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Matchday images (10)
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Earlier in the season I mentioned that
during last Summer I'd compiled a prioritised list of the top one thousand
clubs I'd most like to visit. Well, that tabulation has now been augmented
to just over three thousand, sub-divided into 10 categories. i.e, by GBG
density entry per square mile, by country, by county, by altitude over 500
metres and so on.
Unusually entitled clubs also constitute
their own category, so with that in mind and following Alan and my sojourn
to Perranporth FC for the initial game on Saturday of this year's SWPL
hop, coupled with the fact that we had together 'done' Godolphin Atlantic
FC last Easter, the opportunity presented itself to 'tick-off '
one such-named side from this list.
My friend hadn't previously been to Truro
City FC's Treyew Road stadium but was keen to do so whilst in the area.
The offer of a lift and a chance to watch their Zamaretto Premier League
home match versus Didcot Town was just about to be undertaken by himself,
when news broke that that fixture had fallen foul of the seemingly
never-ceasing precipitation.
So, fingers very much crossed that their
pitch was playable, we headed for the enigmatically-entitled Sticker AFC.
I recall a conversation with Martin, our
esteemed web-host, during a West Country hop some years ago, when he
commented how he'd fancied watching a game there, for the novelty-name
value alone. Well, here we are!
It was all rather convenient actually, as
this ECLCGPD match didn't kick-off until 3 pm, affording us the time to
sample an ineffable Cornish ale or two, en-route to Burngullow Park.
Afterwards it was simplicity itself, to retrace our steps and travel
the 3.227 miles back to Goverseth Park, the home of Foxhole Stars FC, to
attend their 6 pm SWPL Division One West fixture against St. Austell FC.
Neophytes best describes both of us when it
comes to the East Cornwall League, neither of us having ever watched a
game in the competition before. On the Tuesday prior to my visit I had
spoken to club secretary Chris Osborne (who paradoxically
was away watching all the hop games!) and, via the auspices of their
excellent website, electronically contacted gregarious clubman Ray
Cackett, who I was fortunate enough to meet on the day. Both gentlemen
made it patently obvious to your correspondent that this is
an exceptionally friendly and lovingly cared-for football club.
Located as near to the topically named hamlet of
'Pothole' as it is to the larger collective of Sticker, the
club's beautiful and well appointed ground is set amidst agrarian
splendour with reminders of the china clay and tin mining industries
looming large on differing horizons.
Its history can be traced back almost one hundred years, to 1911
with a full résumé of the club's many ups and downs appearing on the
aforesaid website.
Found down an un-signed track, Burngullow
Park is fully posted and 'wired' around its perimeter, has a small
covered structure on its furthest extremity, a newly extended (the only
way you'd know this is by the absence of lichen on the newer roof
tiles) and refurbished clubhouse which sells the most tasty pasties for
just £1.20 plus the best range of bottled beers I've ever come across at
non-league football and has an appreciable slope on its playing surface,
that falls away towards the covered area, aiding drainage (most necessary
today!). The finishing glory is striped goal netting in the club's colours
of yellow and blue.
Astoundingly for this level, a superb
matchday programme is produced for all home 1st XI games. 16 pages of
news, information and well reproduced colour photographs was welcomed with
unmitigated glee by the splash(!) of 'hoppers taking a break from the main
event.
After a lot, and I do mean an awful lot, of
forking by hard working club devotees, an intelligent referee quite
rightly allowed the game to go ahead, the renowned playing surface coping
magnificently with the gallons of rainwater that had been previously
dumped on it. Although by no means a classic, play was always interesting;
two goals in the 90th and 92nd minutes, one for each side, was the reward
for spectators' stoicism on what was otherwise a miserable afternoon
weather-wise.
Rightly or wrongly, I award my star rating
for my experiences on the entire day, after visiting any given club.
But Burngullow Park is different,
something very special indeed and worthy of my highest accolade regardless
of whatever else took place on the day. An unforgettable, serendipitous
adventure, my short stay at Sticker AFC will quite literally 'stick'
in the memory forever.
As you might well have guessed, Wadebridge
Town Reserves FC doesn't feature anywhere on that three thousand-strong
hit list, so I'd better initiate a category for clubs that I don't ever
want to visit, though I suppose that's every other team that I'd not
previously itemised or thought of! My god, this groundhopping malarkey can
be mighty complicated at times, can't it?
FGIF Star Rating: 5*
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Sticker AFC
