Ground #414 - Sixways Stadium

Date: 6th September 2025
Location: Worcester, Worcestershire
Ground: Sixways Stadium

My seventh new ground of 2025 was on Saturday 6th September at Sixways Stadium in Worcester, Worcestershire. The game was Worcester City vs. Kettering Town in Southern League Premier Division Central.

Sixways Stadium is located in the north-east tip of Worcester, off junction 6 of the M5 motorway (at a six-junction roundabout that gives the venue its name). The complex has a 1,000 space car park, physio centre, David Lloyd leisure centre and a number of industrial units on the south of the site. The venue opened in 1998 as the home for Worcester Warriors rugby union club and is a temporary home for Worcester City FC who have led a nomadic existence since 2013 when their St George's Lane ground was sold for housing development without a replacement.

The Cecil Duckworth Stand on the eastern flank is comfortably the biggest at the 12,000 capacity venue - it has a large single deck of seating with an upper deck of hospitality boxes all the way along with the balcony overhanging the seating deck below. This structure includes the reception, ticket office, club shop, a restaurant and match control box. 

The southern end has a similar set-up albeit smaller  - a seating deck with two levels of hospitality boxes for the upper deck. The west side of the ground has a stand in the middle for much of the pitch length. This side has the dressing rooms, training centre and offices and towards the northern end are more buildings housing a bar, food outlets and smaller hospitality suites. In front of these areas is uncovered standing. The northern end is currently undeveloped and consists of uncovered hard standing - temporary stands have been in place previously at this end. 

Worcester came into the game in 14th in the league. Their opponents Kettering were 3rd having won their first four games only to lose at home to Market Harborough last time out. A quarter of the way into the game a long ball up field resulted in an error by Kettering's Andi Thanoj which gave the ball to Felix Miles. The Worcester man rounded Shane Flynn as the Kettering defender slipped but Miles then chose to pass to Teddy Rowe who was a good few yards offside. Rowe's shot was saved by Jason Alexander but is was academic as the offside flag was already raised. In the final minute of the half Alexander was called into action again, this time to block a shot from Liam Lockett as he steamed into the area on the left hand-side. From the resulting corner the ball went to the back post where Spencer Hamilton lost his marker and slide the ball into the net. However, Worcester's lead was wiped out immediately - just 18 seconds after the restart Connor Stanley cut in from the left and his deflected shot looped over Harley Price and onto the head of Nile Ranger for him to nod in. The second half was nothing to write home about with the closest either side coming to another goal when Kettering's Eddy Oppong curled a 25-yard shot onto the roof of the net.

Result: Worcester City 1-1 Kettering Town

Division: Southern League Premier Division Central

Attendance: 1,112