King Power's Winter Wonderland

So Leicester City laid on a special Winter Wonderland with 'Snow Globe', 'Ice Rink', 'Giant Slide' and much more winter wonder. Unfortunately it wasn't enough to tempt my son to join me so a solo trip.
Anyway I parked at the Rugby ground for a mere £3 and walked a short distance to the stadium and then around it to find a ticket office.  I passed two sub ticket offices before heading back to the first one I found to purchase a £17 ticket to the south stand - magic.

The food was something to behold - 'Outdoor reared pork' was the meat choice; well only choice. Still a pork bap plus tea (PG) was £4.50 - nice.
Match was entertaining and I would go back.  The stadium is a bit bland but functions well.  No poor sight lines (no visible supports). Reasonable seats and good facilities and today excellent prices.  The crowd were typical of the modern era -  mostly quiet but occasional singing and the odd idiot standing up every now and again to shout expletives at his sides players.
The foxes went ahead and it looked like it would be a stroll in the park but two defensive mistakes and they were behind only to scrap a draw in the last minute. What winter wonder fun!

Spotted at Spotland

Well Rochdale town centre was doing its best to persuade me it was still open and free parking was promised. The first car park I tried told me, as I exited on foot, that it was closing at 5pm for a fireworks display so I had to move to another car park. Anyway I walked the mile to the ground no problem and got a ticket to the main stand. Tea was PG costing the usual £1.50 and a cottage pie that joined it was reasonable once you got through the crust on the mashed potato.

Not a large crowd; a couple of hundred over two thousands and I could have parked at the ground. Many others were parked on the streets locally but with congested streets after the whistle my get away from the town centre was probably easier and I was on my way back down the motorway by half five.

The match itself was a good contest eventually going to the home side.

 

Rainbows over Spotland

Three goals and two red cards but not a dirty match at all.  I sat pretty much opposite the away fans and they did their team proud.  The home weren't too shabby either. The ground has gaps in the corners allowing views of the wind turbine covered moorsides in one direction.

The stadium looks standard twentieth century build and could do with a lick of paint in places but it's not bad for a league two ground. I can imagine a great atmosphere when it gets bigger crowds.  I'd go back and enjoy some more football.

Treated like Royalty at the New Lawn

Well, in thirty years I have never before enjoyed a box at a football match but we did so last Saturday to celebrate my son's birthday. For one match we had a suite for ourselves. Lunch, TV, programmes and seats in the main stand - marvellous. Forest Green had done us proud. We had half dozen of his class mates with us and they all seemed to enjoyed the afternoon. Before the little man went off to join the team we all took part in a guided tour of the stadium; the gym, directors box, changing rooms, medical room, PA facilities room, timers workplace, all the other stands - a good set-up.

Burying Bury at Broadfield

Finally back on the road again. Timing was about tight because of a fuel spill on the M25 but I made to see an excellent match as Crawley Town just pipped Bury to the points. The ground does show signs of belonging to a recently promoted non-league side.  The stand I was in was a temporary looking affair but it worked and allows the locals to make some noise by stamping their feet.
I had a jumbo sausage roll and onions with some tea for four quid. Perfectly edible though I did hear other fans complaining of aggressive staff later I didn't have any such treatment.

I also just squeezed into the car park for three quid though I think I saw some free parking advertised as I drove past the ground.  Getting away wasn't too bad but the roundabout next to the ground was a long wait as most traffic wasn't going my way.  It seems most fans use a good and very close bus service.
I felt really sorry for the cheer leaders who after a brief 5 minute routine at half time got to stand as a guard of honor for ten minutes in the cold and rain. One decent scoreboard and the home fans were pretty quiet unlike the Lancashire travellers who kept up a good noise throughout and were hard done to by a very late winner after coming back from 2 down.  They didn't look like a bottom of the table side but it was entertaining.

Second hand Lawn

There are moments in life that are considered milestones. Last Saturday was one in that I took my son to his first (semi-)professional football match.  We both went to our local team, FGR, at the New Lawn to cheer them on. 
I have visited the ground before but was in the away end. This proves that a different experience can be enjoyed as a home supporter. In the main stand we enjoyed a decent under cover bar and Sky Sports TV.
Rovers were robbed of a victory by an eighty nineth minute penalty but otherwise looked good.  My son enjoyed it and we saw several other folk we know.  I think I might be able to get him along to another match sometime! :-)

Gulls, Rain but no Plain Moor here

Some grounds you can see and hear from a long way off. Then as you get nearer the crowd are thronging the surrounding streets – not Plainmoor. I arrived walking at the ground some fifteens minutes to go and didn't see a fellow crowd member until I was stood next to the ground – weird. Anyway a nice enough ground for League Two. The crowd was pretty fair given the distance the opposition had traveled and the rainy bank holiday. A real contrast from last weekend; this was a much more old fashioned ground but it has been updated.

So the cheapest tea I have enjoyed at any football ground at a quid. Unusually no seat allocations so I chose a seat near the front but still under cover, though the rain was blown in on us. Locals seemed to enjoy their chips with cheese on top; not for me.

The game itself was very entertaining. Six goals, a missed penalty and sending off plus a few bars hit. The visitors looked ominous at first going one up and then after brought back level hitting the bar but from that point on Torquay took over.  They scored the next four goals but Rochdale pulled one back.

I had brought my family with me and arriving mid morning we had enjoyed a visit to the museum and Dinosaur exhibition before the football, parking easily enough in the harbour multi-storey (7.10 for 8 hours, could have been 24 hours).

Great day, worth a visit. We will go back.

New York Blues

Well this ground says something about the intent of the Millers! It is certainly impressive from the outside. Weirdly though when you are inside it seems to shrink and more typical of a championship or league one ground which is still impressive for a League Two side and demonstrates their ambition.

I don't do well with season openers and this season is no different. Watched my home town team go two down inside ten minutes then later get a man sent off and lose a further goal.

I parked in a multi-storey next to the bus station; The Interchange.  Not bad at £2-80 for four hours.
Anyway the ground is very impressive from the outside and looks more premier league than league two. It somehow shrinks though when you're inside. Capacity is twelve thousand, on the large size for a side in the lowest league division. I parked in the town centre and walked to the ground, found, unusually for a new stadium, still in the centre. Clearly some work is still required to complete the build and my ticket wasn't wholly right on its statement of the turnstiles for entry. And even at the correct turnstile the bar code readers weren't working so a visual ticket inspection was done through a perspex window.

Our away contingent was in the hundreds I'd guess and there were a few gaps in our seats. The game though was a sell out supposedly but attendance was recorded at 11,441. The facilities were average. We had two refreshments bars and one tv in our section. Tea and a large sausage roll cost me £4-50 and was perfectly fine. The seats were okay, clear view and enough foot room.

I don't know if it will be normal but we had cheerleaders and a pipe band, plus the standard loud pa playing music to entertain before the football.

Nice ground, and would happily visit again.

Back to football

At last football is back!

Football fixtures

Prenton Park draws another season to an end

While many could enjoy the FA Cup final some of us journeyed to Birkenhead to enjoy Tranmere's end of season run out. A bit of sun always helps to make for a happy event but the cold still took the edge off the day. The journey up was easy enough and I parked next to the ground in a nearby sports centre for £3 (the average so far has been a fiver).
With a ticket bought from the portacabin ticket office I entered the mainstand. I was surprised to be in a small area with both food and drinks bars, two tvs and toilets. This area did not connect to other areas under the stand but was quite small and served maybe a couple of hundred fans only.
The ground is an eclectic mix of stands, mainly of some age.

Each side managed a goal to keep both sides from great joy but also from end of season dismay.  I enjoyed the game and would happily visit again.

Raining Shots and Millers

Well Aldershot Town provided some good football in a ground that has character. It was a very wet day and I arrived early so parking was fine; using a public park near the ground as advised by the road signs.

I started my football standing to watch so chose the Central Terrace to watch the game and quickly sought some warming refreshment. Reasonable cheeseburger and tea set me back a fiver. And some good chips and tea at half time were also welcome in the the continuing rain.
The football was entertaining, especially considering the stage of the season meaning there was little hope the result would lead to anything of great note.

Needed more than a moat :-(

This match was amazing but unfortunately for the home fans not for the right reasons. I arrived at the Keepmoat Stadium whilst my team were still tussling in the FA Cup semi so superstitious as us football fans are I vowed to avoid the match until it was over.  This meant standing out in the wet and cold for an hour. Anyway to this game. The tea and pie were average but well appreciated. My seat had padding! More amazing Doncaster quickly went two up within 6 minutes. There was hope! Unfortunately some interesting refereeing in the second half and Portsmouth were given two penalties that they converted to level and leave Rovers with only ten men.

A brilliant third goal then gave Doncaster the lead back! Surely that was it but no, Portsmouth managed two late goals to clinch faint survival hopes and condemn Rovers. Sad end to the match.
The stadium is nice enough modern affair.  It lacks much in originality but no-one should hold that against it. I parked easily enough in main car park so had a short walk to find the ticket office and buy a (cheap) ticket for a decent seat and excellent view under cover from the elements.

Ram Raid

I never leave a match early but this time I was late. Late enough to miss the first goal but there were more to come as Derby won; one particularly strange and caused much angst amongst the home crowd.

 The ground itself is typical of new stadia, functionally fine but lacking any charm, still the staff were very friendly and helpful. I sat with some of the older fans but the banter was no less lively for that. One chap in front of me was very vocal and forthright in sharing his opinions on the goings on.
Despite my late arrival I parked next to the ground and getting in and out of town was straight forward and pretty quick.
Derby play some decent football and but for a little excitement at the end had an easy victory. The incident followed on from a 'back pass' from which the visitors took a very quick free kick or straight into the Derby goal to much complaints from home fans.  All made worse when they scored again to peg the Rams back to 3-2 but they held on for the win. A decent crowd of 25,222 saw a good match.

So Blue for Hornets

I was surprised that St Andrews is up a hill. Somehow I never think of Birmingham as being hilly or high up but I believe West Brom's ground is the highest League ground in the country. Anyway, not much of a crowd so easy to get a seat in the main stand. Sold out of pasties so I had to have a Balti Pie instead with my Fanta (robbed of its top by the refreshment bar staff).

The ground itself is unbalanced with the stand opposite me very much the odd one out.  Smaller and older it looked more nineteenth century than twenty century and definitely not twenty first century. Still a pleasant ground with reasonable atmosphere considering the cold and wind in the January afternoon.
The football itself was fair and the most memorable element was the abuse Zigic was getting from those around me and I would have to agree he had a bad match at least. The other strike wasn't much better but The Blues still managed to score three goals to Watford's none.
Fifty third English League ground for me; not the best but not the worst.