Abingdon United 1 Moreton Rangers 0 - Hellenic League, Division One
.png)
Abingdon is eight miles south of Oxford, in the
flat valley of the Thames and is situated on the west (right) bank of that
river, where the small river Ock flows in from the Vale of White Horse. The
town is situated on the A415 between Witney and Dorchester and has the benefit
of being adjacent to the A34 trunk road, linking it with the M4 and M40
motorways. Abingdon was the county town of Berkshire and the magnificent county
hall and courthouse (now the museum) was supposedly designed by Christopher
Wren. However, Abingdon's failure to engage fully with the railway revolution,
accepting only a branch line, disadvantaged the town in favour of Reading. The
corporation was reformed, under the Municipal Reform Act 1835 and was abolished
under the Local Government Act 1972. In 1974, under local government
reorganisation, Abingdon became part of the non-metropolitan Shire County of
Oxfordshire and the seat of the new Vale of White Horse District Council, with
Abingdon becoming a civil parish with a town council.
The football club was founded in
1946 by ex-servicemen as a rival to the already existing Abingdon Town FC. The
new club joined the North Berks League and won the league’s Charity Shield in the
first season. In 1958, promotion was secured to the Hellenic League. After 19
seasons in the bottom division, promotion to the Premier Division was achieved.
A 3rd place in 2006 enabled promotion to the South & West
Division of the Southern League. This being the club’s highest playing level since
foundation. Resignation from the Southern League in 2019 saw the club re-join
the Hellenic League
A midweek jaunt to Oxfordshire was facilitated by the offer of a lift (much appreciated Phil). The journey via A10 and M25 and M40 to Abingdon was relatively straightforward and we were parked up at The Northcourt at 18:45 with the opportunity to grab some photographs in the fading light before plenty of time for a drink ahead of the 19:45 kick off.
I had visited Abingdon Town FC for an Isthmian League match v Barking in March 1993. On that occasion I used local railway stations at Radley and Culham. Those connections worked for me on that particular Saturday, but I suspect would be less favourable midweek.
On an evening that had already been punctuated by
heavy showers, it was good to see plenty of cover for spectators at this tidy
venue. Along one side of the pitch, there is a covered seated stand affording a
good view of the playing area. On the opposite side of the pitch, between the dugouts,
is an impressive looking covered standing area. These structures were well used
throughout the evening.
Although not in use, there is a turnstile block
in the corner of the ground, adjacent to the car park. Admission fees were
taken from a table in front of here. The vast clubhouse building is situated at
this end of the ground and incorporates the changing facilities, refreshment
hatch and licenced bar with function room. The opposite end of the ground is
open, but is complimented by the backdrop of conifers which is also a feature
of the side with the seated stand, giving this venue an enclosed feel.
The match was played in a good spirit for the
majority of the time. The exceptions being a red card for a home player in the
second period and the award of a disputed penalty (saved by the Moreton Rangers
keeper), awarded after a long debate. My feeling was that the referee was ‘bullied’
into the decision. However, a second blankety blank on successive Tuesdays for
me was averted when Dan Chalmers headed the winner for the home side.
No comments:
Post a Comment