KETTERING TOWN (Latimer Park)

SOUTHERN PREMIER LEAGUE, KETTERING TOWN 2-0 STRATFORD TOWN, ATTENDANCE: 508

I was quite lucky that I managed to get to a game today after the heavy snow that had battered my particular part of the country over the previous 24 hours. Despite it being bitterly cold there were no issues with the pitch, or indeed the motorway network, as I made my way south to Northamptonshire.

Kettering Town were hosting Stratford Town at Latimer Park, in the town of Burton Latimer. If you didn't know, Burton Latimer is the home of Weetabix, with the famous breakfast cereal having been produced there since 1932. You certainly got the smell of the wheat wafting over the football ground!

It has been a difficult last few years for Kettering Town. In 2011 they left their home of 114 years, Rockingham Road (which was demolished earlier this year) and moved to Nene Park, the former home of Rushden and Diamonds. The upkeep of the ground nearly cost the club their mere existence. The club did go into administration and dropped two divisions from the Conference National, of which they were founding members in 1979, into the Southern League.

In 2012, in mid-season, the club moved from Nene Park to Steel Park, the home of Corby Town before agreeing a groundshare with Burton Park Wanderers at Latimer Park. This has been 'home' since 2013, the year in which Kettering dropped another level to the Southern League Central Division, though the club were promoted back to the Southern Premier in 2015 as Champions.

Latimer Park has been home to Burton Park Wanderers since 1973. Last year Kettering Town agreed a 25 year lease to remain at the ground but are actively seeking a site within the town that would be suitable for a new stadium. Kettering had to bring the ground up to Southern League standards, with the addition of new stands to the ground.

Despite it being a groundshare, when I arrived at Latimer Park I got the feeling, rightly or wrongly, that Kettering were the more senior partners. For example, the signage around the ground, the posters in the clubhouse and even the stands themselves all gave me the impression that this was definitely Kettering's ground.

The Poppies made the breakthrough after just 4 minutes thanks to a somewhat controversial goal from Matthew Stevens. A corner from the right was curled into the box and there was a coming together between Stratford's 'keeper Louis Connor and Stevens. The ball and Connor ended up in the back of the net. In this day and age you would expect a referee to disallow such an effort but the goal stood and Kettering were on their way.

As Stratford failed to trouble the Kettering back line, apart from the odd free-kick, Kettering applied plenty of pressure but couldn't find that second goal. They thought they did in first half stoppage time when Rene Howe headed home but the referee disallowed it for (what was presumed to be a push) by the striker. Maybe he was was righting the wrong of the first goal?

The second half continued in a similar vein and as the game went on there was a feeling Stratford will get a big chance to level things. It never came. After Kettering's Tom Marshall had a goal disallowed for offside, the Poppies finally killed off the visitors stubborn resistance when Howe scored a fine individual goal with a couple of minutes remaining.

KINGS LANGLEY (Gaywood Park)

SOUTHERN PREMIER LEAGUE, KINGS LANGLEY 0-0 KING'S LYNN TOWN, ATTENDANCE: 201

For today's action I headed down the M1 to Hertfordshire for the Southern Premier League's "battle of the kings" as Kings Langley hosted league leaders King's Langley. Kings are now in their second season at Step 3 after gaining promotion in 2016.

When I initially planned this trip (as a stop off point en-route to Everton's capitulation at Southampton) it was supposed to be a Hertfordshire derby versus Royston Town, but their involvement in the FA Trophy meant a hastily re-arranged league game. Thank goodness for that! 

The club are based at Gaywood Park, which has been their home since 1997 after the spent nearly two decades ground sharing at various clubs after their original ground, Home Park, was sold off for housing development in 1980. 

The ground was named after Graham Gaywood, a well-known benefactor of the club who died soon after the stadium's completion.  The ground is also used by Watford Ladies, so there are plenty of images of the Hornets badge dotted around the ground.

This season the ground has been renamed the CRY Community Stadium in tribute to Cardiac Risk in the Young. The club launched a marketing campaign to give local businesses the chance to pay £1,000 for a ticket to enter a draw for naming rights at the stadium. Clement Estate agents won and decided on the name in tribute to Dale Tennent-Butler, the son of a supporter who died from cardiac arrest while playing football in 2007, aged 18.

The past few years have been heady days for Kings Langley as they achieved three successive promotions taking the club from the Spartans South Midlands League Division One to the Southern Premier League.

The ground has been brought up to the required standards necessary. There are two pre-fab stands, one along the side of the pitch and a small seated one behind the goal.

There is a large seated stand on the other side of the pitch, which was built by supporters with the blue and red seats coming from Nene Park, Rushden & Diamonds now demolished old ground. Today the club was re-opening the clubhouse after refurbishment. There were some excellent Jolly Boys Brewery beers on tap this afternoon which went down a treat!  

The game ended goalless as the home side defended resolutely against the King's Lynn attack. Despite enjoying most the possession the Linnets rarely troubled Martin Bennett in the Kings Langley goal. Michael Gash had an effort hit the post in the first half but that was as close as there was to a goal in opening 45 minutes.

It was more of the same in the second half as King's Lynn pressed forward but they could not find that elusive goal. With a few minutes remaining Josh Coldicott–Stevens could have won the game for the home side when he dispossessed Linnets goalkeeper Alex Street, who was outside his area attempting to clear a long ball, but the Kings Langley man failed to hit the open goal, the ball drifting agonisingly wide.

There was still time for one more chance for the visitors but Bennett produced a superb fingertip save to deny Ryan Hawkins, whose effort appeared destined for the top corner. In my opinion a draw was a fair result and, despite the lack of goals, an enjoyable afternoon's entertainment. 

BIGGLESWADE TOWN (Langford Road)

SOUTHERN PREMIER LEAGUE, BIGGLESWADE TOWN 2-0 LEAMINGTON, ATTENDANCE: 320

The first leg of my Good Friday led me cross country to Bedfordshire where Biggleswade Town were hosting Leamington in a Southern League encounter.


As the business end of the season fast approaches, the only thing riding on this encounter was a mathematical chance of Leamington winning the title. However, at the start of play, The Brakes were 8 points behind leaders Chippenham Town with three games left to play. However, clinching runners up spot would guarantee Leamington home advantage in the play-offs.

Biggleswade's play off hopes faded around February/March time with a run of one win in seven games. The side have recovered well after this run, winning five games out of six, but are currently in 9th position, 13 points adrift of 5th placed Merthyr. 

It looks like another season of consolidation for Biggleswade after they were promoted to the Southern Premier League in 2013 after defeating Rugby Town in the play-off final. The club joined the Southern League in 2009 after winning the Spartan South Midlands League title.

This championship coincided with The Waders first season at the Carlsberg Stadium. The club had left their previous home, Fairfield Road, in 2006. The ground, on Langford Road, has been known as the Carlsberg Stadium since it was built and has a capacity of 3,000.

It is another fine example of a modern non-league football ground with a large seated main stand and a couple of additional pre-fab terraces. It was on the terrace behind the goal that the 'Green Army' congregated in the first half and they certainly made themselves heard!

The home side had a couple of early chances, and the better of possession, but the match had an end of season feel to it with neither side really troubling the respective 'keepers. However, in the 35th minute, The Waders took the lead when Connor Hall was on hand to prod the ball home, at the second attempt, after his initial effort was saved by Tony Breedon (pictured below left). It was probably no more than they deserved.

 The second half was just four minutes old when a corner was whipped into the six yard box and Tony Burnett was on hand to flick the ball into the back of the net (pictured below).

This was effectively game over. Leamington did their best to try and get themselves back into the game but they found it difficult to get past a resolute Biggleswade defence. This result continued The Waders fine recent form and no doubt also sparked scenes of celebration down in Chippenham, as they were confirmed as Champions.

SLOUGH TOWN (Arbour Park)

SOUTHERN LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION, SLOUGH TOWN 2-1 HAYES & YEADING UNITED, ATTENDANCE: 1,401

I was witness to a small part of football history today as Slough Town played their first ever game at Arbour Park. This brought to an end a 13 year exile from the town after they left their previous home, Wexham Park, in 2003.

Slough Town FC first moved into Wexham Park Stadium in 1973, after vacating Dolphin Stadium and played there until 2003, when the lease wasn't extended due to disagreements over rent between the then Slough Town chairman and the owner of the Stadium.

This was a culmination of a events that began with Slough's ejection from The Conference in 1998. The official reason is the issue of the lack of seats, but there has been much conjecture that there were severe financial irregularities at the Club and that these were the real reason for the Conference expelling the Rebels. 

The old Wexham Park ground was left to rot whilst the club moved away and ground-shared at Windsor and, for the past 9 years, at Beaconsfield.

Plans for Slough's football stadium (and community sports site) were approved last year and construction began in late 2015. Today's homecoming was the culmination of phase one of the project which was the the installation of the pitch (which is 3G and FIFA approved) a covered stand for 250 spectators and the car park.

Phase two will feature the construction of the main stand, which is due to be finished before the end of the current season. The actual location of the football ground is on the playing fields of a local school, so part of the project is the building of a new sports hall and allowing the pupils access to the pitch.

The capacity of the ground will eventually rise to at least 2,000 but for today's sold-out-all-ticket affair the capacity was capped at 1,400. The is plenty of room for expansion and, despite the large crowd, it was easy to move around and was very comfortable in terms of space.

The teams entered the field to the strains of Thin Lizzy’s "The Boys are Back in Town" and, on a baking hot day, produced a fine spectacle.

Hayes and Yeading were quickest out of the block and took the lead after 10 minutes, the honour of the scoring the first ever goal at Arbour Park falling to Lloyd Macklin.

Slough were level after 20 minutes when Lee Barney was played in and he smashed his effort into the roof of the net. Cue celebrations.

The match was end to end and the scoreline could have been anything such was the chances both teams created. The respective goalkeepers, Slough's Mark Scott and Hayes' Louis Wells, were in fine form and pulled off some top saves.

The Rebels though were not to be denied their fairytale result and with 15 minutes remaining substitute James Dobson's low shot found the bottom corner of the net. Cue pandemonium.

Arbour Park is a very impressive set up, and I must have a revisit once all the work is completed. Hopefully being back in the town will mean the club will be able to go from strength to strength. Perhaps even a return to the Conference? I wish them good luck.

Celebrations at the final whistle