No.52 - Sat. 9th May 2009; Essex & Suffolk Border League Division 1                         2.00pm at The Playing Field, Nayland Road, Bures, Sudbury, Suffolk. (Att: 10; Admn and Prog: N/A)

Matchday images (16) >view>  Bures United (0) 1 Holland FC (1) 4   A name to remember...   To the seasoned 'hopper any ground address which is listed simply as the ‘playing field’ usually suggests a venue located somewhere in the confines of a public park. And nine times out of ten you would be right for thinking this way. Today I was really surprised to find an absolute gem of a ground laid out before my eyes when I arrived at the playing fields in Nayland Road. The lovingly maintained site which is home to Bures United Football Club also caters for several other sporting activities as well as soccer. It has got to be one of the better set-ups in this division without a doubt! There are plenty of interesting features to excite the enthusiastic traveller.    The beautiful village of Bures St Mary is only a stone’s throw away from the neighbouring town of Sudbury and can be easily reached by following a windy route from Great Cornard which takes you right through the sticks. The area is characterised by old fashioned buildings, a mixture of uneven beams and thatch. You really do feel that you have stepped back into a bygone age. The ground entrance off Nayland Road leads to a tidy car park, the well appointed village hall and several sports pitches. There is definitely a feeling of orderliness, care and pride here which is a credit to the local parish who own the land.   The football club is self-contained and has its own facilities with a smart changing pavilion and function room standing in the far corner. The club name is proudly displayed above the door for all to see. A modern tea bar and bar lounge provide a wide range of hot and cold dinks and snacks for its patrons. Beforehand a few tables had been set up outside for a barbeque to be held later in the afternoon. The smell of food cooking over an open grill soon filled the air: heaven! Sadly for us the food had been prepared for a group of young ramblers who were to finish off their afternoon trek at the village hall with a tasty treat. There’s a law about that…   The main pitch runs lengthways from the car park towards the far end of the field. An area of grass between the pitch and a children’s play area is used for mini football coaching and training. Strangely an old fashioned wooden beacon, with its unique mast and supporting turret, is clearly visible here as it towers over the park. The pitch (un-roped today) is bordered on the near-side by a long but low hedgerow and neighbouring field. A large wooden dug-out with a pitched roof provides cover in the winter months. This is a unique building and definitely one that will be appreciated by all serious ground collectors. Further along the touchline is a mini skate ramp.   On the opposite side there are some new floodlit tennis courts set back a short distance from the pitch. A narrow path leads you past a small covered bench seat and a concrete table tennis table both cemented to the ground. Amazingly the net is left out for public use - this would be unheard of in most places. Behind here is another beautifully maintained field which belongs to Bures Cricket Club. You won’t believe your eyes when you see the pavilion. Complete with a thatched roof and wooden changing rooms it surely has to be one of the quaintest, if not quirkiest, found in the game today. Some remedial building work is currently being carried out before the season starts in a couple of weeks. To add to the rustic scene there is a small footbridge in the far corner which spans the River Nayland which runs alongside the playing field. It really is a delightful setting.   Moving back to the football now. Despite the late cancellation of a reserve team game, the kick off remained at the earlier planned time of 2pm. This was Bures FC’s last home match of the season and the result today would not affect their creditable mid table position. Having already won in midweek Holland FC by contrast had gained enough points to take the Division 1 title and so for them little rested on the result. Mind you try telling that to the players.   A competitive encounter was played out in bright sunshine and entertained the ten spectators (including a fellow hopper Pete from Surrey) who attended. For me the game will be remembered for something quite remarkable that happened towards the end of the second half.   With the score at 1-3 the stopwatch indicated that only ten minutes of the game remained. Even though Bures had just pulled a goal back through Cresswell (80), the visitors had seemingly done enough to take the points. Earlier strikes by Joe Martin (38); Dave Chapman (63) and Warren Taylor (78) convinced the manager that it was time to give one of his substitutes a run out. Happy with his side’s performance the gaffer wanted to bring on some ‘fresh legs’.   As the ball was kicked out of play a change in personnel was quickly made. A hungry looking figure with pot belly, rugged complexion and thinning hair was already standing on the touchline eagerly waiting to join the fray. His introduction to the game was met with immediate approval from all of his team mates and the exuberant band of travelling fans who had gathered close to the half-way line. Loud applause and cheers rang out followed quickly by an enthusiastic chant of ‘Charlie…Charlie…Charlie…’ What a terrific response that was!!   In fact our ageing super sub wearing the number 15 shirt was so keen to get involved that he restarted the game himself by taking the subsequent throw-in. His modest but assured aim found another orange shirt as Holland maintained possession and moved forward to attack the hosts’ goal. Despite being a little slow to keep up with play it was his purposeful run to the edge of the area that set up the next goal (see pic above). With pinpoint accuracy his delicate touch allowed Wayne Morris to run onto and cross the ball for unmarked Lee Nash to blast the ball up into the net from a tight angle. A magnificent strike! So ferocious was the shot it bent the supporting stanchion. This late goal rounded off a superb display and resulted in an emphatic 1-4 win.   There was just enough time for the players to run over to Charlie and thank him for the part he had played in making the goal. More cheers could be heard once again on the far side of the pitch as the away supporters appreciably revelled in the moment. I had a feeling there was somehow more to this than first met the eye. So what was all the fuss about?   After the game I walked over to the changing pavilion to find out a little bit more. I was told by a couple of the lads that our lovable hero is in fact one of the longest serving members at their club. Although he now spends most of his time helping out with coaching sessions than actually playing, Charlie often makes appearances for the team at the end of the season. It’s a bit of a ritual apparently. Nothing remarkable in that I hear you say. Well it is when you consider his age. Charlie is ….wait for it, a mere 65 years old!! Surely this must be some sort of non league record? If you know otherwise we’d love to hear from you. Answers to FGIF via the IMS please….   But there’s more. As I looked down the team line- ups written neatly by Mrs W on my trusty FGIF Match Stats card I found to my utter surprise that Charlie’s surname is in fact… WRAY! What a coincidence! Perhaps he is a long lost relation?! After the game I noticed through the changing room door that my namesake following his exertions had crashed out on the floor and was enjoying a well earned rest with his team mates. So if you get chance to watch Holland FC one day, remember the name, Charlie Wray. He might be playing...   In closing it just remains for me to say that Bures Football Club is definitely well worth a visit. Apart from the delightful quirky little ground, 'hoppers will also find every member of the club to be very polite and helpful. Despite the lack of programmes don’t be put off by travelling to this football outpost found on the Essex and Suffolk Border. You’ll love it: the joys of hopping in public parks!!   FGIF Match Rating: 4.

edited 15/05/09