football rambles

 Yesterday Downham took on Felixstowe on a freezing cold day that saw most matches called off. Fair play for them for getting the game on, but unfortunately, that was a about all they got right. Downham started the game off fairly well and Charlie Royle and owain McQuaide looked as lively as usual. Downham had some early chances and Royle hit the inside of the post on seven minutes. However, it felt again like they were missing something up front. A long ball through to De La Paz saw the Seasiders take the lead on 23 minutes, as they seemed to catch the Downham defence napping and showed them how it was done. De La Paz also had a couple of chances to increase the lead, but at halftime it was still 1-0 to the visitors. Downham came out looking motivated to get back in the game in the second half and Royle and Visocanskis posed a threat for the home team without looking overly dangerous. Felixstowe looked disciplined at the back and seemed to be able to deal with Downham. They hit Do...

We went to Felixstowe expecting a good day out and as you can see from the previous posts we definitely had that. We didn't expect any result though. Felixstowe going into the game were second in the league, after other results went their way they are now top. Ely's season has been well documented as a bit of a disappointment on this blog. We used to think that the blue away kit was cursed, but there is now a wide feeling that the claret home shirt that replaced the traditional red at the start of this season is cursed, so we for once were glad to see in Ely in the change strip of all blue. Ely also came into the game on the back of two wins, but are still threatened with relegation, and Felixstowe were always going to be a tougher test. There was clearly a difference in styles with Felixstowe looking to play the ball around whereas the Robins went for a more direct approach. The direct approach seemed to be working though with the visitors starting off the stronger team. T...

You have to admire a team that has red and white striped goals like Bayern Munich and Felixstowe and Walton United. A picture of the dugouts. The match day programme, unlike most clubs at this level it's a full colour affair rather than the colour cover with black and white insert that most clubs have. It still has dodgy resized pictures and clip art though.

Felixstowe's Goldstar Ground is a funny old place for quite a young team. They are currently top of the league and although I like the place you can see why they didn't put in for promotion. To get into the ground there is a walled off pitch you have to go past the cricket pavilion a few hundred yards away. The players also change in the pavilion. Inside the pavilion is also the clubhouse, which is reasonably priced and has one of the biggest badges I have ever seen over it. Once inside the fenced off ground there is one covered terrace and one small stand. The toilet is a porterloo. Still, it's a good place to watch football and they clearly have a good team at the moment. The town is also a pretty nice place to visit.

Yesterday we had a trip out to the seaside to see top of the table Felixstowe and Walton United take on Ely City. Here is a picture of a view of Felixstowe's beach and a robin that accosted us in the gardens there during the big day out.

On Saturday, it was back to the Unwin after a few weeks off watching Ely City. The opponents were Felixstowe & Walton, who have been a solid mid-table team in the league since I have been following Eastern Counties football. At the moment though they are riding high in 5th place and with a couple of key signings from Needham Market, it's probably going to be one of their best seasons. On the other hand, I've already documented Ely's short comings this season and the players that they have brought into the first team look like they are there to be utilised in Division 1, if as seems to be likely, the Robins are relegated. Ely started the brighter of the two teams and in the opening encounters Claydon came close to giving the side the lead on 6 minutes and an impressive volley by Diaper on 21 minutes was unlucky not to find the target. Bad luck is really following Ely around lately though and inevitably Felixstowe took the lead on 27 minutes. This came just after Ely we...

The ice had finally disappeared and despite the wind Saturday got off to a bright enough start for the under 7's game I was required to go to. The unexpected good weather lasted until I left the house to get down for Ely v Felixstowe & Walton and then the skies opened up and I got soaked. That wasn't the final deluge of the day though as Ely got off to a fine start despite not having kicked a ball for 3 days and it was raining shots on the Felixstowe goal. The first 20 minutes were a complete bombardment with Nick Impey and Luke Parkinson firing in the crosses and full backs Lewis McDonald and Sam Parkinson also joining in the fun. Adam Murray came close with a couple of headers from crosses and Nick Impey hit the bar with a cross/shot. Ely couldn't quite find the finishing touch despite it being more or less one way traffic. The visitors first chance, and what was to prove to be their only real chance, came on 29 minutes when some bizarre head tennis amongst the Ely pl...