The Reds Go Marchin In

Newhaven FC away to AFC Uckfield at The Oaks in the SCFL Premier League 

The Dockers visit the Oakmen on a warm Sussex night hoping to turn around their league form after a poor start to the season. A nice location, really tucked out the way and surrounded by woodland.

The pitch looked hard, brown and bumpy which wouldn't suit the Dockers passing football. The opponents had clearly developed a style of play to suit the pitch. Lump it. It was a fiesty game, again and the ref sometimes chose to let the play flow but it was a bit too random. The Dockers were playing well but couldn't hit the target until Conor (Sidders) Sidwell headed a corner into the back of the net on 37 minutes. It felt like the first goal might open the floodgates again as the Dockers got their heads up. Quite right too as it turned out and the half ended 3-0 to the visitors with goals from Marchin,44, and Robbo on 45+3. It looks all over apart from lots more moaning at the ref and lino. Nice easy team talk for the Gaffers again.⚽⚽⚽

The hosts came out fighting, almost literally, and it got very lively. They were passing and running instead of just lumping and threatened a few times though Jake wasn't really tested. Hosts brought on a couple of subs with awesome pace but it was far too late. They also got a couple of yellow cards and a sinbin for dissent. Cheeky Uckers!. Dockers made changes and super sub Marley got his goal on 74 and yet another injury time goal, this time from Ryan Watson finished the night on 90+2. Five to Dockers with five different goal scorers again. ⚽⚽⚽⚽⚽⛹🤸🧍🧎⛹

Defensive mistakes were too common and a better side would have made us pay. Luckily they weren't better. What an addition to the side Marchin is, awesome pace and a good all round player. Nice to see Marley get another senior goal.

Ref has probably had better days. And worse ones. To be fair, it was a fairly bad tempered game on a difficult pitch and it was the lack of consistancy that annoyed players and supporters alike. How there were still 11 Oakmen on the pitch was a mystery to most. Dave the lino on our side struggled to keep up with Robbo's pace on the break and got a bit of stick. The wooded setting caused problems for the ballboys, if you can call them that. The match balls were disappering into the trees faster than they could be retrieved leading to the occasional awkward pause in play while a ball was found.🌳⚽🌳⚽🌳 Please can we have our ball back mister.🙏

Scranometer registered a 6.5 for the lemon drizzle cake. 🍋🍰 Very nice.

POTM: It is difficult to call again as so many player well. Lukas ran himself into the ground on the wings so the prize it his today.

Back at Fort Road next week to see the new pitch for the first time. Can't wait. Time for bed now.

Love Tranmerekat 🐾

Footie under the lights

Nice Autumn sky

Still a few missing

Nous Sommes Arrivés

The Parson's Tale

Newhaven FC V Canterbury City FC in the FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round Replay at Culver Road

The Dockers ⚓ gave away the lead at Sittingbourne to bring City ⛪ down to the South Coast for a replay. Fort Road is still getting it's shiny new pitch so we are at the Sussex FA head quarters at Lancing.

We are only 1080 footballing minutes from the hallowed turf of Prenton Park South (AKA Wembley). The sides drew with a goal each on Saturday so it could be tight here. Here we go again. No penalties please, it's a school night after all.

It didn't take long for Newhaven to get in to their stride and Alfie found the net after just 5 minutes ⚽. Lukas doubled the lead on 14 minutes ⚽. It was looking good for the Dockers. But which way would the important third goal go?

A massive 14 minutes we had to wait before Tom Underwood ⚽ made it 3 to practically settle it for the hosts. Further goals on 34 ⚽, Max, 36 ⚽, Robbo, and 45+1 ⚽, Lukas, saw the Dockers go in 6-0 up at the break. Bet the team talks were a bit different.

It could have all turned on 52 minutes when new Docker Don Street, having just come on, was given a straight red (lucky to not get a Police Caution 🚓) for flying in to a tackle too high and completely out of control. Early bath for you. And don't use all the hot water in the showers, costs a fortune to heat it these days cost of living crisis and all that.

The visitors hoped to use their numerical (or should we be saying arithmetical) advantage to get back into the tie. They must have forgotten to tell Alfie and he scored 2 minutes later ⚽. Lee added another on the hour ⚽ and Marcin made it 9 on 68 ⚽. It was then a bit of a competition to score a worldie with the top corner getting a few near misses. Robbo made it a nice round 10 and got his hattrick with 5 minutes to go ⚽. Phew. What a performance that was. Couldn't be more different to the one at Steyning. Expected it to go a bit flat in the second half but maybe the sending off fired them up again. Absolutely ruthless from the Dockers tonight. The highest scoring FA Cup replay since 1960.⚽⚽⚽⚽⚽⚽⚽⚽⚽⚽

POTM: Hard to call but goes to Jake 'Bussy but not busy' Buss for staying awake for the first 85 minutes before making a vital save to keep a clean sheet.

Scranometer registered an 8 in Xg as they do a nice veggie burger 🍔 here but actually only scored a 5 for the chips 🍟 as veggie burgers are out of stock. Are you BHAFC in disguise?

Ref did fairly we'll. Have seen him before and he was good then too. Lino on our side disallowed what would have been goal number five for off-side despite it being a square pass 🤡. He then allowed the actual 5th goal despite it being an obvious off-side 🤡. Just fixing his mistake but was very grumpy about it 😡. Probably a secret Brexiteer.

Countdown is now 990 minutes of football to Wembley.  Can almost smell the silver polish on the trophy.

See you soon, hopefully at Uckfield

Love Tranmerekat 🐾

Summer evening football

Too hot to sit here

Here again

Come On You Dockers

Blue Sky and Green Astro

Highest FA Cup Replay score since 1960

Steyning Alive

Newhaven FC away to Steyning Town FC in the first match of the SCFL Premier 22-23 season

The Dockers kick their season off against the Barrowmen at the Shooting Field in Sunny West Sussex.

We were here at the back end of last season for a cup semi-final against Pagham. We won that on penalties but now we face the hosts themselves on their 3G pitch. The Dockers have had a great pre-season, what could go wrong.

It started badly and got worse. There were a number of players missing presumed on the beach 🏖 and it was like those who were left had never met before. Big Robbo was playing no 7 in the middle and it didn't work at all. They were overrun from the start and went in 1-0 down at the break thanking their luck it wasn't 5 or 6.

Rinse and repeat. After the break, the hosts continued to run riot through the visitors and doubled their lead in the first minute. Oops. They missed a hat full more. Newhaven eventually sorted out the formation with Robbo up front. They eventually started to apply some pressure. The all important 3rd goal came the Dockers way when Lukas converted a penalty. Lots more missed chances from both sides.

First time we have seen the sin bin used when new boy Farrall Ryder was binned for telling the ref the truth very loudly. Not his fault if his mum told him to always tell the truth.

Hope those returning players don't get stuck in Customs or deported. Can't come back soon enough.

POTM: Now there's a question, probably Lukas for at least scoring the pen.

Scranometer registered a fantastic 9.5 for the Jack Fruit Burger. What a start to the season. 🍔❤

After the heady heights of all that international football, it was nice to be back watching football in the English 9th division.

See you soon

Love Tranmerekat 🐾

Back at the Shooting Field

Strange line up

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Check out these badges

Nice place

Going in

Frohms Prussia Avec Amour

France v Germany in the UEFA Women's European Championship Semi-Final at the MKDons Bowl in Buckinghamshire

We are back at a rainy MK Donalds supporting Les Bleues who face Die Nationalelf for a chance to face the roaring Lionesses 🦁🦁🦁 in the Wembley Final.🏆

Back again the MKDons stadium with it's comfy seats and open concourse. Starting to like it here. Wash my mouth out. 🤐

Anyway. Football. Germany started well, drew a great save from Payraud but then had trouble hitting the target again. It all changed when Popp popped up again to popp it in the net again (blasted it into the roof of the net more like) with 5 minutes to the break. Diani was out of the loop out playing out wide but a handful in the middle and levelled the score just before the break. It was on OG off the back of the German keeper Frohme after Diani's strike hit the post. Merci Beaucoup. Danke Schön. Cheers.

France started much better after Bacha came on for Malard (cheers duck 🦆) and Diani moved centrally. Popp popped up again to popp it in with her head this time. Sacre Bleue. Les Bleues had plenty of chances to take it to extra time especially from Wendles headers but it wouldn't go in. C'Est La Vie.

Thanks again to Milton Keynes for the amazing hospitality and incredible organisation. Big number of people managed with such great care and immense friendliness. How many buses is a lot of buses? There were more than that. 🚌🚌🚌🚌🚌🚌🚌🚌🚌🚌🚌

The ref was good again, letting a lot go to allow the game to flow. Perhaps a bit too much with atleast one German professional fowl that should have been punished harder   . It would have led to a second yellow later on    ➜    and an early bath for Oberdorf.  Oberdoft sent orft. That would have been handy for Sunday. Never mind. The ref is probably a Wrescum fan anyway.

Sporting some homemade France badges (thanks to Panini) and with my new “Tricolour” cape and flag. Does anyone know the words to Ten German Bombers in French?

Scanometer hit a great 9 with vegan sausage rolls. The hot chocolate reviews will be back when the proper football weather returns.🌬🌧❄

POTM: Wendie (Wendles) Reynard (3) always awesome in defence and a massive threat up front and was unlucky not get a goal. Shame they didn't put her up-front for the last 5 minutes like Serena did with Millie.

If we don't get to Wembley, we'll see you somewhere in Sussex.

L'Amour De Tranmerekat 🐾

Rammed in here

On our way

Fun in the fan Park

The bus is here

Feel like a monument

First in

Vive la France

This hero wears a cape

Our Wendie

Bus home

Georgia On My Mind

England play Spain in the Women's European Championship 2022 Quarter Final at the AMEX Stadium

The Lionesses are back at the home of the Seagulls. This time it is the turn of La Roja to hear the Lionesses roar.

My first knockout International and the first of this championship. The AMEX is packed again. Don't expect 8 goals tonight, it will be a close game. Possibility of extra time ⌚ and penalties ⚽⚽⚽⚽⚽

Sabrina picks the same England starting 11. Spain started well and were a real handful especially out wide. England battled hard but it was a tight tense game. Ellen's White's tap in was disallowed for offside and it was goalless at the break. England started the first half better but Spain got the first goal. Serena made her usual changes and unusually moved Millie up front to go to a back 3. Ella "eyelashes" Toone equalised with just a few minutes of the 90 left on the clock. The crowd went bonkers and the Lionesses hung on for extra time. There was no let up in the the noise from the supporters and a pass from Kiera helped a rocket from Georgia put us ahead. It stayed that way. Aaaaand breath. Get in.

Fantastic atmosphere inside and outside the ground. Much more stressful than the Norway game but job done. On to the Semi finals. Sverige or Belgique up next. Not bothered, England are fearless now.

POTM: Georgia Stanway for the goal but honorable mention to Keira walsh who was as composed as ever. Millie and Lucy were awesome too. 😍😍😍😍

The ref has probably had better days and was completely outwitted by Spain's constant sly fouls. She did give us the comedy moment of booking the Spanish reserve keeper. Lino on our side just did what she was told. I think it's home time for this trio of jokers. Au revoir.

Probably won't get to Sheffield so will see you in sunny Worthing.

Love Trammerekat 🐾

Nerves are building

 

On Our Way

 

Posh buses

 

We're top of the group

 

Here be Seagulls

 

Alex, Ian and Gabby

 

New badges and bandana

 

It's coming home

Finnish What You Started

Finland Women face Germany in the last game of the Euros Group C Stage at the MK Stadium

The Boreal Owls 🦉 take on Die Nationalelf 🧝 at the home of MK Donald's 🍔🍟

Germany have won their 2 games and are already qualified for the Quarter Finals. Finland have lost both theirs and haven't scored since their early goal against Spain. .

We have our Finland flags  and are singing along with the SUOMI Army. Fingers crossed. 🤞 Here we go.

Finland sat deep and held out for 40 minutes but went into the break a goal down.

Popp popped up to popp it in the back of the net early after the restart. Popptastic. It finished 3-0.

Gutted Finland couldn't find a goal but they had a lot of players unwell at short notice. The SUOMI White Army had a great time, a bit too great for some of the stewards. Never stopped singing with the aid of megaphone man 📢

POTM is the Finish Goalkeeper Katriina Talaslahti. Not just her great performance after a very late call up but also we were too scared of her to give it to anyone else.

Full marks to the Finnish snipers that kept taking down the German players only for them to get up unharmed as soon as the ref noticed 👀. Mo Salad takes notes 🖉.

It was a really good crowd and the best Mexican wave ever. Lots of neutrals cheering both teams. We did NOT 👏 clap the German goals though. Fantastic organisation with the transport to the ground 🚌🚌🚌🚌🚌. Well done Milton Keynes, hope to see you again soon.

The Scranometer registered a 7/10 but was disqualified as the food came from M&S.

It's too hot this far north, take me back to the seaside.🏖🏝🍦

Up next.. the Sqwarks 🐦

Love Tranmerekat🐾

Up the Whites

 

In the Fan Park

 

Nearly There

 

Looks Familiar

 

💙 a big crowd

 

Just Practicing

 

Get This Party Started

 

Seven (at the) Oaks

Newhaven FC away to Mile Oak FC in a pre-season friendly at Chalky Road

The Oak of SCFL Division 1 play host the Dockers of the SCFL Premier league at Mile Oak Rec.

Our first time here and the pitch was a bit of a surprise. It was more bumpy than Saltdean's and sloped a bit 🗻. Think Mt Fuji in Sussex.

Newhaven played uphill in the first half and went in 3-0 up at the break thanks to Lukas and a brace from Alfie (more on him later).

The Dockers made some changes for the second half with both goal scorers replaced. The hosts improved initially and scored while the reds (seen here in white) were all shouting at the ref for an incident at the other end. The game got even more physical as legs tired. Playing downhill may have helped Newhaven to score 4 more with a brace from young Marley Ambler. His first goal for the seniors after last year's U23 golden boot.

The ref, other than his dislike of Alfie for some reason, did ok and got a lot more right than wrong. Even the comedy moments where, one of our favourites, Aaron took a throw from the wrong touchline. Nice to bump in to Greg from work many years ago running the line on our side.

POTM: Marley Ambler for his first senior goal.

The scranometer took A/L today so we took a pie from home. Yum.🥧 Hot chocolate was substituted for luke warm water. Yuk. 😑

Dockers look good mid pre-season.

Looking forward to tougher opposition at the Hawks next week.

Love Tranmerekat 🐾

The brown brown grass of home

 

Home time

Mead In England

England Women v Norway in the Group Stage of the 2022 European Championships at the AMEX Stadium

The Lionesses take on the Grasshoppers at the home of the Seagulls.

Wow. Just wow. This was expected to be a tough match for England.  It didn't work out like that.   Norway looked threatening early on but the Lionesses held firm and went ahead when Georgie Stanway blasted home a penalty after Ellen White was felled in the box.  It started a goal frenzy and by break it was 6-0.  Six, sies, seks, sechs,  sita, alta, exi, kuusi.  I could have been 10 but Ellen White missed more than a couple of chances from Beth Mead crosses.

Norway started the second half better but were soon under pressure again and it finished 8-0.  Eight, sekiz, ocho, acht, kahdeksan, thamania, otte, wyth. Beth Mead finished her hattrick and was one of five goal scorers. Stick that up your Ballon D'Or Ada Hegerberg. 😜

An incredible night, expected a tight game and instead we got a first half Euros record of 8 goals. 🎵 Sweet Caroline 🎵 is still echoing round the AMEX.

Scranometer registered a 7 for chips and curry outside.  Too hot for hot drinks tonight.

POTM has to be Beth Mead who was unplayable.

Got loads of new badges and acquired a flag as a cape.

The lionesses are through to the next round. 😍 Hopefully back here at the AMEX.

See you tomorrow at Mile Oak 🌳

Love Tranmerekat 🐾

Excitement is building

Surrounded by Norwegians

Big crowd

Nice here init

New cape

Good view

Getting dark

It's coming home