Match Information
・ Shenfield 4-1 Sungate
・ When: Saturday 11th January 2025
・ Kick-off: 2.30pm
・ Where: 3G pitch, St Martin’s School, Hanging Hill Lane, Hutton, Brentwood, Essex, CM13 2HG
・ Competition: ProKit UK Essex Olympian Football League Premier Division
・ Attendance: 43 (my headcount)
Another tension-fraught Saturday for groundhoppers with preceding overnight temperatures plunging to minus 15C signifying the coldest January conditions in 15 years.
I knew associated hard frost would cause multiple widespread football postponements on grass pitches. So I scrutinised fixtures scheduled for 3G artificial surfaces. Yet the scenario was problematic since frost can still make modern plastic pitches unplayable.
It is totally different to the 1980’s featuring original synthetic carpets. EFL members Queens Park Rangers, Luton Town, Preston North End and Oldham Athletic installed ‘Omniturf’ back then which was entirely weather proof.
I vividly recall one wintery matchday at QPR whereby willing inmates from nearby HM Prison Wormwood Scrubs came along to sweep the thick snow away utilising an assortment of brooms.
On other occasions, sand was spread in copious amounts to counter frost. These respective interventions are prohibited nowadays due to irreparable damage of the tiny black rubber crumb pellets adorning 3G pitches.
Hence I decided not to travel too far in case of a late postponement. Shenfield AFC looked promising for my 3G match of choice especially after they messaged me on Saturday morning to say: “Pitch is okay and the game will be on. See you down there!”
The club even made provision to deploy portable electric heaters on one frozen goal mouth area. Shenfield play in the Essex Olympian League – a Regional Feeder League promoting teams into Step 6 of the National League System subject to stringent ground grading criteria.
Therefore I set off on my relatively short 50 mile trip round the M25 motorway and up the A12 to the famous TOWIE neighbourhood of Brentwood.
It was while driving that I suddenly remembered a peculiar story concerning my first ever Essex Olympian League groundhop (called the Essex Intermediate League in those days) on Saturday 21st May 1988.
I’d just started dating a woman who was taking an interest in my fledgling broadcasting career as Clubcall’s Non-League editor although she didn’t know much about football.
Anyway, she rang me on the Friday and said: “What are your plans tomorrow?” I replied: “Well I’m going to a match.” And she said: “Ooh can I come too? I’ve always fancied experiencing a soccer event!”
Consequently we met at Liverpool Street Station and took the train out to Essex. She could barely contain her excitement en route saying: “This is going to be brilliant! A colleague at work was telling me everyone is packed together on the soccer terraces singing loudly and surging forward.”
For some strange reason, she actually thought we were heading to a top professional game. Cunningly I didn’t say anything because I didn’t want to spoil her imminent surprise of humble grassroots football.
We subsequently joined an attendance of 65 watching Runwell Hospital FC beat Benfleet FC 2-1 at The Chase ground in Wickford. Indeed, I had to stifle a giggle of amusement at kick-off time when my bemused girlfriend said: “Where are all the supporters? Where are the grandstands? It is not what I was expecting at all!”
Ground Description
The floodlit pitch at St Martin’s School is located within a tall green fenced cage behind the main academic buildings.
As is usual for this type of football set-up, a designated spectator viewing enclosure adjoins one touchline.
Programme Details
An 11 page online edition. Contents included sponsorship details, managerial column, player profile, club leading scorers, 2024/25 results and merchandise offers.
Full credit to Shenfield’s enthusiastic programme editor George Popperwell for producing a superb publication every week.
The Match
It was 4th entertaining 13th in the Essex Olympian League Premier Division standings. Thus anyone possessing expert knowledge of football odds amidst sports betting stakes may have fancied a home victory.
Even so, Sungate forged ahead on four minutes courtesy of Jack Williamson tapping in. However, Shenfield dramatically regrouped to notch four goals in quick succession via Freddie Madle twice (10 and 12 minutes), George Nash (15 mins) and Luke Williamson (18 mins).
That fourth strike was certainly the pick of the bunch embracing a meaty 15 yard volley. So the scoreline reached 4-1 with 72 minutes remaining!
When I was a kid, I always naively used to think goals would continue to flow in matches like this eventually reaching double figures by the end. Sometimes it does happen. But more often than not, the scoring stops.
Either the winning team takes their foot off the pedal or the losing side tighten up and it finished in a 4-1 triumph for Shenfield.
Football grounds visited: 2,616
