Match Preview

Next up - South Park home on Saturday, 11th August at Wodson Park SG12 0UQ; Bostik Isthmian League Div 1 (South Central), kick off 3pm.

Admission - Adults £10, Concessions £5, Under 14s free with a paying adult.

Now sits expectation in the air.

After more than fifty years my anticipation of a new season remains undiminished. Surely this year, with the new playing surface as a literal foundation, a more successful campaign is on the cards. Oh, and there's the new shirts that will have their first outing.

Of course plenty of other clubs feel the same way and South Park will probably be among them. Recent history would appear to support such optimism with our opponents starting their fifth successive season at Step 4 after promotion as champions of the Combined Counties League.

Their four seasons in Isthmian Division One (South) have seen them finish mostly around mid table with the best performance being an eighth place in 2016/7. Last season they were 13th in the league but exited both the FA Cup and Trophy in the opening round, the latter competition seeing them lose a home replay to Brentwood by 7-2 after they had drawn 3-3 at the Arena. It would have been a disappointment after the previous season's appearance at Tranmere Rovers in the same competition.

South Park are based in Reigate, Surrey and with us in the unfamiliar position of being the northernmost club in the division, they happen to be the southernmost. No doubt the fixtures have been made with the intention of getting as many long distance games out of the way before the weather conditions deteriorate.

Certainly on the same day the easternmost side, Waltham Abbey, are away to Bracknell, the second most westerly. Matches postponed because of bad weather will inevitably be rescheduled for midweek when shorter journeys are the ideal.

South Park had their share of waterlogged pitches last season and are looking to follow us down the 3G path next year. I expect they will be interested in our surface and the work that was involved in getting it laid.

As usual programmes are £1.50 on the gate. Of particular interest in this Saturday's issue is Aiden's "Tractor Tales" sorry "Astroturf" article, a new name for his original series which offered a personal view on current football issues. The change of title and a sharpening of focus are explained in this week's article.