SATURDAY, MARCH 12TH FRAMLINGHAM TOWN 2 DISS TOWN 1

I AM in Suffolk so I bid farewell to the wife on Saturday afternoon and drive the 12 miles or so north to Framlingham Town.

Thirty five minutes later I am at Badingham Lane for this Thurlow Nunn League, First Division North game with Diss Town. I pay a fiver at the gate (£3 concessions) and also have a couple of quid ready for the programme. “It’s online, sorry”. It is notable that I have yet to meet one single gateman/ gatewoman who agrees with online programmes.

On the pitch, there’s a kid’s game of football taking place, with a swathe of proud parents watching proceedings. All the lads are wearing identical kits – the green and white hoops of Framlingham’s first team – so it is impossible to know who is on which team!

After a few tackles, there are several comments such as “he’s on your side!” It brings back unbelievably happy memories of mass games with mates after school.

The sun-kissed ground has a slight Step 8 feel to it, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Everyone in the stadium is friendly and several people stop to chat and say hello. Food isn’t on the go yet but the small barbecue by the main stand has just been switched on (but won’t be ready until 2.40pm).

Spectators enter along one touchline, with the main stand and facilities to the left. There’s a drinks hatch behind the seats and a hospitality lounge at the end of the stand.

The only other cover is a small area across the other side by the dugouts. There’s a cool breeze blowing across the complex and that small ‘shed’ provides perfect respite.

When ready, the burgers are really thick, homemade efforts and the ‘hot dogs’ are proper sausages. No cheap meat for the fans here! No other hot food is available. As always in this League, team line-ups are displayed on the wall in the main stand and I attempt to take a picture of the board without dropping my burger!

Framlingham take the lead in the second minute with a superbly-worked goal. They threaten more before an unwelcome element of time-wasting kicks in after just ten minutes for no discernible reason. They deservedly pay the price when Diss equalise on the stroke of half time with a stunning individual goal.

The second half is scrappy. Diss take the game to their hosts but cannot break through. Danny Smith efficiently rounds off a patient move for Framlingham after 80 minutes to send them home with the points.

“How are we going to lose this?” is the forlorn cry from Diss’s keeper. How, indeed... 35(˨0$7&+,1)2 :(/&20( )$&,/,7,(6

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