FISHER FC (St Paul's Sports Ground)

SOUTHERN COUNTIES EAST LEAGUE DIVISION ONE, FISHER 2-2 K SPORTS, ATTENDANCE: 140

Before I start, a confession. This was not my first choice of game, it wasn't even my second but as the rain teemed down en-route to London I began to get nervous about postponements. As the other passengers in the car were heading to the Arsenal vs Everton game I decided to join them in London, play it safe and head for a game on a 3G surface.

Looking through the fixtures, I saw that Fisher FC were home to K Sports. This Southern Counties East League Division One clash pitted 3rd versus 1st and it promised to be an enthralling encounter. Decision made. I made my way via tube and bus to Rotherhithe, where Fisher are now back playing.

Fisher FC are a supporters funded club that was formed from the ashes of the old Fisher Athletic club, which was wound up in 2009 with debts reported to be around £250,000. The original club was founded in 1908 by the John Fisher Catholic Society whose aim was to provide football facilities for under privileged children in the London district of Bermondsey. The club was named after the Catholic martyr, John Fisher therefore Fisher were one of the few football clubs in the world to take their name from a person rather than a place.

After many years playing in various amateur leagues, the club progressed up the pyramid after moving into the Surrey Docks Stadium in 1982. The club reached the Conference in 1987 and remained in the top flight of non-league football for four seasons before relegation to the Southern League. After being moved across to the Isthmian League the club gained back to back promotions in 2005 and 2006 before coming close to returning to the top flight in 2007, losing to Hampton and Richmond Borough, on penalties, in the Conference South play-off semi-final.

The site of Fisher Athletic's old ground as it is today

By this time the club had moved out of the Surrey Docks Stadium, whilst it was supposedly undergoing redevelopment, and were groundsharing at Dulwich Hamlet but the debts were growing and in November 2008 the club stopped paying players and a winding-up order for unpaid income tax issued by the High Court, leading to the club ceasing to exist on 13th May 2009. Despite dreams of a return, the old stadium has subsequently been built on and is now housing and a communal park.

The 'reformed' Fisher FC joined the Kent League in 2009 and were elected to the Premier Division. The league was revamped and renamed the Southern Counties East League in 2016 but Fisher finished bottom of the Premier Division and were relegated to the first division (step 6 of the pyramid).

Like Fisher Athletic, the new club played at Dulwich but since 2016 they have returned to Rotherhithe and home is now the St Paul's Sports Ground. The ground, like their old home, is on Salter Road and is about 200 yards across the road from where the Surrey Docks Stadium once stood. St Paul's is also home to Millwall Lionesses as the ground is managed by the Millwall Community trust on behalf of Southwark council. Like the old Surrey Docks Stadium there are the views of Canary Wharf behind the goal opposite the terraced stand.

The rain which had followed me all the way south continued to fall throughout the game but the match itself certainly raised my spirits, as did a pre-match snifter in and around London's Borough Market.

The game was everything you would expect from a top of the table clash. There was good attacking play and plenty of chances for both sides, however by the same token there were large periods when they simply cancelled each other out.

As the home side, it was Fisher started on the front foot, with K-Sports happy to play on the counter attack. It was one of these counter attacks that led to the first goal for the visitors from Aylesford. A ball into the Fisher box was headed clear but it dropped to Richard Butler (37) who hit a first time volley into the bottom corner, giving Fisher goalkeeper Nic Taylor no chance.

Right on half time Fisher were level. Top scorer Mathieu Ramsamy weaved his into the box before slotting home.  Ramsamy should have gave Fisher the lead early in the second half when he raced through with only the goalkeeper to beat but he shot tamely and the 'keeper was able to comfortably smother the ball.

Fisher continued to press forward throughout the remainder of the game and in the 90th minute they scored what they thought was the winning goal. A cross was whipped into the box and waiting at the back post to fire home was that man Ramsamy. The whole team celebrated with the vociferous Fish fans in the 'Dockers End' including 'keeper Taylor who ran the length of the pitch to join in.

However Fisher's joy was to be shortlived. Somehow the referee found seven minutes of stoppage time and in the final minute K-Sports were awarded a penalty after an inexplicable handball from a Fisher defender. Caine Smith duly despatched the spot kick.

There could have been no arguments if Fisher had held on for the win as they had the better of the second period but ultimately they will see this as two points dropped. This result, along with (the now leaders) Punjab United's win, sees K Sports drop to second with Fisher a further six points behind in 3rd. There are only two promotion spots up for grabs so Fisher certainly have work to do in their remaining 12 games.

Nonetheless, a very enjoyable afternoon in South East London and in the years to come I sincerely hope to see The Fish swimming in the upper echelons of non-league football once more.

PONTYPRIDD TOWN (University of South Wales Sports Park)

FAW WELSH CUP 4th ROUND, PONTYPRIDD TOWN 1-2 PENYDARREN BOYS & GIRLS CLUB, ATTENDANCE: 500 (est)

Hello and welcome back to my humble little blog. A belated Happy New Year and may I say a big thank all who take the time to read my words.

After a few week of misery suffering with a flu virus and also watching my beloved Everton flounder under the managerial prowess of 'Big Sam' Allardyce (no shots on target in three Premier league games) it was time to get back to watching some football where teams attempted to cross the halfway line and have shots at goal!

When the draw was made for the Welsh Cup 4th round back in December, there was actually only the one tie which jumped out at me and that was Pontypridd Town versus Penydarren BGC. The romanticism of an all non-Welsh Premier tie, thus guaranteeing a lower level side in the last eight and, from a groundhopping perspective, a lovely new ground to visit. 

Pontypridd began this season in a new home at the University of South Wales Sports Park in Treforest, which is 3 miles down the road from their spiritual home of the Ynysangharad War Memorial Park. Pontypridd Town had played at Ynysangharad Park since their formation in 1991, when Ynysybwl amalgamated with local league side Pontypridd Sports & Social Club to form Pontypridd & Ynysybwl FC, before changing their name to Pontypridd Town in 1992.

The club stated that they had been trying to upgrade facilities at Ynysangharad Park for over 10 years but with the ground being in a public memorial park, the council rejected their plans. The club did look at the possibility of a groundshare with the rugby team before setting up home at the University, which also serves as the home of Cardfiff City academy. Some fans were not happy with the move claiming it takes the football club out of the town of Pontypridd, even though Treforest itself is part of Pontypridd.

The reason for the move is the club have ambitions to return to the upper echelons of Welsh football but there is no chance they will be allowed to progress in the grounds current form. There is a small seated stand on the halfway line but the ground has no hard standing or floodlights. It is also a lengthy walk to the changing room block. Speaking, albeit briefly, to a doyen of South Wales football he said long term there are plans afoot to move to a 3G pitch within the existing facility, which will meet all the criteria for promotion. 

 Pontypridd's old ground Ynysangharad Park

I set off on my long journey earlier than I needed to in order to give myself time to go and take some photographs of Ynysangharad Park (pictured above) in daylight as the last time I visited the ground it was on a Friday night, in 2005, when Pontypridd beat Gwynfi United 4-0 in front of a crowd of 202.

Going off topic briefly, Pontypridd also has a famous musical heritage as it was the birthplace of Evan and James James, the Father and Son who, respectively, wrote the words and music to Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau, the national anthem of Wales. I was unaware of this fact until I spotted the memorial statue to them (pictured below) whilst walking through Ynysangharad Park en-route to the old ground.

Pontypridd is also the birthplace of Sir Tom Jones and with the appalling conditions that had battered South Wales the previous 24 hours, leading to the vast majority of games being called off, it was a bonus to see a game played on the green, green grass of home, though after trudging through the waterlogged outfield my boots may disagree!

There was a huge crowd present at USW Park, along with the cameras from S4C, and all present were treated to a thrilling cup tie.

Penydarren BGC, of the South Wales Alliance League, which sits two divisions below the Welsh League Division Two, of which Pontypridd are currently league leaders, travelled to Treforest for what they were billing as the biggest game in their history.

The team from Merthyr Tydfil, unbeaten so far this season, are already in the last eight of the Welsh Trophy and were attempting to cause an upset and reach the last eight of the Welsh Cup, but this would be their sternest test thus far.

They passed with flying colours. Hat-trick hero of the last round (versus Llandudno Junction) Chris Colvin-Owens was once again the star man as he bagged a brace to put Penydarren in the last eight.

On a very heavy pitch, the Miners were fastest out of the blocks putting the Pontypridd defence under enormous pressure. It was no surprise when Colvin-Owens gave Penydarren the lead after 12 minutes when he steered a cross home from inside the six yard box, the ball squirming over the line via the post. The large following, and I mean large, from Merthyr went absolutely wild.

The lead did not last long as within three minutes the home side were level. A cross from James Hill was headed into his own the net by Penydarren defender Alex Lloyd.

The game was end to end but you could clearly see the players were struggling with the sodden pitch as conditions underfoot were incredibly slippy. Nonetheless there were chances in the first have, mainly for Penydarren, but it was all square at the break.

Pontypridd began the second half on the front foot and nearly took the lead when Gavin Beddard's shot from distance came back off the post but it was Penydarren who got themselves in front on the hour mark when a cross found Owens unmarked at the back post and he made no mistake in firing home.

Penydarren then had two glorious chances to put the tie to bed but failed to take them. Ben Jones was played through but Pontypridd 'keeper David Burnett made a fine save and Nathan Williams was unable to convert the rebound. Then Jones crossed to an unmarked Williams but his shot went agonisingly wide, when it was probably easier to score.

However Penydarren were not made to pay for those missed chances and as Pontypridd began to fade, The Miners were able to see them game out. A thoroughly deserved victory for Penydarren who remain the only non-Welsh Premier League side left in the competition. They will travel north to Bangor City in the Quarter Finals. Who would bet against another giant killing?

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.