Here we go again, another FA Cup 1st Round Proper for Gillingham ….. and another defeat. This time it was at least at the hands of higher-league Blackpool who are managed by Gillingham legend, Steve Bruce. That makes 6 defeats out of seven this autumn and the only point was a draw against hapless Swindon Town. Pretty depressing reading but we go again this week and that is always the beauty of competitive sports. There is always an option to right a wrong but it’s against high-flying Port Vale so it won’t be an easy three points. The good news is that we can now repeat our normal November platitudes about being out of all three cups and, “Great to be able to focus on promotion.” Nobody believes it and least of all the person saying it! Obviously, Trump’s victory in the USA put me in slough of despondency but there has been a bright spot; Arsenal have imploded even earlier in the season than usual. Can I suggest a rousing chorus of, “Let’s All Laugh at Arsenal?”

Whilst all that was going on I am delighted to tell you that our intrepid traveller, groundhopper and videographer, Darren Ashley has been out again. This time he’s pitchside at Brackley Town who instead of beating Gillingham (again!) are toe to toe with Braintree Town, Essex.

He says, “So that’s me, far right, sitting on the ground, not on ballboy duties, but having a break from filming during a lull in play at the Brackley Town/Braintree Town FA Cup match on Saturday.

It was an amazing experience being pitchside, so close to the action, but, what was not an amazing experience was, trying to get my 50 something body to stand up afterwards after sitting down for so long

Please have a watch of the vlog I did at the match to ease the aches and pains I’m still suffering and make them more bearable”

Proving the point that the sun is in the ascendancy for non-league football, Christian Obray’s first edition of “Parks to Pitches” is completely sold out. Congratulations but, fear not, he has organised a new print run. Get over to his FB and reserve a copy and especially dwell on the article about the importance of the printed matchday programme. He will send out your copy just as soon as he gets the next run. Whilst you are there, it might well be wise to subscribe for future editions to avoid disappointment.

Final thoughts? Goodbye Erik. I think you are a decent, genuine guy but the Manchester United job was just too big for you too. I thought we would have got Ruud Van Nasalhair and would have loved “The Special One” but we have a young man from the Portuguese league. I wish him every success. To prove that the world is absolutely crazy, Trump is re-elected and I can 1% understand if not accept that. What I can’t understand or accept is Coventry City sacking Mark Robins. I can only say one thing, “I blame Thatcher/Wenger.” The one guy that has brought the first sliver of success to Coventry in 40 years. He’ll get a new job soon, I am sure. I wish him well. Pep next? Crazy world!!!

Have a great week, everybody.

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As anybody who knows me will tell you. I have been something of a programme collector for many years. If I remember correctly (I do!) …since 1964. Nowadays I TRY only to acquire specials and programmes from matches that I attend but ….. I am actively trying to swop out scruffy Gillingham programmes for mint editions especially for the 60s. That all said, I do love a fair so am delighted we have a couple of crackers in the next few weeks.

Firstly it is back to the County Cricket Ground at Chelmsford (poster, above) which is as posh as it sounds! The guys there are looking to build on the success of the summer event and I am told it will be bigger and better than ever. I am obviously trying to avoid the Mariah Careys but, yes, you could solve a lot of your searches for presents on the spot.

Two weeks later it is back to the bi-monthly event in Kensington in West London for Barry Dixey’s fair (below) which is always very busy with a great range of stalls. Les Easterbrook will be there with a huge selection of badges and Lee Hermitage will have thousands of football magazines, programmes etc etc.

I am looking forward to both, as always

Whilst all this is going on, our intrepid groundhopper, Darren Ashley, is out and about as usual. Last week he was at Lutterworth Athletic and a good time was had by all. Pop over to his You Tube to see what happened. This week he was at Mickleover for their Trophy game against Telford and again he has an interesting story to tell. Over to YouTube, Darren!

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It was good to hear from my friends at Copa today. They were upbeat and excited about a new FC Internazionale Milano Retro collection. It would be rude not to share it!

Inter Milan and COPA are back with a bang, uniting heritage and football excellence in one must-have retro collection. The new FC Internazionale x COPA retro collection features no less than 12 retro styles including retro shirts, sweaters and a tracksuit covering big part of the second half of the 20th century, evoking memories of great international successes and star-studded teams that graced the field of San Siro. From the commanding presence of Karl-Heinz Rummenigge to the artistry of Dennis Bergkamp, the electrifying skill of Ronaldo, the leadership of Javier Zanetti, the dynamism of Iván Zamorano, the precision of Wim Jonk, and the fierce passion of Diego Simeone.

Discover the full FC Internazionale Milano retro collection online at https://copafootball.com

Enjoy, your weekend. Two HUGE games for me. Gillingham have lost five on the bounce but all will be excused with a big win (or even a little win) against Swindon whilst FC Deportivo Galicia have a top of the table tussle with Windsor and Eton FC.

Edit: just read Swindon Town have sacked their manager, Mark Kennedy. oh dear, dead cat bounce tomorrow!

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I caught up with Christian recently and we had a good catch up. Many will know him for his website and Facebook profile of Through The Turnstile of No-League Football. If you have not visited the website recently, I recommend a read of some great blogs as he travels around the country

His BIG news is (drumroll, please) a new magazine that he is launching. Christian says, “I’m very excited to announce the launch of Parks to Pitches – a brand new magazine brought to you by Through the Turnstile of Non-League Football!

Bringing you the best stories, interviews, and insights from the world of Non-league football, Parks to Pitches is your new go-to for everything Non-league!

Release Date: November – Get ready to turn the page on a new era of non-league football coverage!

Follow @TTTONLF on Facebook, Instagram and X, for updates, sneak peeks, and exclusive content as we bring the beautiful game closer to you than ever before!”

So, there we have it….some BIG news but that’s not all. He has increased the range of his TTTONLF merchandise with pin-badges, T-shirts and now Bennies (below.) Please ping Christian if you fancy wearing these items as you cross the country. He has also got a shiny, new certificate (above) and raised a HUGE amount of money with a virtual duck race. Top man.

Meanwhile, his friend and partner in crime, Darren Ashley has been traversing the country producing insightful vlogs of a different non-league game each week. Catch up with Darren on YouTube every week. I subscribed (free of charge) so that I would never forget an episode. Incidentally, it looks like he has also become a Talisman for one particular Midlands club. Next stop Wembley? Well, no. There are a few rounds to go still but it is exciting to chart the progress. Enjoy.

Whilst all this good stuff is going on all around me, Gillingham have now lost five on a row. On Saturday we could have gone top of the table depending on results. By Tuesday night we are eight points behind Port Vale and looking doomed. Remine me, everyone, why we love football.

Have a great week

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You might remember that I had the pleasure of meeting Brian last week at the Groundhop As promised he has sent me the overview of his book.

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A Century of DERES

August 2022 marked the centenary of Erith and Belvedere FC.  It was on 26 August 1922 that the Deres played their first match, losing 3-1 at home to Chatham Town, and even in their first season they reached the quarter-final of the FA Amateur Cup, before being losing finalists to Clapton a year later.  To coincide with this landmark “A Century of Deres” looks back over the club’s first century, with its ups and downs,
Every season in the club’s history is featured: the story includes two Amateur Cup Finals (1924 and 1938), an all-conquering wartime team, the heyday of the Corinthian and Athenian Leagues, two thrilling Kent League titles and dark days when the club’s future appeared under threat.

There are also profiles of 100 major figures in the club’s history, from record-breaking strikers to loyal club men, from the club’s most successful managers to players who made a single appearance but had a great impact on football elsewhere.  Plus a look further back to the origins of football in Erith, when two Victorian working men set up a lasting tradition.

And you can find out the only person to have both played against the Deres AND appeared in “Blackadder”!

“A fabulous historical account charting the last 100 years. What an unbelievable feat of research and dedication to produce this fantastic piece of work. I would urge everyone who has Erith & Belvedere FC in their blood to buy one…” – Tony Beckingham, former Erith & Belvedere manager.

“Brilliant memories … not put it down since receiving it” – Gary Groom, ex-Dere.

“Brilliantly put together and the 100 profiles are great” – Phil Nourse, Charlton Life.

“Detailed and extremely well researched” – Non League Paper.

Available for £10 at the ground on matchdays or from ACoDbook@gmail.com

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One of the questions that comes up almost daily on my London Facebook groups and especially those for visitors is the vexed question of how to get tickets for football games in the capital. I have attempted to give a comprehensive response multiple times and my friend Richard Atkinson has crafted a comprehensive overview. So, if you are interested in tickets for matches in London and want the FACTS from people living here who actually go to numerous games each season, read on!

Richard says,

” London currently has seven teams playing in the Premier League: Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, Fulham, Brentford, West Ham United, Crystal Palace

Obviously there are other well known clubs outside of London such as Liverpool, Manchester United and Manchester City. Both Liverpool and Manchester are around 2 1/2 to 3 hours’ train journey from London and would probably require an overnight stay in either city if you can secure match tickets.

The fixture list for the Premier league is released mid June with games generally taking place August- May

Unfortunately tickets for premier league clubs are rarer than gold hens’ teeth unless you are a season ticket holder or club member (although even this doesn’t guarantee you a ticket.) Your best bet for these teams is hospitality packages, however these can easily run into hundreds if not thousands of pounds.

Also many teams will run some sort of membership scheme and categorise matches so for example let’s take Chelsea when they play the bigger more widely supported teams such as Arsenal, Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool etc these games will be highest demand for tickets so they have a points based system in place where fans collect points by going to lesser matches against say Burnley, Nottingham Forest, Ipswich etc which then gives them more chance of tickets for the “bigger” games. The more points you have the more likely you can get tickets. This ensures that fans that go regularly can get tickets to the bigger matches, but does mean it’s even harder for visitors to get tickets for these games.

Another option is that these clubs have supporters’ groups all over the world (especially in the US and Australia.) Have a search online if there is a local supporters group near you and contact them as they occasionally have access to tickets or can perhaps point you in the right direction. Be VERY Careful when using third party sellers as they may not be legitimate tickets. ALWAYS buy directly from the club or through the clubs recommended ticket agents.

Perhaps consider a game outside of the Premier League lots of London based clubs in the lower divisions

London Teams in Lower Divisions

Championship

Queens Park Rangers, Watford (Just outside of London) ,Millwall

League 1

Charlton

Leyton Orient, Reading (Outside of London but now easily accessible via Elizabeth line)

League 2

Gillingham ,AFC Wimbledon

(I hate to recommend these two as these are both big rivals of the team I follow )

You SHOULD be able to get tickets for these teams easily for Championship it’s worth looking a few weeks ahead leagues 1&2 should generally be available a few days before or even on the door.

Again register on the websites for updates on tickets

Please be aware that Premier league and occasionally Championship games can be moved to different dates and time due to TV schedules or if a team does particularly well in the various cup competitions so just keep an eye out.

Another option is an England match at Wembley Stadium. They have generally more general tickets on sale and is often cheaper than Premier League check online for schedules. They generally have games about every 6-8 weeks between October and May

If you are travelling in July/early August this is the start of pre season matches often friendlies or mini tournaments against teams from other parts of Europe tickets for these games are relatively easy to find.

Again depending on the time of year early rounds on the various cup competitions are fairly easy to get tickets especially the league cup or Europa league, note that the Premier League teams will not enter The FA Cup until the third round in January. The Premier League will have eight teams in Europe; Manchester City Arsenal, Manchester United and Newcastle have qualified for the Champions League, Liverpool, Brighton and West Ham will be in the Europa League Aston Villa (Based in Birmingham 1.5 hours train from London) are in the Europa Conference League, although note that often the higher profile players will not play in these games and the manager may well select younger/reserve players to give them a chance in the team.

Alternatively Women’s football has become massively popular in recent years and the big clubs are now taking it much more seriously the Women’s matches tend to be played in smaller stadiums often in the suburbs of London but easy reach by public transport, occasionally they play in the main stadiums and can attract crowds of up to 50,000 so it’s maybe worth keeping an eye of the fixtures for Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham and West Ham Women’s teams as well this may well increase due to The Women’s World Cup last summer. If England do well (as expected) interest and attendances may well increase further and more games may be played in bigger stadiums as a result.

Outside of all this there is a huge amount of lower league teams all over London who play regularly I found this amazing website. Which will list that weeks matches with a handy map note the lower the division obviously the smaller the stadiums and smaller the crowds many of these teams will attract fans from anywhere from 1000 to literally just a handful.

http://www.tlfg.Uk

Alternatively, if you want a sports’ fix why not try other sports such as Rugby Union (Harlequins and Saracens in London), Rugby League (London Broncos) or Cricket particularly in the T20 or 100 tournaments (Surrey or Middlesex)

For “US” sports London has leading teams in basketball (London Lions) or ice hockey (Guildford Flames/Streatham Redskins)

Don’t forget London also hosts world class sporting events such as Wimbledon tennis tournament, and often major championships in Athletics, Swimming and Track and Road Cycling.”

His credentials: Richard is a vastly experienced London Tour Guide having worked in the industry for over two decades. Starting his career for Historic Royal Palaces based at Hampton Court Palace and moved on to becoming a tour guide with both Toot Tours and Guide manager with Golden Tours. His career has seen him work at many of London’s major attractions including The Harry Potter studio tour, The Tower Bridge Exhibition, The London Film Museum, both Chelsea and Wembley Stadium Tours and even Buckingham Palace itself.

Richard currently runs a variety of independent small group walking tours across London via Guruwalks, including Changing Of The Guard, Harry Potter and The Beatles in London, using his vast passion for his home city , and deep knowledge especially for all things Royal, to bring London to life for thousands of happy visitors every year and he looks forward to welcoming you as part of his tours.

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SCEFL Groundhop

It was a busy, busy weekend. Lots of ups and a few downs. #life The Saturday was the SCEFL Groundhop and I caught up with this at Fisher in the Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division. It’s amazing that I have never seen a game there. Something always seems to get in the way and although it was not an evening game with the iconic views, it was a prefect opportunity to visit this Step 5 /Level 9 team which is famous for its views, its incredible youth set up and (cough!) some “interesting” ex owners and fans! The ground is easily reached on a direct bus from Peckham or Waterloo but I walked from the DLR at Canada Water. On the way there was an unedifying street fight between a dozen hoodies, mainly on hacked Lime bikes. As I walked ahead purposefully I saw police cars and ambulances racing to the scene.

It was much more orderly inside and a huge crowd of 400+ were entertained to an enjoyable game where the home team never really came to terms with a very front-foot Faversham side. The atmosphere reminded me a bit of Clapton CFC although with no structured singing. There was plenty of vocal support but the away team prevailed and confirmed why they are tipped for the title. Tashi-Jay Kwayie was a particular thorn in the side and his aggressive challenges were frequently successful and set Faversham up for another attack. I have found out since he is a professional model too. Maybe I should not tell Roy Keane or Red Card Roy McDonough!

I had the pleasure of meeting Brian Spurrell, the author of a a number of books about football and he has kindly offered to send me an overview in the next few days. His “History of Erith and Belvedere F.C.” particularly caught my eye. More soon!

So, a good day out and I will definitely be back to Fisher. Cheap coffee, great atmosphere, good transport options, a great printed programme and a friendly crowd …. what more can a man want?

On the terraces I also met Terry Hall (no relation) of Terry’s badges. We had texted and emailed previously but never met. So that was a pleasure. If your club needs badges or you are yourself a badge collector please ping him and I am sure he will be delighted to help out.

Sunday was busy too and it was one of Barry Davey’s West London Programme Fairs It was a hugely successful event. The best ever? Maybe! In attendance were David Pleat who was talking football, shaking hands, reminiscing and promoting his new book. I have to say he looked very well at (There’s hope for me yet!) Barry tells me that if you want a copy of “Just One More Goal” to get in touch. As always my friends Lee Hermitage and Les Easterbrook were there. Lee gets an extra tick as he helped me from making a very dubious but expensive purchase. Free coffee next time, amigo. Les was selling badges like they were going out of fashion, as the saying goes, but it seems they are very much IN fashion. Lee owns North West Middlesex Programmes & Memorabilia and found me a mint Gillingham programme from the 60s to replace a very tatty one. Have a look and if you abuse Arsenal in your email, I am sure he will love you for ever! Barry, Lee, Les …. top guys!

David and Phil at the Fair

A novelty was the presence of David Pleat who looked very sprightly and enjoyed talking all things football as he signed copies of his autobiography. Next to David was Phil Duffy who wrote the comprehensive “They Played for David Pleat at Luton Town.” I was quickly in conversation with Phil who again has promised to send me an overview of the book and what he has been up to since the book was published. I am looking forward to sharing that with you all on here.

Whilst all this was going on Gillingham were getting a lesson at Crewe and FC Deportivo Galicia came very close to creating a huge upset at Yateley. In sunny Leicestershire our intrepid Darren was again in action. Enjoy his latest offering and his gourmet guide to Burgers in Barwell.

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I had a friendly chat with Terry from Terry’s Badges yesterday. I will be asking him to produce a badge for my next charity ride (Details soonest!) I am always happy to support small businesses and promised to give him a shout out. So whether you want to buy one of the hundreds of different badges he has in stock or want a badge of your favourite club produced, pop by his website and give him a shout.

He says, ” Welcome to my Web Site! This site is dedicated to Non-League football badges. I have always had a passion for non-league football, as a player, manager and chairman of my local clubs. I enjoyed 21 successful years as a player with Stokenchurch FC, Lane End FC and Beacons Bottom Athletic FC. I also played for the very successful Lane End United FC Sunday side.

I collect English non-league badges plus I have many for sale as you will see on this site! I also design and produce badges for 100’s of Non-League clubs up and down the country. I only use the best enamel and fittings as most of you will testify.

I am a keen AFC WIMBLEDON supporter and attend all home and some away games. I also like to visit loads of non-league grounds. I also design, produce and sell all AFC’s  badges with all the profits from these badges going to AFC! As far as I am aware we are the only club to have a framed set of badges for every season!

If you click my “sales list” you will find the 100’s of badges I have for sale.  If your club/business require a badge please contact me for production details.

If you have any queries please use my “contact” link.

TERRY“

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“Oh, what a night. Late September and we’re shipping three.” With apologies to The Four Seasons who proved to me that I could fall in love/lust with more than person at a time. Well, Manchester United have surely hit rock-bottom. They lost three nil to Spurs at Old Trafford and this must mean the end for ETH. Let’s see. Potter is not the answer, IMHO but the board would not dare bring back my choice, a certain Senhor José Mário dos Santos Mourinho Félix GOIH.

In happier news, Gillingham stride on and beat Barrow to go top of the league! It’s early days and we were in a similar position at the start of last season but I am a LOT more confident this time around. Huge game tomorrow against Grimsby Town. Should be a great night under the lights.

Our intrepid reporter Mr Darren Ashley was at Harborough Town in the 3rd qualifying round of the FA Cup against Leamington and tells this amusing story,

“This is Ben Starkie & myself. Ben plays for Harborough Town who played, and, yesterday, right in front of my very eyes, scored the winner for them as his club reached the FA Cup 4th qualifying round for the first time ever.

After wrapping up filming of my vlog, I made my way to my car, where Ben was parked next to me.

As he had a Harborough tracksuit on, I knew he must have been one of the players, so I offered my congratulations.

We chatted a bit and I said that I had recorded the goal, but didn’t know who scored it

Ben found it funny when he had to explain it was him….I was mortified though

I think I made amends when I said it was a great strike and offered to send the goal to his phone…which he gladly accepted.”

To see the goal, and many other good bits, click through to YouTube

Now, the story takes an interesting turn as who have Harborough Town got in the next round? Oh, my word! Bury. So, the Phoenix that is Bury will have to travel to Harborough with absolutely everything to lose against the club from divisions below! Remember this is literally just 90 minutes away from the First Round Proper where teams from League One and Two appear so Harborough could potentially play Gillingham, Bolton, Portsmouth etc! Ties are due to be played on Saturday, October 12 with winning teams earning £9,375 in prize money and losing sides collecting £3,125.

Thanks Darren and good luck to Harborough Town ….. unless they draw the Might Gills!

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A group of grassroots football coaches are taking part in a gruelling 28-mile fundraising walk in memory of a much-loved Chesterfield fan.

Glenn Kirkwood, also known as ‘Kirky’, who played for and managed a number of local sides including Matlock Town, sadly passed away, aged 47, in July this year from cancer.

Football coaches from Wingerworth Junior Sports Association, where Mr Kirkwood volunteered, will be trekking from Chesterfield’s SMH Group Stadium to the home of Doncaster Rovers , which is where he started his professional career.

The Spireites and Rovers clash at the Eco-Power Stadium this Saturday at 3pm so this is seen as the ideal opportunity to raise some money for Ashgate Hospice and MacMillan nurses.

The team of volunteers, aged between 24 and 50, will be setting off at midnight and walking the 28-mile route with the aim of being in their seats in the Chesterfield end in time for kick-off.

When they make it to Doncaster, the group say they will raise a ‘well-earned pint’ to their friend and hope that the Spireites can put in a performance against his former team.

Mr Kirkwood was a loyal Chesterfield supporter with season tickets with his wife Kerry and children Jessica and Isaac.

His playing and managerial career took him from Doncaster to being joint-manager at Matlock Town as well as to Ilkeston Town, Burton Albion, Hinckley Town and Worksop Town.

If anyone would like to support these WJSA coaches fundraising for Ashgate Hospice, please DONATE HERE.

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