Match 12. Crockenhill v Phoenix Sports

Saturday 18^th October 2014 @3pm

Kent Senior Trophy 1^st Round

CROCKENHILL 1-8 PHOENIX SPORTS

Wested Meadow, Eynsford Road, Crockenhill

Admission: £5

Programme: n/a

Attendance: 36 (official)

Refreshments: Chicken cup-a-soup £1

I wasn’t being very inspired trying to choose a game for today, so when Onion-Bag contacted me that he was down south and getting dropped off at Crockenhill, it made my mind up.  It has been a long time since my last visit to The Crocks and when checking my records I was stunned that it was back in 1999.  I noticed when driving to the ground that the nearest pub that I went into back then (Fruiterers Arms?) is now redeveloped into 4 houses. The car park was rammed but I managed to squeeze into a gap even the steward was impressed with and went through the turnstile just as the teams kicked off. I walked along the main touchline and ventured towards the small wooden stand behind the goal, wishing I had a machete to chop down the overgrown hard standing.  The ground is currently in a state of dilapidation, with only the main touchline receiving any kind of attention.  I spotted Onion Bag behind the opposite goal line taking pictures in front of the remains of the perimeter rail. He soon walked round to me and I had fine company throughout.  He even got out his large one (lens) to try out.

Despite the condition of the ground, the Main stand with the wooden seating is still a gem, as is the clubhouse behind it, decked out in football scarfs from around the globe and newspaper cuttings and pictures from The Crocks history. The bar is at one end of the clubhouse and at the other end, from a food hatch serves tasty looking food from the tasty looking tea lady.

The match was one of those one sided affairs.  The step up to an inform step 5 side was too much for Crockenhill, despite the bumpy pitch, the heads of the team were down by half time, with the no6 captain giving evils to the home keeper after the 4^th goal went in.  The second half continued the 80/20 possession split, interrupted by a home penalty on the hour, converted by Sam Monks.  After the 6^th goal went in, the keeper was subbed to allow the 40 something overweight coach to shore up the leaks for the last 15 minutes.  However, the inability to dive or move with any speed just allowed Phoenix Sports to add another 2 goals and should have been more. For the record the Phoenix goals came on the 17, 36, 37, 42, 61, 71, 77, 84 minutes.

I had to leave straight after the match as the parking meant cars were blocking each other. Apparently the late arrival of the programmes, which were included in the admission price, were chucked on the pool table inside the clubhouse sometime through the 2^nd half without any announcement. But it is good to see the Club still playing, but for how much longer at step 6 without floodlights and likely not to get a grading for next season, demotion looks the likely result in 2015.