A midday phone call to an extremely helpful club secretary’s wife confirmed that the home game at Harpenden Rovers Football Club was definitely ‘on’ this afternoon despite heavy rain in the area. She remarked cheerfully  that her husband was '...already down at the ground sorting out all the bits and bobs like: hanging up the goal nets; putting a rope up round the pitch and making the tea'. When you need to know if a game is going ahead then this is just the sort of thing you like to hear isn’t it? Great stuff! The upbeat reply also provided us with a few brief directions to help us find the ground situated on the far side of Harpenden Common. We were told to follow the St. Albans Road out of town and then turn left down Cravells Road passing the local golf course. 

The information was spot on and meant for a hassle-free journey from racing HQ. Although the weather conditions had worsened, the players were already warming up and getting drenched at the same time when we got there. Today was an important one for the County League newcomers with Chipperfield Corinthians providing the opposition. It would certainly be a stiff test as the visitors were currently the unbeaten Division One leaders, having already amassed 28 points in just 10 games, an enviable record indeed!

And so it was no surprise when the game went according to the form-book. Rovers certainly had their work cut out as the Corinthians dressed in white shirts (not for long) and yellow shorts dominated most of the game, played on what became an increasingly rough and heavy pitch towards the end. Give the players plenty of credit though. They adapted well to the driving rain and strong cross winds which tested both sides but nevertheless contributed to a terrific game of competitive football.  It was Ben Picton who became the hero of the afternoon, netting four times for the Corinthians to help his team gain a comfortable and convincing 5-0 victory.  The burly striker with an unmistakable closely-shaven head proved to be a constant handful for the home rearguard – he more than made up for a lack of pace with a skilful first touch and perfect close ball control. A joy to behold for one with such a large frame!! His first goal (4) was a terrific low strike from a tight angle; the second (24) a deft lob from the edge of the box; the third (58) from the penalty spot after a frustrated defender eventually stopped him in his tracks and his last (90) a copy-book yet slightly better version of his first. In between all of this ego-massaging, his equally tricky striking partner Dan Hall (51) netted the club’s third after a clever one-two with …you’ve guessed, that man Picton again! The result will no doubt consolidate the Kings Langley-based club's position at the top. As for Rovers the defeat leaves them in the lower half of table but with other teams such as Bedwell Rangers, Hatfield Town and Old Parmiterians Football Clubs still struggling to find their best form, they should pick up enough points during the season to maintain and improve upon their present position.

Rovers play their home matches on the expansive Harpenden Common in an area known as Acres Corner. About two miles south of the town centre, it’s set in a rather unique location characterised by rough terrain and dense woodland on all sides. It’s a lovely setting and the beautiful colours of autumn provided a lovely picture postcard backdrop. From the St Albans end Cravells Road leads up to the ground on the left and the Harpenden golf course on the right. Although the postage stamp sized car park provides limited parking opportunities at the ground there is plenty of space along the road which runs parallel to the sports field. A small wooden clubhouse complete with red club logo (above the door) houses the changing rooms and adjacent tea bar. This cosy cubby-hole offers hot and cold drinks and snacks including a ‘decent’ Cornish pasty, as described by one of the locals who had just got his hands on the last one! Cheers mate! Players and spectators use separate doors to take them from the pavilion to the pitch some 100 yards away across a patch of very rough and wet (on this occasion) grassland.

There are two pitches on site marked out at ninety degrees from one another. The main one is roped along half of it’s perimeter through plastic tubular posts (along one side and behind the nearest side of each goal-line) to separate it from the other pitch. An assortment of wooden park benches, arranged at different positions around the pitch, provide some basic seating (except on a wet day when they become out of bounds). There is no cover at all. Unusually a row of residential houses is set behind some trees on the far side of the common. If you look carefully a road sign is visible near to pitch-side with the street name 'East Common' written on it. The roaring noise you can hear in the background comes from trains running past on the nearby rail line to and from Harpenden station situated about a mile away.

Like several others watching the game we took refuge in the surrounding woodland. Fran and I dressed in several layers and donning a couple of unfashionable but functional woolly hats cowered beneath a couple of conker trees to escape the worst of the deluge throughout the game. A couple standing close by kept looking over as we attempted to take some action photos from the confines of the surrounding bracken and undergrowth… hmmm… was it the camera that drew their attention...or was it our ‘Womble-like’ appearance? I suppose that we really do need to get out more! A quick headcount revealed that a hard core of 22 spectators managed to survive the conditions for most of the game. As the Common is a popular haunt for outdoor enthusiasts, pony trekkers and ramblers. I imagine, if you included casual onlookers into the ‘gate’ , the overall number probably reached twice as many as this during the course of the afternoon.

Although the club, like some in this division of the Hertfordshire County Senior League, do not issue match day programmes at the moment, this should not deter travellers from making a visit to this a friendly, well-run club. A word of warning though. As the site is open to the elements don’t forget your anorak.

Our journey home took us around Harpenden town centre and along the B653 towards Welwyn before joining the A1 (M) North. We did our best to dry out whilst listening to Radio 5 Live. We turned on the live commentary from Old Trafford to hear the worrying news that the Tigers were losing 4-1 to Manchester United. Unable to listen to any more we quickly dropped into the nearest Tesco's emporium, at Hatfield, for a few nibbles. Twenty minutes later we returned and with trepidation turned the volume slowly back up again to learn that the score was now 4-3! Despite defeat it was another amazing result. What an end to a cracking (rainy) day out…the joys of being an obsessive football fanatic continues …