I found their New Den

Not a season starter but still, Lampard had brought his Derby along for a match. The ground is a modern four stand stadium of no originality but it is functional. The food is similarly unadventurous. PG Tips at £2.20. The crown though are special and made for a great atmosphere and some loud local support. It was their day.

The ground has a lovely rubbish burning power station next door but it isn't a terrible looker.

I sat up in the upper stand of the Barry Kitchener Stand amongst some of the older fans I would guess and the commentary was the usual affair.
Travelling across London by tube and getting out at Cananda Water gives a 20-30 minute walk. Others used the over ground railway that stops much nearer but I had a travel card with my rail ticket so underground for me.
I did once drop a friend off for a match at the old ground but the new one works fine for me.

Mariners

Grimsby and Clethorpes day out!

Britannia Joy

Oh, they renamed it - who can keep up?

One of joys of a special ticket is a decent sit down lunch and more important in November in Stoke, shelter from the weather. It is decent enough ground but getting away from the car parks is painful after the match.
The lounge have a fun route up to the seats.

Into The Valley

So my first attempt failed becuase they decided late in the day to restrict ticket sales.  I heard locals ahead of me in the queue complaining. I bought a ticket for a later game.  I walked to the ground from the tube station at the dome. It was rather cold so I had to  stop off at a store on route to purchase an extra layer - British weather hey.
I was in the upper tier west stand. Pie and mash looked to be on offer but no it would be another 40 minutes before that was ready; it was already gone two and I was starving. So after tea and a wait I joined the queue again for my pie and mash. No pies left - unless I wanted chicken - fine. Mustard mash, gravy, and pie - not bad if a little late and rushed.

Finally - Pie and Mash

The seats were good and given Charlton's current woes the crowd was pretty good. Football wise they could have got something from the game but you could see why they went down later.

The main entrance

Nice ground rather big for their current status but seem to good local support. It is a bit unbalanced. One end dwarfs the other and the sides don't compare much better. Still I recommend a visit.

KC and the Sunshine Ground

One Hull of a ground! Well no bad, at least it has some character. Easy enough to find if not a short journey. I parked at the stadium, £5 to park, and walked through the wooded park wherein lies the stadium.

I got myself a ticket in the East Stand, row 'z' and then made use of the council toilets next to the child play area. Fans have to wait until 2pm before the turnstiles open so I could get in and have some lunch. Tea, hot dog, wedges and special offer packet of Pringles.
As advertised it took half an hour to get back to the A63, a mere two miles from the ground. A bigger crowd would presumably lengthen this wait as the car park didn't look full to capacity.
The stadium is a modern eclipse with one side rising slightly higher than the others. Not a massive capacity and the visitors, Preston, attracted some seventeen thousand crowd. The different stands seem to have some ritual identity chant before the game. Decent enough ground and I would have liked to see more of the local attractions, The Deep and the bridge.

Cold-chester no more hot-chester!

A scorcher of an opening match at Colchester's stadium. Temperatures were hot enough that even in a shaded stand tee shirts were worn for decency not warm. I used the excellent park and ride just over the other side of the A12. Asked if I was there for football I was charged £3 to park and walked the short distance following signs marked for football fans to the stadium.

Weston Homes Community Stadium Colchester

After purchasing a ticket for the west stand at £27 I walked around and got some food from under the east stand; open to the public without giving access to the stand itself. Tea was the cheapest I have encountered in the last five years of a solitary pound. The stadium is new pleasant enough, nothing special but it suits them.
The mascot was on his game and I would say a bald eagle. The football was quite vibrant and the four goals were enough to make for an entertaining game.
After the game I made an easy exit to the next door dual carriageway and off the home. I good experience and can recommend a visit.

Elland Road signs off with a complete lack of goals

Not a bad journey.  Easy parking though getting out proved a slow business after I used a car park close to the motorway junction rather than the club's itself. The ground was rather full and it took two attempts to find the right ticket office but I managed it in time. Nothing in the shop for a neutral.

The food was the usual offerings. The ground was impressively full for a match of no consequence. Leeds has a few motorways to navigate but they do aid an easy enough entry and exit.
It is quite an expensive ticket considering the fare on display; £41 for the East central lower stand. The match wasn't the best, or the worst but produced no goals. The stadium shows more about their past than present but I think they are going in the right direction. Worth a visit footie fans.

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.