Match Information
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Jarvis Brook 1-3 Hailsham Town
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When: Saturday 30th December 2023
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Kick-off: 11.30am
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Where: Caburn Community Ground, King’s Academy Ringmer, Lewes Road, East Sussex BN8 5RB
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Competition: Southern Combination Football League Division Two
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Attendance: 88
This was my final groundhop of 2023 and I had to plan things very carefully since widespread rain and gale force winds were forecast.
Now I strictly adhere to a self-imposed groundhopping rule meaning I will not set off to a game if there is any doubt whatsoever about it actually taking place. On reflection, I was more relaxed regarding such matters during my younger days.
For example, I remember travelling up to Colne FC in Lancashire by train on an awfully wet Saturday only to find the match was eventually postponed 20 minutes before kick-off due to waterlogging.
Undeterred, I called a taxi and re-routed four miles down the road to Nelson FC where the action did get played. Nevertheless my happy-go-lucky attitude changed dramatically after I was badly caught out a few years ago following a four hour cross-country drive.
The host club had confidently assured me in advance their pitch was definitely playable and no early inspection was necessary. However, the referee decided to call it off 45 minutes short of the scheduled start.
I had already arrived by then and quickly discovered the playing area was totally coated in frost so there was absolutely no chance at all of football betting commencing.
A complete waste of time and petrol for me in enormously frustrating circumstances although I did devour a delicious meal in the local pub prior to returning home.
Therefore having learned this lesson the hard way, my current policy is to target 3G synthetic pitches when the weather looks grim.
Meticulously scrutinising fixture lists for 30th December, I noticed Jarvis Brook versus Hailsham Town was switched to Ringmer AFC’s artificial surface to ensure it would go ahead.
So I opted for the 200 mile round trip to Ringmer, which is a village housing 4,700 residents in the Lewes district of East Sussex.
I had previously ventured to the vicinity on Tuesday 23rd September 2008 as I watched Ringmer beat Hassocks 2-1 at their original Caburn Ground (attendance 87) in the Sussex County League Division One.
Moving forward to 1st June 2020, Ringmer FC merged with near neighbours AFC Ringmer to become Ringmer AFC.
They relocated to the newly opened Caburn Community Ground within the grounds of King’s Academy and presently play at Mid Sussex League Premier Division level embracing Step 7 of the national Non-League Pyramid.
Ground Description
Despite being part of a school, the venue has a good homely feel because of the attractive club signage. Access is via a lane leading around behind educational buildings to the designated football car park.
Ringmer AFC possess smart two-storey clubhouse facilities incorporating an elevated viewing balcony and some covered overhang for spectators underneath.
In addition, two prefab grandstands provide 100 seats. All in all, a really well-appointed set-up.
Programme Details
Entitled ‘THE BROOK’, this 16 page glossy production was available at £2 through Jarvis Brook official Dave Sales next to the touchline. David afforded a friendly welcome to everyone in attendance.
Programme contents included the chairman’s welcome, manager’s notes, club history, sponsorship details, league table and the respective line-ups.
The Match
Third versus sixth featuring two sides harbouring promotion aspirations in the Step 7 ranked Southern Combination League Division Two.
Defying any hypothetical football odds, it was scoreless at half-time preceding an incident packed second period.
Invigorated by repeated cries of “Come on ’Ailsham” from their travelling fans, the visitors struck decisively courtesy of Sam Townsend (47 minutes), Josh Silva-Carvalho (72 mins) and Will Bacic (78 mins).
Meanwhile, Steve Smith converted a penalty for Jarvis Brook in the 71st minute. Overall an extremely feisty affair and referee David Stappleton did well to keep everything flowing.
It was nice that David messaged me on Twitter afterwards to discuss the match and his own involvement.
*Credit for the photos in this article belongs to Tony Incenzo*
