No.5 - Wed. 27th August 2008; Herts County Senior Football League Division 1                    6.15pm at the Pixmore Playing Fields, Baldock Road, Letchworth, Herts. (Att: 56; Prog: 4pp, £2 w/a)

View matchday images   1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Letchworth Garden City Eagles (4) 8  Bedwell Rangers (1) 2  Eagles soar to new heights Expectations. Without a doubt they contribute to that unmistakable buzz we all feel after setting off to watch another game of football. As we approach the ground our heart rate quickens as we anticipate what we are going to find when we get there. Will it be just like we had imagined or will it better? That very first glimpse of the ground seems to produce an almost surreal calming effect. At last we have finally reached our destination. We can relax for a moment. But even before a ball is kicked another wave of excitement soon follows on behind it. It’s that defining moment when all is revealed and the view of the entire sporting arena opens up before our eyes – the verdant green oasis which will be our domain for the next couple of hours, the veritable colosseum where honours will be won and lost, the place perhaps where a bit of history could be made, is ours. There’s nothing quite like it. Surely this is the essence of groundhopping.   Well it should be unless of course you just happen to do things at the last minute! A decision to attend the Herts Senior County League Division 1 game between new club Letchworth Garden City Eagles and Bedwell Rangers was made at the 11th hour (well very late in the day)! Once again my poor time keeping had let me down and added extra hassle to our journey from racing HQ. After hastily taking an old copy of the Hertfordshire County Road Atlas from the pile of maps on our bookshelf we set off (like headless chickens) along the A505 (not for the first time in recent weeks either) towards Baldock. We were in search of a new football club whose address was listed on the excellent HSCL website as the Pixmore Playing Fields. Sadly the dated gazetteer at the back rendered the rest of our map book completely useless. Both the ground name and address didn’t seem to appear anywhere within its pages. There's a law about that isn't there?!   As we negotiated the busy roundabout joining the A1M with the Great North Road (A6141) a group decision was  made to follow signs for Letchworth and then ask for local help – imperative as it was fast approaching six o’clock. We had no idea where we were going; the rush hour traffic was quickly building up and, more importantly, there were only ten minutes remaining before kick-off! Why is it that when you ask someone for directions they invariably don’t have a clue as to what you are talking about? Yes the person we stopped just happened to be a tourist from France! Merde! My grip simultaneously tightened on the Fiesta steering wheel. Time was quickly running out now. At that moment daughter Steph suddenly pointed towards a large sign set back from the main road. ‘Look Dad, it says Pixmore!’ Ethereal words indeed. This expert surveillance came at a price though and the promise of a cheeseburger would be an appropriate reward for her detective work. A true life-saver!  It was now 6.10pm and disaster had somehow been averted.   A rush of excitement (that I made reference to earlier) followed as we pulled up into the club car park and caught sight of the large club house bearing the sign: ‘Welcome to Letchworth Garden City Eagles FC’.  What a set up! From first impressions the place looked much better than I had first envisaged in my mind’s eye. I couldn't quite take it all in as both sets of players were making their way onto the pitch. We quickly climbed out of the Wraymobile II and made a bee-line for the entrance, just in time for the referee to blow his whistle. Game on. Perfect!   This was Eagles fourth game of the season and came off the back of two defeats: a 6-0 drubbing by fellow newcomers Hitchin Town Arena* ten days earlier and a 2-1 defeat at Kimpton Rovers in an Aubrey Cup match on Saturday. Rangers themselves had also lost a couple of games, most recently to Croxley Guild in a tight 5-3 cup defeat. Both clubs definitely had a point to prove. No one could have predicted the result here tonight though. In a cracking encounter the homesters ran riot winning the Division 1 game by an impressive 7-2 scoreline with Follano and Saunders both netting a brace. You would be forgiven for thinking that the visitors from Stevenage had thrown in the towel. Not a bit of it! Despite the heavy defeat the reds had contributed throughout and had in fact netted the last goal of the game. All credit to them and their tireless manager Andy Dolby who is unfailingly dedicated to the cause. The fixture not surprisingly attracted a large numbers of 'hoppers who had travelled from all points of the compass to give an attendance approaching 60. It was great to meet up with many old (and young) acquaintances as I made my way slowly around the touchline.   The match was played on a well grassed but bumpy playing surface in warm, sunny conditions. Travellers were greeted with the encouraging news that a neatly laid out, full colour 4-page programme priced £2 (including admission) had been produced for the midweek game. How cool is that! The striking club logo and match details were printed on the front cover followed by a welcome, club history, brief summary of fixtures and results as well as team line ups inside to provide interesting content. What more could an enthusiastic paper-chaser want? Great stuff!   The Eagles' senior teams were born as recently as June 2008 (giving boys the opportunity to continue playing for the club after their junior days were over). They started back in 1978/79 as Westbury Eagles, with two teams and over 30 players participating. During the early 1980’s the club name was changed to the Letchworth Garden City Eagles and the Pixmore playing fields were used. The Borg Warner playing field behind the ground was also acquired allowing more teams to be fielded. A new changing pavilion situated in the gravel car park was opened back in November 2006. Today it is found at the end of an approach road (shared with the neighbouring Letchworth Eagles Rugby Club). The match day catering facilities here are excellent and a range of hot and cold refreshments are provided for spectators. Daughter Stephanie in the end chose to devour a tasty bacon roll smothered in tomato sauce and gave it a healthy (?) ten out of ten!   The main pitch which has a marked side-to-side slope is laid out on the playing fields immediately to the left. A narrow entrance allows players to enter the playing area although spectators are encouraged to stand behind the low wire fence (and watch the action from the car park) on this side of the ground. Many strayed a bit further to get a better view of the action. Hmmm. The ground is in most respects an enclosed venue. A high mesh fence segregates the adjacent rugby club beyond the left hand goal with the opposite side and other end being bordered by some mature trees. There is no cover on site at present.   A great tick! If you’ve not been here yet then a visit is highly recommended. In fact I went back there again three days later. Well almost, as my chosen game between Baldock Town Letchworth and Codicote was played at the Herts County FA Ground which is literally next door! The joys of hopping!   *A final thought: Are there any fixtures that contain more letters (66) than this one (in the HSCL Division 1)?  Hitchin Town Arena Football Club v Letchworth Garden City Eagles Football Club. Maybe some our eagle-eyed (sorry) readers will let us know...  FGIF Match Rating: 5.

edited 19/09/08