Ian met this fine Dutch chap at the cricket in Amsterdam when Nederlands played England earlier this month.

Ian was amazed to see Abingdon on his shirt!

His team, The Ajax Sportsman Combinatie, usually known as ASC, is a Dutch football and cricket club, … Ajax was established on 1st June 1892, and played its first match in 1895.

They have apparently been playing friendlies against Abingdon for sixty-three years.

If anybody knows more, then please comment. Ian thinks SC Ajax will be playing Abingdon at the end of July.

If anybody asks, ‘Wat is cricket?’, here is a video to explain …

You might think that not a lot happens on the cricket ground on Hales Meadow during the winter months. You might be right.

But I did get an email from the Thames Valley Croquet Club saying they have been meeting in Abingdon for almost 20 years, and are open for play and looking for new members to join the Club. (picture of croquet from this blog in 2007)

They play at the Cricket Club on Hales Meadow. I saw somebody preparing the green  this afternoon. For more details contact try thamesvalleycroquetclub.co.uk.

Thankyou to Elizabeth Drury for this picture showing a view down East St Helen Street earlier today. The flag wearer was 9 years old when England won the World Cup in 1966, and thinks England have a chance. He is still dreaming.

Abingdon-on-Thames Town Council have pushed the flags out of nearly all their windows.

John Jones, a former Mayor and freeman had a very close relationship with Abingdon’s twin town Lucca in Italy. Looking down John Jones Close, in Abingdon today, there is no Italian support.

The one remaining betting office in the town centre,  a couple of estate agents, and a few shops have football displays.  EFES barbers have England flags.

Sue Ryder say ‘Good Luck England’.

The Bookstore also has some England flags. Among the books is ‘Injury Time’ by sportswriter Duncan Hamilton. ‘He hits the back of the net with his enthralling fiction debut.’

There was a picture on the blog of a crochet-topped post box a couple of weeks ago. It may not have been really about football then. That was my mistake. It is now.

Here are pictures taken near the Wootton Road shops in Abingdon earlier in the day …

Topsport has one window with footballs and St George flags, and one window with things that fly, and cricket, and tennis. Wimbledon is also on.

A knitted crochet post box cover.

The old Fitzharrys community rooms- probably a private residence now.

In the town centre, the St George Flag is above the County Hall.

I was on the late shift and the people I help support had made St George flags and stuck them on straws. One suggested I make a flag with 3 lions and the word ‘England’. My flag looked more like three ducks but I waved it as they waved their George crosses during the match. In the end England won 4-0 and are through to their first semi final since this blog was started, in 2006 – a year of high hopes when England lost 1-3 in the World Cup quarter finals to Portugal.

A young man shouted from an open car window at me, as I cycled home, ‘It’s coming home’. The same phrase ‘It’s coming home’, from the Three Lions song, was being chanted and sung by people going come, via the Back Street, after I got home.