No.51 - Tues. 8th April 2008; Herts County Senior League Division 1                     6.15pm at the Meadway PF, Redcar Rd, Stevenage, Herts. (Att: 62; Admn & Prog: £2)

View matchday images  01 02 03 04 05 06  Bedwell Rangers (0) 0  Baldock Town (3) 6  Travellers take 'hoppertunity to visit a club on the move When the excellent Tony Kempster website flagged up a posting on it's Messageboard to say that Bedwell Rangers FC, members of the Herts County League, would play an early evening fixture at the Meadway Playing Fields, I breathed a huge sigh of relief. Having journeyed there earlier in the season only for my chosen game against  Sarratt (on December 1 2007: result 0-2) to be abandoned at half-time after a heavy monsoon struck, this unexpected fixture would provide another opportunity for me to visit the ground and get a 'full' game in. Hopefully the weather would be kinder this time. For other 'hoppers the fixture was of significance as the club were moving out of the ground at the end of the season to a new home elsewhere in the area. Add to this the promise of a programme being issued for the game it would mean that a higher than average crowd would descend on the Stevenage-based club for this top versus bottom of the table clash. By sheer coincidence visitors Baldock Town are themselves soon to move to a new ground as well. They are to vacate their basic set up at the Knights Templar Sports complex at the end of the season and find an viable alternative venue for the short term. Rumour has it that they could either play at the Grange, a new sporting facility between Baldock and Letchworth or even use the Herts County FA ground in Letchworth for a season or two. The aim after that would be to eventually find a base nearer to the town centre possibly on land close to the new A505 Baldock by-pass. But that's were the similarities between the two clubs end. Before tonight's game Town had dropped only a few points in a season which has seen them lead the Herts County League Division 1 table since last September. This terrific run has put them not only in contention to gain promotion to the Premier Division but also to be cowned as champions. In stark contrast Rangers have struggled to adapt to life in the Herts County League throughout the whole of 2007-2008. Their young squad whose 'average' age is only 21 has simply not found that winning touch and the vital stats say it all - one victory; a large negative goal difference and bottom of the league! Manager (and programme editor) Andy Dolby still remains enthusiastic about the future though: 'We have kept our chin up and will be looking forward to next season when we can iron out a few issues. Our main aim is to get into Non league football and start to compete with teams like Stevenage Boro who also started very much like us. We have a fantastic youth system with about 300 kids on our books. Our aim is to try and bring them kids though the system and give them the opportunity to play at a higher level and not to lose them to Sunday league football....'. As expected tonight's game went to form with free-scoring Baldock Town netting six times without reply. Even though the score could have been much greater credit must go to the youthful