Groundhopping journeys

 I made a very scenic journey to the pitcheresque town of Ruthin. Catch the bus from directly outside Chester train station, it's number T8 and costs £5.20 one way taking about an hour. There is no other way to get to the remote town on public transport. The town centre itself sits on top of a hill with all roads leading off heading down into valleys, including the football ground, albeit it's only a few minutes walk from the market square and the Wetherspoons hotel where I laid my head. I have to say, first time stopping in a wetherspoons and it's considerably better value than a Premier Inn or Travelodge, with my refreshments tray including a galaxy hot chocolate, a walkers shortbread and a bottle of Welsh water, God forbid the big chains stretching to this expense. I'd eaten earlier in the day in the Wetherspoons, Scampi, chips and mushy peas and to my delight they had Murphys, newly in on the pumps, a drink me and my dad came by when on our travels in Cork, so I had...

 A bonus game in the West Yorkshire Premier League as we pulled over on our way home from West Cumbria for another football fix. Upon arrival at the ground I was taken aback by how smart it was, great little stand and clubhouse and a decent pitch, parking is limited but probably holds 40 cars. We sat outside and got a pin badge, J20 and a coke for £5, with the bar staff seeming very happy to see a groundhopper, top class welcoming club. The future of the club lies elsewhere as they plan to move, when that will happen I don't know but I'm sure the new facility will allow the club to push on even further. The game was a local derby vs newly promoted Harlow Hill and at a head count there was over 100 spectators watching. Most games in this league are fast skillful and played with one objective, to win, however this was different with numerous feisty and crunching challenges going in from both sides, it was noticeable though the Ripon number 3 took a hell of a hammering, probably b...

 Always a special place to visit for me having lived there and my dad being a supporter of the club for decades, this visit was a bit different with Borough Park now redundant and the game being played at the rugby ground next door, the fibrus community stadium, until the new stadium is built in a couple of years, hopefully. We had a leisurely drive over and checked into the hotel early to relax after an early start to try and beat the horrendous roadworks on the A66 near Penrith. Workington town centre seems to have improved in the last couple of years with a new NHS diagnostics centre on wasteland, the bus station has been refurbished, the new Workington gateway road improvement and it seemed a lot of the empty shops were filled, more cafes being noticeable, although the stain of Turkish barbers and vape convenience stores has also appeared, time the government cracked down on those as they say they will.  The game was midweek and opposition in the form of Warrington Rylands...

 A trip to North Lincolnshire on a sunny Saturday, for a ground I was intruiged to visit. The journey took me over the Humber Bridge, priced at £2 each way, a long time since I've made that journey. After reading about the club I note that they went out of business in the 90s and their current Woodlands home fell into disrepair. On their return to the semi pro game this season a lot of work had been done to get the ground back into use for ground grading for this season, however in April, armoured cabling, a lawn mower and other items were sadly and shamefully stolen. I don't know where things stand now other than cctv units are monitoring the gate, the toilets have no lighting, the food hut seems to be light refreshments only and the pitch was described by a Brigg fan as a cow field. However to me, it just great that they are in there and playing and if they can stabilise in this division they can make gradual improvements as they go. Brigg are flying at the minute, top of the...

 A trip to Teeside, for a game under the lights at Mo Mowlem Park, an F.A. Cup fixture vs Bridlington Town. I had visited the ground around 13 years ago, for a North Riding Senior Cup game vs York City, however that was in my pre groundhopping days whilst still supporting York every week, so my memory of the place was hazy and I went for the revisit. I was pleased to see a signed Ben Godfrey York shirt hung proudly in the clubhouse, thanking Redcar Town, as far as I know he never played for them but they've obviously helped him somewhere along his career and look where he is now.  On first viewing they looked to have made some good improvements to the ground, added extra seating and a very hi tech lift outside the club house to hoist you up to the roof balcony, I've never seen that in a football ground anywhere before. The food was very reasonably priced and the lady was organised with everything ready early on, it was sausage roll and chips for me which were very tasty. Pin b...