Priestfield is Lillywhite

Football in Kent is not Premier League but still enjoyed. The Mems Priestfield Stadium is nice enough if you avoid the open air stand; a temporary affair named in Brian Moore's honour. I paid out 28 pounds for a half line seat in the lower part of the Medway stand. It is a bit of a maze of a stand but roomy enough and the staff were helpful and friendly.

I parked in the town centre and walked the short distance to the ground. Another club with Cheer Leaders and a target competition at half time. The home supporters were very quiet and only livened up when the Gills scored what was to be a consolation goal. They had left it too late to pull back from the two goals Preston managed in a quick spell after the break.
They had a meal deal of chips, hotdog and hot drink for seven quid. Chips were more like fries but almost the british chip too. Anyway tea was PG or Tetley; I forget. They may well survive in League One but not much more.
Nice enough ground, nothing special but nothing terrible either.

Reebok Howler

Well the Reebok stadium is impressive from any distance. Six quid to park next to the stadium. The team's current performances are probably limiting the crowd,it was only 14,716.

There was the usual fayre in the refreshment stand, tea at £1.80; nothing special or terrible either. I enjoyed watching the live match before joining the locals to watch Yeovil play like a league one team but a team and Bolton play like a disjointed and unconfident championship side. The Wanderers missed several gilt edge chances and a couple of incidents seem to show the referee as a bit of a homer.
The ground is less impressive on the inside. I imagine when it is full a good noise is generated as even half full it wasn't bad. The pitch looked good but its early days. They had cheer leaders both outside the ground and performing again inside - still bemused why clubs have these. Half-time and a target competition that seem to be interfering with the reserves kick about.
Getting out of the car park wasn't too bad and on the M61 by 5:11pm. Going up I followed advice about though I was coming from the south I came down the M61 rather than going around the M60 which worked well. Impossible to miss the ground as it is clearly visible from the motorway.
In summary a good modern ground and a visit recommended.

Glanford Gladness

For a ground that is very much on the other side of the country to me this was an easy trip. Motorway for all but four hundred yards.

 
The ground is there almost on the motorway in a retail park. Down
side was it took twenty minutes to leave the ground car park (£3.00) even with a crowd of little over three thousand.
Getting there nice an early I easily got a ticket and went straight in to find some food and drink. Took some finding; there are no signs to tell you where the toilets or refreshment stands are and their position means they are well hidden away. The tea was £1.70 and a reasonable hot-dog was three pounds. Staff were friendly and helpful. The ground had a lovely atmosphere and it was an entertaining afternoon.
Of course being on the outskirts I didn't get to see the town itself. Football wise it was a close match of one goal and two disallowed goals plus the usual claims for penalties that were not given. The away fans were a keen bunch and played their part; their team didn't deserve to lose. I can heartily recommend a visit to this little ground in North Lincolnshire.

Inspiral Spirites

What a jolly affair at the Proact Stadium! I did enjoy this afternoon of football. Last game of the season, a favourite player (with the locals) retiring and a few goals. We even got some sunshine between the clouds and rain.

A new stadium with new stadium prices. Tea was two quid and a seat in the sun was £21. I parked in a town centre car park for £3.50 and a 25 minute walk up to the retail park where this ground is situated. Half time was a hoot as several stag parties were on the pitch to take shots at one of the cross bars while elsewhere various awards were being handed out.
A few times during the match the crowd stood to applaud but I couldn't always work out why?  It was nothing to do with what was happening on the pitch. Anyway good day out recommend a visit.

Fleeting Joy at Highbury

On the edge of Lancashire tucked away in a corner is the new Highbury. A pleasant little ground with a lovely stand of some uniqueness and three small standard affairs. I found the ground after a detour to the ferry point and parked on the street. A quick queue at a very efficient ticket office and I joined a few early faithful locals.

Tea and a hot dog quickly filled a hole; and cheap tea t £1.20. At half time I had tray of chips in an effort to keep me warm again efficient service. I am afraid on the pitch the Town were not fairing well and Rochdale were on top from the start. The locals around me weren't overly impressed but pretty quiet. Though there was a drum in the crowd somewhere that occasionally erupted into life.
My seat had cost me a modest £16 and I think advance prices were even cheaper. For a recently promoted to the League club Fleetwood have a great set up; sensibly sized, excellent quality and some decent support. On a cold day with little much hanging on the result the crowd mustered mere tens short of three thousand. The visitors seem to number several hundred split evenly between those standing and seating. Most locals were seated but then the bigger stands, on the sides, are all seated.
With Blackpool nearby I can see visiting fans making a full weekend of it but I was happy with my day trip. Worth a trip to this pleasant enough corner of England.

The Griffin Roars?

Well a cold day to see Brentford but good football. I parked on the local streets but had to pay for the privilege at two pounds an hour.  Queued to get a ticket but once at the front of queue was told to go straight to the turnstiles. Finally got in having chosen to stand rather than sit I headed for the Bias Stand.
Needed some food and rink so stopped at the first refreshment booth which was a mistake.  I failed to notice that all those in front of me were only buying drinks and I ordered a pie.  The pie would have been fine except the warming cabinet had burnt the bottom and super heated the innards.  My mouth is still suffering. At half time I tried the other booth and again had a decent tea and a Mars Duo instead, many locals had burgers which looked fine.

To important matters then. The football was fun and exciting to the end with the locals just pipping the gallant visitors who had gifted the Bees a goal in the first half. I stood next to a local gent who occasionally shared his thoughts on his team and saved my space while I got refreshments. The crowd around me were fair in their comments with the usual bit of coarse comment from a few. County were unlucky to be behind at half time and shared goals in the second half.
The stadium is a mixture of styles and antiquity. It has some charm and even in the cold a good game can be enjoyed. Parking aside I would recommend a visit just use the tube or bus as the locals do.

A Winter Brunton Tale

Carlisle is well north and I travelled most of the way up on the Friday evening before. The journey up the motorway through the snow spotted hills was a delight but for a small worry about the weather on the way back. I parked up in one of those football fuelled car park for £2.50 and an offer of my fifth park being free!

This stadium is a mixture of every type of stand known to the twentieth century; stands for standing, stands for seats, stands for kids, and stands built up of sections for standing, sitting and executive boxes. Not a massive crowd but for a cold day in February not bad for a fixture of two sides looking safe but not secure yet.
I enjoyed a PG Tips tea for £1.70 and a jumbo sausage roll to warm me up and at half time was easily able to get another tea and Mars to bolster my fuel intake.
The match was entertaining with three goals, all talking points and the home side took a very useful three points.
I recommend the trip and there are plenty around about to make it worth a making a weekend of it.

Parade No, Valley Yes

So I was four days late for the real drama – still that was for the true Bantams fan and not the odd 92er. So a cold January in Bradford, would it play host to more drama? Well, yes just not of sort the locals were after.

For me this was also a family visit day. We started at the National Media Museum with some elevenses (actually lunch for the others) in their café having parked in a public car park behind it. They went off to see 'The Hobbit in IMAX 3D loveliness while I went around the photography galleries. I've been before but nevertheless it was an entertaining couple of hours.

I walked up to the ground in twenty minutes. Nestled on the valley side the ground looks an impressive stadium. Ticket bought from the office for the main stand I entered down into a cavernous hall of food stands, TVs and fans standing around talking in the warmth. Tea and giant sausage roll later I took my seat,again going down the hillside to row 'O'.

Inside the ground you see how unbalanced it really is. Two sides have stands worthy of any Premier League club. A third side boasts a stand typical of league one while the fourth has a two tiered stand maybe of a modest championship club. Between the three structures are gaps. Opposite me I could see out to the other side of the valley and over into the city centre. While around to my right I saw the nearby streets and into what looked the media centre with many lit up TV screens.

The football was pretty good though the Bradford goal was born of comical error by their defence. The United equaliser was a pearler of a shot and from on they looked the more likely to win. The Bradford keeper made several excellent saves. He was however unable to stop the penalty that ultimately won the match for the visitors.

The fans around me were disgruntled with their team's display and keen on the club getting a few more points on the board. The crowd itself was very large for this league and I imagine may surprise if not intimidate some visiting teams. But equally if may motivate others. It certainly did nothing to dampen Oxford's endeavours and they were worthy winners.

Bradford and its football club are both worth a visit.