Venue: Leeholm Recreation Centre, Leeholm, Co Durham DL14 8HY.
[Ground situated outside the village on Leeholme Rd.
Leeholm or Leeholme (it was spelled both ways in various places!) is near Spennymoor in the Wear Valley.]
Kickoff: 13:30 Sat 2 Nov 2013
Weather: cloudy with sunny spells, damp and drizzly, swirling wind, an arctic-feeling 9℃ with windchill that felt like 0℃!!
LOCATION REPORT
FOR SPECTATORS
SatNav: DL14 8HY (or is this the North Pole?)
Staff: not staffed
Parking: dedicated carpark, 41 spaces plus 3 disabled spaces. Additional roadside parking on side road for overspill.
Tip: Don't park on Leeholme Rd itself, as the road carries fast traffic including buses.
Public transport: #56 (Durham-Bishop Auckland) buses, stop 100m away on Leeholme Rd.
Refreshments: nothing, no shops nearby but Sainsbury's in Coundon village a mile away.
Toilets: none for public.
Kids: nothing, just some space for kickabouts.
The lads doing so kept kicking their ball on the pitch (ie accidentally on purpose).
Weather protection:
Rain: zero.
Wind: zero at pitchside.
This is an exposed hilltop location, open on all sides, but the changing block offers a bit of protection if it's a northerly wind (which it wasn't today).
Sun: zero
Cold: zero... unless you watch from the car! (which I was brave enough not to resort to!)
FOR PLAYERS
Pitch: grass, very soggy and muddy (spectators in wellies!) and very long grass in places.
This rather slowed passes down, perhaps that's why the play was so aerial at times?
Perimeter rails on three sides. Good for resting against or tying your dog's lead to.
Floodlights: none.
Changing: purpose-built brick changing-block, secured. Teams retreated inside at half time for some warmth!
MATCH REPORT
Approx crowd: c.15 brave/foolhardy adults + 7 kids (evidently watching relatives). Looked like just 2 visiting fans (ie not coaches)!
No casual passers-by, probably because the pitch is on the village outskirts.
Full-time [h/t] score (colours):
3 [2] Coundon & Leeholm (red)
0 [0] Hebburn Reyrolle (green)
Bookings: 0
Sent Off: 0
Official Match Report:
http://www.durhamAllianceLeague.org.uk/core/teamsReport.aspx?fixtureID=2642
NORVENMUNKI's COMMENTS:
Maybe I'm getting old, but that wind was unbearable! Even the linos had thick builders jackets on.
It had been raining for the entire morning, but the rainclouds lifted around kickoff time and it was dry throughout... but bitterly cold.
On the pitch, a competitive and testosterone-heavy affair, the soundtrack mostly the shouty banter and incessant pleading to/berating of the ref. Respect improved as game went on.
Typical amateur cup fare in the Durham County Trophy Round 1.
Great goal on 60mins by bald Coundon #8, jinking down the right and burying a cracker!
Swirling wind didn't help the players, but there was a lot of hoofing and that was an ineffective tactic in this weather. When they got the ball down, there were some OK moves.
Two well-behaved greyhounds were tethered to the perimeter rails.
Incredibly... it started lashing down with icy rain about 2 minutes after the final whistle. Now that is lucky!
GBA rating: Unlikely
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