Welcome to the Playing Field
Upper Beeding vs Westfield
SCFL Division Two
The Memorial Playing Fields
November 7
Attendance 25
The beauty of football is that it transcends it’s dictionary description of just a game. It unites, divides, brings joy, provides sorrow – in fact pretty much every emotion can be summed up on a football pitch when Saturday comes. There was a reminder of this on Remembrance weekend when Nomad took a trip to the Memorial playing fields‎.
Sitting the heart of a pretty village with views of the downs on both sides, this was the home of Upper Beeding FC‎. It’s rare not just in its picturesque setting but also because there was ample car parking.
It was also rare as despite turning up 30 minutes before kick off‎ in conditions best suited to filming a horror movie, I couldn’t find anywhere to get a cup of tea. The home team, the yellows, we’re busy warming up while the visitors were just heading to the dressing rooms. Beyond was a mammoth two tier building which I reckoned must be the clubhouse. But after walking up the cast iron fire escape to the open door, what I presumed to be the kitchen has just a kettle, TV and few chairs but no one there. I had a peek for a programme – nope. And there wasn’t a team board either. Weird.
The teams emerge
As it was I retreated back downstairs, headed out to the roped off spectator area and waited for the teams to emerge in the hope that the game wasn’t called off.
It wasn’t. So after the teams trotted out across the cricket outfield, they stood arm in arm for a minutes silence. And then, it was game time.
The first 30 minutes was largely uneventful, which does give me a chance to talk about the weather. It was dreadful. The rain was driving and contained all manner of animals, rather than just the cat and dog. And the wind was, to use a West Ham legend’s name in vein, blowing a Tony Gale. Perfect for Nomad’s waterproofs, difficult for possession football.
It was a day of brave challenges
Beeding did try to keep the ball on the floor though – kicking in to the wind, they couldn’t ‎do much else. The visitors, from a village near Bexhill, went a bit more rural, relying on a variety of lofted balls which inevitably got blown in to arms of the opposing goalie.
Bizarrely, the visiting number 8 seemed to be called Heman (named after the cult 80s cartoon hero perhaps). If so, he failed big time in using his superhero powers to retrieve a number of stray passes which ended up in the fenced-off cricket square area adjoining the pitch. “I can’t get jump over, I’ll do by back in,” the Westfield full back told me. Looking at the muddy conditions and spikes atop the four foot fence, such a conundrum was best left for the kids to solve, which they did on more than one occasion. Throw in a few bone-crunching tackles, and there was plenty to keep Nomad interested in during the early exchanges, even if the quality wasn’t that much.
Wind causes havoc -at least with the sponsor board behind the goal
The deadlock was broken after 20 minutes. Following good work on the leftm the ball broke to James Rowland who rifled it in from edge of the box. It triggered two things – one: the yellows had a mass group hug; two: the visitors started arguing – and from what I could hear, only 30 per cent of what was said was football related.
The rest of the half was full of sliding tackles, a gale force wind and a bit of humour. Westfield could have had one back when a flicked shot was turned on to the post. Moments later, when one of their players was lying injured Yellows’ goalie did the sporting thing by putting the ball out. Only this meant belting the ball really hard so it clear the adjoining fence. Have it.
Two nil to Beeding after Westfield’s GK fluffs a clearance
Half time came and while the players retreated for a cup of vimto and a slice of orange, Nomad discovered to his horror a total lack of cash. So rather than grabbing a mug of tea, I was left to retreat to the car and warm up with artificial French air from the vehicle’s engine.
The second half brought a great deal more on the footballing front. Whatever Beeding put in their Vimto I’d love to know, as they came out of the blocks firing. Wit the wind at their backs they scored three quick goals. The first was thanks to a fluffed clearance from the opposing goalie which was turned in by James Bacon from 35 yards. Then there was a bullet header from Sam Gunn, before Ben Whales added a fourth following some nice play down the left.
Westfield pull a goal back from the penalty spot
But Westfield to their credit did not give in. And after the introduction of their subs, really looked a far stronger team going forward. On 65 minutes they received a pen which was slotted home. Then, a few minutes later there was a more obvious foul in the box – but, much to the Westfield manager’s ire, he waved play on. Cue, an earful aimed at the man in black.
That killed the game. But there was still time for a bit of fun in the last five minutes. After a bit of an iffy foul, Westfield’s number 10 was booked.
Final whistle. Upper Beeding 4 Westfield 1
But he gave the ref such a mouthful for the next three minutes that he issued him a second yellow – and all before the game resumed. Following a few appeals, he turned round and asked one of the Westfield lads: “Do you want one as well?” Number nine clearly did, as just moments later, he got one too. Madness.
And so the game ended, four one to the home team. And as the players trundled off for something a little stronger than Vimto, Nomad retreaded to the car, dripping wet and mud flying everywhere. It’s these kind of days that you remember…
Autumn leaves
THE ESSENTIALS
Upper Beeding FC
The Memorial Fields,
Upper Beeding,
Sussex
BN44 3WN
www.upperbeedingfc.co.uk
@upperbeedingfc
Getting there and away
Car: from the south, leave the A27 at the Shoreham flyover and take the exit marked Steyning /A283. Head north on this road until you come to a roundabout. Take the second exit towards Henfield and Small Dole. At the next roundabout go straight on and Memorial Palying Fields in on your right signposted sports field.
Westfield go close wit a solid strike – but it was straight at the goalie
Nearest station: Shoreham (five miles)
Bus: the Number 2 bus (Brighton and Hove) runs from central Brighton to Steyning and Upper Beeding every 30 mins. It stops in Upper Beeding high street, a short walk to the ground.
Programme
A first for Nomad, I read this online before I went to the game. Nicely done by the Beeding committee. It had some excellent features in there and clearly a labour of love for whoever puts it together. Just wish I could have picked up a paper copy at the game too.
The clubhouse on the outside
Food and drink
Not a sausage on this front, partly due to arriving too early, partly due to having no money in the Nomad wallet…
Clubhouse
Basic. And not easily accessible. And not obvious either. That’s providing I found the actual clubhouse and not just some hall which was being used by those finishing off their pilates class…
Toilets
The clubhouse on the inside
Not sure. Didn’t pop in as didn’t want to talk in to the said pilates class…
MATCH FACTS
Upper Beeding FC 4
James Rowland 20; James Bacon 50;
Sam Gunn 54; Ben Whales 60
Westfield 1
Adebola Sotoyinbo 65
Attendance – 25
Nice colour co-ordinated dugouts
Upper Beeding
**note: numbers not correct
1. JJ Banasco Zaragosa
2. Leo Trower
3. Fraser Lawrence
4. Jim Bacon
5. Lee Donaldson
6. Sam Goodridge
7. James Rowland
8. Sam Gunn
9. Sam Witherden
10. Sam Whales
11. Alex Townley
And a fourth after neat play on the left
Subs
12. Dylan Fane
14. Louis Smart
15. Dan Geard
Westfield
TBC
Scouting report
Sitting in mid table, Upper Beeding have a lot to do in order to catch the front runners at the top of the SCFL Division Two. But on this showing they certainly have the players to do it. With a solid back line who are strong in the air and a front pairing who bring the rest of team into play, they look a good if not spectacular side. Stand out players were Sam Gunn, who deserved his goal, and full back Fraser Lawrence. According to the programme it was his birthday – although I’m not quite sure the fashion world is ready for his Zoolander pose just yet…
Beeding go close with a header
As for Westfield and I think this was just a bad day at the office, as seen with the two red cards late on. The first half they were far too direct, with the wind taking too many through balls into the hands of the opposing goalkeeper. They looked a lot better in the second half when with the introduction of their substitutes, they looked better on the ball and kept it a lot more. Whether they can kick on beyond mid table, we’ll have to see.
Carry on up the Combi 