TT No.245: Paul Roth - Mon 5th May 2008; Mid Sussex League Premier Div; Jarvis Brook vs. Old Varndeanians; Res: 1-1; Att: 50 (?); Programme and Entry: N/A; Weather: Warm and sunny.

View matchday images  01 02 03 04           Mid Sussex League - FINAL TABLE Top 2             PL  W  D  L  PTS  GF  GA GD LINDFIELD   24  15  6   3   51   93   41    52 OLD V'S        24  15  6   3   51   56   30    26    From the sublime to the ridiculous! The wondrous pitch at Falmer on Saturday afternoon, at Old Varndeanians, was replaced this morning by a playing surface that would have even had the great Sherlock Holmes and his side kick Watson pondering where to turn next for a solution to it. Jarvis brook is adjoined to the town of Crowborough, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's birthplace, and the football club is located out in the sticks, on Palesgate Lane. A car park and changing room block are all that's there and the pitch is a further 100 yards distant down the lane.   Dandelion and daisy strewn, undulating, sloping, rock hard and ruched with drainage scars hardly describes the surface properly.   A shame, as OV's had to win to be certain of the league title this morning and they just couldn't ever come to terms with it, not unsurprisingly. A dour, goalless first half was followed by a better second period and when OV's scored from a penalty it looked as though the title was heading South. That was not to be, as JB deservedly equalised some fifteen minutes later, and with Lindfield winning 5-1 at Hassocks III the title had been lost, on goal difference, to them.   Near the end, OV's had scored a perfectly good goal, but this had been ruled out for offside by a rather too biased home club linesman. I was right in line with the action and the scorer was not only onside, but the pass to him was a backward one. On such decisions championships are won and lost.   Really, though, the only winner today was that dreadful pitch!   FGIF Rating...2*

contributed on 06/05/08