No.40 - Sat. 23rd February 2008; Essex Olympian League Premier Division                       2.00pm at The Academy, Langston Road, Loughton, Essex. (Att: 30; Prog: 12pp, Free)

View matchday images  01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Mountnessing (1) 1  Canning Town (0) 1 Top marks for The Academy!  Another great day out! A goal scored in the very last minute saw Canning Town fight back to take a share of the points in this thoroughy entertainining Essex Olympian League Premier Division fixture. The game was barely a minute old when Mountnessing took the lead after some good build up play which allowed Sener Suavi to score from close range. Despite further chances they couldn't add another goal as the visitors defended resolutely throughout. Just when it looked as though Mountnessing would win the game with this solitary strike to consolidate their title challenge near the top of the division, Canning dented their hopes with a late equaliser which came in the dying seconds. Mountnessing FC has an excellent club website which travellers will find highly informative. The club history section reports: 'Mountnessing Football Club was formed in 1922, playing in the village of Mountnessing adjacent to the windmill, which is still the club’s emblem. Up until 1984 the 1st team played in the Southern Essex Intermediate Combination League and the 2nd team played in the Romford and District League. In 1984 both teams joined the Essex Intermediate League. In 1985 the 1st team moved to improved facilities at Saint George’s Playing fields in Warley, with the 2nd team playing in Harold Hill at the Saint Neots playing fields until the 1993/94 when both teams were located at Warley'. 'Between 1985 and 1995 Mountnessing Football Club also ran a 3rd team which played in the Romford and District League. In 1996 both teams moved again, to Hendersons Sports and Social club in Harold Park. The 1st team won promotion in 2006 to Senior Division One where they had a successful first season finishing fourth. The 2nd team played last season in Reserve Division Three where they also finished fourth, which was sufficient to achieve promotion to Reserve Division Two'. Since leaving the Henderson Sports Ground in Harold Wood (which I visted on FA Cup Final morning in 2006 when, by coincidence Canning Town were the visitors, result: also 1-1), the club has moved to the new Football Academy in Loughton. This excellent facility which opened on August 27th 2007, is situated on the 18 acre site of the Bank of England’s former Britannia Sports Club in Langston Road. It offers top level academy coaching, as well as state-of-the-art five-a-side football courts, two full-sized grass football pitches and a fully-equipped fitness centre. The site’s renovated pavilion incorporates a brand new Sports Bar and brasserie-style restaurant with private dining and meeting room facilities. It certainly is a unique setting and visitors here will no doubt be distracted by the sight (and sound) of the mini pitches with their green inflatable sides; the shooting practice inflatable goal and Academy pitch tractor all arranged neatly in a row behind the goal next to the main entrance. Access to the pitch is through an impressive modern state of the art clubhouse complete with large plasma screen TV and leather armchairs (Mrs W liked these) where the changing rooms are found at the far end of this building. This side of the ground is set on an elevated grassy bank which provides the traveller with a wonderful panoramic view of the action on the field below and the M11 motorway in the near distance. It's amazing how quickly you adapt to the constant noise of the vehicles trundling past the ground. The pitch is roped off on all sides and despite several notices warning you to 'keep off the grass' it is still possible to watch the game from pitchside. Two perspex dugouts are placed next to the halfway on the opposite side. There is no cover at The Academy at the moment.  A crowd of about 30 was in attendance for the match. This included 'hopping supremo and editor of the excellent Non League Digest magazine, Steve King who felt, like myself, that this was certainly a totally 'different venue' to visit for a game of football. Mountnessing FC issue a smart photocopied 12 page programme with the match details printed on the cover for all games. Although these may hard to track down at first,  copies are feely available from either of the teams' changing rooms and contain all the important bits such as fixtures, tables and line ups. Refreshments, although a bit pricey, are available from behind the bar area in the clubhouse. Travellers intending to visit The Academy may be pleased to know that Debden undergound station is within a ten minute walk of the ground. For those attending a game by car it is important to remember that the nearest motorway junction on the M11 at Loughton is RESTRICTED to vehicles which have come off it after travelling north from London. If you do come down the M11 you can either drive past the ground and continue south before turning around at Redbridge and come back up the other side of the carriageway (which is a lot of faffing around to be honest) or, as we did, join the M25 (towards Watford) and come off at Waltham Abbey (J26) before taking a cross-country route (via Epping Forest) to Loughton (approximately 5 miles). Yellow AA signs for the Academy can be picked up along the route and will guide you right up to Langston Road. And finally. Just like several other trips I have made this season, I am indebted to my hopping mate Paul Roth whose report not only alerted me to the new ground but also inspired me to make a visit. Cheers Paul! The joys of hopping!                                FGIF Rating: 4* Mountnessing FC Website (incl. directions)

edited on 28/02/08