No.2 - Sat. 16th August 2008; Herts County Senior Football League Premier Division                    3.00pm at Mill End SC, Penn Rd, Mill End, Rickmansworth, Herts. (Att: 60; Admn: Free & Prog: 12pp, Free)

 

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Mill End Sports (0) 0  Knebworth (0) 0 

Sports make a bit of history! 

This has got to be one of the most memorable sporting days ever!! What more could you ask for than extended TV coverage of the 2008 Olympic Games from China; the prospect of your favourite football team playing their first ever Premiership League match and the ‘hoppertunity to tick off another new ground all on the SAME day?! You just want to savour every second, don’t you?! Nirvana!! 

We had just set out after midday on our journey to Mill End Sports Football Club when we heard on the car radio that Ross Edgar (a track cyclist from just up the road in racing HQ) had gained a silver medal for Team GB in the men’s keirin event. A spine tingling moment! No sooner had the accolades died down for Messrs Hoy and Edgar when the BBC Radio 5 Live broadcast suddenly switched its attention from cycling at the velodrome in Beijing over to football at the KC Stadium in Hull. Super sports presenter Mark Saggers was holding a pre-match interview with Tigers Chairman Paul Duffen ahead of the club’s big game against Fulham. The conversation was all very positive and yet, at the same time, quite surreal.

 

Back to my chosen game: Mill End Sports play at the King George V playing fields in Mill End, a location some five miles south of Watford. The ground is along Penn Road, tucked behind the Sports and Social Club; a two-tiered brick building with it’s entrance facing onto the main road. A narrow car park and tarmac path lead to the main fields where cricket and football occupy a large open site.

 

Since gaining promotion to the Herts County Senior League Premier Division this season the club has been busy upgrading its facilities. During the summer a new access path to the pitch has been laid; a brand new perimeter fence has been erected (after permission was eventually given by the local council) and some necessary improvements to the changing rooms have been made. Surprisingly there still isn’t any covered accommodation for spectators around any part of the playing area.

 

The match itself got off to a cracking start - in fact we almost witnessed one of the quickest goals of the day in the HSCL, if not throughout the entire pyramid, when Sports were awarded a penalty after only ten seconds - amazing isn’t it?!! The spot kick was brilliantly saved by the Knebworth ‘keeper who dived with amazing reflexes to somehow push the ball with his fingertips onto the junction of bar and upright to his left. What drama!!

 

The hosts sporting the most garish pink-coloured shirts created the better chances (particularly in the second half) but incredibly couldn’t find the back of the net. They, no doubt, will feel a bit miffed at sharing the points in a thoroughly entertaining 0-0 draw against inferior, on the day, opposition. The match was played in warm, sunny conditions on a well-grassed, but very bumpy, sloping pitch. A crowd of some sixty spectators was in attendance including several well-known hoppers including Essex-based travellers Geoff Combes (complete with lens) and Vince ‘Groundtastic’ Taylor. It’s always fun to chew the fat with other ground collectors. Great stuff!!

 

A basic, but most welcome 12 page programme, was issued for the game. Complete with a yellow stiff card cover (containing the important match details), the content consists of club news and notices; information on the visitors; team line ups and adverts. Cold snacks, sweets and bottled drinks as well as alcohol are readily available from the bar in the clubhouse.

 

The club can be easily reached from junction 17 off the M25. Turn left at the slip road roundabout and follow the A405 before turning left at the next roundabout onto the A412 Uxbridge Road towards Rickmansworth. Continue through the village before turning left at Grove Road opposite the Whip and Collar pub and then left into Springwell Road and take the next right turn into Penn Road. The ground is about 100 metres from here on the right-hand-side. Although the car park is quite small there is still plenty of potential space to park in the neighbouring roads.

 

A visit to Mill End Sports Football Club comes thoroughly recommended!! Fran and I were given a very warm welcome by everyone particularly Chairman Bob Judge who could not have been more helpful in providing directions earlier in the morning and then lots of interesting news about the club when we arrived before kick-off. A true gent!

 

Our day was finally completed when we learned that Hull City had come back from a goal down to beat Fulham 2-1. To add to this incredible news we also found out that a certain Ursain Bolt from Jamaica had taken the men’s 100 metres crown after strolling to a mind-boggling time (and new world record) of 9.69 seconds in the men's final. Oh the joys of ‘hopping on days when dreams really do come true!!!   

       

FGIF Match Rating: 4.

edited 17/08/08