Match Information
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Watlington Town 0-10 Newbury
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When: Easter Sunday 9th April 2023
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Kick-off: 11am
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Where: Watlington Sports Ground, Shirburn Road, Watlington, Oxfordshire OX49 5BZ
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Competition: Hellenic League Division Two East
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Attendance: 271
I have driven past Watlington hundreds of times in the past whilst travelling up and down the M40 between High Wycombe and Oxford. Indeed, whenever I spotted the “WATLINGTON” motorway exit signs I promised myself a stop off there one day to watch football.
Watlington Town FC are a club who had their Hellenic League heyday throughout the 1960’s and 1970s, competing in the FA Vase during 1976/77. Anyway, my opportunity to visit finally arose on Easter Sunday morning thanks to the wonderful efforts of GroundhopUK Ltd.
This organisation has been running groundhopper weekends for the past 21 seasons. Staggered kick-off are devised so football fans can take in a number of fixtures at different venues amidst two, three or even four days via a convoy of cars and coaches.
Overall, in excess of 80 “hops” have been supervised at nearly 600 assorted grounds. The combined attendances of more than 150,000 people mean host clubs collectively profited by income approaching £1.5 million comprising ticket revenue alongside merchandise and refreshments sales.
GroundhopUK arrange hotels, book coaches, consult the respective leagues concerned to organise schedules, sell the packages and print tickets as well as overseeing matchday matters. A praiseworthy service fine-tuned for enthusiasts like me!
Therefore, I embarked with eager anticipation on my 120 mile round trip to Watlington - a small Oxfordshire market town housing 2,700 residents just two miles off the M40.
Ground Description
Located on the main road into Watlington, it is a pleasant tree-lined pitch railed down the two touchlines and roped off behind both goals. There is a decent clubhouse too.
Programme Details
One of the many benefits of GroundhopUK events sees printed programmes available at clubs who might not normally issue.
This was certainly the case at Watlington who probably haven’t produced a programme in the current century.
Consequently I was pleased to pick up a very nice full colour 24 page edition incorporated in the £4 admission fee.
The Match
A home club official told me Watlington Town’s regular average gate is 20 to 25, mainly consisting of players’ friends and family members. So they were delighted to attract the bumper groundhop crowd of 271.
Watlington sat slightly below halfway in the Hellenic League Division Two East whereas Newbury topped the table courtesy of winning every game played. Even so, I was surprised by the totally one-sided outcome.
Newbury ran up 10 goals through Will Frank (24, 36 minutes), Jake Allan (45+2, 83, 90 mins), George Armstrong (53, 81, 90+3 mins penalty), Jamie Goddard (58 mins) and Terry Patton (86 mins).
I liked the fantastic spirit in Newbury’s ranks which came to the fore on being awarded a penalty seconds from the end. Before the kick could be taken, their players started asking each other if anyone needed another goal to complete a hat-trick.
George Armstrong quickly revealed he had already scored twice so his team mates told him to step forward. George duly scored the penalty. On a personal statto note, it was only the second time among my 5,524 football matches attended that I witnessed the highly unusual 0-10 scoreline
My previous instance was on Wednesday 16th September 1987 when I saw Chigwell Police 0 Leyton Orient 10 in a midweek afternoon friendly at the Chigwell Hall sports facility in Essex.
The People
Watlington Town were widely acknowledged as one of the best clubs to have received GroundhopUK in terms of cordiality afforded. Ample hospitality provisions included home-made cakes.
Meanwhile, I enjoyed chatting to Isthmian League chairman Nick Robinson who has been a good friend dating back more than 40 years. Like everyone else, Nick was present at Watlington in a groundhopping capacity. He is a superb football administrator.
Needless to say, this whole occasion was magnificently organised by GroundhopUK founder Chris Berezai, his able deputy Laurence Reade and wife Robyn plus Craig Dabbs.
All great football connoisseurs who help Non-League clubs immensely to get the most out of staging a hop. It is not solely about the money generated for these cash-strapped teams but also invaluable profile and goodwill they gain in enticing visitors from across the UK and abroad.
*Credit for photos in this article belongs to @TonyIncenzo*
