The last ever game at Kingsmeadow

I will be the first to admit that Kingstonian has never been a big part of my life but, even so, this was a sad occasion.

Kingstonian had got into financial troubles some years ago and thanks to an opportunist businessman managed to lose the ground that was built for them. They managed to stay on while the new owners, AFC Wimbledon, let them ground share but then Wimbledon found the home back in Wimbledon that they always wanted, the ground was sold and Kingstonian were forced to move out.

There was a double party that day as the K's fans were saying farewell to the ground and their opponents had hopes of winning the league, a draw would do it for them.

The sunny day helped the party atmosphere as did the game. It finished a scoreless draw but was actually a good game to watch and was a fitting end to the K's time at Kingsmeadow. We all went on to the pitch afterwards and did some chanting because that was absolutely the right thing to do.

A few beers were consumed before, during and after the game and it definitely felt like the end of an era. It remains to be seen whether I'll be tempted down to Leatherhead next season but that has to be unlikely. The hunt for a ground closer to home continues and I hope that they do make it back to Kingston before too long.

Sutton 2 - 4 Kingstonian

I had not been to see local team Kingstonian play since early in the previous season but the triple whammy of playing our local rivals Sutton United in the Isthmian League Play-off Semi final on a warm sunny evening was simply irresistible.

I have been to the Sutton ground a few times but all my previous visits were to see bands playing in the social club so going in to the stadium was a new experience for me.

So too was the journey by ThamesLink from St Pancras to West Sutton via such unknown outposts of South London as Tulse Hill, Tooting, Wimbledon Chase, Morden and St Helier. It's not a very direct route by any means and it took a leisurely hour to just creep in to Zone 5. Another good reason for not living in Sutton!

The ground is pretty basic, as you would expect for the Isthmian League, but it claims a capacity of over 7,000 so there was plenty of space for the 1,401 of us who braved the sunshine to get there.

I met a few friends, some planned and some unexpected, and with the many fans in red and white hooped tops it felt much like a home match.

There is a covered terrace at one end only and we spent the first half there waiting for the stream of Kingstonian goals.

We did not have long to wait and were up 0 - 1 after little more than ten minutes.

Then things rather fell apart. The Ks looked unthreatening coming forward with long balls punted to the lone striker and his four markers. Defending looked hard too and Sutton often looked like doing scoring. They managed to do so twice and the first half ended at 2 - 1.

We made the long walk to the other end of the ground and starting talking about overtime and penalties and whether the Ks could still come back from a 3 - 1 deficit.

How wrong we were! The game of two halves proved to be a game of two halves with Ks vibrant, aggressive, purposeful and threatening throughout.

A firm shot from the edge of the box made it 2 - 2, a powerful header from almost the same spot made it 2 - 3 and some clever dribbling round the last defender and then the goalkeeper made it 2 - 4 and a convincing win.

The play-off final is on Saturday against Borehamwood and even though I have no idea where that is I shall probably go carrying with me high hopes of another win and expectations of watching Ks play in the Blue Square South next season. Sadly not against Weymouth as they have just been relegated from there.

Leeds dismiss manager McAllister

Leeds dismiss manager McAllister may not be the biggest shock of the week but I hope that it is good news. I was not that enthusiastic when he was appointed last year as I felt that he had not proved himself as a manager. I hate to be proved right and I seriously hope that our next manager can turn things around and get us promoted this year.

Kingstonian 1 - 1 Metropolitan Police

I am only an occasional visitor to Kingsmeadow these days but I was tempted by the fine weather, a midweek game on a day that I had nothing else on, and the ridicule of some friends for my extended absence to go and see Kingstonian play Metropolitan Police in the Isthmian League Division One South on Monday night.

I started my football life watching Weymouth play in various minor leagues and I like the atmosphere of these games where the crowd almost know each other as well as the players do. I also like being able to stand to watch the game, rather than the enforced seating in higher leagues, and walking from one end of the ground to the other at half time to be behind the goal that my team is playing towards.

Kingstonian are currently top of the league and so a draw at home against the team currently fifth was a little disappointing. More disappointing was the way that they played with a very slow midfield that seemed incapable of playing forward quickly and imaginatively and equally incapable of stopping the opposition from doing just that.

My friends claimed that the lethargy was due to a hard game just two days previously but I had not been there to see that so have to take their word for it!

The result and the lethargy apart, it was not a bad night out and if the favourable circumstances repeat themselves I could go again :-)

Come on Leeds (United, Rhinos and Tykes)!

It's crunch time for Leeds United in their efforts to remain in the football Championship and, like all good supporters, I am still confident that we can do it; and get promoted back to the Premiership where we belong next season.

But while there is still some concern over Leeds United the other Leeds teams are both top of their leagues.

Leeds Rhinos beat the previous league leaders, Bradford, last night to go top of the Super League.

Leeds Tykes are top of the English National League 1 and should be promoted back to the Premiership, though we do still have to play Earth Titans.