Groundhopping journeys

Not a new ground for me for this one as LIV play at Haworth Park, former home of now defunct Hall Road Rangers. It's a basic facility but does everything it needs to, a small covered stand with retro wooden bench seating, a bar facility and food on offer as well as ample standing space around two sides. It's really too far to walk from the middle of Hull so get the York bus to the Emmott Road bus stop, about a 25 minute ride away. The opposition were Bradford based club Route One Rovers, who boast the prolific Zak Khan in their forward line alongside ex York forward Reece Thompson, however neither were in the squad today. I didn't know what to expect given LIV are newly promoted to the division and Route One are a fairly new club themselves, both have made solid top half starts to the season. The game was fast paced with LIV getting the ball forward quickly but accurately with Rovers playing a more measured way based on working the ball out wide. It took until the 18th minu...

A midweek visit to Cougar Park, where many homeless football clubs have played in the past, I believe Keighley football club are now owned by the owner of the Rugby club though so this is their home. A strange visit as Town, only renamed this season, were formerly Eccleshill, who had a great little ground in Bradford and we're managed by ex York winger Lee Elam, unfortunately though for all their history people just didn't turn up and back them which is probably why this has happened, I don't like seeing clubs disappear, but at this level if the financial backing isn't there then the writing is on the wall as with so many others recently, I suppose in this case at least we have gained a new club in its place also. The ground is looking very tired, upon sitting in the main stand I wondered if the wooden seats would hold, looking rotten and full of decay, it is in need of some tlc, much like Teversal where I was the night before. As the game started it became abundantly c...

 A midweek trip to Nottinghamshire and the small village of Teversal. It was noticeable on the way there, the lack of road signage for Teversal makes it quite difficult to find however I eventually succeeded, the last couple of miles causing the conundrum. Food was taken on the journey down at Woodhall services, which alongside the usual fare of KFC and Burger King, also boasts a Waitrose, where I got a tasty and nutritious meal deal. The ground is up a narrow residential street then at the top it expands into a hire car park, mainly for Teversal Visitor Centre and the various trails, into the woods, but also being really handy for the football ground which is right next door. Had I visited on a Saturday I would have taken a walk along one of the trails, it was popular with walkers, dogs and horses. The ground was in desperate need of a lick of paint and a tidy up, it was a real mish mash of random items strewn about all over the place, there was even a hutch containing rabbits and...

 Back to West Yorkshire League action for a tasty fixture, Kellingley vs Brighouse. The visitors have just volunteered to drop into West Yorkshire League Division One, due to financial constraints following their rise to Northern Premier East, which couldn't be sustained with rising wages and travelling expenses. It's a shame as I watched their rise and thought they seemed very well run but I suppose if the money isn't there then it isn't there, people need to come and back their local teams or this is what happens, with many others on the brink and several others also following Brighouses example in recent times, especially in the North East, Boro Rangers, Sunderland West End and West Allotment Celtic to name a few. I wasn't sure what to expect from the ground with old pictures showing a very good stand and social club, but as had been alluded to in another article I was just greeted with two piles of rubble where they both once stood when parking up. It's a sh...