SATURDAY, MARCH 23RD
MELBOURNE DYNAMO 2
WIRKSWORTH IVANHOE 6
I HAVE an update on my trip from last week, where I tried to find the Central Midlands Alliance League match at Burton Hornets at Washlands. If you remember, I failed miserably and ended up at Hemington Hammers.
Checking on the League website and FA Full Time, both state that the Hornets match took place, with a 0-2 scoreline! Even more baffling is that the game took place at, yes, you’ve guessed it, WASHLANDS! I must be living in a parallel universe.
Anyhoo, I finally succumbed to a bout of Covid! I’m a first timer, having somehow avoided the dreaded lurgy for so long. I’ve had it nearly a week, so am gradually recovering, though still testing faintly positive. Official advice is to ‘try and stay away from people for three days after your test’. The Fox is perfectly happy for me to drive him somewhere for a match (Cray Valley PM) but I feel that would be irresponsible.
A compromise is reached: we drive separately to a local match where social distancing is easy to achieve. Melbourne Dynamo seems the perfect place. Melbourne Sports Park, Cockshut Lane, is only a twenty-minute drive from my house. Jane Sat-Nav takes me along some
lovely Derbyshire country lanes but I don’t have time to survey my surroundings. Some of the potholes along the way are so vicious, someone has considerately been round and dumped industrial sized traffic cones in each one. No doubt this kind action saves the Hoppermobile from serious damage this afternoon, so thank you to whoever it was.
I tried to get to Melbourne for their first ever game at this level at the start of the season. The club were obviously very excited and proud to be hosting an historic match, as they Tweeted regularly about the fixture days before the event. On the Friday night, they posted a picture of the cover of the programme and all was set. And then the opposition couldn’t be bothered to turn up, causing a massive disappointment to Dynamo.
Anyway, I’m here now. The Fox hands me a programme (free with £2 admission fee). The ground is set in a huge sports complex comprising rugby pitches (all being used), a cricket pitch, some tennis courts and a central changing facility complete with a small refreshments’ opening and bar. Highest point
The railed off football pitch is about 75 yards from the changing rooms. There’s no hard standing but there is a small, seated stand on one corner of the g
