Post by Dave on Dec 26, 2015 9:26:10 GMT
CARLSBERG SOUTH WEST PENINSULA LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION
Stoke Gabriel V Ivybridge Town
Saturday 26th December 2015 Kick-Off 12pm
Venue G J Churchward Memorial Ground
Referee Lee Roberts Referee Assistants Gary Hammon & Sam Rhodes
Saturday 26th December 2015 Kick-Off 12pm
Venue G J Churchward Memorial Ground
Referee Lee Roberts Referee Assistants Gary Hammon & Sam Rhodes
Final Score Stoke Gabriel 5 Ivybridge Town 3
I would like to take this opportunity to wish all Davesworld readers, local football clubs, match referees and all the players a wonderful happy Christmas.
Football was as much a part of Christmas as jingle bells and mince pies.
Going to watch a football match on Boxing Day has always been something I have done all of my life, but there once was a time when football clubs played on Christmas day itself as well as Boxing Day. Christmas Day and Boxing Day double-headers were a routine part of the fixture list until 1957 and, although a handful of clubs ploughed on with hosting matches on the 25th December, they had generally fallen out of favour by 1963.
Football on both Christmas Day and Boxing Day made a lot of sense, particularly in the early years. Christmas Day was a rare public holiday, and football was one of the few entertainments available. In the days before television, it wasn’t possible to slump on the sofa in front of the EastEnders Christmas special, so folk wrapped up in new hats and scarves from Santa Claus and went out to watch football instead. There was also a full public transport service in operation on both days, meaning it was easy for fans to attend football matches over the festive period.
The first Football League match to be played on Christmas Day was Preston North End versus Aston Villa in 1889. Preston’s 'Invincibles' were the reigning league champions, but Villa had won the previous meeting between England’s top two sides
In 1890, a match between Blackburn Rovers and Darwen at Ewood Park ended in a Christmas Day riot, with very little seasonal goodwill on display.Rovers, saving their best players for a Boxing Day match at Wolves, fielded a reserve side. An aggrieved Darwen initially refused to play, before eventually offering up their own scratch XI. At this point, several thousand short-changed supporters of both sides united to show their displeasure. “The impatient crowd burst on the field, smashed the goalposts, and damaged the stands and the game in the end never went ahead.
In 1888, Everton played two matches on Christmas Day, then another on Boxing Day, On December 25th 1940, Norwich faced a Brighton team that arrived with only five players and cobbled together an XI using volunteers from the crowd.
The busy festive fixture list proved extremely lucrative for clubs, but wasn’t so popular with players. Many were committed drinkers, and unable to resist seasonal excesses. Some clubs even provided their players with booze as a Christmas treat.
Clapton Orient striker Ted Crawford, later a popular manager and raconteur, recalled his entire team turning up drunk for a Christmas Day match against Bournemouth in 1931 courtesy of a barrel of beer provided by their manager. Crawford was unable to see straight and ended up collapsing on the pitch in a sozzled heap. Clapton (now Leyton) Orient lost 2-1, but sobered up sufficiently to win the Boxing Day return match 1-0.
On Christmas Day 1937, it was fog rather than alcohol that hung over football. Britain was covered in a thick grey blanket, forcing many league games to be postponed or abandoned. The game between Chelsea and Charlton at Stamford Bridge went ahead, and both sides scored a goal, but in the second half the fog thickened and Charlton keeper Sam Bartram began to lose sight of his team-mates. “We were on top at this time,” he remembered in his autobiography, “and I saw fewer and fewer figures as we attacked steadily.” Bartram paced up and down his goal-line, assuming that his side had the opposition pinned in their own half. After several lonely minutes, a figure emerged from the fog. “What on Earth are you doing here?” enquired a puzzled policeman. “The game was stopped a quarter of an hour ago. The field’s completely empty!” “When I groped my way to the dressing room,” wrote Bartram, “the rest of the Charlton team, already out of the bath and in their civvies, were convulsed with laughter.”
In 1949, with football at its post-war peak of popularity, almost 3.5 million fans attended the Football League’s Christmas programme of three matches over four days. Bumper crowds were boosted by fans for whom the Christmas Day match was their only game of the season. Christmas match reports from this turnstile-spinning era convey a particularly jovial atmosphere. Fans would join together to sing carols before kick-off, then pass round cigars and share hip flasks of Christmas spirits. Match programmes were adorned with sprigs of holly, and contained season’s greetings from club directors, staff and players.One strange post-Second World War Christmas football custom involved fans throwing orange peel at players. Oranges were a heavily-rationed luxury, and a popular Christmas gift. “People saved it up in their stockings and brought it to the ground just to chuck it at opposition players.
The Christmas of 1956 was one of the whitest on record. However, although bad weather – plus a petrol shortage – kept many spectators at home, all of the Christmas Day fixtures went ahead. 1950s footballers were a hardy breed, and games were played in three inches of snow and driving winds
Stamford Bridge 1956
No need for hats and scarves or shovels to clear any snow off the pitch this Boxing Day, a rain coat, umbrella and Wellington boots being the order of the day at any game that had survived this very wet and unseasonable weather.
Just three wins from seventeen starts is the reason Stoke find themselves in eighteen place on the league table with just Camelford and St Blazey keeping them off the bottom. It’s not the start many were expecting at Stoke, could this season be rescued starting with a good home Boxing Day win against Ivybridge Town.
Surprisingly for a team so low down the table, Stoke only have a minus four goal difference, to date in the league they have scored twenty nine goals and conceded thirty three. Eleven defeats, just three wins and three draws mean they have only managed to put twelve points on the board. The margins of defeat have often been small, so there is every hope this season will be turned around as long as the defence is tightened up
Ivybridge town came to the G.J. Churchward Memorial Ground in forth place in the league table, but they had played six more league games then Stoke. From their twenty three starts they had won eleven, drawn four and lost eight, scoring forty three goals, conceding thirty seven, giving them thirty seven points with a plus six goal difference.
Its not normal this season when I cover a Stoke game to witness a victory, but I did today and how well deserved it was. The pitch looked very good considering all the rain we have had lately, it was just a shame more spectators were there to watch what turned out to be a very entertaining game of football. With Galmpton being home to Brixham at an 11am kick-off and TUFC home as well (3pm lick-off) I do not think Stoke were expecting a bumper crowd.
It was very dull weather wise with a strong wind blowing around, but it was clear from the off Stoke were up for this match and fancied their chances of winning it. The game was only minutes old when Stokes Ollie Booth hit a fine shot from just outside the area that only just cleared the crossbar.
It was no real surprise when Stoke took an early lead, they had won a free kick that was fired high into the Ivybridge box. Josh Oak in goal for Ivybridge called for the ball and his defenders left him too it, but Ryan O’ Callaghan got to the ball first and looped a header over the keeper into the back of the net.
Ivybridge came close to scoring their first goal when Lee Doel went on a fine run and from a tight angle on the left hand side of the goal, fired a low shot that ran along the goal line with no Ivybridge player being able to get a touch on the ball.
But they did not have to wait too much longer to get an equaliser; it was a great shot from the edge of the area by Reece Shanley that flew into the top right hand corner of the goal giving Nathan Murphy no chance of making a save.
Ivybridge then had a great chance to take the lead when Stokes Frazer Clark sliced his clearance; the ball went straight to the head of Lee Doel who put his effort just wide of the right hand post.
Just seconds after this missed chance by Ivybridge, Stoke went back in front. A great through ball played in Ollie Aplin, who once into the box kept his cool and hit a low shot that Josh Oak got a touch on but not enough to stop the ball crossing the goal line.
Ivybridge reply was almost instant after they won a free kick out on the right hand side of the pitch. The ball was fired into the Stoke box and headed down for Lee Doel to fire home. I felt at this time that Stoke after having the lead twice and losing it both times, they might end up losing the match.
That was it for the first half and it was anyone’s game to win really and straight from the off Ivybridges lee Doel made space for a shot just inside the Stoke box that was well saved by Nathan Murphy.
Stoke took the lead again, this time a throw-in was taken on the right hand side into the Ivybridge box. Ryan O’ Callaghan took a shot at goal and as it was going in at the left hand post, an Ivybridge defender stuck out a boot to try and stop the ball crossing the line, but the ball hit his boot and went over it into the back of he net. A goal I most defiantly will give to Ryan O’ Callaghan.
Stoke then went and made the score four two to them when Liam Jones was brought down from behind in the Ivybridge box. Robbie Bowker placed the ball on the spot and blasted it past Josh Oak into the back of the net.
Ivybridge were working hard enough and had a number of chances to score that they did not take, then they found themselves even further behind. A long ball out of the Stoke defence was headed on by Robbie Bowker that Ollie Aplin got on the end of and he rounded the keeper and slotted the ball home.
Ivybridge made it five goals to three when they were given what I thought looked a very soft penalty. The kick was taken by Sam Marker who placed the ball just inside the right hand post.
Steve Sutton had a great chance to pull another goal back for Ivybridge, but he sent his shot over the crossbar. Reece Shanley hit a powerful thirty yard shot that Nathan Murphy just managed to push around his left hand post. Ivybridge sub Joe Truelove had the best chance of all with just the keeper to beat, but he miss kicked the ball when a goal looked a certainty.
There were two late bookings in the game, Jordan Walton for Ivybridge for a late challenge and Ryan O’ Callaghan for Stoke for kicking the ball away.
Stoke proved today they are more than capable of beating teams in the top half of the table, I’m sure all Stoke fans are hoping this result might spark off a winning run that would see Stoke move further away from the bottom of the table.
