Having relocated from my Hammersmith penthouse to my Broadstairs dacha, groundhopping trips now add a minimum of one and a quarter hours travelling time to my day, so for my first trip from the Costa del Thannet I didn't try anything too momentous and with the Essex Olympian League currently awash with programmes, newcomers Southend Sports fitted the bill perfectly.

Shoeburyness is the last station on the line from Fenchurch Street, a very well used route with four trains an hour. For a terminus there isn't much around Shoeburyness Station, and most of what there is seems to be owned by the M.O.D. You won't need a map, left out of the station, keep going till you reach the T junction, turn right and the ground will be clearly visible on the right hand side after a 32 minute walk (or if you are younger and fitter than me, a bit less). There is a bus stop right outside the ground, and while buses do occasionally stop there, they are few and far between, and won't help you get home after a game.
 
There are a total of four pitches at "The Sports" As you enter there is  a large car park with a pitch on the right, only used for Sunday football. Straight ahead is the clubhouse and the three other pitches are behind that, with the main one being closest, so easy to pop back in at half time to watch the latest scores and top up on caffine. Reasonably priced and very filling rolls are also available. The ground/pitch is roped off with a small changing room block in one corner. There were two other games going on and I assume they have changing facilities in the clubhouse area.
 
Given the two clubs league positions, this result has to go down in the "It's a funny old game" category, with the home team coming into the match having scored 41 goals and lying second with the Londoners in eighth place having scored just 8. A pleasant afternoon watching the goals go in on what was the hottest November day on record. It's on days like this that "Climate Change" suddenly reverts back to "Global Warming" I stopped off at Southend on the way, people were actually on the beach sunbathing, everything was open for business, and it was just like a summer Saturday.
 
A word on the programme, an excellent effort from MK Publications who are currently producing programmes for eleven Olympian league clubs. A worthy venture that is a boon to paper chasers such as myself. I assume they must make money, but none of the travelling contingent could work out just how. Long may it continue.