Buxton 3-1 BFC Under 21, Tuesday 8th July 2025

Buxton 3-1 Barnsley Under 21s, Friendly, Tarmac Silverlands Stadium, att. 647

The Club World Championship (the WHAT!?) is still in full swing and yet here we are, dawning of a new season. I’m back from my summer holidays, so it MUST be the new season, right? The Super Reds have just played their opening friendly (a one-all at Worksop) and I’m breaking my own rules by coming to what is, in essence, a training kickabout. But I’ve never seen us at Buxton, and the drive is THE most glorious thing, from the Yorkshire Pennines through the Peak District,up hill and down dale, past rivers and reservoirs, along windy and windy (!) roads. Just to watch the Under 21s. At the highest ground in the land.

Yes, despite being billed as a first team friendly, it’s just the Under 21s out. Worse, 5 of the team are trialists, and when an opposition fan (well, father of an opposition player) asks who in our team has played for the first team, I can only really point at keeper Flavell – and even he only got a few games last season after 3 keepers got injured (2 loanees) and a 4th fell out with the coach and was sold despite being the most in-form player in the team at that time. (The coach was to lose his job by season’s end.) Thus, it was a predictably disjointed performance with no-one standing out for the Super Reds.

Having been before, I parked 5 minutes from the ground, having turned the car around for an easy escape. £10 in, a bit steep for Under 21 friendlies but that’s on Barnsley not Buxton. Indeed, the first team WERE here tonite, bizarrely forced to watch the opening half from the stand. What was the point in THAT? Anyway, standing with Eric, we found out why the first team were pulled. A Reds fan (and Sky cameraman) walking around the pitch stopped for a chat. Turns out we’re playing Glasgow Rangers on Satdy, behind closed doors. Of course it is. Our pre-season consists of Worksop, Buxton, Harrogate and York City. It woulda been nice to play Rangers at Oakwell, though my recollection of Rangers coming to Sunderland in the 80s was of 6,000 Glasweigans wrecking the place. I suppose we could do with avoiding that.

I’ve already had a beer in the social club, on the right as you enter, as well as shaking hands (hoofs?) with the mascot, ‘Bucky’. (‘The Bucks’, see. I know, it’s no ‘Ron Corn.’) He was sweltered, he told me. I advised him to stay in the shade. It wasn’t the evening for dressing up in an animal outfit and being out in the sun. There was a smattering of Reds shirts around. Like me, Eric had no idea it was an under 21 game, though XXX did. Late notice, apparently, though too late for either club to mention it on their social media. But how did XXX know? Given she’s ‘had relations’ with more Reds footballers than I’ve shaken hands with (apparently) maybe she still has her contacts, despite her youth having disappeared long ago.

By now, I’ve walked around the pitch to lean on the fence on the far side. The home end, just past the social club, has a cluster of youngsters, obviously missing their football badly enough to be chanting. I’m not sure I’ve ever heard chanting at a friendly. Mind, I haven’t been to that many. But ‘if you are a Matlock fan surrender or you die’! (Will this attitude prevail at a pre-season meeting of the two? I suspect not.)

On the long side opposite the Main Stand a low propped roof and a couple of steps of terracing lay behind me as we leant on the fence and basked in the sun’s rays. No sign of Bucky. Perhaps he was having a well earned drink. Or maybe sat with the cluster of red track-suited individuals in the Main Stand. Buxton take the lead on 14 mins, as a throughball is slotted easily past Flavell. So much for 1st team experience. Soon, a trialist is injured and forced off. That’s a blow for him. Reds junior Kieron Graham then dispossesses the last defender and is through on goal. Mind, he’s still 35-40 yards out, but absolutely no-one makes an effort to close him down (too hot?) and he runs forward and calmly finishes. He’s perhaps the best of a bunch, keen, closing down, direct. And small. I’ve seen his type fail too many times at this club.

Half-time we’re level, but to prove anything they can do, we can do just as well, our centre half attempts to sidestep the opposing forward and loses it. Hapless. Is he one of the trialists, I wonder? If so, he’ll fit in well at Oakwell. Sub keeper Ravenhill tips round a shot before saving a penalty, diving to his right. I have no idea what the penalty was for. Not cos I disagree with the ref, I was too busy chatting/daydreaming. By now I’ve taken to having a wander round the ground.

Buxton seal it with a few minutes to go, hammering it from close range as the young Reds fail to clear a corner. The ref adds exactly zero minutes to the 90 and I’m off, looking forward to another glorious ride home, in the dusk. Such a pity I’m not capable of simply driving the same route I came, and somehow I miss Glossop and end up in Stockport. Still, it’s nice to have a drive out...

The Damage:
£10 ent
£10 SALT Alpacalypse Session IPA x 2
= £20

England 3-1 Spain, Saturday 21st June 2025

England 3-1 Spain, UEFA Under 21 European Championship, City Arena (Stadion Antona Malatinskeho), att. 8,247

Ever since the disastrous Brexit vote of 2016, my partner has been trying to visit every country in the EU, so here we are in Slovakia. Handily, there’s the Under 21 Euro championship going on so a plan is hatched. The week or so we’re out here it’s the quarter finals and beyond. We fly in Satdy, same day England play Spain in Trnava. Wednesday there’s a semi in Kosice (won’t be England) and next Satdy is the final in Bratislava. Chuck in a couple of days in Zilina and job’s a good un.

We catch a train from Bratislava to Trnava. I’ve been to this ground before and I remember one thing; it was a midweek game and in order to get a train to wherever I was staying (not Trnava) I had to leave at half-time. Not tonite. Tonite we’re staying in possibly Trnava’s only hotel, a building that looks like it’s been converted from a communist block of flats. It’s hard-going getting there too. It’s red hot (30 odd degrees) and it’s a fair walk from the railway station. On the way though we pass the ground. There is absolutely zero sign of a game here tonite, aside from a poster telling people they can’t buy tickets for the game at the ground. It’s the UEFA website or nothing.

After a shower to cool down, we’re off and about. The city centre is small and the ground is adjacent. We park up at a pub in town and enjoy a couple of beers as we’re accosted by a pair of German groundhoppers here for the game. They’re Hansa Rostock fans (renowned for being right wing) and are annoyed when, on discussing the atmosphere at German games, I compliment St. Pauli (renowned left wing). I admit to being a bit of a rascal here, though my opinion stands. But the Germans were good company, before we moved on for food, a typically Slovakian menu (meat, potato pancakes)and more gorgeous (Czech) beer.

It was less than 10 minutes to walk to the ground. Half stadium, half shopping centre, it still looks brand new and spotless. Built in 2015, 3 sides of two tiers are linked together in a horse-shoe. The 4th side is a small single-tier affair, limited in its size by the street behind, though its roof proudly declares ‘CITY ARENA’ in bold lettering. Still, when will Trnava need 18,800 seats? (Ans: when England played here in 2016. But the point is ‘rarely’. Spartak Trnava average around 4,000.)

We enter via turnstiles on the main road having had to walk through the aforementioned shopping centre to get there. Fairly quickly in, and we’re soon in a queue for a drink. The heat is oppressive, not the sort of thing a couple of pasty English types enjoy. In fact, the shade of a concrete concourse offered some relief, before we bought a couple of Radlers (or shandy to you or I). Thirst quenching.

I’d been wondering what sort of attendance it would be all day and as we passed through the vomitory it became apparent certain parts of the ground were closed. Still, it was a healthy 8,000+, with most in the stand we occupied, on the long side opposite the single tier. There was a good mix of fans too, not just England and Spain (though both were few in number), but other participating nations as well. But by far the most number appeared to be locals, out to see the future Harry Kane, or Rodri, perhaps? They were in for a treat.

For those of us whose team’s matches are not interrupted by VAR, we had an early treat; Spain’s 3rd minute opener ruled out after 5 minutes of discussion. And they say VAR is ruining football! (Is it Norway who’ve since got rid of it?) But by the quarter of an hour mark, England were 2 goals up. McAtee’s is Johnny-on-the-spot as a corner isn’t cleared. Then Liverpool’s Quansah intercepts a ball in his own half, drives forward 50 yards. As defenders back off, expecting the pass that never comes, he hits one from outside the box, the keeper spills and Liverpool’s Harvey Elliott is there on the rebound. I’d hoped the Spanish custodian might be called ‘Jesus’ on the offchance I could riff on the old gag ‘Jesus saves...Dalglish scores on the rebound’ graffitied sign outside a Liverpudlian church. Unfortunately, he’s called Alejandro.

Now, I’m not the biggest England fan. Anodyne football, overpaid superstars, etc...but this Young England are a different kettle of fish. Passing and moving at pace, always looking to go FORWARD. What’s all that about? They still look capable of defensive deficiency (fullback Livramento looks weak, and I’m sure he’s one of the ones who’ve got a FULL England cap or 2) but you can’t have everything at Under 21. Hopefully they’ll keep the positive and improve on the negative.

I think it’s McAtee giving the ball away on the edge of his own box, dribbling, and in the panic that follows Quansah chops down a Spaniard as he cuts inside. The stutter does for Beadle in goal and Javi Guerra puts the ball the other way. Half-time isn’t far away and a chance for England to recoup.

At half-time, my partner takes ill. Not quite ill enough to go home (I’ll spare the details) but we go and sit behind the goal as there’s barely anybody there and it offers quick access to the toilet. Spain dominate early, but as the game goes on, I fancy England to hit them on the break. Head Coach Carsley sends on 5 subs in 3 second half bursts and the tide swings England’s way. One of them, Jonathan Rowe (of my partner’s team Norwich, but soon to be Marseilles) bursts forward and nicks it in the corner of the box just before the keeper takes him out. Penalty, and fellow sub Elliott Andersen (Forest) bangs it down the middle. 3-1 and game over.

England:
James Beadle (Brighton & Hove Albion; on loan at Sheffield Wednesday last season)
Jack Hinshelwood (Brighton & Hove Albion)
Quansah (Liverpool)
Charlie Cresswell (Toulouse)
Tino Livramento (Newcastle United)
Tyler Morton (Liverpool)
Alex Scott (Bournemouth)
Omari Hutchinson (Ipswich Town)
McAtee (Manchester City)
Harvey Elliott (Liverpool)
Jay Stansfield (Birmingham City)

The Damage:
€20 ent
€3.70 Radler
€3 deposit on plastic beaker
= €26.70