The Groundhopper

I love this time of year when the end of the cricket season overlaps with the beginning of the nine month grind of football fixtures. Crazy Steve, Little Al and I, had our annual pilgrimage u...

http://stickypalms.blogspot.com/2024/09/stapleford-town-2-2-clifton-all-whites.html

Dean Gripton and I shuffle out of a jam-packed St Andrews following a last gasp winner for the Bluenoses. We're heading towards the Spotted Dog, a CAMRA Heritage Pub, in Digbeth, along with h...

http://stickypalms.blogspot.com/2024/09/radford-fc-3-2-pinxton-fc.html

It's August Bank Holiday Monday and I'm gnawing my way through a Birds cream slice outside their Sherwood branch, on Mansfield Road, a couple of miles away from Nottingham city centre. Ms Moo...

http://stickypalms.blogspot.com/2024/09/birmingham-city-2-1-wigan-athletic.html

Sunday lunchtime is spent in leafy, suburban West Bridgford. Ms Moon and I walk down the canal past Binks Yard where there’s a huge outside area for bands to perform to beer-fuelled footbal...

http://stickypalms.blogspot.com/2024/04/dodworth-mw-2-1-jubilee-sports.html

I'm walking on the backstreets of Barnsley, towards the town centre. I'm with Dean Gripton, from Football Manager, who has treated me to a smashing afternoon out. We've witnessed a thrilling,...

http://stickypalms.blogspot.com/2024/04/carlton-town-2-1-consett-afc.html

A church is striking nine bells on Sunday morning as I exit MSR Newsagents on Front Street, in Arnold, after a four hour shift. I jump on the number 58, green Nottingham City Transport bus, t...

http://stickypalms.blogspot.com/2024/04/barnsley-2-2-reading.html

It's Good Friday and I'm packing away the Easter Egg stall outside the MSR shop front in Arnold, after a successful day's trading. I jump on the 58 bus which I alight on Upper Parliament Stre...

http://stickypalms.blogspot.com/2024/04/nottingham-forest-3-1-fulham.html

It's 7.30 pm on Monday evening. The announcer on ITV has just said, prior to the theme tune of Emmerdale Farm striking up, that viewers might find some of the scenes in tonight's episode upse...

http://stickypalms.blogspot.com/2024/03/notts-county-1-2-salford-fc.html

I arrive home on Saturday evening after Carlton's narrow defeat to Stockton Town. My mood darkens when I see that Ms Moon is watching irritating 'comedian' Michael McIntyre on the TV set. I c...

http://stickypalms.blogspot.com/2024/03/lincoln-city-5-0-bristol-rovers.html

It's Tuesday teatime and I'm hanging around at the bottom of Westdale Lane East, in Gedling, outside the Royal Kebabs takeaway house - it's a tad early for one of them. I've just demolished a...

http://stickypalms.blogspot.com/2024/03/lincoln-united-2-2-eastwood-cfc.html

It’s been an intense TV soap watch for Ms Moon this week. Corrie’s Steve McDonald has taken his eye off the ball, whilst clocking up overtime by ferrying too many folk around in his Stree...

http://stickypalms.blogspot.com/2024/03/gedling-mw-2-0-st-andrews.html

It's Wednesday morning and I'm sitting in the front seat of a Citroen C1. Ms Moon is driving her daughter's car over Carlton Hill towards the suburb of Lady Bay - it's a well-to-do place know...

http://stickypalms.blogspot.com/2024/02/mansfield-town-5-1-salford-city.html

It’s Tuesday evening and I’m walking down Burton Road, in Carlton, with Notts County diehard fan ‘Faggsy.’ The Millers are playing Liversedge F.C. from West Yorkshire. There’s only ...

http://stickypalms.blogspot.com/2024/02/carlton-town-1-3-liversedge-fc.html

There was a lovely moment, for me, the other week, whilst wandering through the backstreets of Hyson Green. A young lad, be around 9 or 10 yrs old, came  flying out of a front gate and start...

http://stickypalms.blogspot.com/2024/01/stocksbridge-park-steels-0-0-carlton.html

Radford FC have been turned over 2-0 by UCL Div One leaders Bourne Town, from Lincolnshire. I don't think Radford Director of Football, Big Glenn Russell, will be knocking me up a cheese and ...

http://stickypalms.blogspot.com/2024/01/carlton-town-0-2-basford-united.html

It's been 28 days since I last put pen to paper. It's a winter break that Jurgen Klopp can only dream of. Christmas has been and gone in the blink of an eye. It's been action packed both pre ...

http://stickypalms.blogspot.com/2024/01/radford-fc-0-2-bourne-town.html

Tony Mac and I have a stroke of good fortune on our journey back from Birmingham New Street Station, after 24 hours on the sauce in the city centre and neighbouring suburbs. We catch an earli...

http://stickypalms.blogspot.com/2023/12/keyworth-united-res-2-6-bilborough-town.html

I bid farewell to John Harris and wife Jackie in Kimberley high street after viewing a hard-fought game versus Lincoln United. Kimberley Miners Welfare gave their all and left nothing out on ...

http://stickypalms.blogspot.com/2023/12/notts-county-3-1-crawley-town.html

It has proved a bridge too far for Angela Rippon on Strictly Come Dancing at the Blackpool Tower Ballroom. Ms Moon has been calling it for weeks. Let's be clear on this folks, Rippon is a one...

http://stickypalms.blogspot.com/2023/11/kimberley-miners-welfare-0-2-lincoln.html

Faggsy, Ms Moon and I exit Gedling Miners Welfare Plains Road ground, after witnessing a breathtaking six goal thriller, which ends with honours even. We chew the cud over a couple of pints o...

http://stickypalms.blogspot.com/2023/11/carlton-town-3-0-brighouse-town-afc.html

It's an early exit from the FA Cup for Lincoln City. They are well beaten by the Shrimpers from Morecambe. We troop out of Sincil Bank towards the railway station. Julian, the Morecambe fan, ...

http://stickypalms.blogspot.com/2023/11/gedling-miners-welfare-3-3-radford-fc.html

You see this lad in the above photo, well, he is a very rare breed in Notts grassroots football and I will tell you why. When he was five years old I took him to Keyworth United Soccer School...

http://stickypalms.blogspot.com/2023/11/lincoln-city-1-2-morecambe.html

I wake up on Sunday morning lathered in sweat and with a banging head. I've got a high temperature too. The day is written off as I sleep a virus off in bed. I'm gutted, as I'd looked forward...

http://stickypalms.blogspot.com/2023/10/gedling-miners-welfare-1-2-loughborough.html

It's Friday 6th October and I'm in a car with Ms Moon, who is driving down London Road, Nottingham, in rush-hour traffic. Notts County's Meadow Lane ground is to our left. The Magpies have pl...

http://stickypalms.blogspot.com/2023/10/cd-marino-0-1-ud-tamaraceite.html

  I'm strolling up Plain Roads towards Mapperley Tops. I wear a broad smile on my face, as I think back to just five minutes ago, when a Kieran 'Kizza' Harrison wonder strike, from 60 yards...

http://stickypalms.blogspot.com/2023/10/gedling-miners-welfare-1-2-bourne-town.html