Football News

First home match

After three years of planning the Football Club finally played their first match on the new home ground at the Sportsfield on 17th July 2010.



Just-in-time management from the painting crew made sure that the pitch was marked out and ready for finest local talent to show their skills. This first game was an intra-club affair with twenty-one players turning out and squeezing into the elegant black and white strip (home) and all white strip (away).
This was a very proud moment for all those involved in the club and it was dedicated to the memory of Dean Easterbrook who was a keen footballer, an inspiration to us all and is sadly missed. Each year at the start of the season this fixture will be played in Dean's honour.

The two captains for the day were veterans of the club who will not be able to enjoy the full benefits of this new home ground as they are moving overseas, Trevor Calender (Gothenberg) and Roger Hall (Sydney). However, they will both remain connected to the club and we look forward to the away fixtures in their new home towns!

As was fitting the game itself was a thriller, ending 9-6 to Calender's home team. This sounds like a cricket score, but simply reflected the quality of finishing on display.
The first half was owned by the deadly striker Pete Williams (away team) who put on a stunning display of clinical finishing, scoring a hat trick in less than 30 minutes. There were a few other chances too that went begging but the guilty strikers will remain nameless. The home team were not overawed by the occasion and were never more than one goal adrift and they went into the break all level at 3-3.






A game of two halves

The second half was very different. An inspired team talk by Calender, added to the younger/fitter legs of the strikers made all the difference for the home team, with Arlen Easterbrook also bagging a hat trick. Rob Knight impressed with some fancy footwork and a beautifully curled shot into the top corner which left the keeper stranded.

But the game was not without controversy – always a risk when you are playing without a referee. When the home team was awarded a penalty, this was despatched comfortably by the captain. It was the turning point in the game and further goals followed making it 9-4. There were a couple of consolation goals from Jeff Scott and another dubious penalty taken calmly by the captain, Hall, but it was all too late.

Everyone was happy to hear the final whistle and move on to the pub and then the traditional barbeque for the prize giving ceremony.

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North Marston Football Club, in its latest incarnation, has been training and playing in competitive
games since February 2006. This was borne out of a desire to improve fitness and to socialise whilst
at the same time helping the team prepare for the annual villages Cup.

Over the last season the Wednesday night training has been regularly attended by 15 to 20 players
and has moved on to playing competitive friendly games during the 06-07 season. This culminated
in the successful regaining of the villages cup in June. 

With further matches planned for the 07-08 season and new opponents lined up, the club is continually growing. However, pitch availability is becoming a problem and a limiting factor as to when the team
can play.

Match report - North Marston Legends v Granborough Greats (06.07)

On a very hot day in June the annual villages Cup game took place at Oving Football Club with a good support evident from both villages.

The game was played in a competitive but fair spirit with both teams determined to win the Cup.
The Legends went for an untried and experimental 3-5-2 formation and the gamble very nearly didn’t pay off.

Although the game was very open with plenty of chances for both teams somehow the game finished
0-0 at the end of normal time. For most of the team it was a struggle to get to the end of normal time so the thought of another 20 minutes wasn’t a pleasant one. With no goals in extra time it then went to penalties.

With the teams joined together as one in the centre circle following the normal penalty shoot out
etiquette and also to help each other stand, the penalties started with North Marston converting their
first penalty, expertly taken by Scott. The North Marston Legends accomplished penalty taking
continued with Mobsby, Callander and Gurney converting their spot kicks not to mention the saves
from Bowden. The Legends winning the game 4-2 on penalties with Bowden voted man of the match
by his team mates.

For anyone interested, we play at Winslow astro turf every Wednesday from 8.30pm.