Winning Run Swans On - Buckingham Athletic vs. Amersham Town

Corner view of Stratford Fields

With strike action making travel south west difficult and no real options in The Eastern Counties League I decided to go for a game in the long neglected Spartan South Midlands League. A ground I've had my eye on for a while is Buckingham Athletic's Stratford Fields and today they were hosting Amersham Town. I really enjoyed my visit to Spratley's Meadow and is a must for fans of scenic looking grounds. This season The Magpies had been promoted back from Division Two and were finding it tough going sitting second from bottom, but with a young looking team, they'll hopefully find their feet. Buckingham were comfortably in mid table and had won their last four games in all competitions and had scored 12 goals just in the last two matches.

Just before kick off at Stratford Fields

Both sides have early openings. Buckingham get in behind very early on but the attacker can't find a team mate and Amersham scuff a shot at the back post. Amersham almost gift Buckingham the opener when the full back is robbed and he is thankful when the keeper blocks the eventual shot. The Amersham keeper comes up trumps again as he makes a great tackle when the Buckingham forward is played in over the top. The keeper is soon grateful for his defence covering him when they head a flicked chance off the line. There is panic in the Amersham backline when there is a goal mouth scramble in the closing stages of the half but they manage to clear two shots off the line to go in even at half time.

Buckingham wing action in the first half

Buckingham go on the attack at the start of the second half and they have a great chance at the back post which they fail to take. They do take the lead when a cross from the left wing is nodded past the Amersham keeper to make it one nil. It doesn't take long for them to get the second as a corner is powered over the line from close range. Amersham have a couple of half chances but fail to trouble the Buckingham keeper and the game finishes two nil.

Buckingham attack with the clubhouse in the background

So to get to Buckingham from London I took a train from Euston to Milton Keynes, taking three quarters of an hour. Then from outside the station you can catch the X60 into Buckingham and this portion takes twenty minutes. I really liked the town, the museum in the old gaol (same as jail apparently) is worth a look around. Once you're done here, you can take a short work to just past the edge of the centre to the brilliant Mitre which has a choice of ales as well as the sports channels. If you want something a bit closer to the ground for the early kick then The Three Cups is a decent no nonsense option. The ground is a brisk ten minute walk from the centre and the clubhouse had a wide selection of beers as well as the sports channels. Overall a great afternoon in Buckingham.

Side on view of the stand