Belle Vue Speedway, the setting for today’s pre-season friendly between Abbey Hey FC and Padiham FC. It is the home of the Belle Vue Aces speedway club where matches usually take place on Monday. No football team plays here which makes today a significant visit!
1st July and that can mean only one thing… NEW SEASON! Here we go again and it’s an unusual tick to start the season and one that I expect a few other hoppers to attend!
So it’s a familiar drive through Crosspool into the peak district towards Glossop onto the M67 into Tameside and into the ground with around 20 minutes to go before kick off… I don’t like that wind… Maybe I shouldn’t have worn shorts?
Here’s a familiar face! Brimbo! A friend of Graeme and fellow Evertonian but great to see him once again! Lovely to meet a few other hoppers here too! The player’s warm ups are finally finished and we are ready to get the 2023/24 season underway!
Kick Off! 3 minutes in and the ball is played back to the Padiham keeper and hits it long with abbey hey 15 chasing him… he’s hit number 15… But it’s gone out for a goal kick. Is this a sign of things to come?
13th minute and Abbey Hey play it through to number 7 running into the box and he’s in… It’s saved! It looks like he’s hit the keeper in the crotch there… OUCH!
27 minutes now and Abbey Hey play it through and number 8 has got the better of the defender and he’s in… OH! It’s saved again! He should’ve scored!
A rather actionless first half ends inevitably at 0-0…
Second half, 53 gone and Abbey Hey play down the right, it’s driven across… It’s blocked out for a corner, in it comes… It comes to nothing.
66th minute and Abbey Hey come forward, it’s a through ball to number 11 and he’s in… he’s around the keeper… He’s took it too far! Goal kick.
1 minute later and Abbey Hey come again, they work it around the edge of the box, it comes to number 15, he goes for the toe poke… Oh brilliant! There it is!! Great strike! It’s the first goal of the season for me and it’s a peach! 1-0!
1 minute after that and Abbey Hey play it forward to number 10 on the left, he cuts inside and shoots from the edge of the box… And he finds the bottom corner! Fantastic stuff! 2-0! Just like that!
87 minutes now and Padiham come forward, number 10 cuts onto his right and shoots from just outside the box… Saved! Abbey Hey see this one out!
FT: Abbey Hey 2-0 Padiham
Ratings
- Atmosphere: 1/10 – Not too many here sadly…
- The Ground: 7/10 – Great stands at either end and would look good as a football ground but with it being a Speedway setting it is quite far from the pitch…
- Expense: 10/10 – Freebie!
- Overall Experience: 5/10 – Great to see Brimbo and everyone here today but it really was a poor game sadly…
23/40