GROUND-HOPPERS: Crowd record at Sawtry on bumper weekend for local clubs

Fans lap up the A1 derby between Sawtry and Stilton.

Leading the way was the A1 derby in the Premier Division as 534 turned up to watch Stilton United win 2-0 at Sawtry through late goals from Kyial West and Simon Denning.

Opening day fixtures were brought forward as part of the annual ‘Ground-Hop’ weekend which gives amateur football enthusiasts the chance to visit new grounds. The attendance at sawtry is believed to a local record for a ‘Ground Hop’

Kick-off times are staggered over the weekend with coaches ferrying the committed to several games in a day.

The winning Stilton United team at Sawtry.

There was a crowd of 250 at Wittering FC to watch the home side beat Long Sutton 5-2 in a Division One match yesterday (July 31), while 244 saw AFC Stanground thump Crowland 7-2 at Snowdens Fields on Saturday morning (July 30) and 203 watched Thorney lose 4-3 at home to Leverington in the top flight on Saturday afternoon.

Even a Division Three game at Eye United, which the home side won 3-0 against FC Peterborough, attracted an attendance of 196 on Saturday. These games usually attract crowds in the 10s.

Stanground were 2-0 down at half-time, but cracked in seven unanswered gaols in the second-half from Trey West (2), Josh Staggs (2), Dwayne Rankin, Chris Brown and Jay Mahoney.

Jacob Joyce scored twice for Eye and Mariusz Kudyba bagged a hat-trick for Leverington.

Action from Crowland v Stanground in ground hop weekend. Photo: David Lowndes.

The United Counties League also took part in the weekend with Whittlesey Athletic playing their first match in Division One on Friday night (July 29) at Long Buckby.

It wasn’t a great start either. Whittlesey went down 4-1 with Joe Butterworth claiming a late consolation goal in front of 201 fans.

Bourne were also beaten in their Division One opener, 2-1 at Bugbrooke St Michael despite taking a 1-0 lead into the interval courtesy of a Zak Munton strike. An impressive 244 watched this game.

UNITED COUNTIES LEAGUE

Division One

Long Buckby 4

Whittlesey Athletic 1 (Butterworth).

Bugbrooke St Michael 2

Bourne 1 (Munton)

PETERBOROUGH LEAGUE

Premier Division

Crowland 2 (Hunt, Ellis).

AFC Stanground 7 (West 2, Staggs 2, Rankin, Brown, Mahoney)

Sawtry 0

Stilton United 2 (West, Denning)

Thorney 3 (Gallacher, Lodziak, Rayner)

Leverington 4 (Kudyba 3, Reed)

Division One

Wittering 5 (Lockwood, Middleton, Braint, Cayley, Tippett)

Long Sutton 2 (W. Oliver, Cawthorn).

Division Three

Eye United 3 (Joyce 2, Law)

FC Peterborough 0