Holloways Park, Beaconsfield HP9 2SE

Saturday 20th January 2024

Beaconsfield Town v. Salisbury

January in England can be a challenge for the lower league follower - tends to be persisting with rain or colder than a morticians mistress, so careful planning ahead is needed. I was keen to avoid the Saturday morning constant checking of social media to see if my game is on/off/subject to a last minute pitch inspection. So I settled earlier in the week on a trip to the 3G surface at Beaconsfield.

For once there's neither industrial action nor engineering works, therefore I was able to take a stroll to my local station and get up to Waterloo without drama. A first for me today is a connection via Marylebone Station, meaning I have now caught a train from all four of the Monopoly rail terminals. Hence from now on I am entitled to £200 from anyone who visits any of the four and having checked with staff at Marylebone that IS legally enforceable. Marylebone probably the most chilled and bijou of the London Termini, feels very much like a less stressful era.

With plenty of time pre-game, after an amble around the Chiltern market town, I was tempted by Bekonscot Model Village (closed for Winter) however, G.K.Chestertons house was en route , so that's a tick for my list of Georgian British Authors  (taking the list to one btw).

Beaconsfield is a really picturesque area - a very pleasant, rural mile and a half stroll, ending with a narrow bridge over the M40 (scary!), I rock up at Holloways Park - my new stadium number 225.

It's 18th placed Rams versus 2nd place Salisbury, if my other trips to Southern Premier matches are anything to go by, this will be a close one.

Neat enclosed 3G pitch, with a main stand on one touchline, a second stand behind the far-end goal and a covered stepped terrace at the clubhouse end.Plus a delightful three step terrace part way down one side, giving bonus views of the M40.

Clubhouse nice and modern inside, posh coffees and Premier League on the telly, all the fun of the fair.

Match itself full of passing and possession football, cutting edge missing from both sides, all too many chances high, wide and less than handsome.

There are many things in this world that I cannot understand or explain , but quite how Salisbury didn't score, I don't know. Crossbar (four times), post, defenders limbs, inexplicable refereeing decisions, all preventing certain goals.

Late on the home team could have nicked it, but in the end as Father Brown would say "This week, I are been mostly seeing no goals".

[Final Score: Rams 0 Whites 0]