COUNTDOWN TO ELSTON

COUNTDOWN TO ELSTON FC

On Saturday 16th August, Elston United move to their brand new ground in the village, 5 miles east of Newark when they host Meden Vale Colts

To mark the occasion, I have done their first ever programme costing £2 and their first ever badge costing £4.

If coming to the match can you please pre order or if you would like a programme or badge posting out to you, again please pre order as badges are selling out quite quickly..

You can contact me on hornby60uk@yahoo.co.uk or via phone on 07973517603

All proceeds from the programmes are going to the charity AUTISM AWARENESS and all the badge money will be going to Elston United FC.

Please dont be disappointed and pre order asap

Many thanks

Rob

JEPSON SEES COLTS TO FRIENDLY WIN

 PRE SEASON FRIENDLY 4

MEDEN VALE COLTS FC 1 ELSTON UNITED FC 0

I caaan hear the question wny did I attend this match when in 3 weeks time, Elston United moved to mtheri brand new ground in their village and their visitors are Meden Vale Colts., well there were a few reasons, many of you know my wife Hazel allows me to go to local games during pre season and with Meden Vale about 2 miles away from our bungalow, it made sense, second reason is for Elston United FC''s Special Day on Saturday 16th August, where groundhoppers will be attending from all over the UK, I have done their FIRST EVER PROGRAMME

and thrir FIRST EVER BADGE, which can be ordered fro me at hornby60uk@yahoo.co.uk and also to get the Meden Vale Colts FC pen pics for the programme.

On arrival, me and Hazel popped in to the refreshments room and had a superb valued Bacon Cob priced £3.50 which had tons of bacon in it.

The 2 teams were soon on the pitch and the game kicked off, with not a lot to pick between them as both teams looked at oushing forward, but not many chances, but after 15 minutes there was a stopage in play as the Elston keeper playing in his fird match for them, went down just outside the box and was in discomfort and Elston had to replace him with a non goalkeeper.

In the 19th minute on the next Meden Vale attack, the ball seemed to be running towards the keeper when a defender clashed with him and the home winger LIAM JEPSON nipped in and poked the ball iiin to the empty net to put the Colts in front.

Vale continued to dominate the first half with chance after chance going begging over the bar and some out of the ground. Elston did keep filing forward but the final ball in to the box was missing and the home keeper having very little to do.

The Second Half kicked off and the visitors looked a lot stronger and pressed forward but the home defence held firma nd did have attacks of their own.

In the 77th minute, Elston could well have been on level terms when they wrre awarded a penalty, up stepped the taker who struck it hard and well, but the keeper dived to his left and push it away with a superb save.

A good run out for both teams and time in their legss with both teams with players missing, so a chance to give others a run out

So with just the one goal the 25p gets added to the running total of the Charity Blogs amount for AUTISM AWARENESS mto make it £2,755.78p

If anyone would like to make a donation, no matter how small, you can do via bank transfer to

AROUNDTHEGROUNDS CHARITY BLOG

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Acc: 70342862

To see the 79 photos from todays match, pls click this LINK

ELSTON UNITED FC'S HISTORY DAY

 ELSTON UNITED FC'S HISTORY DAY

On Saturay 16th  August 2025, Elston United FC will be making history, when they move to their brand new ground in the village of Elston and play at Darwin Park for the very FIRST time. Over the past few years they have had built a new changing rooms block with a outlet for selling refreshments.

For this match, I will be doing their FIRST EVER PROGRAMME priced at £2 with the proceeds going to  Autism Awareness Charity and their FIRST EVER BADGE at £4 with the badge money going to the club, but there are ONLY 50 of these being made and already over 20 being pre ordered, so even if coming to the match v Meden Vale Colts, please pre order to avoid disappointment, if you cant make the match and would like to pre order either, please email for more information on hornby60uk@yahoo.co.uk as soon as possible, it also gives me a good idea on how many programmes that I need to print.

THE ROMANS LEAVE CALVERTONS FIGHTBACK IN RUINS

 PRE SEASON FRIENDLY 3

CALVERTON MW 2 ROCESTER FC 4

After seeing this Pre season fixture announce a few weeks ago, it was on my hit list, as I always enjoy fixtures where 2 teams play each other from different leagues, plus this was new Calverton MW 1st team home match on their new 4g pitch.

Over the summer months, Calverton MW and Rushcliffe FC joined forces, with Rushcliffe FC taking the role of Calverton 1st team and a few new faces from the now defunct Greyfriars FC, whilst Rushcliffe Reserves and Calverton MW reserves joined forces and they have set up a u23's team to play in the Notts Senior League Development Division.

Good friends in attendance were Herbie and Sue and Non League Rover Paul and of course the new General Manager of Calverton MW Damian Hucker.

The game kicked off and Rocester looked very dangerous and quicker to the ball in roasting conditions and after just 4 minutes, a ball played from the right side found their striker in the 6 yard box with a open goal to tap in to a empty net to give the Romans a early 1-0 lead.

Calverton tried to press forward but it was the home keeper making all the saves from the visitors better chances, on 18 minutes, the match referee stopped the game for a quick drinks break and as soon as play got underway again, Rocester was given a free kick some 25 yards out, to which the taker hit and it slid under the keeper to make it 2-0.

At this stage of the game, there didnt seem to be anyway that Calverton looked like they would be able to get back in to the game, but they got a lifelife on 28 minutes, when given a penalty to which they converted to reduce the arrears.

The Second Half kicked off with the homesters playing alot more attacking football, but the visitors still looked dangerous on the break. On the hour, Calverton were back level when a ball played from the right wing was placed home to make it 2-2.

This seemed to spur Rocesteer back in to action after the home keeper bought off 3 good saves, but in the 73rd minute, could do nothing when a punt down the pitch by the visiting keeper was headed on and the striker placed the ball past him, proper route one football.

The next minute, The Romans went further in front when a breakaway saw their forward tap in after a ball in from the right hand side.

Calverton pressed forward and the away keeper pushed a ball over the bar as it was heading for the top corner of the net.

A credit to both teams in playing in a entertaining match in heat of around 30 degrees.

The Charity Blog for AUTISM AWARENESS running total now stands at £2,755.53p, if anyone would like to make a donation, you can do by doing a bank transfer to the blogs bank account

AROUNDTHEGROUNDS CHARITY BLOG

Sort Code: 30-98-97

Account: 70342862

To view the 121 photos from the match, please click on this LINK

SHERWOODS FIRST HALF GAVE RETFORD FC TOO MUCH TO PULL BACK

 PRE SEASON FRIENDLY 2

SHERWOOD COLLIERY FC 6 RETFORD FC 2

Wasnt really sure what to expect this evening, with Sherwood Colliery having a poor season last year to their standards and Retford FC just falling at the semi final play off stages of their great season.

On arrival I was greeted at the gate by the club chairman who asked me to put the £3 admission in to the charity blog and in the clubhouse after the match the club also donated £10, so with the goals at 25p each making a great total of £15 towards Autism Awareness, with running total now hitting a superb amount of £2,742.03. A BIG thankyou to Sherwood Colliert for their donations.

The sun was blazing down on the ground, so I ventured to the far side of the ground near to the dug out areas and meet up with Retford FC's Mr & Mrs Knight, he still doesnt have any spare cameras or lens for me!!!!

As you know my camera is a old one and not great esp for night shots, but did get a few good photos, mainly in the first half.

The game kicked off and it was the visitors who had the first few chances bringing the home keeper in to action twice, before in the 7th minute, Sherwood on their first attack took a 1-0 lead. This seemed to spur the Colliery on in confidence, getting to the ball first and playing some neat passing football on the 4g pitch.

So it didnt really come as any surprise after 19 minutes , a ball was crossed over from the right wing, found his man in the 6 yard box to tap home a second to make it 2-0.

Three minutes later and things got worse for the visiting side, when a bullet of a shot from 30 plus yards stormed over the youmg keepers head to make it 3-0, I think Jon Knights head also went down as well.

Retford then did have a spell in the game, where they were moving thye ball about, but didnt really challenge the home keeper and the ball seemed to be dealt with by the Sherwood defence.

In the 36th minute, a free kick on the left side was met by the head of a player on the far post, who planted it into the Retford net to make it 4-0 and two minutes later, it became 5-0.

The Half Time break saw me say farewell to Mr & Mrs Knight as they headed down to the far goal that their club would be attacking in the Second Half, but I just moved to the opposite side of the pitch as the sun had gone down, but in mind, it came ac ross of how many goals would be scored in the Second Period.

Both teams had of course made many changes and thats what friendlies are about, not so much about the score but about getting match fitness and minutes under the belts of players.

Both teams had plenty of good passing play, but Reford just edged it, and after 75 minutes, the ball was lobbed over the home keeper to make it 5-1, at this stage the visitors were looking a lot better than in the first half and in the 83rd minute, one of their players was bought down in the box and referee Scott Mason who had a very good match pointed straight to the spot, to which the visitors slammed home to make it 5-2.

This didnt mean the homesters were giving up and on 88 minutes, a midfielder ran down the left wing and cut inside and fired from the edge of the box in to the bottom far side of the net to make it 6-2.

If anyone would like to make a donation to the Charity Blog in aid of AUTISM AWARENESS, you can do via bank transfer to

AROUNDTHEGROUNDS CHARITY BLOG

Sort Code: 30-98-97

Account: 70342862

To view the 64 photos taken at the match, please click on this LINK

BRICKWORKS EDGE PAST ARNOLD IN FRIENDLY

 PRE SEASON FRIENDLY 1

KIRTON BRICKWORKS 3 ARNOLD TOWN RESERVES 2

Has there been a break in football yet? I dont think so for me, since the cup finals, its been the charity match and meetings and now the pre season is upon us, so before the season does kick off, I have still had donations come in from Annual Donators Herbie & Sue of £100 and at the match above £10 from Tony from Kirton Brickworks FC. So thankyou to all of you. 

Also for the 16th August, Elston United move to their brand new ground and Im  doing their first ever programme and badge, so anyone intered, please contact me on hornby60uk@yahoo.co.uk for more details

Also in re meantime, I was voted as Guest of the Year on GRASSROOTS PLUS podcast

Well on  to Pre season Friendly 1, why Kirton Brickworks v Arnold Town Reserves, you may well ask, always enjoyed my visits to Kirton Brickworks, a club run by good footballing people, the same as Arnold Town. Hazel said I can go to local friendlies as she wants a break, so Kirton is also up the road from me and also Ive not been to Kirton for a few seasons since they joined the Central Midlands League.

The match kicked off and after ust 4 minutes, the visitors had a corner that was worked well, before the cross came in from the left wing for a player to head downwards in to the net to give them a 1-0 lead. 

On 14 minutes, Kirton were level when a mix up at the Arnold back left the home striker to just tap in to a empty net to make it 1-1. Both teams had chances go begging as they both wanted to play football in hot weather, then in the 42nd minute, a Arnold midfielder, played a very short ball backwards to where the Kirton man just had to nip in and finished to give them a 2-1 lead.

Arnold in the second half seemed to press foprward and have a long range shots that went waywidewards, as the Arnold management shouted to the player, when do your new boots arrive?

Arnold thought mthey were back on level terms in the 70th minute, but the referee was quick to to rule the goal offside before anyone could celebrate.

Arnold was back on level terms just 3 minutes later, when a shot was tapped towards the home keeper who seermed to have gathered it and then seemed to push it in to his own net to make it 2-2.

Both teams wanted to win this game and both pressed forward, but on 78 minutes, a long high kick by the Kirton keeper seemed to caztch the Arnold centre half offguard as it struck him on the head and the ball looped upwardsa the dropped in to the net as the arnold keeper was stood on the edge of his 6 yards box, so Kirton were back in front.

The last of the action came when the Kirton keeper became hero when a long range shot was heading in to the top corner of the net and he dived midair to juust punch the ball over to the bar.

For a friendly this was a very good match.

The runing total for AUTISM AWARENESS now stands at a fantastic £2,727.03p, if anyone would like to make a donation, you can either see me at a match or do it via bank transfer to

AROUNDTHEGROUNDS CHARITY BLOG

sort code: 30-98-97

account: 70342862

99 photos from the match can be seen on this LINK