Keep A Record Of Your Ground Visits

I never really contemplated going to Southend yesterday even though, by rail for certain, it's no more difficult a journey from Sheffield than from Exeter or Taunton (and I've made a few trips like that over the years). The difference is that, from this neck of the woods, there's more distractions on the route from home to Essex. So, having experienced a degree of footballing Shakespearian tragedy recently, it was time to visit Stratford-upon-Avon. Not for the theatre but for the visit of Taunton Town.

The DCS Stadium on Knights Lane, Tiddington is hardly half-timbered and is far from the madding tourist crowd. Indeed, even in terms of sporting destinations in Stratford yesterday, it would have ranked a poor second (at least) behind the races where the going was "good to soft". No bother: the crowd of 171 watched an open-contest which finished Stratford Town 5 Taunton Town 3. My first sighting of Taunton Town in two years; I suspect there will be more in future. A lad called Ben Carter played for Taunton; fairly recently signed from Buckland Athletic and quite possibly the only player in the side with South Devon connections.

It's a new ground, out of town and on the edge of the countryside (the old one was next to the railway station). Function room, adjoining 3g pitches; a fairly typical development which could be easily extended. Not too much to photograph but here's an impression:





By contrast there's rather more for the interested photographer at Rossett Park, home of Marine FC. I'd been there once before for a reserve match - don't ask - which was a rushed evening visit when the conversation flowed and the wind howled. I thought I'd do the place justice with another visit whilst there was the opportunity. The wind howled again, the showers were coastal squally and Marine lost 2-1 to Rushall Olympic who I'd previously seen this season at Grimsby on the opposite side of the country. Marine and Mariners; Blundellsands and Blundell Park - I wish I'd not made such a nerdy mental comparison over my lunchtime cuppa in the Copper Kettle in Waterloo. It made me worry people would think I planned it that way.

Blundellsands indeed; Crosby just north of Liverpool where the Mersey has given way to open water. Antony Gormley sculptures on the beach - a hundred of them - lined up in a tactical formation which looked vaguely like 30-25-30-15. I couldn't be sure because, by that stage of the tide, a few of the lads "up top" were semi-submerged by the sea. An earlier, or later, kick-off would have been more appropriate for them.



Rossett Park itself is a gem. Hemmed it by Edwardian housing there's little terracing down one touchline and none at all along the other. Entry is from one end of the ground where there's a relatively new stand and a marvellous ageing wooden building. How long the latter will last is open to conjecture as there is a planning application for a convenience store. I'm glad I made it there again before Sainsbury Local.

I'm winding down on the midlands and northern grounds front. It's a case of visiting a few for the final time after several previous visits.

One is the Coach and Horses where Sheffield FC play in NPL 1(S). Shortly before Easter they faced Halesowen Town from the West Midlands who appear well-placed to win the division. Just a couple of pictures. Can you spot the one-time Torquay United player?





To Rotherham United for an under-18 international between England and Germany. 2-1 to the host nation and rather good value for £3 (£1 concessions). The official crowd was in excess of 9,000 which probably represented the tickets sold rather than the number of souls actually present.





Lastly a pitch in Graves Park in Sheffield with views towards Totley Moor and the edge of the Peak District. Reminiscent perhaps of football at Quinta and Dartmoor on the horizon:

Alpine Joe is correct. It is Iyseden Christie, now the proud owner of a NPL 1(S) championship medal after the Yeltz rampaged to the title yesterday with a win at Belper United. The big question now: will they be placed north or south next season?

A crafty attempt too by AJ to lay yet more blame, as is his regular wont, at the door of the Socialist Republic of South Yorkshire and its constituent parts. "Competitive pricing" is, in fact, a regular initiative at England age-group games so the prices at the New York last week weren't a local peculiarity. Indeed, now that we're operating in less rarified circles, might we yet see England C games played at Plainmoor? And, given England played Turkey in the most recent international trophy competition, there's the perfect (if not wholly original) marketing strategy for a similar future fixture: SEE TURKEY AT TORQUAY. They say the best ideas are brilliantly simple.

Also, whilst we're on the topic of England C - very much a non-league under-23 XI these days - let me be the first to advocate the claims of Ashley Yeoman and Courtney Cameron should they make a bright start to the season. That'll add a few to the gate.

I agree. Taylor looks a bit like a Tory MP I can't currently put a name to, and even Cloughie seems to have picked up a slight resemblance to the recently deceased Horse Racing commentator Julian Wilson.

I haven't got time to do my own research as 'Deal or No Deal' starts in about 10 minutes, but what happened to that old Football League trophy ? I think the Premier League have got their own modern 'Euro style' trophy that they present now. Perhaps the old one gets awarded to the winners of the Championship, or sits in a museum in Preston ?

We once had a castles thread on TFF. Plenty of Welsh ones, if I remember correctly. In this neck of the woods Conisbrough Castle - between Rotherham and Doncaster - is definitely worth a detour should you ever be in the area.

It's also promising territory for football grounds of varying antiquity and states of repair and grandeur. You've seen pictures of Maltby Main; that, for the heritage tourists, could be combined with a visit to the Cistercian abbey at Roche. Here's two more I visited on a Sunday morning, when access was available, just after Conisbrough Castle reopened for the summer.

Firstly, the athletic grounds at Mexborough which house both cricket and football. I once worked with somebody from Mexborough and, in ten years of knowing her, the only mention of football was that - had she played her cards slightly differently as a teenager - she may have become Mrs Peter Kitchen (he of Doncaster Rovers and Leyton Orient fame).

And it's true that football in Mexborough has never reached great heights. There's been various teams - Athletics, Towns and the like - with the 1920s (when Chesterfield were played in the FA Cup) being one of the better times. A more recent highlight was the 1970s visit of Scarborough in the FA Trophy.

These days the ground, in spite of the signage, is used by Swinton Athletic of Pete's Patisserie Sheffield and Hallamshire County Senior League. I feared a derelict scene but was pleasantly surprised. I imagine it helps that the grounds are used by the two sports throughout the year.












Denaby, closer to Conisbrough, was an altogether bigger mystery. I'd seen pictures in Kerry Miller's non-league grounds book and knew that Denaby had a decent history in the Midland League, Yorkshire League and the Northern Counties East League. They'd reached the FA Cup proper on occasions and had faced Oldham Athletic at home in the late 1950s. Here are the pictures I'd remembered from Kerry Miller's book:





After winning the NCEL in 1997 the wheels appear to have come off. There was a fire; there was an eviction at the hands, apparently, of the miners' welfare. Denaby United subsequently folded in 2002 but have now reformed in the local Doncaster league on a park pitch up the road. Denaby Main, another club in the same league, play at the old ground.

The community is based around the former Denaby Main pit. I popped in to catch the remnants of a Sunday morning game and noticed that one of the teams only had seven outfield players. I'm not sure if that was due to a shortage of numbers or a lack of discipline. The game, by the time of my arrival, was being played at walking pace.

There's no real sign of the old main stand just a section of overgrown terracing which demands listing by English Heritage. There's cover on the opposite side which, I suspect, dates from Denaby United's latter days and replaced something much larger and grander. All told a rather rundown scene and something of a football social history lesson.

... and a number of NLM's members 'tick' JD Wetherspoons' - some are up to 500. Blimey!

Totally agree, just visiting a game/ground is good enough for me. Yes, I do keep a record of my first visits as seen on this thread and for what it is worth my 92 which are very low on my agenda. I am just as happy at a local village team as I am at a new ground...

The tick word is heavily used over there and at times it over zelous as you say. The tick is more important that the actual enjoyment of the game and ground.