Oakwell Sun

I arrived early for this dead rubber and bought a ticket from the new
looking part of this ground. Wandering around to the stand presented a somewhat older looking façade. And taking my seat up in the West Upper Stand very much confirmed the age of some parts; wooden seats for a start.

I enjoyed a hot and tea outside while waiting for the turnstiles to open from a
van; £5:50 and nice enough. Inside the ground it was PG tips with my kit-kat.
Looking around the stadium it feels quite modern and a large ground for league
one; giving away Barnsley's one appearance in the Premier League perhaps.
Despite the sun baking us in the open, up in the stand with a cold northerly wind I had to do my coat up to keep away the chills. The Tykes rescued a point at the end after Peterborough had a man sent off and the football wasn't too bad.

Coming off the M1 I had followed signs for the Football Club which guided me around the centre and to a car park near the Metrodome; the ground was a couple of hundred yards away down a grass area used for parking by visitors.  Getting away was easy enough.  All-in-all not a bad ground. I wish the Tykes well next season.

Leyton in Brisbane

A mid-week match is a different affair. The atmosphere can feel quite different. For this tie I would say the main difference was the cold. The away fans were happy and quite noisy but then they were 'The Bradford Boys'!.
Whilst in the queue for a ticket a lovely local was offering a spare ticket so I got to enjoy this lovely ground for free, Thanks.

The crowd were great - unfortunately their team could not delivery the goals and Bradford took the win. I like the ground and I travelled there by tube so parking so not an issue but there looked to be some nearby parking facilities for the few that came that way.  And some seem to park on the streets around.
The food was fine, the usual fare and prices. The ground is unusual in having a block of flats in each corner and some stands that have other buildings as integral parts; such as a college and more flats.

Ewes and Stags get even

Well the Abbey Stadium is not going to be one of my favourites based on today's visit. Football wasn't too bad but I failed to find the car park so spent twenty minutes trying to find some street parking instead - along side the rest of the crowd by the look of things. The poeple were fine and the fayre pretty good. There was one particularly noisly child whose volume far outweighed the quality of his commentary.
I remembered the home team playing in plain blue but I was worng and the U's colours are yellow and black (though some describe this as amber and black). Whatever they came from behind twice to sucure a draw and the posiibility of progress in the cup.

The ground is distinctly nineteenth century, save for one new stand, and the ticket office was a portacabin. Given their recent return from non-league status the ground isn't bad. It has a perfectly decent capacity for any lower league side nearing ten thousand. For this second round cup match though the crowd only rose to a bit shy of four thousand. The various stands make up a motely collection and give a very open feel to the stadium.
It took me a good while to get out of Cambridge and back to the ring road (A14) and hence homeward bound. This may have been Christmas traffic all I know is that progress was slow for this first hour. I wish them luck in the replay and with their plans to improve the stadium.

FA Cup Fun Starts Here for me in 2014

In 2007 The Tigers lost their ground to quite a lot of water so this match was played at Whaddon Road. Fourth Qualifying round of the FA Cup and last gate before you get to the real thing!

I was with some six hundred Green Army followers and the family. It was a good match not decided until the final five minutes. Some two thousand came along to enjoy it; including roughly seven hundred fellow Rovers fans.
We enjoyed three goals in the first half and the Tigers were putting in a great effort.  And in the second half they continued keeping the match in the balance unti Norwood came onto knock two past their no. 1. Very enjoyable day out I must say.

Athletic or Batteries?

I remember Oldham Batteries - they seem to have been taken over now. I was late arriving at the ground and dropped on a park car park just as someone left. I then raced across Boundary Park, the playing fields, to the ground where eventually I entered through a cash turnstile (£20) to a seat next to the pitch.
They are building a new stand with was there in part, framework up and a few rows of concrete presumably for seating. So I visit two grounds in a row being redeveloped - ooh!

I didn't need fedding when I arrived as I had eaten out an hour earlier so just had a cold drink from the food bar.  It seemed to be selling long hot dogs that at least two youths were enjoying when I bought my Fanta. The ground lacked a scoreboard I could see and there were no programme sellers inside so I came away without a ticket stub or prgramme. Or memories of any goals either. It wasn't a terrible match but the finishing was poor. Still the poeple were friendly enough. I'd go back.

London's burning, well it is getting hot on the road

Peterborough are riding high this season and the poor visitors weren't really in it. Anyway. I got there plenty early, so early in fact they wouldn't sell me a ticket. And even after a helpful steward came over to tell me the ticket office ouwld have a ticket now they didn't. The joys of being an away fan! I had decided to cheer on my wife's team - The Valiants.
Anyway, once in the ground I enjoyed a decent view of the match with some fans determined to enjoy themselves whatever and they proceeded to bounce a beach ball around during various moments of the match.

The area I sat in had a lovely little refreshment bar to use where I was enticed to tea and some homemade shortbread for £2.80. Tea was a standard PG tips offering with those small milk cartons so drinkable. Ticket prices were on the high side for League One I thought at £26 but not ridiculous.
I parked on a nearby public car park and got way easy enough. I think it was £3 for all day parking.

Sunny Yorkshire Draws

Huddersfield looked very pleasant on Good Friday, nestling in the hills. John Smith's Stadium also has a stunning appearance. And the football started off rather well, for the locals at least. A lovely free kick got the Terriers ahead. They nearly went two up but Kusack pulled off a great save. Brighton did look worthy of their higher position and got an equaliser before the end.

The ground is a lovely modern design though I suspect in other seasons will be very cold as the corners are all open to the northern winds and rain. Food inside is nothing special but outside I enjoyed a lovely hot dog and tea from a local van. Staff in the stadium were also all very friendly and helpful.
I definitely recommend a visit. I parked in an open air car park near the centre and walked to the ground. I reached the motorway by 5:20pm, nice one. The fans in my stand, the Britannia Rescue Stand, were quite vocal and, as seen at many grounds, the singing contingent were at the end nearest the away fans. There was a good atmosphere and I very much enjoyed the match.

There be Dragons

Well I have been trying to get to this ground all year but a water logged pitched cancelled many a match. So what is Rodney Parade like then? Currently it is surrounded by building sites as they develop the river front. The turnstiles look a bit weird stood in open ground with temporary fencing around them. Inside the main stand all is new looking and clean. I was inordinately early it seemed as there was almost no-one else there.
Tea and a pleasant hot dog got me change from four quid and a decent enough snack. Staff were pleasant and helpful. The stands are a wonderful mis-matching set and the influence of the Rugby team that also plays at the Parade ground is seen around the place.

Parking meant a multi-storey over the river from the ground. Two pounds for 5 hours so decent enough and a short walk so no complaints there.
With Portsmouth bringing over a thousand the atmosphere was lively but good I thought. A nearby fan reckoned the ref was bias but I didn't think he was despite the two red cards and penalty against Newport. They played much better second half and without the numercial disadvanatage I think would have clawed back the deficit.
Decent day out despite paying to get into Wales (now costs you £6:40 for a car). Recommend a visit.

The Lawn is Green

We went back to the New Lawn again for some fantastic non-league football - great.  Preceded by egg and chips indoors watching the live TV footy.

 

...though this is my son's empty plate after fish an chips!

Pitch didn't look too bad after a few postponed macthes and the football was good though I doubt Cambridge agree! Come on Rovers!

Just Holding on!

The DW stadium looks impressive from the outside, less so from inside but still a decent ground.

I was there really early, a mere three hours before kick-off. Anyway I got a ticket for what turned out to be a poorly attended match; only 6,960. I was expecting three times that; the cup holders in the third round.
I managed to park easily on car park 4, no charge and then walk to the ground over a foot bridge and at the first booth got a ticket for a tenner!
Being so early of course you cannot get into the ground so I wandered around and then ate in Sharpys Sports Bar. Good service and reasonable food at great prices.
In the ground Tetley tea was £1.80 and seats were okay. The football was interesting as WIgan gave away a two goal lead in in two minutes before the half timje whistle and then they each score one in the seond half.
Recommend a visit.

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.

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.