Post by Deleted on Oct 9, 2011 11:50:31 GMT
Bradford was the first away league game I’ve missed this season. A shame in many ways – even allowing for what I’ve read of yesterday’s performance – because it’s a place I like visiting. But there’s further away trips planned and I’ve already booked my trains for Accrington in December. And, if that game should be postponed, there’s always the Rovers down the road at Ewood....
So, instead, I took advantage of the cheap train deal for Old Gits and had the day in London I’ve been planning for a while. A bit of sightseeing by rail in East London – Canary Wharf, the Olympic Stadium and that sort of thing (go to Pudding Mill Lane on the DLR if you want the best view of the stadium) – followed by a non-league game out in the sticks. My choice – largely because I’d never been – was Welling v Dover in Conference South. That’s SE London – Kent as some would prefer – and, in football terms, out in the wilds between Charlton Athletic and Gillingham.
I’d been tipped off about the impressive range of baguettes and other delicacies at Welling’s Park View Road ground and, sure enough, they were on display in the mobile catering van. However, replete with an enormous serving of bangers and mash from a caff in Woolwich – washed down by tales of teenage pregnancy on the 96 bus - I had room only for a cup of tea. My other need at the time was to find a toilet cubicle with a lockable door and a decent supply of loo roll. Unfortunately neighbouring Danson Park – for all its glories – had failed to come up with the latter.
Welling’s ground is unusual in that it’s shared by two clubs – Welling United and Erith & Belvedere – each with their own entrances and facilities. Broadly speaking Welling have the west side of the ground; Erith & Belvedere the east. That makes no difference on a Welling match day and I chose to sit in the "Erith" stand with a full view of the more elderly "Welling" stand and its' massive advert for PREMIER AUTOCENTRE – NEW AND USED HYUNDAI CARS IN SUNNY BLACKFEN. With a spot of research, I see this stand dates from when the ground was used by Bexleyheath and Welling FC (later Bexley United), a Southern League team of the 1950s to 1970s.
All in all, a sizeable set up for Conference South and a reminder of how vibrant football can be at that level. And, after a goalless first half – during which neither team could find the right combination in the final third – I got a closer look at the facilities as I again circumnavigated Park View Road in my search for the perfect combination of lockable door and toilet paper. I was unsuccessful.
No goals in the second half either but, overall, not a bad game: windy conditions, lots of mistakes, several good chances. You could hardly say both defences were wholly in command and, in a sense, both sides were there for the proverbial “taking”. No immediately apparent Torquay United connections on either side – to yell “Exeter Reject!” at Welling’s Jack Obersteller would have been unnecessarily harsh - but should you wish to include putative prospective Torquay managers (allegedly), there was Nicky Forster recently appointed manager of Dover Athletic. Forster, for the fashion buffs amongst us, chose to wear a grey jumper and grey “slacks” (I think that’s the word) for his managerial debut.
Anyway, if you desire, you can see almost fifteen minutes of highlights at www.pitchero.com/clubs/wellingutd/videos/welling-united-v-dover-athleti-18916.html. Isn’t it amazing the efforts that people put in to produce and make available this type of thing?
Should you possess the stamina to make it to the second half of the video, you’ll notice the atmosphere has become more raucous with the arrival of the Dover Jolly Boys in the seated area. Fair play to them: they certainly had a wide repertoire which they sang incessantly. I’ve not heard the world “Crabble” sung before now and I can’t recall a chant for “Venezuela’s Number One” at an English non-league game (this being in praise of Dover’s Mikhael Jaimez-Ruiz who we’ve seen play for Aldershot at Plainmoor). There’s plenty more Jolly Boy performances on You Tube but, as admirable as their support proved, I was left reaching for the details of helpline of the Bexley Tinnitus Support Group (as advertised in the programme).
And, as I was leaving the ground, a number 89 bus to Blackheath pulled up. Impulsively I stopped in my tracks to hop on, nearly causing a pile up in my wake. From behind I heard an oath about “Christ, you nearly made me drop my ****ing drum, you ****!” That wouldn’t have been the way to impress the Jolly Boys especially as they’re still in the FA Cup with a winnable home game in the next round....
So, instead, I took advantage of the cheap train deal for Old Gits and had the day in London I’ve been planning for a while. A bit of sightseeing by rail in East London – Canary Wharf, the Olympic Stadium and that sort of thing (go to Pudding Mill Lane on the DLR if you want the best view of the stadium) – followed by a non-league game out in the sticks. My choice – largely because I’d never been – was Welling v Dover in Conference South. That’s SE London – Kent as some would prefer – and, in football terms, out in the wilds between Charlton Athletic and Gillingham.
I’d been tipped off about the impressive range of baguettes and other delicacies at Welling’s Park View Road ground and, sure enough, they were on display in the mobile catering van. However, replete with an enormous serving of bangers and mash from a caff in Woolwich – washed down by tales of teenage pregnancy on the 96 bus - I had room only for a cup of tea. My other need at the time was to find a toilet cubicle with a lockable door and a decent supply of loo roll. Unfortunately neighbouring Danson Park – for all its glories – had failed to come up with the latter.
Welling’s ground is unusual in that it’s shared by two clubs – Welling United and Erith & Belvedere – each with their own entrances and facilities. Broadly speaking Welling have the west side of the ground; Erith & Belvedere the east. That makes no difference on a Welling match day and I chose to sit in the "Erith" stand with a full view of the more elderly "Welling" stand and its' massive advert for PREMIER AUTOCENTRE – NEW AND USED HYUNDAI CARS IN SUNNY BLACKFEN. With a spot of research, I see this stand dates from when the ground was used by Bexleyheath and Welling FC (later Bexley United), a Southern League team of the 1950s to 1970s.
All in all, a sizeable set up for Conference South and a reminder of how vibrant football can be at that level. And, after a goalless first half – during which neither team could find the right combination in the final third – I got a closer look at the facilities as I again circumnavigated Park View Road in my search for the perfect combination of lockable door and toilet paper. I was unsuccessful.
No goals in the second half either but, overall, not a bad game: windy conditions, lots of mistakes, several good chances. You could hardly say both defences were wholly in command and, in a sense, both sides were there for the proverbial “taking”. No immediately apparent Torquay United connections on either side – to yell “Exeter Reject!” at Welling’s Jack Obersteller would have been unnecessarily harsh - but should you wish to include putative prospective Torquay managers (allegedly), there was Nicky Forster recently appointed manager of Dover Athletic. Forster, for the fashion buffs amongst us, chose to wear a grey jumper and grey “slacks” (I think that’s the word) for his managerial debut.
Anyway, if you desire, you can see almost fifteen minutes of highlights at www.pitchero.com/clubs/wellingutd/videos/welling-united-v-dover-athleti-18916.html. Isn’t it amazing the efforts that people put in to produce and make available this type of thing?
Should you possess the stamina to make it to the second half of the video, you’ll notice the atmosphere has become more raucous with the arrival of the Dover Jolly Boys in the seated area. Fair play to them: they certainly had a wide repertoire which they sang incessantly. I’ve not heard the world “Crabble” sung before now and I can’t recall a chant for “Venezuela’s Number One” at an English non-league game (this being in praise of Dover’s Mikhael Jaimez-Ruiz who we’ve seen play for Aldershot at Plainmoor). There’s plenty more Jolly Boy performances on You Tube but, as admirable as their support proved, I was left reaching for the details of helpline of the Bexley Tinnitus Support Group (as advertised in the programme).
And, as I was leaving the ground, a number 89 bus to Blackheath pulled up. Impulsively I stopped in my tracks to hop on, nearly causing a pile up in my wake. From behind I heard an oath about “Christ, you nearly made me drop my ****ing drum, you ****!” That wouldn’t have been the way to impress the Jolly Boys especially as they’re still in the FA Cup with a winnable home game in the next round....