Atletico

Leicester Atletico Reds  0  Houghton Rangers  6

Leicestershire County League – Premier Division

Anstey Nomads Reserves  0  Leicester Atletico  2

Leicestershire Senior League – Division Two

Admission / Programme – Free / None

Sometimes you head off to a game on a Saturday afternoon, not being too sure what you are going to watch, and indeed where you are going to watch it!

I’d seen that Leicester Atletico, a team built from within the Somali community in the City, had been accepted into the Leicestershire Senior League this season, and in terms of where they were going to be playing, it was to be Beaumont Park, a facility owned by De Montfort University, which is in the Beaumont Leys estate on the North side of Leicester.

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t also came to light that Anstey Nomads Reserves were going to be using the same facility, so using my logical head, I though a good game to watch would be the one where the two sides played each other. All good so far? Yes, what could possibly get in the way of that one….

A look on Google though suggested that the facility had a 4G pitch, which had spectator facilities by way of a small covered terracing area, but, next to it was a grass pitch that had had both a seated stand and some covered terracing. Both pitches were also floodlit.

I noticed on the morning of the game that Atletico put out a tweet stating that the clubs Reserves (Reds) were also playing at home in the Leicestershire County League, at Beaumont Park, but kicking off an hour earlier than the first team. This was suddenly a bit intriguing, where were these games going to be played?

The journey to this part of Leicester is a well trodden path, and for those not familiar with the area, Beaumont Leys is effectively a large housing estate that sits just off the A46 Northern bypass. Beaumont Park is a large expanse right in the middle of the estate and sits just behind the Speedway Stadium, and upon arrival the first source of entertainment was trying to get parked. The car park was not the biggest and it was rammed, so I ended up dumping the motor on a grass verge over the road, I wasn’t alone in employing this tactic.

It was a busy place, but seeing what looked like an Atletico club official, I decided to make enquiries as to who was playing where. It turns out that both Atletico and Anstey normally use the 4G pitch for homes games, but today the game between the two sides was kicking off at 3pm but on the floodlit grass pitch. The 4G was hosting Atletico Reds, and that was kicking off at 2pm, so having checked out the landscape I was going to do a repeat of a stunt that I’ve pulled on three previous occasions.

I did it at Thorncliffe in Sheffield, I did it at Stone, and I’ve done it at Beeston in Nottingham, and by that I mean watching two games simultaneously! I worked out that if I stood in a specific area of the 4G cage, I could watch the second half of the Reds game and the first half of the Anstey game. I’d have to have my wits about me, but it could be done and both pitches could be seen in full from the same location.

So, firstly, let me describe the setting. You enter through a gate at the top of the car park and immediately to your right is the smart changing room block complete with a cafeteria serving warm drinks and a selection of hot snacks that are endorsed by the local student population! In front of you running widthways is the 4G pitch, set inside a cage.  On one side towards the corner flag is a small area of covered terracing, and spectator access is only possible on this side and the end behind the goal where you enter.

Looking to your right running at ninety degrees to the 4G is the first grass pitch (where game two was being played). A fixed barrier runs round this but extends beyond to a another pitch which runs side by side, hence making the side where the dug outs are out of bounds for spectators. The seated stand and terraced stand sit alongside each other opposite the dugouts.

Further away over a grassy bank is another floodlit surface but to be honest I couldn’t be overly arsed to wander over to it to check out what it was made of or what it was used for!

It’s very nice, but what about the action on the pitch? Let’s start with the first game on the 4G. Visiting Houghton Rangers gave Atletico Reds a bit of a pounding to be honest, with the experienced Ryan Amoo in their line up, they took an early lead from the penalty spot and from that point onwards it was one way traffic.

A second goal was scored from six yards, the third was driven in from the edge of the box and then another penalty made it 4-0. By half time it was 5-0 when a player went through on goal and finished well.

It was during the first half of this game that I got chatting to an official of Atletico who talked enthusiastically about the club, it’s heritage, it’s importance within the community, and the fact it was very proud of it’s exploits in the Somali Cup. Last season they reached the Final of the national competition, while the start of this seasons campaign, which is played in a Champions League format, is imminent.

The second half of the first game of course coincided with the first half of the game on the grass, and I’m pleased to say that both were highly uneventful, which helped me considerably. Only one more goal came in the Atletico Reds game (it went to Houghton as you would expect), while I don’t recall anything of note happening in the first team game.

So, with the tricky two game bit negotiated, it was time to head closer to the action on the grass, and fortunately the second half was a better spectacle than the first. That said, it wasn’t until late in the game before Atletico scored from close range and then got the decisive second goal thanks to a close range header.

It was significantly quieter around the complex as the second game came to a close, so much so you actually would have had a fighting chance of getting into the car park if you’d arrived at that point…..although it still would have been tight!

I have to say, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience, I liked the venue, and as regards Leicester Atletico, I liked what they were about, I liked their positive attitude and their friendly welcome. I was actually invited back by the club official to watch one of the Somali Cup games, which takes place on a Sunday, and you know what, I’m sorely tempted to do that.

Some people though, will absolutely not like the idea of watching two games simultaneously though, because that of course, breaks all of the rules…#groundhoppingpolice