14 April 2023
Into the final straight
The West London Vets’ Football League (WLVFL) jolts back into action on 15 April and there’s plenty up for grabs across all four divisions.
Ascot United’s 1st XI, however, are one of the few sides not in action. They were scheduled to meet Spartans, but with Spartans dropping out of the league before Christmas that means most of manager Dave Good’s side will in all likelihood be at the Racecourse Ground to watch the senior first XI be awarded the Combined Counties Premier Division North title. Some achievement with a number of weeks of the season left…..
The twos meanwhile do have a fixture. They’ll be off down the M3 to play AFC Hampton. Hampton were having a poor-campaign results-wise until relatively recently. Of late things have nonetheless picked up. Hampton are now off the bottom and a win on Saturday will take them above Old Tiffs’ 2nds and into 6th place.
Martin Kay’s men have plenty of incentive to foil Hampton’s attempts to pull away from the foot of the table. If Ascot United win then they are – a truly remarkable set of results elsewhere notwithstanding – all but promoted. To be more precise, they’d be six points ahead of Croxley, and Croxley have two games left to play plus a goal difference that’d be at the very least 28 goals (!) worse than Ascot’s. One win should therefore do it for Ascot’s second string.
Lots going on in the Prem
The title race in the Premier Division has suddenly got very interesting. Both Chelsea Vets and West London Rams (WLR) are very much in the hunt, and when push comes to shove it may well be goal difference that ends up separating the two sides.
This week Chelsea travel to Croxley for what looks a potentially tricky game. Croxley are never easy opponents, and that’s even more so when they are playing at home. WLR are off to relegation-threatened Nottsborough. If the ‘borowant to stay up then they desperately need to start getting points on the board. Going to be a tough ask against a side currently in fantastic form.
The other teams in the relegation dogfight will be hoping to make ground on Notts; KPR (third bottom) and Bank of England (fourth bottom) meet in what’s arguably the game of the day. Poly, meanwhile, travel to a Sporting Kitz side licking its wounds following a pounding last week at WLR. Could be another tough day for Poly there.
Promotion contenders with it all to play for in Division 1
Runaway leaders Claygate Royals Hares aren’t in action in Division One this week. They’ll no doubt be keeping a close eye on two other games taking place in this division.
Second placed Old Actonians travel to fourth placed West Kensington Kings and third placed Whippet Wanderers are off to bottom of the pile Old Tiffs. Claygate can’t be promoted this weekend, but if both of their immediate chasers slip up then they’ll be well set to go up on 22 April.
The final game in this division sees Laleham & Kempton host Civil Service. Both will be keen to win as although Jamrockand Old Tiffs are odds on to go down, it’s far from clear who will end up third from bottom and therefore in the relegation play off. A win for either L & K or Civils will go a long way to ensuring it’s not them.
Top two lock horns in Division 2
Four sides are in action in Division Two on Saturday, and it’s not hard to work out which is the standout fixture.
Top of the table Hillingdon Abbots visit second placedDouble H. Hillingdon may only be three points clear, but they do have four (!) games in hand on their opponents. A win for the Abbots and they’ll be all but assured of playing Division One football next season.
The other game does still have plenty resting on it. Old Tens are hosting Old Lyonians. Old Tens are currently third bottom and so need the points to try and haul themselves into mid-table. They have games in hand, but, as the old saying goes, you’d always rather have points in the bag.
Lyonians for their part are third and very much in the promotion hunt. A win and a anything other than a Double H win and they’ll be up into second.
Sounds like an intriguing weekend ahead. Go well everyone!
