Welcome to the latest instalment of the Gloucester Groundhopper blog.
For this blog, we went to another non-league ground, Longlevens AFC's home, which is also located in the heart of Gloucestershire. Saw Mills End is their home, and it was yet another new territory for me, but it was one that made us feel at ease and welcome.
Saw Mills End is located in the Gloucester suburb of Longlevens, about 10 minutes from the city centre. Despite the fact that I am from Gloucester, I find it rather redundant to look around the city, despite the fact that it is one of my customary traditions. However, if you are planning a visit to the city, there is plenty to do, including the Quays, the cathedral, and numerous museums strewn about. As a result, I did the unexpected and travelled straight to the ground.
It’s All In The Name Longlevens are known as Levens. I don't really need to explain this one.
Notable People From Gloucester:
Hubert Cecil Booth- Inventor Of The Vacuum Cleaner
Sir Alastair Cook- Cricketer
Tom Kerridge- Chef
Simon Pegg- Actor
Nathan Sykes- Singer
Chris Whitty- Chief Medical Officer For England
A History Lesson With AFC Finners Longlevens AFC was founded in 1954, though many members believe that there was a football club in Longlevens prior to the Second World War that folded in 1952. Longlevens AFC would then play in the Gloucestershire Northern Senior League for over 40 years. They were unable to advance for a long time due to a lack of resources. Longlevens' path to promotion was hampered as football evolved, with the adoption of the Pyramid System and the formal grading of clubs. However, as a result of development involving Gloucester City Council, an Ibis Hotel was built nearby, along with a football facility capable of being developed to meet the requirements of the higher leagues, and Longlevens were fortunate to be granted an annual lease, following applications from several local sides. As a result, Longlevens was eventually able to obtain the facilities required for promotion. They were elected to the Gloucestershire County League in 2011, and they won it in 2013 after a remarkable turnaround that saw them go from fourth from bottom in November to league winners.
They are now in the Hellenic Premier Division after winning the Division One West in 2015, and their goal is to climb further up the footballing pyramid, with a focus on youth development to help the club become self-sustaining as they strive to continue their remarkable growth.
Honours 🏆Hellenic League Division One West (Champions: 2014-15) 🏆Gloucestershire County League (Champions: 2012-2013, 2013-2014) 🏆Gloucestershire County League Cup (Winners: 2013-2014) 🏆Gloucestershire Northern Senior League Division One (Champions: 2008-2009) 🏆North Gloucestershire League Division Four (Champions: 1954-1955)
Matchday: Longlevens AFC 1-2 Malvern Town
The venue is located behind an Ibis hotel on the outskirts of Gloucester, and as a result, parking was relatively easy to come by. There is also plenty of parking on the road adjacent to the stadium and at the Coroner's Court, which is also adjacent to the stadium.
When you arrive at the ground, you are greeted by a 'Welcome to Longlevens Football Club' sign located next to the players' entrance. If you walk around the corner from that sign, the spectator's entrance will be directly in front of you. There's not much to see outside the ground in Malvern, so we went straight into it. It cost £13 for myself, my father, and Gloucester Groundhopper debutant Grendall.
Keeping with the tradition I've established while writing this blog, I took a stroll around the stadium to get the best view of the game. While walking around, it became clear that the view was essentially the same no matter where you stood. I discovered a fun gap behind the dugout that was ideal for my photography endeavours. Finally, we decided to join the rest of the fans outside the café/clubhouse. Again, I imagine the clubhouse generates the majority of club turnover, as it does for many other non-league clubs. Grendall bought me a Thatcher's Gold from there, which came straight out of the fridge and went down well. It came to £7.50 for two Thatcher's and a Carling, so it was very good value.
I also decided to spend £1 on a hot chocolate. If you're familiar with groundhopping channels, you'll notice that non-league Hot Chocolate isn't like the rest. It embodies the term "Hot." Scalding. Fire in small cups. They will keep you warm for several days. This Hot Chocolate was no different. There were pin badges for sale with the man at the turnstiles for £3, but I only knew that because I saw a tweet from Longlevens stating so; there were no signs indicating that merchandise was available. It was great to see a large number of fans from both teams attend the game, which added to the atmosphere, with fans of all ages, including children and dogs, in attendance.
Teamsheets Longlevens AFC
Managers: Craig Martin and Mike Palmer
Kane Winman Will Emery Luke Troke Ollie Long Joe Talbot Cam Williams Dave Merrick Shaun O'Connor Ethan Dunbar Brad Martin Rudi McKinnon
Substitutes James Barnett Callum McGurk Tommy Callinan Joey Haswell Ellis Parker
Malvern Town
Manager: Lee Hooper
Kieron Blackburn Phil Harris Lewis Platt Harry Clark Adam Sauntson James Timmins Dave Reynolds Joe Bullock Matthew Turner Kyonn Evans Ben Hayes
Substitutes
Joe Bates
Carrick Hill
Curtis Smith
Josh Beadle
Jamie Sauntson
The game got off to a slow start as both teams tried to adjust to the blustery winds that hampered the fans' enjoyment. Rudi McKinnon, a Longlevens player, was one of the highlights of the first half. He was assured on the ball, with slick skills and a grace that made him entertaining to watch. He was always making good runs off the ball and looking for people to pass to him. I compared him to a non-league Jack Grealish, and he even has the same hairstyle.
Longlevens clearly benefits from being located adjacent to a hotel. Throughout the game, it was clear that people were watching the game through their windows. 'How does this help the club?' you may wonder. A family who had been watching out their window came out of the hotel and into the ground to watch. It was amazing to see how the club gained three new spectators simply by being located where they are.
After half an hour, there was nothing to write home about. There wasn't even a shot for either team. As we approached halftime, I turned to the people next to me and said that if nothing changed, I could see this game ending 0-0. As previously stated, Malvern broke through on goal and forced a good save from Longlevens' goalkeeper. At halftime, the score was 0-0.
At halftime, I went for another wander to see what I could find, and because it was bitterly cold outside, I decided to return to the clubhouse. Eavesdropping on other people's conversations revealed that both sides were unhappy with a draw, as they were both vying for second place, so I expected the second half to be a little more entertaining.
The second half began, and it was almost immediately clear that both teams were more motivated for it. Early on, both teams had good chances, and both goalkeepers made good saves. Around the hour mark, the deadlock was broken, and my fears of a 0-0 draw were allayed. Longlevens broke down the left flank and crossed the ball in; the ball broke for Rudi McKinnon to strike, and it deflected in with the goalkeeper rooted to the spot. Longlevens won 1-0, and they were good value at the time. Longlevens had numerous chances to make it two, but he almost never worked the keeper.It was here that Grendall made the worst mistake a football fan can make: he went to the bathroom during the game. Malvern created a corner from thin air, and when the ball was crossed in, the wind caught it and held it up. This meant it was a simple tap-in for Adam Sauntson, who finished from close range. Malvern had been reintroduced into the game.
It was as dramatic as it gets shortly after that. Malvern had a freekick that resulted in a handball on the line by Longlevens player Joe Talbot, who was sent off. There was some debate about whether it was Talbot who handled it or the goalkeeper who saved it. From where I was standing, which was quite far away, it appeared to be handball, but others who were closer said otherwise. In any case, Malvern faced 10 men for the second game in a row for the remainder of the game. They had a penalty as well. Joe Bates took a step forward and confidently slotted the ball past the keeper. Malvern had taken the lead.
Malvern had more chances to extend their lead, most notably when striker Matt Turner (Milky) went through on goal and fired straight at the keeper with the goal gaping. Longlevens' frustration with the referee grew, and it became clear that Malvern would win the game and take three points, which they did.
The game ended 2-1 in favour of Malvern Town, a victory that moves the hill-siders up to that crucial second spot, with promotion a realistic goal. Longlevens are currently ninth in the league and will most likely have to wait until next season to compete for promotion. Both clubs have stated that they are ambitious, so if they do not achieve promotion this season, it would not be surprising to see them vying for higher leagues in the near future.
Scores On The Doors
Atmosphere: 5/10
Food and Drink: 4/10
Stadium: 5/10
Welcome: 6/10
Overall Experience: 6.5/10
GG
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