DRAW, TIE, DRAW, REPLAY OR HAMMERED

There are a few local derbies on show this weekend, many in the FA Cup and over the weekend a few in the Premier League and Football League. Middlesbrough v Sunderland is one, Wednesday and Leeds, Huddersfield and Barnsley.

In the Cup my favourite local derby must be the 4-4 TIE at Taunton Town against Tiverton Town. Too many Ts for me, but at least my name isn't Tommy Taylor, driving a twenty ton Thames Trader. It's a old joke but a cracker.

4-4 was a draw also played out by Droylesden v Radcliffe Borough (a Manchester derby) and two clubs from the Eastern Counties, Yaxley FC (the Cuckoos) and Dereham Town (the Magpies, founded in 1884), the derby of the birds.

Cheshunt, from Herts scored 8 against Basildon United from Essex, NIL. No derby coincidence really but a nice score.
Chasetown (formed originally as Chase Terrace Old Scholars Youth Club) knocked in 9 against Brocton FC, of course known as the Badgers, from Stafford, with no reply.

One derby tickled me and that is Ascot United (in Berkshire by the racecourse, not where the Derby is run) 4 Didcot Town (in Berkshire by the western railway line and power station) 3; the derby of the "cots".

West Ham v Bournemouth couldn't be further apart but today we have to mark the initiation of the London Stadium by the Hammers. Here are a few shots of the Olympic Park, a stadium I visited on August 8th 2012 when Usain Bolt was on his way to winning another gold medal.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/constructionandproperty/11116146/Take-a-look-inside-West-Hams-new-football-stadium.html?frame=endScreen
It's a wonderful structure. Bye bye Boleyn Ground or as we all knew it Upton Park.