Ground #263 - Central Park (Cowdenbeath)

Date: 10th April 2018
Ground: Central Park
Location: Cowdenbeath, Fife, Scotland

My eleventh new ground of 2018 was on Tuesday 10th April at Central Park in Cowdenbeath, Fife, Scotland. The match was Cowdenbeath vs. Montrose in Scottish League Two.

As the name would suggest the Central Park Stadium is part of a park in the centre of the town. The main green space area is to the north of the stadium site and there is more green space to the south. There is a large concrete area behind the western end which runs up to the edge of a housing estate while the eastern end has a car park in the north-east corner with the rest of this end taken up by trees separating it from a rail line. The stadium is a few hundred yards south-west of the town's railway station and has been home to the club since it opened in 1917 making this the third permanent home in Cowdenbeath's history after spells at Jubilee Park (1881-1888) and North End Park (1888-1917).

The stadium has hosted stock car racing since 1970 so the football pitch sits in the middle of an asphalt oval track. This results in the spectator areas being a way back from the action as well as meaning there is tall debris catch-fencing the entire way round the track. There are four floodlight pylons on each side of the field with none at the ends - as these are in front of the spectator areas they can cause restricted views but with current attendance levels this is not an issue. Three sides of the ground are uncovered concrete with the most spacious of these being the southern side which has a 19 row terrace with a flat section in front. At the very back of the middle area is a food outlet. The western end is similar in that is has a flat section at the front with a smaller 9 row terrace behind. The eastern end of the pitch does not have any terracing instead consisting of a flat section at the front and a large grass behind behind this.

The northern side used to have a single stand running the length of the field but half of this was destroyed in a fire in 1992. As a result the current arrangement is to have two separate stands, the original stand taking up the western half of this side and a newer stand built in 1995 taking up the eastern half of this side. Combined the two stands have a seating capacity of 1,622. The older stand dates from 1921 so consists of wooden seating with lots of supporting beams to hold up the roof. There is then a small gap the newer stand which has more modern seating and offers uninterrupted views due to the cantilever roof. There are hospitality boxes along the back and with the dressing rooms contained inside the players tunnel emerges from the bottom of the middle of this stand. At the back of this stand there is a food outlet. There is a Blue Brazil club shop towards the entrance in the north-east corner.

The game was between two sides encountering vastly different seasons - while Cowdenbeath were on course for a fourth consecutive bottom of the table finish Montrose were gunning for promotion only needing to avoid defeat to move to the top of the table. The opening 25 minutes were even with little quality from either side. The first action of note resulted in a goal as the visitors took a 26th minute lead. It occurred when the ball was played up to Lewis Milne who waited for it to come down before volleying into the ground with the ball then bouncing over diving home keeper David McGurn. This goal saw Montrose have the lion's share of the play until half-time though Cowdenbeath did go close just before the break when Harvey Swann's 25 yard shot skimmed the top of the bar. The visitors had the perfect start to the second half when they went 2-0 up barely a minute after the restart. A shot came in from outside the box, was spilled by McGurn and Martin Rennie tucked in the rebound from close range. The game was put to bed on the hour mark when Lewis Milne's superb curling free-kick into the corner put the away side 3-0 up. With the three points looking secure the encounter petered out with Montrose happy with their evening's work. Cowdenbeath came close to a consolation in the 86th minute when a cross from the right was met by a Robbie Buchanan shot which was cleared off the line. That would be the closest the hosts could manage to a goal as the result went the way of the form book.

Result: Cowdenbeath 0-3 Montrose
Division: Scottish League Two
Attendance: 378

Ground #242 - Coles Lane

Date: 18th September 2017
Ground: Coles Lane
Location: Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands

My twenty-sixth new ground of 2017 was on Monday 18th September at Coles Lane in Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands. The match was Romulus vs. Gresley in the Northern Premier League Division One South.

Coles Lane, also known as the Central Ground, is in a residential area south of the town centre. Housing borders the ground to the south and west with a grass area to the north and a canal separating the site from a primary school on its eastern side. The venue is a mile south of the town's railway station and has been home to Sutton Coldfield Town since 1920. As well as Sutton Coldfield Town the ground is also currently inhabited by Romulus who I saw during this game.

The main stand straddles the half-way line on the south-western side of the venue. This stand consists of 7 rows of flat wooden benching on a concrete platform. There is a carved out section in the middle for officials and a couple of supporting beams for the roof. The seating is raised up above ground level so provides decent views of the pitch. In front of the stand are the two dugouts and the rest of this side is uncovered standing. On the opposite side of the pitch is the north-eastern side of the ground. Two-thirds of this is uncovered standing with a 101 seat stand known as the Bernard Bent Stand situated in the northern corner. This stand includes a flat section at the front for disabled spectators. This is adjacent to the clubhouse which contains a spacious bar and a food outlet facing out towards the pitch.

Much of the space behind the goal at the north-western end is taken up by a car park. There is then netting directly behind the goal to prevent wayward balls damaging cars. In the western corner there is an additional stand called the Richard Underwood Stand. This tiny structure is a raised metal platform which is covered and upon my visit five chairs had been placed on the platform. The other end of the ground is covered standing for most of its length with fencing behind this. The back of the covered area is linked a building behind the goal. The southern corner is uncovered standing albeit mostly on grass rather than concrete as per the rest of the ground.

Romulus edged the first section of the game but didn't test Robert Peet in the away goal too much. The closest they came was in the 22nd minute when Romario Martin snatched at a shot and steered it across goal to go just wide. The visitors got back into the game around half-hour mark but in the 38th minute the hosts grabbed a goal. It came about when a ball over the top found Romario Martin. With a lot of work to do Martin shrugged off the challenge of one defender, beat the remaining defender and then sidefooted past Peet from close range. Ten minutes after the restart Gresley's Jon Stevenson put the ball in the net but it was ruled off for offside. In the 66th minute he went close again when Reece Morris drilled a shot at Romulus keeper Billy Spink who palmed the ball to Stevenson. Unfortunately for the visitors Stevenson shot the rebound the wrong side of the post. In the 83rd minute a Romulus counter-attack from a Gresley corner saw the ball launched towards Martin on the left-side of the penalty area and his shot flashed inches wide. Martin's earlier goal proved to be the difference between the two teams on what was a forgettable night of football.

Result: Romulus 1-0 Gresley

Division: Northern Premier League Division One South

Attendance: 120

Ground #227 - Central Avenue

Date: 15th April 2017
Ground: Central Avenue
Location: Billingham, County Durham

My eleventh new ground of 2017 was on Saturday 15th April at Central Avenue in Billingham, County Durham. The match was Billingham Synthonia vs. Willington in Northern League Division Two.

Central Avenue Stadium is part of the Synthonia sports grounds located opposite the former site of the ICI chemical plant. The northern end of the ground is bordered by a rail line with local rivals Billingham Town the other side of the line. The town's railway station is half a mile north towards the centre of the town. The venue was home to Billingham Synthonia from 1958 until April 2017 with this being their final game at the ground.

The ground's focal point was an impressive cantilever stand which ran the entire length of the pitch on the eastern side of the ground. This stand consisted of ten rows of concrete with the southern and northern thirds given over to standing and the middle third to seating. This middle third had benches attached to the concrete floor and included a media box at the back of the stand. In front of the stand was a flat concrete standing area with two rows of barriers - the two dugouts were in front of the furthest forward set of barriers.

Within the stand there was a large bar containing a club shop and a separate small lounge room. There was also a tea bar which faced out towards the flat concrete area between the stand and the pitch. In April 2017 Billingham Synthonia released a statement referring to the maintenance costs of this stand as a key factor behind the decision to leave Central Avenue. The remainder of the ground was uncovered standing. There was a gravel track encircling the pitch meaning the viewing areas were oval shaped. A strip of concrete ran round almost all of the rest of the venue - these were designated spectator areas. The steep grass banks behind both goals had signs discouraging supporters from climbing to get a better view of the action.

The opening few minutes was an even affair with Willington going close in the 5th minute when the ball was crossed into the area from the left and Will Preston steered the ball just the wrong side of the post. In the 8th minute it was Billingham's turn to go close after Steven Huggins dispossessed Adam Cromby in midfield and laid off the ball for Chay Liddle who's shot was cleared off the line. The hosts spent more time in the attacking final third but their tame efforts didn't really test the goalie. In the 55th minute Synthonia took the lead - the ball was clipped over to Chay Liddle on the left side of the area and he smashed the ball across the keeper into the bottom corner. There was almost another goal in the 67th minute when Nathan Steel stroked the ball inches wide after a scramble in the area. The key moment came just after this in the 71st minute when Billingham broke down the left, squared the ball for Liddle who saw his shot saved only for Nathan Steel to knock in the rebound. The visitors offered little in the final few minutes so it meant mixed emotions for Billingham who clinched promotion from the league in their final game at their Central Avenue home.

Result: Billingham Synthonia 2-0 Willington
Division: Northern League Division Two
Attendance: 315