Match Information
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Mundford 4-3 Ely City
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When: Saturday 16th July 2022
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Kick-off: 2pm
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Where: The Glebe, St Leonards Street, Mundford, Norfolk IP26 5DW
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Competition: Pre-season friendly
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Attendance: 57
My latest groundhop was to a club in the Anglian Combination. This league caters for teams in Norfolk and the northern part of Suffolk.
Obviously this is a very picturesque part of the country and some of the football grounds are real gems. The precise catchment area is for member clubs within a 50 mile radius from Norwich city centre.
In years gone by though, the Anglian Comb was out on a limb geographically in terms of being part of the Non-League Pyramid. Yes it is a Step 7 league with promotion to the Eastern Counties League Division One at Step 6.
But this was not an attractive proposition for Anglian Comb clubs as the geography of the ECL meant that some games were right down in Essex.
This would have entailed round trips from Norwich of up to 240 miles that could easily have taken in excess of two and a half hours each way. Not a good scenario – especially for midweek fixtures.
So very few teams sought promotion from the Anglian Comb. However, the restructuring of the Non-League system saw a Division One North formed in the ECL in 2018 covering the northern part of East Anglia.
Therefore the travelling problem was solved immediately and a steady stream of Anglian Comb clubs have progressed up to the ECL since then including Mulbarton Wanderers, Harleston Town, Sheringham, University of East Anglia and Heacham.
Result of my pre-season friendly in Norfolk today :@MundfordFC 4@ElyCityFC 3
— Tony Incenzo - football reporter (@TonyIncenzo) July 16, 2022
Attendance 57 (my headcount. Football grounds visited - 2,452@fcbusiness @nonleagueshow @NonLeagueCrowd @FootballNorfolk @NorfolkCountyFA @AnglianCom pic.twitter.com/PXQ0CAeows
This situation has showcased the strength of the Anglian Comb as three of those sides – Harleston, Mulbarton and Sheringham - have subsequently been promoted again to the Premier Division of the ECL.
One of the requirements for Step 6 is a floodlit home ground and it is interesting to note from their online directory that several of the current Anglian Comb clubs already have lights in place – Aylsham, Beccles Town, Bungay Town, Cromer Youth Old Boys, Dussindale Hellesdon Rovers, Holt United, Mundford, North Walsham Town, Watton United and Wells Town.
With all this in mind, I decided to visit Mundford FC who play in a Norfolk village with a population of just 1,500. The club have a proud history in local football dating back to their formation in 1907.
Ground Description
I parked up next to Mundford Village Hall and walked across ‘The Glebe’ playing field. I passed a cricket match that was in full swing before reaching the railed off football pitch.
I liked the solid-looking John Marston Stand which has the initials MFC set in the brickwork and provides covered standing for maybe 60 spectators.
It is named after the club’s former groundsman who died in 2020 at the age of 76 having given loyal service to Mundford FC for 50 years.
This stand was quite well populated at my match as people sought some shade from the baking sun on a very hot day.
It was adjoined by the Stags Tea Hut which reflects the club’s nickname and did a roaring trade in cold drinks on the day. The floodlights have been in place since 2016 and have a 200 lux rating.
The Match
Very entertaining and a real ding-dong affair. Mundford edged this seven goal thriller and claimed a decent pre-season scalp against their opponents Ely City who play two steps higher in the ECL Premier Division.
So overall, prospects are looking good for Mundford on and off the pitch. I will eagerly follow their fortunes in the future to see if they are the next club to move upwards from the Anglian Comb.
*Credit for all of the photos in this article belongs to @TonyIncenzo*
FIRST PUBLISHED: 25th July 2022
