A trip to North West Norfolk gave me the opportunity to visit Heacham FC. A first for me and a first to see an Eastern Counties League Premier Division game. Heacham have had an incredible run of eight successive promotions getting to Step 5 for the first time in their history.
A Heacham team was formed in 1907 playing most of its football in North West Norfolk being most successful locally in the 1960’s and 70’s, but their real rise started in 2016 with promotion to the lower reaches of the Anglian Football Combination. Eight promotions later they now play in the Eastern Counties Premier Division.
Heacham FC were playing Kirkley and Pakefield FC based south of the river Waveney and Lowestoft centre. K&P had to travel for 2 hours from North East Suffolk right across the whole of Norfolk. Organised football has been played in the Kirkley area since the 1880’s and with progress in local leagues merged with Lowestoft in 1908. Unfortunately disagreements meant for a short term alliance and Kirkley were again looking for a new home. On going financial and organisational problems forced other mergers and alliances to bring about the team name that prevails today. This colourful history has been dulled in more recent times with Kirkley and Pakefield now enjoying their 19th straight season in the Eastern Counties League Premier Division.
The temperature was 22 even though the sun was hidden by thick cloud rushing in from the Wash. Some of the clouds looked threatening and their speed was matched by a breeze that whipped down the ground.
You walk through a large car park to an entrance that reveals an open stadium. To the left is a brick built changing room and club house, on the right is one side of the pitch that has a small covered stand with two rows of seating with a row of safe standing on the third tier. Although there is a perimeter path around the pitch three sides are open with fencing complete each end. What has been achieved to get to the ground grading standards to the higher levels is brilliant. The pitch was relatively flat with a thick grass cover looking vibrant green after the recent rain.
Heacham FC 1 Kirkley & Pakefield 2
Saturday 12th August 2023
Eastern Counties League Premier Division
Heacham: black and white vertical striped shirts black shorts. K&P: Royal blue shirts and shorts with white shoulders.
Heacham with wind behind them had the best of the 1st 15 mins and an away defender cleared off the line with the keeper beaten.
There was no real pattern to the second quarter but Kirkley & Pakerfield came more into the game.
With the game coming up to half time the clouds cleared to bright blue skies but a threatening black cloud was sneaking up from offshore.
A black cloud also overcame the home goalkeeper when he did not come out positively enough and the ball sailed over his head and defenders to fall to Caleb Geib who took the ball wide and slotted it into the net evading the scrambling back home players.
So against the overall run of play Kirkley and Pakerfield went in one nil to the good.
Kirkley & Pakerfield showed more guile, strength and organisation in the second half and easily picked off Heacham’s through balls as they lacked an effective wide approach.
With 29 minutes of the second half gone Declan MacIlvoy’s free kick from the right again sailed over the goalkeeper and ended up in the net. The away side were deservedly in the lead dealing easily with Heacham’s Huff and Puff.
In overtime Heacham were awarded a free kick 10 foot outside the goal area and Gibson stepped up to craft a superb curling shot over the defending wall and into the top left hand corner. The referee blew for full time and the 110 fans drifted away disappointed by their teams one win in three to start the season.
Most people who have read my blog over the last few years will know that I am very supportive of referees. In this game though he was the man of the match for the wrong reasons. He seemed to be taking Heacham players names like people used to collect train numbers and sent off both Heacham”s number 10 and a touchline official. Most offences seemed to me to be for disent which in my view seemed only minor except one strong swear word.
I think Heacham will need to make some major improvements if they want to get anywhere near another promotion.
There were no chips although a good menu of food was available. This was surprising in that the match was sponsored by North Beach Fish Bar.
29 free kick from right declan macilvoy, cross is missed by everyone and sails into far corner.
Referee collecting Heacham names including manager instead of train numbers. Whistle happy.
In overtime sent a Heacham official off Ted card. Usually supportive of referees.
Sent 10 off . A complete shocker. Think querying a nonsense decision.
18 Gibson free kick 20 metres out to right hand s
Match sponsor north beach fish bar.
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