Match Information
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Thameslink & Southern 2-2 Southern Engineers (Southern Engineers won 4-2 on penalties)
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When: Sunday 3rd July 2022
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Kick-off: 2pm
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Where: Pitch 2, Middlesex County Football Association headquarters, Rectory Park, Ruislip Road, Northolt, Middlesex UB5 5FA
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Competition: Railway & Corporate Flexi League Champions Final
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Attendance: 31
This was my second trip to the Middlesex County FA’s fantastic £5 million hub in Northolt. It opened in July 2018 as part of the Football Association’s national Parklife Programme and houses two adjacent floodlit 3G artificial pitches.
My first visit was the following January for a Middlesex Premier Cup tie between Kensington Borough and Harefield United. That was played on what is now called Pitch 1.
So I decided to go back for a groundhopping tidy-up to see a match on Pitch 2. It was my first foray into the little known world of railway football.
I have to say that the community work of County Football Associations up and down the country has always impressed me.
They are responsible for supporting the game at grassroots and Non-League level. Their overall objective is to make sure that football is accessible to everyone with the best possible experience on offer.
County FA’s work closely with the Parklife Programme, which is designed to create community hubs across the country.
These ensure that everything local football needs can be based in one place in a key and strategic location. The business model is to generate a profit or a surplus that can be re-invested back into local football to develop other facilities.
Rectory Park was necessary because the Middlesex FA’s previous base was a converted house in a Harrow residential street. It was just an office and didn’t have any facilities to hold matches, training sessions or support for coaches and referees.
So the new site was identified in Northolt and it became a joint collaboration between Ealing Council, London Marathon Trust, The Football Foundation, The FA and Middlesex FA.
The Football Foundation contributed significant funding of £3,243,812 towards Rectory Park.
The Middlesex FA now have a 125 year lease and it hosts coaching sessions for youngsters right down to under-7’s and under 8’s, men’s and women’s clubs, walking football and disability teams.
Ground Description
I drove into the large car park with spaces for 110 cars and then entered via the impressive main building.
This contains reception facilities, extensive changing rooms, a thriving cafe, Middlesex FA offices and modern meeting rooms.
Railway football!
— Tony Incenzo talkSPORT (@TonyIncenzo) July 3, 2022
Result of @corpflexileague Champions Final match today at Rectory Park (right pitch 2) -
Thameslink & Southern 2 Southern Engineers 2,
2-4 on penalties.
Attendance 31. Football grounds visited - 2,447@NonLeagueCrowd @middxfa @RectoryParkFC @EV2Sportswear pic.twitter.com/cJuhq0wkmC
Overall, there is 120 square metres of community space. The 3G playing facilities are located behind this building.
My previously visited Pitch 1 (known as the “Left Pitch” at the time) has two covered grandstands providing 140 seats. However, Pitch 2 (the “Right Pitch”) just has an uncovered viewing area for spectators. Fortunately it was a hot and sunny day.
The Match
The Railway & Corporate Flexi League provides football for the travel and public sector services. Apparently, railway football was massive back in British Rail days but then fizzled out with rail privatisation.
The Railway & Corporate Flexi League are trying to bridge that gap now with fixtures scheduled to fit in with the players’ shift work. I thought this match I saw was a decent standard and very competitive.
Thameslink & Southern raced into a 2-0 lead courtesy of strikes from Francis (17 minutes) and Wardell (30).
But the balance of play shifted early in the second half as the Southern Engineers rallied with goals by Garnett-Scherer (45) and Caesar (53).
After that 2-2 deadlock at 90 minutes, it was straight to penalties and the Engineers triumphed 4-2. They joyously celebrated winning this final by letting off some yellow flares to match the colour of their shirts.
*Credit for all of the photos in this article belongs to @TonyIncenzo*
FIRST PUBLISHED: 14th July 2022
