Well into the Millennium

The new Cardiff City Stadium has no unique character as a building.  It does it job well but is like many new stadiums around the Leagues of this size.  My visit coincided with a family visit to the Doctor Who exhibition in Cardiff Bay.

I walk to the ground from the Bay area and arrived in about 40 minutes with no difficulties.  With 10 minutes to spare I went straight to my seat - I like to see the whole game. (Why do fans leave with minutes to go? Some around me missed the only goal!)
The ground was pretty full; only a few thousand off capacity (21,406 compared to 26,828 capacity).  The away side were clearly after a draw and we had to wait until the 88th minute for a goal.  I would though choose a different stand; I was with the vocal Cardiff fans who were apt to stand up too often for my liking.  Some nearby stood for the entire game which I could have handled - like the old days you know ;-)
With a better contest I can imagine this being a great place to see football and Cardiff has much to recommend it.

What a Swan Song!

Captain calamity ruined the day for the locals and difficult to say the O's deserved a victory but the scoreline said they did so on the roll.  The drive down the M4 was a nice easy drive and parking at the stadium was no problem (though a bigger crowd would change that).  The Liberty Stadium is a nice modern structure shared with the Ospreys.  I had an excellent view from right at the back of the West Stand.  Food and drinks were average; PG Tips and burger for under a fiver by 40 pence.

I got my ticket at the ground on the day for £15 so a reasonable price.  The atmosphere was fairly limp but with the ground two thirds empty perhaps that wasn't surprising.  I think S4C had the match live and it was freezing early doors.  All considered though it was a ground I would recommend.

Boing, Boing Baggies!

First live Premiership match for years and it was a good one.  Five goals and a home win. The ground was packed and the atmosphere very good.

Once through the turnstiles the area under the stands wasn't big in that the West Stand was clearly partitioned along its length.  PG Tips for the tea so that was nice.  I didn't try the food as I had eaten with my family in town before catching the train out from Snow hill.  The trains were good, £1.90 return and a 7/8 minute journey then a five minute walk.
Its not the biggest ground but that probably helps with the atmosphere because it was close to being full with some twenty five thousand watching.  The away fans were vocal except when they were behind.  The locals were fine though slightly cynical about the Baggies actually getting a win but that might be more down to their poor recent form (five straight defeats).  Another ground I would return to for good football and average facilities.

Madjestic Reading?

Another Park & Ride experience.  The football stadium is a new one rather than nineteenth century affair.  It is nice enough but no longer anything special and empty; I'm not sure I would be able to pick it out from a bunch of other recent builds.

Inside the food doesn't rate well but the tea was real PG Tips.  A cold winter's bank holiday and good opposition should have meant a good crowd but Burnley only brought 1,000 fans (was that Reading restricting the number? - because they filled their area).  Anyway there were some six thousand empty seats.
The home fans did muster a multi drum band.  Also some vocal locals with incredulous bias.  And the music build up to the team coming on was a some piece of work.  I doubt the impact lasts and it certainly didn't work for Reading as they went behind, starting badly but I was impressed at the effort.
The Clarets played their part well and if Marney could have shot right he'd have wrapped up the result all by himself with three good chances.  He took none of them, Shane Long however took his and Reading ran out eventual winners.  I had to wait for about quarter of an hour for the return bus but still a good day's football.  I'd be happy to go again.

Frozen out at St Marys

Well if Cheltenham Town were hoping for a warm welcome to Hampshire they didn't get it.  Instead St Marys was a very cold place and only the hopeful singing of the away fans gave the game any warmth.  Three-nil down with minutes to go and the cry went up "Let's pretend we've scored a goal, hooray!".
The ground was a nice modern affair with no columns blocking anyone's view of the pitch.  Less than ten thousand saw the match.  The Robins gifting the home team an early goal and from then on the result was in little doubt.
I used the Park and Ride for away fans; five pounds for a parking spot and safe ride to the ground and back.  We all got away before five thirty with no trouble.

The food bar was offering hot drink and a Yorkie for two quid; but I needed warm food first and indulged in a hot chicken pasty which was fine.  Because of the inclement weather I had decided on getting a ticket on the day which costs you two pounds extra but still £17 isn't bad.  I didn't see much of the town but it looked typical rather than special; the port being the main attraction.  Just a pity the game wasn't more of a contest.

Adams Family Horrors

Wycombe's ground, Adams Park, is very much at the end of an industrial estate but nice enough for all that.  I had a seat up in the gods to watch a match devoid of much goal mouth action but early on a lot of shooting from outside the box for the Chair Boys.

The early dark nights doesn't help you keep warm; and it is that time of year where extra layes of clothing are vital with those of with no body fat to keep us warm.
As recommended by their website I used the Park and Ride, walking back to the car to keep warm.  A brisk half hour walk did the job nicely.  The P&R is well sign posted and just off the M40 so easy to find.  With a petrol supermarket station the fuel costs were good too.
The facilities in the ground are the usual affair and the locals were saprse on this cold autumn game; the crowd a mere 4,077.  Bradford brought a impressive number of fans considering the distance and they generated some noise too.

Breezy football at the County Ground

The County Ground has four sides but, as I am finding, for lower league sides only three were occupied.  It was a feisty game ended with a ninetieth minute winner for the home side over the league toppers. I would not recommend the tea but otherwise nothing special to note.

The ground is nice and close to the train station though the car park seem to have spare places. The crow of eight and a half thousand wasn't big; the main stand look noticeably sparsely populated.

Brewers draw with Alex

The Pirelli Stadium is new, small and apt.  The food was excellent; many fellow fans were enjoying mushy peas and chips; I stuck with a burger.  I was too late for a car park place but found parking on a nearby road easy enough.  Tickets were the cheapest I have encountered £15 for an Adult seat.

The ground looked well filled but was half capacity; I guess because many sides are standing and they were comfortably spaced shall we say.   Another good lower league ground.

Three sides but four goals

The Kassam Stadium, home of Oxford United, is quite an impressive League Two ground - at least on three sides!  Parking was good and free despite the reasonably large crowd.  The tickets were average prices and the refreshments okay inside the stands.

Oxford played well excepting a bad period where Morecambe nearly got a goal that would have enabled a fight back but it didn't happen.  Instead Oxford added two late goals to flatter the scoreline after a sending off.  As I say often, worth a visit.

Oranje brings the blues to Huish Park

Not a big crowd but then the visitors would have had to travel a long way down from Hartlepool to reach this corner of Somerset. Still those few that did no doubt enjoyed the viewings with an easy two nil win.

Huish Park is tidy and has seated stands on three sides that today were fairly full. The fourth side, for standers, was empty.  The Glovers were not having a good day at the office.
I missed the first three minutes thanks to traffic on the M5 but parking was easy enough and I only needed to turn around twice when following the traffic sgins directing me to the ground.  The locals were pleasant even through the display put on by their team.  Well done to the crowd and the club; I am sure the players will improve.  Worth a visit.

Bully comes to Alex

Gresty Road is very much an unbalanced stadium. One stand is massive and dominates the ground.  We, in-laws and me, joined the away fans and enjoyed a lively season opener.  The half time fayre was average and the bonny girls serving caused some banter as one ambitious fan tried to elicit a phone number.  His colleagues didn't appreciate the extra queuing time and let him know.

 We stood most of the game because others around us did too; well they stood so we had too.  Small crowd for such a large stand which was a shame for the home team.  I am afraid Crewe never looked like getting much from the game but a good place for seeing some football.
Map to get there:

View Crewe Alexandra FC in a larger map

The plans they are a changing

Thinking Torquay a bad idea, given it is the summer vacation time, so now focusing on Crewe; not a usual holiday destination.  Thanks to the world cup it has come around so quickly.  Deep joy!

The friendlies are in full swing

Never actually been to watch a preseason friendly and this season looks no different.  I have started planning the first venues I hope to visit next month and it promises to be an interesting time if all goes well.  First should be a few train trips so no worries about parking.  One trip I hope to make it down to Torquay and the seaside.

Ashton Gate proves Bristol is always sunny!

Another trip to Bristol to see City play Derby and welcome Steve Coppell as their new manager.  The visitors were clearly asleep at the kick-off as the home team went one up in the first minute!
Twenty five pounds for a seat in the sun after an excellent burger and tea made for a good experience and the two mile walk from the city centre was pleasant and no problem.  The fans were a fair bunch though they were keen of giving Mr Savage, the Derby captain, some verbal abuse.  After the game I met my family in town for a pizza at the Millennium square Pizza Express.

Second half and a penalty to the home side followed by a Derby goal kept things interesting on the pitch for a pleasant spring time event.  Bristol is definitely worthy of a visit.

Pirates Ahoy!

Okay so there were no goals but there was action At the Memorial stadium on Saturday.  I stood, yes like old time, in the West Terrace to see Brentford just about deserve their point.  The ground was in sun but our side very much in the shade.  Easy ground to get to and a reasonable crowd.

Breaking a voodoo in Hereford

Edgar Street was the scene of my first time seeing Grimsby Town win a match! And what a delightful goal it was - nice one Jamie (Devitt). I didn't go to see the Mariners more the ground so to that then.
Next door is a large car park which did fill even though the crowd barely broke 2,100 - not big.  Still a pound to park was welcome and £15 for a seat wasn't terrible.  The view was good, the scoreboard clear and the Bulls fans were vocal. 

Pretty good atmosphere for game so close to the end of a middling season for them; though a desperate one for the 300 who travelled from eastern coast. I didn't try the local fayre or facilities but others seemed to be coping with no complaints.  Post match locals were complementary of the football and there was no trouble. Herefordshire is green and hilly countryside with little interruption.  A nice experience all around; try it yourself.

More misery for my teams in League Two!

Predicting for L2 Monday 5th April
1. Accrington 3-1 Grimsby (Home win)
2. Aldershot 2-0 Rotherham (Home win)
3. Barnet 2-0 Chestrf'ld (Home win)
4. Bradford 2-0 Macclesf'd (Home win)
5. Bury 3-2 Burton (Home win)
6. Crewe 1-0 Cheltenham (Home win)
7. Darlington 2-3 Hereford (Away win)
8. Lincoln 0-2 Morecambe (Away win)
9. Northmpt'n 3-2 Torquay (Home win)
10. Port Vale 0-1 Dag & Red (Away win)
11. Rochdale 2-0 Bournem'th (Home win)
12. Shrewsbury 0-2 Notts Co (Away win)

It's cold outside

No football - more health and safety lunacy ruining my entertainment. Get a grip (sic) its only a bit of snow; the pitch is fine everything else is just a minor inconvenience. I want football to watch!

Bleak mid winter

Our Boxing Day match was postponed, shame! Today offered a 10 hour journey across the country which is one I will save until the summer when I expect Grimsby will be a bit warmer and merrier.

Exit stage right

I am guessing that whatever happens in tonight's match it is the Europa League for Liverpool. Ah, well, the only way is up.