and in. I don’t know what it was like before, but it was well worth it. After being introduced to various people, including the very helpful chairman Michael, I met manager Alex, and we soon did a pre match interview, followed by a quick guide in the dressing rooms. The away team had arrived by then, and I soon sought out a few words with Harleston manager Danny Crow. Once I was kinda satisfied my pre match filming was done, I could relax a bit before making my way up to a balcony to film the match action. As always, I won’t give away the score, as I hope you will watch the vlog, which you can find at the bottom of this Blog. I have to say though, I was treated to a brilliant match which showed Non League at its very best, from minute 1 to 90. How those players served up that non stop action in the heat, I'll never know!! So, at the final whistle, more filming before trying to seek out the managers for a few words. I found Danny first, we made our way up to the stand, and as filming started, Alex suddenly appeared with a pint for Danny, so, for the first time since I started doing these vlogs, I interviewed both at the same time. Clearly these guys got on, and both had the same views on how the game was. It was an enjoyable interview, and once wrapped up, a few more minutes chat off camera followed. I have to say, they were both brilliant with me and really good guys. With filming now done, it was time to seek out a few people who were so helpful to me during the day, to thank them. Left the ground just gone 6, and, on the drive home, reflected on the fantastic day I had at Soham Town Rangers. I cannot recommend a visit there to ground hoppers highly enough, and I will definitely be back… oh, and if anyone reads this connected with Harleston Town, I would quite like an invite there too some day. Thanks for reading and hope you enjoy the Vlog of my trip to Soham Town Rangers! Once again, a big thank you to Darren Ashley for sharing another one of his great Vlogs which always give a wonderful insight into non-league football and the people involved with the game at grassroots level. Don't forget to follow and subscribe to Darren's YouTube channel  where you can watch all his previous content and get notifications for up coming Vlogs.

What a fantastic day we had at Kettering Town Football Club on Saturday, not only to receive a warm welcome and great hospitality along with watching a great game of Non-League football but to also be part of the wonderful charity Team Mikayla who were in attendance for the day raising vital funds for the award winning charity who have a long running affinity to the football club. On arrival at Latimer Road, the new home of The Poppies since 2013 after having to leave their spiritual home of Rockingham Road in 2011 and a couple of ground shares later you are instantly struck by some of the great work the club have put into their new abode which looks very professional after a face-lift to the entrance and external areas. After receiving a lovely welcome from the club we met up with Makayla, the inspiration behind the charity 'Team Makayla' and asked her to tell us about what the days event had instore. It was time to check out the new fan zone situated right outside the ground where the marquee area was buzzing with the pre-match and after-match entertainment already in full swing with the excellent 25 piece ukulele band 'The Fabulous Ukie Toons' knocking out the tunes, their was also a very tasty pizza parlour and a well stocked club shop in the well thought out fan hub. We've got to say the facilities at the ground were really impressive including the sizable club house with a large selection of draught beers, drinks and plenty of food options which was replicated inside the ground with the Lemon Tree Cafe selling burgers, hotdogs, and all the usual stuff, next to this was the brand new Tinhat bar which is sponsored by the local Carlsberg brewery and another nice touch was the kids sweet shop which was buzzing with the many youngsters in attendance on the day. We was kindly invited to have a pre-match meal in the club's 1872 bar/restaurant by the club's new co-owners George Akhtar and Fabien Forde who have both had careers playing football with Fabien now being the director of football at the club, and we've got to say you couldn't meet to nicer fellas who live a breathe the beautiful game. We sat down with Darren Ashley the best non-league vlogger out their who we have to thank for getting us the invite to the club and had a fantastic 3 course meal served by the very friendly staff, we also had the privilege of sitting next to the Mayor of Kettering and the room was packed with the many valued sponsors of the club and some Kettering supporters who had taken up the really affordable pre match packages which are so important to fund the club's great work going forward to improve the overall facilities and match day experience for all fans. George made a speech which was followed by one of the guys from the Poppies supporters trust, who are the heart beat of the club and spoke about fund raising plans to help build a new stand and keep the club moving in the right direction, this was followed by the match mascots which consisted of many youngsters from the Kettering Town youth academy who gave a rendition of one of the clubs songs! and it really showed the community spirit and togetherness of the club from top to bottom. Kick off was fast approaching so we made our way down to pitch side to soak up the atmosphere, and as it turned out to soak up a massive downpour amid the rumbles of thunder and lightning! The atmosphere was building up with a good attendance of 930 and there was the obligatory quick change of ends by the fans to be behind the end their team was attacking! Fair play to 20 odd Lowestoft Town fans who made the 260 mile round trip which is something they have to do nearly every other week! The game itself was mostly one way traffic but The Poppies couldn't find that killer pass or finish to reward their early pressure but the opening goal finally came just before half time with a shot that looked goal bound ricocheting off a Lowestoft defender and flew into the back of the net! Into the second half and Kettering were now clinical and playing some great football on the deck but also mixing it up with direct balls up to former Premier League striker Nile Ranger who was as good with his feet as he was with his head, holding it up and laying it off, and he scored an excellent 3rd goal using his quick feet which followed the second goal by local lad Luca Miller, the best goal of the day was from the lively winger Daniel Jarvis with a wonderful curling effort to make it 4-0. Lowestoft got a consolation goal in the 82nd minute and the game finished 4-1 to the Poppies which sees them now sit in 4th place in the Southern Premier League Central Division at Step 3. We caught up with the co-owners after the full-time whistle who explained the massive turnaround in the playing staff in the close season and their views on where the club is going and the brilliant charity, Team Makayla. We have to say, we had a fantastic day at Kettering Town Football Club, a club that represents everything we love about non-league football, everyone we spoke to, from the turnstile operator, who took time to explain the history of the club, the media team who were super friendly, the bar staff and many volunteers and all the stewards and security who all had a smile on their face throughout the day and the players and coaching staff who all had time to talk to us. This was non-league football at its best, owners wanting the best for the club and the community, a buzz around the ground from the supporters who can see positive changes and a fantastic charity being given a platform to fundraise for an amazing cause. The day came to a fitting conclusion with 'The Fabulous Ukie Toons' singing happy Birthday to Mikayla and playing out their final song accompanied by owner George Akhtar and Makayla's Uncle Brendan who is a trustee for the charity and a massive Poppies fan along with Silvano on the tambourine who does fantastic work behind the scenes at the club and organised the charity day. We know things are tight for everyone at the moment but if you could give a donation to the Team Makayla charity no matter how small or big or even just by sharing the link it would be amazing. Donation - Kettering Town FC Charity Day (teammikayla.org) We would like to encourage any Kettering Town fans who may have lost their passion for the club when they lost their spiritual home of Rockingham Road to give this new chapter in The Poppies history a go as you won't be disappointed! Getting back to Darren Ashley the best non-league vlogger out their, you can watch his take on the day hear: All the best to Kettering Town and Lowestoft Town for the rest of the season and best wishes to Makayla and the amazing charity for the future.

So it’s FA Cup first round and with me living in Northamptonshire it’s a bit of a no brainer which game to attend, Northampton town playing Kettering town for the first time in 35 years, tier 3 versus tier 7 and with this fixture being one of a few local affairs Weston-super-Mare travelling to Bristol Rovers, Charlton Athletic making the short trip across the Dartford Crossing to Southend United to name but a few, this years 1st round has thrown up some fantastic fixtures. I start my day at the home of Kettering town, Latimer Park where hundreds had gathered to see the team off, a carnival atmosphere with the club laying on face painting a DJ and a number of food outlets. It’s time! off too Sixfields home of Northampton Town, 1400 poppy supporters on there way. It was a 17:30 kick off live on the BBC with a fine rain, ensuing conditions were rather wet, However the pitch looked in amazing condition and with a Sixfields packed to the rafters and an electric atmosphere the scene was set for an amazing night of FA Cup football. So with just a few minutes to kick off, the noise coming from the away end could probably be heard back in Kettering, this truly is what the FA Cup is all about. The game was afoot! not only an FA Cup match but a local Derby to boot, Northampton drew first blood with a goal unluckily deflected in from the defender, the game continued with both sides having their chances and then began the magic of the FA Cup a wonderfully headed goal to draw the teams level then into extra time, within the first three minutes another wonderfully headed goal put the southern league Premier side into the lead and on course for FA Cup history! With an heroic rear guard action Kettering fend off the final few onslaughts from Northampton and then after a few nail biting minutes the ref (who I thought had a good game) put the whistle to his mouth and that signalled the start of complete mayhem as celebrations with players, management team and the fans was just amazing, it was just magic! As somebody of a certain age, I remember when the FA Cup meant so much to everybody, I have found it so sad over the last 20 years witnessing the decline of the FA Cup but experiencing for the first time the FA Cup From a non-league perspective I have to say that magic, that passion, that importance of one of the most iconic cup competitions in the world is still there, at least up until the third round, I would truly encourage fans to take in the FA Cup at a local lower league or non league club, you won’t regret it! What an experience today travelling with the poppy fans, It took me back to the 70s 80s and 90s when the FA Cup meant so much to so many, so it is onto the second round and a great representation of nonleague in the draw with the likes of Tamworth, Harborough Town, Kettering Town and Gainsborough Trinity to name just a few and with a few more games to go hopefully more non-league names will go into the hat! THE MAGIC OF THE FA CUP IS STILL ALIVE AND KICKING!

So, with all the non-league successes of last week’s FA Cup first round we've decided to pop along to the lowest ranked side in the second round of the cup based on their Current league position in the Southern League Premier Central with Kettering sitting top. So, we hotfooted it over to Leicestershire and to Market Harborough famous for the mustering point of King James 1 royalist Army in 1645 before the defining Civil War Battle of Naseby, and now in 2024 Harborough Towns yellow army are mustering for their battle in the cup at League 1 Reading, let us hope the outcome is better than that of King James 1. On arriving at the Beehive home of Harborough Town you are met with a nice big carpark which is always a plus, which leads out to a very large clubhouse complex. On entering the ground admission for an adult was £12, £6 for concessions and £2 for under 16s. Once through the turnstiles the complex itself is excellent but the actual stadium is an ongoing project as the club in recent years have jumped from step 6 to step 3, everything feels very new and would indicate the recent success in the last few years. The club are working hard to achieve the level of facilities required for step 3. The ground has one small terrace stand and two seated stands along one side of the pitch and there is very little in the way of covered areas for supporters, framework of a new stand covering the length one side of the pitch is a good sign of progress and will vastly improve the stadium faculties, there is also plenty of room behind each goal for further development of the stadium, but once again the overall facilities are excellent. The pitch at the beehive is a 3G/4G pitch. I’m very much 50-50 on these pitches, I can see the pros but also see the cons, I think I sway more towards the traditional grass pitch, however in the financial climate a lot of clubs find themselves in these pitch’s can be a lifeline. The day before my visit to the club, a massive sign of intent was the signing of the retired Brazilian international Sandro who also plied his trade with Spurs, WBA and QPR, he was not available to play this weekend but was at the club and I have to say he was inundated with requests for photos and he obliged everybody, a really nice guy! So to the game, the visitors to the Beehive for today’s Southern Premier Central League Clash were Royston town with both clubs needing the points as sitting in 16th and 18th respectively, this encounter was going to be an edgy affair which it proved to be as well as quite a colourful affair with Harborough in all yellow and Royston in all purple and I was in need of sunglasses with the Royston goalkeeper in luminous Orange! After an implacably observed minutes silence for remembrance weekend, the game was afoot , Harborough coming out the traps early and dominating the first 15 minutes of the game and taking a one nil lead with a very strange goal not quite sure how It went in from an overhead kick but you can judge that for yourselves below, but in it went In, 1-0 Harborough! From here on in up until half time Royston come very much back into the game with some really good quality ball distribution as you will see from the goal that they scored bringing the teams level at 1-1. The second half did not produce any goals and both sides had their chances to win the game, a healthy crowd of 477 were in attendance and I suspect most having their eye on the end of the month clash at Reading for a club such as Harborough Town the FA Cup has brought a good level of finances into a club finding their feet in the higher levels of the football pyramid and I’m sure will help go along way for the club to build for the future as for the fans and the  local community in general, this is a great boost and just proves how important the FA Cup still is. I wish the very best of luck to both teams for the rest of the season and the very best of luck to Harborough Town when they meet League 1 Reading in a few weeks.