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.

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