We’re back!

Season 2025/26 is back! For Miss, this is the start of her latest season, a season in which she turns three in.

Our last match, watching Phil Watkins play in a cup final at Hamworthy United in May, feels like an awfully long time ago!

In that time, the Richbell household have had a very challenging time, so we are delighted for the return of our footballing adventures.

Daddy/Daughter adventures have been an integral part of escapism from a busy and challenging job as well as strengthening our bond. Miss embraces the adventures and is such a good traveller too!

On to today, after a sluggish start to our Saturday, we realised there was an 11:00 game in North Dorset. We got dressed quickly and jumped in the car and were soon back on the A303 (a regular route for us!), after a cheeky babycino at Costa ☕️ (other coffee shops are also available!)

The journey west to Shaftesbury was fairly quick and aside from avoiding Stonehenge (standard), it was a quick journey, despite several heavy rain showers.

We parked in Tesco Car Park in Shaftesbury and walked next door to the ground on Coppice Street. New Milton Town were the ‘home’ side, despite being 36 miles away from their Fawcetts Field ground (not available until later in July!)

We managed to walk straight into the ground and it was impressive with the new pitch. Half of the ground is above pitch level which improves the view, and there is also a small but long seated stand.

We had a kick about behind the far goal with Miss’ unicorn ball and then seat in the stand for the second-half.

The game was played a decent tempo and New Milton won it 2-1. A good first game to integrate Miss back into it - and a quick stop in Tesco for a bum change before our next game.

The toilet facilities in the ground had no baby changing, perhaps the main clubhouse did, but we didn’t go in there 🤷‍♂️ unfortunately the lights in the disabled toilet didn’t work either, so we couldn’t use those facilities. So instead we popped into Tesco next door and bought some Skips and “Nanna Water” and used the baby changing facilities (although the door was broken 🤦‍♂️)

Fellow ground-hoppers will embrace this too, but one of the perks of pre-season is the games at different times to allow for multiple games on the same day.

We took full advantage of this and got back to Winchester ready to see them welcome AFC Totton to the Charters Community Stadium. Work continues at WCFC with a clubhouse refurbishment in full swing and a new outdoor bar due to be completed soon also. New turnstiles have been installed as well as the ground continues to evolve.

We saw many old friends including Sally & Margaret, Rob, Phil and many others. There is always a warm welcome for Miss and I at City, and she is very popular at the burger bar!

Totton won this game 2-1, but a much-changed City team from last season competed well.

The players ventured over to the rugby club to get changed (due to the clubhouse being out of action), a reciprocal agreement for next summer when the Rugby club will also undergo refurbishments.

All in all, a lovely day, just about staying dry and catching a bit of sunshine towards the end of game two.

Two games, six goals. A solid start to the new season with another new ground for Miss.

Thank-you all for reading - we hope you enjoy our adventures! Today’s key learnings… new light in the accessible toilet at Shaftesbury please 🙏 and a repaired door lock at Shaftesbury Tesco! But great facilities for a pushchair - and ample parking at the ground as well as Tesco - expect to see us again soon 👋