TT No.188: Mike Latham - Sunday 27 February 2011: Spar Mid Wales League: Bow Street 0-2 Aberyswyth University; Attendance: 60 (h/c); Admission £2 including programme.

Matchday images (12) https://picasaweb.google.com/footballgroundsinfocus/BowStreetFC

The Spar Mid Wales League operates at level three of the pyramid in Wales and has really benefitted this season from an excellent new website that regularly updates fixtures and results information. It can be found here:

With the ravages of winter hopefully behind us there are plenty of games to catch up, especially those for the University side who have to fit in their games during term-time. So, just 24 hours after suffering a 2-0 home defeat at the hands of Carno the students were in action again in a local derby at Bow Street, a small village just four miles north of Aberystwyth.

It would be hard to imagine a more friendly club than Bow Street or one set in a more scenic location, it made for a great day out on a lovely, sunny afternoon. The Secretary couldn’t have been more helpful when I telephoned him on Sunday morning to check the game would be going ahead, nor the Chairman who was on the gate- throw in an excellent programme and a good tea bar and this was as good as groundhopping gets.

Legend has it that Bow Street derived its name from the London street, perhaps associated with the introduction of a turnpike, or toll road here in the 18^th century. Bow Street was on the road from Aberystwyth to Machynlleth and the road bends slightly at this point; similar to the ‘bow’ of the London Bow Street.

Bow Street FC have established themselves in the Mid Wales League and their ground, Cae Piod, Rhydypennau Playing Fields is located just to the north of the village down a narrow track. There is a small stream, called Nant Afallen which runs alongside the far side of the ground.

The main feature of the ground is a splendid club house that includes the dressing rooms and a tea bar and a small main stand on the half-way line with some seated and standing accommodation; the rest of the ground is open standing behind a post and rail fence. The playing pitch has a considerable slope and there are glorious views across to open countryside and rolling hills.

On a gloriously sunny and mild afternoon the students were the better team, hitting the woodwork twice before taking a 37^th minute lead with a long range shot that maybe took a deflection past the wrong-footed home ‘keeper. They sealed their win 12 minutes from time with a route one goal after a long punt up-field from their left-back. A home defender got a straight red card late on after a two-footed tackle that was out of character in a hard-fought but sporting encounter.

The Chairman said they were looking forward to being included in a future Hop itinerary, after the success of the first Mid Wales Hop earlier this season. The locals appeared bemused to learn that people had travelled from as far afield as Bolton and Aldershot for this game, so goodness knows how they will feel if they are part of an official hop game. If this does become reality then a visit to Bow Street is one to really look forward towards, for this is a friendly club set in idyllic surroundings with a beautifully appointed ground. As I said earlier, groundhopping doesn’t get much better than this.

contributed on 27/02/11