SOUTH WEST PENINSULA LEAGUE HOP

SOUTH WEST PENINSULA LEAGUE HOP

Held over Easter 2016

Organiser Phil Hiscox

A superb weekend organiser by SWPL Secretary Phil Hiscox and his committee from 1 match on the Maundy Thursday Evening to the 3 games on each of Good Friday and Easter Saturday, with a mixture of the 4 seasons of Cornwall thrown in as well.

Thursday we began at AFC St Austell, a club I have visited several times  and they took on their local rivals St Blazey FC with the homesters running out 4-0 victors in front of a crowd of 451 who brave the heavy rain.

The Friday began in bright sunshine at Illogan RBL where they upset the formbook and beat 2nd placed Penryn Athletic 3-1 with 369 people watching, we then followed the narrow country lanes down to Wendron United FC who since I have visited have done a lot of work on their ground including a superb stand down the far side of the pitch and plenty of advertising boards around it. The game v Porthleven FC finished even in a 1-1 drew in front of a crowd of 427. For the evening match we travel to Helston AFC where the Helston Town Brass Band turned and played away to the Famous Floral Dance as the players entered the pitch. This game provided the biggest gate of the weekend topping 514 to watch Helston beat Falmouth by a single goal.

Saturday Morning saw a monsoon as we headed to Sticker AFC and we was greeted on arrival by the Club Chair who was busy with the bacon cobs, he also allowed us to set up stall like a few other clubs on the Hop to set up in their clubhouses, since my last visit they now have a stand and also they have extended the clubhouse. On the pitch, they were equally as good as they beat Wadebridge 6-1 in front of 372 people. We then headed down the road to St Dennis who entertained Millbrook that ended up as the game of the weekend as the Saints ran out 6-4 winners to send the  crowd of 306 away happy, where most the hoppers were looking at the match through the massive clubhouse windows. To the final game we travelled to north cornwall to watc the local derby between Bude Town & Holsworthy FC and a decent crowd of 409 turned out to watch Bude win 5-1.

A BIG thankyou to all the clubs for allowing me and my wife to set up the Charity Stall at all the games and also to Penryn who also donated some of their old club shirts and to all those who helped by spending at the stall raising a great £60.37p, which takes the running total to £651.17p.  With the 34 goals scored the total now goes up to £659.67p.

If you like Groundhops, please dont forget the NOTTS SENIOR LEAGUE HOP is 1 match on Friday 29th April and 4 matches on Saturday 30th April..Already over 100 Advanced Tickets sold, so please contact me on hornby60uk@yahoo.co.uk