KYIV: November 2007.
“You’ll like this,” said Anya. “Shakespeare, no words. Macbeth.”
Gordon Brasted cup final – Barking 4 Clapton 2
Two years ago, virtually no one watched historic Clapton who had rumbled and bumbled shambolically along in the Essex Senior League for years as one of the worst teams.
From nowhere, fans priced out of ponce-class football with its stratospheric prices and rapacious commercial fervour suddenly came out of the woodwork to cheer on amateur players on rickety terraces, in the process sparking a renaissance.
Get this: only Brentwood in the 70s have enjoyed such popular attention in the league – and that was only because Jimmy Greaves – JIMMY bloody GREAVES – a football legend, was playing for them.
Continue reading Gordon Brasted cup final – Barking 4 Clapton 2
Ryman revelation – Harlow 3 Thurrock 4
Fantastic, furious and frenetic – there can’t have been many non-league battles better than this.
Pope is the Saviour – Needham Market 2 Harlow 2
They’ve been playing football in this neck of the woods since the Middle Ages.
Continue reading Pope is the Saviour – Needham Market 2 Harlow 2
Buzzin’ at the Hive – Basildon 1 Haringey Borough 2
Haringey Borough, dubbed earlier this season ‘The Best Team in Non-League’ are close to clinching the title, so it was time to see what all the fuss was about.
Continue reading Buzzin’ at the Hive – Basildon 1 Haringey Borough 2
Get your Wrox off – Wroxham 0 Needham Market 0
Norfolk v Suffolk – the pick, if such a thing can be said to exist, of the Ryman League North fare across the Easter holiday. Good time to watch Wroxham whose life in the division was resurrected after a premature death.
Continue reading Get your Wrox off – Wroxham 0 Needham Market 0
I’m a Bale-iever! Israel 0 Wales 3
Seven Aberteifi (Cardigan) lads hit Haifa for the France 2016 qualifier. Here, in a guest post by Alan Lewis – who is on Twitter at @ABERTEIFI_ – is a chronicle of one of the most significant wins Wales have ever recorded.
Kind of Blue – Barry Town United 0 Cwmbran Celtic 0
Once upon a time they hosted Dinamo Kyiv, Porto and Aberdeen in Europe, now they’re just grateful to be alive and playing Welsh League Division Two.
Continue reading Kind of Blue – Barry Town United 0 Cwmbran Celtic 0
Down at the Dawg – Clapton 5 Enfield 1893 0
Back to the happy Clappy chappies and non-chappies to egg on the Doggies in a cup game.
Continue reading Down at the Dawg – Clapton 5 Enfield 1893 0
The Joy of Essex – Brentwood 1 Needham Market 3
Gets a bad press, Essex. But in recent excursions to this sainted shire I’ve yet to see any orange people, cigar-smoking gangsters in sheepskin coats or the ICF.
Continue reading The Joy of Essex – Brentwood 1 Needham Market 3
Tons of fun at the Old Spotted Dog – Clapton 0 Tower Hamlets 1
Famous West Ham fan Russell Brand has called for a Revolution – half a mile away from Upton Park, a club’s fans claim to be doing just that.
Continue reading Tons of fun at the Old Spotted Dog – Clapton 0 Tower Hamlets 1
Awopbopaloobop-awopbamboom – Tilbury 0 Needham Market 1
Tough Thames-side town Tilbury is full of treats.
Majestic dockland windmills and cranes, two forts and . . . a mural of Frank Sinatra?
Continue reading Awopbopaloobop-awopbamboom – Tilbury 0 Needham Market 1
Miles from Nowhere 