Peterborough Sports 4-3 Macclesfield (National League North) Storm Chandra has been threatening to call matches off up and down the country today, but Pims Park is made of hardened stuff these days, a 1pm pitch inspection passed, it’ll be my first watch of Macclesfield FC, the team that beat the FA Cup holders Crystal Palace earlier this month. Formed as recently as 2020 after Macclesfield Town went bust, it’s been a rapid rise since local businessman Rob Smethurst brought t

FC Halifax Town 2-1 Boston United (National League) A ground I’ve been trying to get to for an awful long time is the Shay, longstanding home of Halifax Town and of course Halifax Panthers Rugby League which is very big around these parts of West Yorkshire. Before liquidation in 2008, I always thought of Halifax as a football league club, founder members of the Third Division North in 1921, they stood firm in the bottom two tiers of the league until 1993, following five seas

Boston United 1-2 Eastleigh (National League) It's been a cold frosty start to the new year and as I wake up this first Saturday of 2026 I'm soon checking my phone if today's game between Boston and Eastleigh is on. They've had the covers on overnight at the Jakemans Stadium and the head groundsman is optimistic, pitch in his opinion playable but the Referee will confirm upon his arrival at 12pm. The Eastleigh team have been staying in the area so every chance will be given

Tamworth 0-2 FC Halifax Town (National League) I’ve spent a couple of days in Whitby, with the wife and in-laws, we went up to Sandsend and Staithes, before coming home through Scarborough, Filey and Bridlington, stopping off at a lovely beach at Fraisthorpe full of dog walkers, heading back home, over the Humber Bridge at Hull towards Nottingham, where I would unload the car, have a brew, then head off again, down the M42 towards Tamworth. The Lambs took a tonking on Boxin

Brackley Town 0-2 Morecambe (National League) So DAZN have decided to piss off the whole of the National League Premier Division this weekend by playing every game at any other time they can bar 3pm on a Saturday afternoon, which in a funny way actually works well for me as I took the dog to see Santa yesterday, and initially thought I might miss out on my last round of games before Christmas. It means I can keep the wife happy with a trip to some puppy play field near Hemel

Scarborough Athletic 0-3 Radcliffe (National League North) I was supposed to watch Scarborough verses Hereford last week but the game at Bridlington got called off due to a waterlogged pitch. I didn’t even know that the Seadogs were playing at Queensgate until I got wind of the postponement, so that would have been fun, turning up at the Flamingo Land Stadium and seeing doors locked and half their plastic pitch torn up. I think the move is for this year only, as repairs are

Carlisle United 1-3 Woking (National League) It's so tight at the top, should third place Carlisle get just a draw tonight they'll go back to the summit of the National League table ahead of a cluster of promotion wannabes. Mark Hughes side are unbeaten in nine in the league but did get dumped out of the FA Cup losing 4-1 at Blackpool on Sunday. Woking themselves are on a fine run under Neal Ardley, unbeaten in nine in all competitions, they last suffered league defeat in Se

York City 5-1 Aldershot Town (National League) I was in New York last weekend for a shopping and show birthday getaway with the wife, this weekend it's old York and back to the matchday grind. I tell her 'if it weren't for the football we wouldn't get these luxurious long haul trips away' which at least appeases her to release me when we haven't got something 'better' to do. York are going well in the National League under Stuart Maynard, Aldershot aren't, under a new Manage

Forest Green Rovers 3-1 Gateshead (National League) I'm feeling a bit guilty cooking sausages for breakfast ahead of visiting the world's first vegan football club today. Forest Green are going well under Robbie Savage, third in the National League a point behind leaders Carlisle whilst their opponents this afternoon Gateshead are struggling this season in nineteenth, just six points above the drop zone. Kick off time has been put back to 3:03pm which is a statement by the Na

Tamworth 0-1 Woking (National League) It's Saturday and they're talking long throw ins and set plays on the radio ahead of the lunch time kick off between Tottenham and Manchester United. The modern game has gone direct with coaching focussed on beating the low block. It seems the only way to conquer it is by getting the ball into the opposition box. Arsenal are the direct daddies, averaging over 30 touches per game in the opposition box this season, whilst Burnley are b

Braintree Town 0-1 Brackley Town (National League) I said that Carlisle United's win at the weekend was perhaps the biggest shock in the FA Cup on Saturday, but what I didn't consider was Brackley Town's win against Notts County on penalties, the Saints marching on in the cup after knocking out the League Two side following a 2-2 draw which was largely thanks to a late Callum Stewart leveller in the 96th minute from the spot. Brackley next host Burton Albion in round two but

Carlisle United 2-1 FC Halifax Town (National League) I've had a weekend of wall to wall FA Cup action. I hardly moved from my sofa on Sunday as I watched Shrewsbury beat South Shields on telly, I also saw Port Vale see off the lowest ranked outfit Maldon & Tiptree and Accrington edge Northern Premier League Gainsborough Trinity to annoy the TNT cameras who were no doubt looking for a shock. on Monday night Leyton Orient silenced Tamworth at the Lamb to ensure another league

Scunthorpe United 2-1 Aldershot Town (National League) Aldershot have a new Manager. John Coleman won't be taking charge today, leaving duty to Alan Dowson and James Henry in caretaker control, but I'm sure the announcement will make an impression on his new team. Having spent ten years at Accrington Stanley, Coleman knows what it takes to get out of this division, leading the Reds from the Northern Premier League to the third tier of English football during two spells at th

South Shields 4-0 Scarborough Athletic (National League North) The rain is pelting down on my car, that tinny sound it makes sounding harder than it actually is as I drive back down the A19 and through the Tyne Tunnel (£2.50 again) in rush hour with windscreen wipers on the go after my quick stop and go at Starbucks. South Shields are leading the National League North. A team with ambition since Geoff Thompson took on the club in 2015. The Utilitywise founder, owner of a Bri

Boston United 1-1 Scunthorpe United (National League) I've dropped the dog off at the mother-in-law's and am driving through Nottingham against traffic which is heading to the Forest and Chelsea game. Midday on a cool and cloudy October's Saturday, I'm heading again to Boston, but for a Lincolnshire derby against another side I know a bit about in Scunthorpe. Last season they were a division apart, but they did play each other the season before when Boston in the end gained

Scunthorpe United 3-1 Morecambe (National League) Scunthorpe United fans know all about suffering concerns of their clubs uncertain...

Scunthorpe United 0-1 Carlisle United (National League) I'm fully invested in the National League promotion race right now. Having...

Boston United 0-2 Boreham Wood (National League) In three of the last ten seasons, Boreham Wood have finished in the playoff places in the National League. In 2018, they lost to Tranmere Rovers in a Wembley final, the nearest they have come to reaching the Football League. In 2020 they were fifth when their season was early curtailed by COVID with just nine games to play, whilst in 2023 they were beaten by Notts County in the playoff semi-finals after a sixth placed finish,

King's Lynn Town 0-1 Kidderminster Harriers (National League North) Speaking of road signs ( see last night's visit to Chelmsford )... As...

Chelmsford City 2-5 Farnborough (National League South) Welcome to Chelmsford. Birthplace of radio. A road sign I pass in the pouring...