Steve Jupp, BA11's Club Historian, previews our weekend visit to Hampshire and a first fixture in three weeks.
After three weeks without a Southern League fixture, the Robins go to the other extreme with ELEVEN games in the next FIVE weeks and the first of these is on Saturday at Winchester City.
When the Citizens visited Badgers Hill back in November, both sides were in the drop zone until a solitary second half strike from IK Hill settled a scrappy encounter.
That result lifted them clear where they have been ever since but margins in the lower half of the table are tight, and their current position of fourteenth is only three points above the R-line.
Before the enforced break, Danny Greaves side, with four wins in five, were ending all manner of bad runs and one bleak sequence they would like to halt is their record this term on plastic.
Five fixtures on artificial surfaces have brought five comprehensive defeats although it has to be pointed out four of this quintet (Merthyr, Gloucester, Dorchester and Havant) currently occupy top spot or play-off positions.
Winchester’s state-of-the-art 4G pitch was laid as recently as September and with just two Southern League wins out of nine on it, they’ve looked to decent away form to keep themselves clear of trouble.
They’ve played FOUR times already in 2025 compared to not at all for the Scarlet Runners and it will be intriguing to see how a side which has completed nine fixtures in the past month or so fares against one which is rested and refreshed.
The latest information on ticketing on the Winchester City website is as follows:
Adults - £13.50
Concessions (65+ and Armed Forces and disabled supporters) - £10
Students and U18s (Full time student and 16-18s) - £6
Junior U16s (Junior aged 12-15) - £3.50
U12s (Yr 7 and below) - Free
Listen to the latest episode of the Dodge The Question podcast!
Steve & Zeb chat with Danny Greaves about postponements, finances and offering Steve a trial.. (I didn't have my boots with me!)
You can also listen on Frome.FM radio every Friday at 5pm (repeated on Saturday 3pm)
Secure your entry and make the most of hospitality packages for all of our games at Badgers Hill on the Fanbase app and website!
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