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Go Wild In The Country
Feb. 12th, 2024 09:00 pm
London Seaward away at AFC Sudbury yesterday, a trip that required a hotel stay. So set off on Saturday morning and made it to Suffolk after a marathonic journey including a tube ride to Newbury Park, replacement bus from there to Ingatestone (known to me as the venue for the incident immortalised in Pope’s The Rape of the Lock) then train to Marks Tey. There, from a little side platform, runs a charming branch line, the Gainsborough Line, consisting of four stations terminating at Sudbury, where the station has just the one platform.
It was a bit of a walk through the town centre and on to my hotel on the edge of town. The staff were all very pleasant and friendly. I was in a room in ‘the cottage’, a compact extra building across the narrow road from the main hotel. Mine was one of three on the upper floor accessed by a side entrance where you descended three stone steps and had to mind your head with a low entrance arch.
Saturday being Chinese New Year, I sought out a Chinese takeaway, a 15 minute walk away along side streets, on a little strip consisting of a few takeaways and a convenience store. There were a bunch of local youths in hoodies hanging around; they seemed peaceful. My food was ready in about ten minutes and I plodded back to the hotel, tucked in and settled down to watch The Masked Singer. Lovely to see the 80s singer Tiffany, one of my crushes!
Went wandering around town yesterday morning in search of nibbles and drinks for the Superbowl. Passed Thomas Gainsborough’s house and got a photo. Found the local Premier, which, joy of joys, had American cans of pop like Big Red and A&W Root Beer. I stocked up on those plus a few packs of T-bone steak and flame grilled steak crisps and a pair of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.
The ground was a bit of a walk from my hotel, along a long country road, but was well worth the effort. An absolute gem from the beginning. The turnstile man was friendly and chatty, saying “Welcome to Sudbury” as I rolled up outside the ground. I mentioned my long-time support of the women’s game and he said he’d become involved since his daughter began playing. He asked if I’d visited the ground before, I said no and he pointed out the tea hut and “the bar, the most important place in the ground”. That might not have entirely been a joke; bar takings are a vital source of funds for many non-league clubs.
The bar staff were top people as well. The club had a deal of a roast chicken dinner and a pint for a tenner - very tasty. The tea lady brought my dinner over to my table and later stopped by to ask how my food was.
Went over to say hello to Dan, and those of the girls who came near enough to pitchside during their warm-up. I asked Dan if we had a midweek game this week and he confirmed that the Watford cup tie would be on Tuesday or Wednesday, and that after the three postponements at our ground Watford had invoked their right to have the match switched so it would be at the Watford FC Training Ground at London Colney. He said to message him today to confirm the date.
Seaward dominated the first half and went in 4-0 ahead at the break. My pal Rea opened the scoring when the home defence were caught napping, Livia made it two with a cross-shot across the goal face, then Katherine and Megan completed the salvo. Sudbury got back into the game in the second half with two well placed volleys into the centre of goal. I got talking on and off to two home fans, who said they’d struggled since their best player Holly left for Norwich.
Seaward held on for the 4-2 win and I walked round to the far side of the pitch to say my goodbyes. Dan thanked me for coming and a few of the girls, warming down, returned my waves as I walked by.
Outside the entrance to the car park one of the guys I’d been talking to in the stand pulled over and offered me a lift. He asked me about my support of Seaward on the way and dropped me back at the hotel.
What a superb club. All the people I met were great and, of the three principal relegation candidates, I do hope AFC Sudbury are the team that stay up - both for the people there and because I’d love to visit again next season.
A pint and a snack in the hotel bar, where the barmaid was an absolute diamond, then back to the room for the Superbowl. Even as a 49er fan I have to admit it was a magnificent game to watch right down to the climax. Anyway, Seaward won so can’t be greedy.
Couple of hours’ brief sleep then the journey home. The train from Marks Tey to London stopped at Stratford so got a couple of quick glimpses of parts of ‘my’ East London (those not obscured by new build shops and office blocks) before changing there for the Jubilee to Waterloo.
Messaged Dan from the train. Soon after I arrived home he got back to me : the game’s on Wednesday evening. Searched Hotels.com; hooray, there’s a Holiday Inn near the ground.
It was a bit of a walk through the town centre and on to my hotel on the edge of town. The staff were all very pleasant and friendly. I was in a room in ‘the cottage’, a compact extra building across the narrow road from the main hotel. Mine was one of three on the upper floor accessed by a side entrance where you descended three stone steps and had to mind your head with a low entrance arch.
Saturday being Chinese New Year, I sought out a Chinese takeaway, a 15 minute walk away along side streets, on a little strip consisting of a few takeaways and a convenience store. There were a bunch of local youths in hoodies hanging around; they seemed peaceful. My food was ready in about ten minutes and I plodded back to the hotel, tucked in and settled down to watch The Masked Singer. Lovely to see the 80s singer Tiffany, one of my crushes!
Went wandering around town yesterday morning in search of nibbles and drinks for the Superbowl. Passed Thomas Gainsborough’s house and got a photo. Found the local Premier, which, joy of joys, had American cans of pop like Big Red and A&W Root Beer. I stocked up on those plus a few packs of T-bone steak and flame grilled steak crisps and a pair of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.
The ground was a bit of a walk from my hotel, along a long country road, but was well worth the effort. An absolute gem from the beginning. The turnstile man was friendly and chatty, saying “Welcome to Sudbury” as I rolled up outside the ground. I mentioned my long-time support of the women’s game and he said he’d become involved since his daughter began playing. He asked if I’d visited the ground before, I said no and he pointed out the tea hut and “the bar, the most important place in the ground”. That might not have entirely been a joke; bar takings are a vital source of funds for many non-league clubs.
The bar staff were top people as well. The club had a deal of a roast chicken dinner and a pint for a tenner - very tasty. The tea lady brought my dinner over to my table and later stopped by to ask how my food was.
Went over to say hello to Dan, and those of the girls who came near enough to pitchside during their warm-up. I asked Dan if we had a midweek game this week and he confirmed that the Watford cup tie would be on Tuesday or Wednesday, and that after the three postponements at our ground Watford had invoked their right to have the match switched so it would be at the Watford FC Training Ground at London Colney. He said to message him today to confirm the date.
Seaward dominated the first half and went in 4-0 ahead at the break. My pal Rea opened the scoring when the home defence were caught napping, Livia made it two with a cross-shot across the goal face, then Katherine and Megan completed the salvo. Sudbury got back into the game in the second half with two well placed volleys into the centre of goal. I got talking on and off to two home fans, who said they’d struggled since their best player Holly left for Norwich.
Seaward held on for the 4-2 win and I walked round to the far side of the pitch to say my goodbyes. Dan thanked me for coming and a few of the girls, warming down, returned my waves as I walked by.
Outside the entrance to the car park one of the guys I’d been talking to in the stand pulled over and offered me a lift. He asked me about my support of Seaward on the way and dropped me back at the hotel.
What a superb club. All the people I met were great and, of the three principal relegation candidates, I do hope AFC Sudbury are the team that stay up - both for the people there and because I’d love to visit again next season.
A pint and a snack in the hotel bar, where the barmaid was an absolute diamond, then back to the room for the Superbowl. Even as a 49er fan I have to admit it was a magnificent game to watch right down to the climax. Anyway, Seaward won so can’t be greedy.
Couple of hours’ brief sleep then the journey home. The train from Marks Tey to London stopped at Stratford so got a couple of quick glimpses of parts of ‘my’ East London (those not obscured by new build shops and office blocks) before changing there for the Jubilee to Waterloo.
Messaged Dan from the train. Soon after I arrived home he got back to me : the game’s on Wednesday evening. Searched Hotels.com; hooray, there’s a Holiday Inn near the ground.
