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.

Back Again at the First and only Ground!

Managed to get a ticket to see the boys live.  Not the best football match but the event was brilliant, loved it. A good few years since I have been in the Anfield Road end; excellent view and good atmosphere.

There have clearly been some minor changes since my last visit when I held a season ticket (what you give up for love!). The ticketing system have been updated but the prices are still very reasonable for the Premiership.  The music still stirs the heart.

A Forest Girl's Dream Comes True

Pre match entertainment included talking to the match mascots.  One local girl had dyed her hair red and predicted the scorleine accurately, 3-2. The City Ground is a nice stadium beautifully situated next to the Trent and sat in the Brian Clough stand before the match I was bathed in sun.
I parked in the station car park and walked with the throng to the ground. Once in I enjoyed a beverage and hot dog; nice enough and not too bad at £4.80.

We lost sight of the sun as kick off arrived. While the temparature dropped the football did little to warm the hearts until Andy Reid came on late to turn the match in favour of the reds. The crowd was a good size and reasonably hearty if a little doubting in a good result (not without reason). I recommend a visit.

London Road Blues

I was joined by my brother-in-law for this one.  We stood on the terraces to see the local team lose to the League leaders as Southend visited Macclesfield Town. First gam I have been to where no ticket was issued. There was also confusion on where to get in and buy our tickets from but we managed it; joining the home fans standing along the side near the dugouts. This is definitely a lower league ground. Many features belong to the last century; and many of the spectators around us but friendly folk. The southerners ruined the day for the locals and we witnessed a rare home defeat but they then the visitors were league leaders.

London Road

Frattonising with the Enemy

A real old fashioned ground, which has clearly seen better days, that day enjoyed some football that was welcomed by the Blue Army. I parked just outside the gorund but it was costly; double the more usual fiver at ten quid! Still virtually in the ground. The stand where I sat was high and sunny but the roof impinged to make things seem very dark and kept the sun from warming us on this cold day. Refreshments were fine and easy to get before the match. Heathly atmosphere around me and the home fans enjoyed a rare victory.

The Real St James Park

I got to the ground really early as I hoped to bump into a friend but didn't so enjoyed a walk around town.  St James Park is a lovely ground.

I enjoyed good local fayre before the game and parking at a car park in town was easy if not cheap. The ground has a three sides feel to it with the side opposite me being more fence than viewing space. The main bulk of the home contingent occupied a large open plan stand to my right and were vocal in their support. I enjoyed the visit though seeing Huddersfield triumph away from home again did dampen it for the lcoals.

Some Say Meat is Murder

Earlier this month I went with relations to see Grimsby score a one-nil win over Forest Green Rovers.  The New Lawn is currently famous for serving no red meat at the ground.  This was certainly a cuase for many chants from the visiting fans, some amusing.

The football ground is a lovely non league ground with good stands on three sides.  We travelled by bus from the main town nearby, Stroud and thanks to crowded roads had to chase the bus down the road on the way because it failed to make the same stop we had disembarked from earlier.  Still the Cotswolds are nice to look at while you slowly inch down the hillside; the ground is on a hill top.  It was a reasonable match was fought out in excellent spirit.

No Cherry on the cake today!

Despite the furvent support of the home fans the Cherries lost this one after a red card lost them their man of the match.  Another of the three sided grounds in a leqafy part of the outskirts.  The ticket office was busy before the game but I made it into the North Stand with about 12 minutes to spare.

The ground is set in Kings Park and has recently been turned around.  Inside its nothing special but the fans are keen and loyal.   My first evening match for some time and pleasant enough for that.  Food and drink were fine and averagely priced.

Home Park welcomes The Millers

So Home Park is a ground of new and old. The old , the main grandstand, still has wooden seats - not too comfortable and my view of one goal was obscured by a stand pillar. The crowd were loyal, respectful and not impressed by their team on the whole; especially No2. who could dribble well enough but failed to get a single decent cross into the box - wasting the open space he had on Argyle's right flank.

 The Pilgrim Himself?

Tea and a burger was £5.30, PG Tips and a home made job with onions. Both okay and the staff were pleasant if slightly deaf.
The match was interesting if goalless for 45 minutes. Argyle were lucky to escape a couple of times and made no clear chances themselves. The second half was a different affair and goals came quickly. The Pilgrims opened the score with a solo effort from no.21, a new signing apparently. This only angered The Millers who quickly equalized and then just carried on scoring eventually running out 4-1 winners.
There is a construction site next to the ground for some Life Centre. Also nearby is park and ride car park free to football fans. The journey was easy enough, some delay on the M5 due to an accident and holiday traffic. Didn't take too long to escape the car park and back up the A38 and M5 was free flowing. Recommend a visit.

Sixfields - No Goals

Tidy little lower league round in amongst some industrial developments and close to other sports developments, Sixfields is a fairly standard affair.  The atmosphere was a bit limp for an opening season fixture but then Stanley only brought about fifty supporters.  Both sets of fans made some noise but then the match never really got going and lacked any goals.  The cobblers had a few thundering shots but all over the bar and Accrington had one attempt disallowed.
I sat in a family stand though it was difficult to tell.  Tea was an average two quid and the Chicken Balti - was it the famous one?  I couldn't tell but it was very edible for its £2.90.

I booked my ticket online and picked it up from a portacabin as advised by the football ground guide website but poorly advertised by the club itself (it did say once you got into the ticket office).
Thanks to my family enjoying entertainment in Milton Keynes I traveled up from there on the train and walked to the ground (25 minutes), no problems.