Ground #402 - Fedale Field

Date: 13th April 2024
Location: Whittlesey, Cambridgeshire
Ground: Fedale Field

My second new ground of 2024 was on Saturday 13th April at Fedale Field in Whittlesey, Cambridgeshire. The game was Whittlesey Athletic vs. Harwich & Parkeston in Eastern Counties League Division One North.

Fedale Field is located on the eastern edge of the town of Whittlesey. The site was originally entirely surrounded by fields but a housing estate has been under construction for several years providing the club with neighbours. The ground is 1.5 miles north of Whittlesea railway station. 

The entrance to the ground is on the northern side of the venue. This side has a club building, including bar and dressing rooms, in the north-west corner with picnic benches in front it by the pitch. To the east of this are two temporary scaffolding structures either side of the halfway line with the remainder of this side being uncovered standing.

The sole all-seater structure is a stand with 57 seats towards the south-west corner. The spectator area on the southern side of the ground stops after this with just the dugouts between the pitch and the perimeter. Behind the western goal there is a covered standing area made out of metal and wood but the eastern end just has uncovered standing.

The game was a dead rubber event - the hosts were in 16th but comfortably clear of any relegation worries. They had also just ended a seven-game losing streak last time out at Haverhill Rovers. The visitors Harwich had also stopped a losing run with a victory over Parson Drove but with them ten points off the play-offs they were also looking to another season at this level next season. The ball was in the net barely a minute after the game started when Harwich's Luke Mayhew shot was chalked off for offside. After this a sedate half of football saw little until the 33rd minute when the Essex side opened the scoring through Alfie Canning. The Harwich forward got into the box, dodged one defender and though his initial shot was blocked he struck low past home keeper Danny Foulger at the second attempt. This sparked the game into life and Harwich had two great chances in the following five minutes to extend their lead. First Liam White shot over the bar whilst through on goal and then Danny Garrad did well to win the ball in the Whittlesey box and lay off for Luke Mayhew to see his deflected shot go inches wide. Three minutes before the break the home side equalised when a corner ball met the head of Alfie Rogers who powered past Brad Cook. Harwich really should have re-established the lead in injury time but Mayhew and Garrard dilly-dallied between them and wasted the chance with a shot straight at Foulger. On the hour mark the two combined again and this time Foulger pulled off a good save to keep the scores level. This lasted until the 70th minute when Alfie Canning picked up the ball on the right side of the box and under pressure from several defenders did well to get a shot away across the keeper into the bottom corner of the net. In the 84th minute Canning turned provider to Liam White on the left but the Harwich man struck the past. This cost the visitors as three minutes later Whittlesey equalised for the second time. A ball from the left by James Stainsby found Jones de Sousa at the back post and he lofted the ball into the middle for Dan Redhead to nod home from six yards. The home side almost snatched all three points in injury time when Matt Briggs shot was cleared off the line during a scramble but this was the last meaningful action of a game which concluded 2-2.

Result: Whittlesey Athletic 2-2 Harwich & Parkeston

Division: Eastern Counties Division One North

Attendance: 67