Vanarama South – 12th April 2025
🦫HAMPTON & RICHMOND v 🐎WELLING
Pleasant afternoon at Hampton & Richmond FC getting 5 past their opponent to which we wish to get Well(ing) Soon.
That’s Vanarama South so 6th division – Tier 2 (below the EFL)
I arrived after 11 minutes, missing out on two goals 😂⚽️⚽️
An outrageous top corner goal for the 3-0.
📍⚽️📍📍The most incredible (really) two minutes of pinball machine, as Welling hit an effort bouncing off both posts then cleared off the line, with the next effort also hitting both posts less than two minutes later. Apologies for all the mild to moderate game engine snark @footballmanager
Game more open in second half after a first half trying to build a dig 🪵🦫 albeit it was 3-0 at the break. I thought the technical ability was fairly alright between both boxes for 6th division footy.
🦫🟠Max Merrick, on loan from Chelsea between the sticks, taking some very mild from Welling fans (“you derrick”). Excellent sandbox to know where and how to play long for young GKs because that’s what teams need.
Wiltshire as CB from 🇻🇬, Siziba from 🇿🇼, Vilhete from 🇸🇹. No more enjoyable way to learn geography than football.
🐎A few names once heard of on the pitch. Martell Taylor-Crossdale ex-Chelsea.
Jez Davies, once a trialist for Chelsea U21s who shared a pitch (and scored) with… N’Golo Kanté.
Jez Davies that is, with some cute reverse passes to find the striker in the box from final third. Some nice flashes, was on the books at Tottenham. Apparently as I’m checking it’s only his second game for HRFC.
🇦🇬TJ Bramble (ex Dover). Dom Revan on the books at Villa once like his brother Seb.
I liked Sahid Kamara (on loan from Birmingham City, able to get into final third).
⚽️🍺👀£8 beer + cup is definitely a bit woke but at least it can be downed with view of the pitch.
“We want our ball back” once cleared above one of the three peculiar stands.
🎶Embrace – Ashes at half time (my phone ringtone when I was a teenager) like we are on FIFA 06.
🏴England is so peculiarly quirky and out of times, which is what I love. Glorious weather too.
Sébastien Chapuis 