Groundhopping journeys

 A rare trip to the United Counties League, not a league I tend to go and watch very often at all. However having got a lift to it and it being a new ground it was very appealing after a late night getting back from Easington the night before. We set off mid morning and picked up Goole Pete from Doncaster Station, then it was off to Clipstone. We stopped for lunch at the Jug and Glass pub, fish and chips each, a basic establishment but very good food, although one portion nearly didn't turn up, a quick reminder to the chef and it arrived in good time! We arrived at the Lido Ground about 1430 and pin badges were on the turnstile for £3. Admission was £5/£3 and the cobra cafe was a sea of temptation. I'd have liked to have tried the clippy burger if I hadn't already eaten but I settled for a cup of pick and mix for £2 and a hot chocolate at half time. There was a covered seating stand along the side with two rows of plastic seats where we took our vantage point. There was ple...

 A Friday night game awaited vs lowly opposition in the form of West Allotment Celtic. Welfare Park, the home of Easington is a very strange ground from the outside. The road that leads to it has automatic bollards and an intercom, with a sign stating no access except farm traffic. When I arrived the bollards were down, so I went for it, however there is zero parking, luckily I just managed to get back out again and minutes later the bollards went up, my advice, don't attempt to drive upto the ground. Just on the main road opposite the Co op is a small free car park for 20 cars or so, this is where I chose to leave the car and a 5 minute walk back up the parkland path. There's no obvious sign directing you to where the ground is, look for the bollards and you can't go wrong. Food wise I didn't even entertain the options in the ground, I'd looked up Jill's fish and chips beforehand and it didn't disappoint, 8 scampi that were the size of tennis balls and deli...

 A lovely summers weekend awaited me, for the first home game of the season vs Litherland Remyca. By far the hardest north west counties league ground to get to and cost a small fortune but I was looking forward to this one massively. To get there we took the Isle of Man Steam Packet Ferry, from Liverpool to Douglas, booking the first class area it was very comfortable and peaceful bar a few noisy Americans and a lady opposite who thought she was something but the staff were good and the free snacks and drinks were a bonus, sadly the meal I wanted wasn't available so I had to order a meat feast pizza when I arrived from the strangest branch of pizza hut I've ever seen, it didn't even have a menu on show. We had a good look around the main area of Douglas and sat on the sea front for a good while, as well as sampling the local delicacy that is kipper and marmalade sandwich, a local fish shop sells them for a very reasonable price. The ground really is too far to walk to, so ...