Ground #378 - Hull City Stadium

Date: 3rd March 2023
Ground: Hull City Stadium
Location: Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire

My third new ground of 2023 was on Friday 3rd March at the Hull City Stadium in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire. The game was Hull City vs. West Bromwich Albion in the Footballl League Championship.

The Hull City Stadium, currently known as the MKM Stadium, is located in West Park which as the name suggests is to the west of the city centre. It was built in 2002 on the site of a cricket pitch and is surrounded by parkland. The stadium is a mile west of Hull railway station and became the home of the club in December 2002 after upgrading from Boothferry Park where they had played since 1946.

The Hull City Stadium is an asymmetrical bowl with a lower deck the whole way round which can hold around 20,000 spectators with an additional second tier of seating in the West Stand increasing the capacity to just over 25,000. The stadium has been designed so a second tier could be added to the East Stand to up this capacity to 30,000 if the club became established in the Premier League. The additional western deck means the roof slopes down from this stand to the remainder of the stadium.

With the West Stand being the 'main' stand at the ground this is where the club reception is situated. The only hospitality area at the venue is in between the upper and lower decks on this side. The west side also houses the Dugout Bar which offers private event space for up to 400 people. The ticket office and club shop reside on the eastern side of the ground and there is other office space dotted throughout. The northern and southern ends are more basic but do have large TV screens hanging from the roof for both. The large footprint available to the ground means it has spacious concourses and good legroom for fans.

The game saw two out-of-form sides competing with Hull sitting in 16th with no wins in four and West Brom sitting in 11th with one win in four. The visitors started the brighter of the two sides and created three good chances in the opening twenty minutes. First Jed Wallace's cross to Marc Albrighton resulted in a bobbled shot requiring a good save by Karl Darlow as the ball headed for the corner of the net. Shortly after this the two combined again with Albrighton bringing the ball down well on the left side of the box before laying off to Wallace to shoot straight at Darlow. 60 seconds later Darlow was needed once again saving a Daryl Kike header from Albrighton's cross. It was therefore against the run of play that Hull took the lead. A ball upfield was headed down by Benjamin Tetteh to Regan Slater. As Slater attempted to slide Tetteh back in West Brom's Okay Yokuslu stuck out a foot but could only divert the ball straight into the path of Tetteh on the left of goal. With a lot of work to do Tetteh turned and smashed the ball first time in the top corner of the net to see Hull lead 1-0 at the break. The second half started much as the first had with Darlow saving his side - the ball went down the right side of the field and Jayson Molumby's cross found Dike who shot low at goal from six yards. Darlow was again up to the task diving low and keeping the ball out. Hull went up the other end in the 56th minute and created a similar scenario to the goal with Benjamin Tetteh taking a fierce first-time shot with Josh Griffiths pushing over for a corner. From the resulting corner the Tigers scored their second of the game with Baggies defender Dara O'Shea heading backwards into his own net from Ozan Tufan's cross. The visitors continued to attack and came closest in the 64th minute when a John Swift cannoned back off the post. West Brom had a couple more speculative efforts but these were also saved by Darlow. The Hull keeper put in a man-of-the-match performance on the night and was a big reason why the Tigers secured all three points.

Result: Hull City 2-0 West Bromwich Albion

Division: Football League Championship

Attendance: 17,021

Ground #305 - Pennypit Park

Date: 10th April 2019
Ground: Pennypit Park
Location: Prestonpans, East Lothian, Scotland

My twentieth new ground of 2019 was on Wednesday 10th April at Pennypit Park in Prestonpans, East Lothian, Scotland. The match was Vale of Leithen vs. Glasgow BSC in the Scottish Lowland League.

Pennypit Park is a couple of hundred yards south of the Firth of Forth in the northern section of the town of Prestonpans. The football ground is in a sporting complex with a near-identical rugby union stadium on its western side with artificial pitches and an elongated running track beyond this. On the northern side is a community centre while housing borders the eastern and southern ends. It is half a mile north-west of Prestonpans railway station. East of Scotland League side Preston Athletic FC moved to the venue in the early 1960s but Lowland League side Vale of Leithen use the ground for evening games due to a lack of floodlights at their venue.

The entrance to the ground is in the south-west corner where the clubhouse can be found. There is one stand at Pennypit Park which is halfway down the western side. The stand has eight concrete levels with metal benching affixed to each level. The dressing rooms are contained within the interior of the stand and the two dugouts are directly in front of it. The stand is built into a steep grass bank so the elevated grass viewing areas are either side of the structure. At ground level there is hard standing all the way along, the only side of the ground to have this as a feature.

The rest of the ground is uncovered grass standing. The grass bank continues round from the western side behind the southern goal and round the eastern side. This results in plentiful viewing areas for fans and the steep nature of the banks result in good views from the top. This also gives the venue an enclosed feel and reduces the impact on the adjacent housing. The only flat end is the northern end behind the goal due to it backing onto the community centre.

Glasgow BSC were hoping to get back on track in their race for 2nd place in the table after a defeat the previous Saturday. Vale of Leithen had set to rest any relegation fears with a 5-0 win over Cumbernauld last time out so were hoping to continue that into their next game. It was however the away side who struck first - a cross from the left by Euan O'Reilly was headed back the keeper from six yards by Ross McMillan. Glasgow's advantage really should have been doubled just before the half-hour mark when a ball up to Tom Orr saw him round the keeper just outside the area but drag his shot just wide of goal. Leithen's best chance came in the 41st minute when a header from a corner was cleared off the line by Glasgow's Jamie Mills. After an hour the visitors went further in front - a shot from Ross Lindsay was well saved by the home keeper but the rebound was then drilled across the face of goal for Thomas Collins to knock in on the line. Just five minutes later the contest was finished off by a third away goal. Euan O'Reilly did well down the right to beat a man before squaring for Collins who steered in from 12 yards to grab his second of the night. Leithen didn't offer too much in the final stages and it looked more likely that Glasgow would extend their lead. The visitors had a goal ruled out for offside in the 82nd minute but a 3-0 win would suit nicely as they reestablished their runner-up credentials.

Result: Vale of Leithen 0-3 Glasgow BSC
Division: Scottish Lowland League
Attendance: 72

Ground #285 - Grange Lane

Date: 1st December 2018
Ground: Grange Lane
Location: North Ferriby, East Riding of Yorkshire

My thirty-third new ground of 2018 was on Saturday 1st December at Grange Lane in North Ferriby, East Riding of Yorkshire. The match was North Ferriby United vs. Lancaster City in the Northern Premier League Premier Division.

Grange Lane is on the eastern end of the village of North Ferriby. This village sits on the banks of the River Humber a few miles west of the Humber Bridge. The southern side of the ground is adjacent to the Hull to Selby railway line while the western side has allotments running right up to the perimeter of the stadium site. The site has fields to the east but there was scope for a small bit of land behind the goal to be assigned to an artificial mini-pitch. The northern side has a small car park for the club's use as well as a children's playground and skatepark. Beyond this is an area of green space with three mini football pitches and a cricket area. The nearest railway station is Ferriby which is just a third of a mile away. However, with no Saturday service this is not much help for football travel - the nearest useful station is Brough which is four miles to the west.

The entrance turnstile is in the north-west corner and upon entering the ground you emerge into a uncovered area. All areas of the ground are hard standing so as much space is utilised for spectators as possible. Working towards the eastern end there are then demountables for a club shop, toilets and a food outlet. The two dugouts are separated by the entrance to the building containing the dressing rooms. This building's roof extends out towards the pitch and has a TV gantry sat atop it. Beyond this this side reverts to uncovered standing and behind this is one building with the club house, bar and boardroom and another one with offices.

The main stand runs the entire length of the pitch on the southern flank of Grange Lane. This is predominantly taken up by 501 seats across four rows but this is bookended by seven rows of concrete terracing at either end of the stand. There are around 20 thin supporting beams which hold up the roof so all views from this stand are slightly restricted. The eastern end of the ground is uncovered with a two-level concrete standing area. There are a couple of amenities in the south-east corner in the form of a snack bar and a toilet block. The western end is more sparse with just flat uncovered standing. Both ends have netting up behind the goal due to the adjacent fields and allotments respectively.

North Ferriby's rapid rise through the football pyramid has been followed by an even more rapid fall. After back-to-back relegations the club find themselves in the 7th tier for the 2018/19 and rooted to the bottom of the table once again are on course for a third relegation on the spin. In the 8th minute the form book appeared to be going to plan when Lancaster took the lead. A free-kick into the area was cleared but North Ferriby didn't deal with the second phase and when the ball was sent back in Steven Williams directed a looping header over the diving Lewis Exall. However any feelings that Lancaster would race ahead were dispelled in the 11th minute when the hosts equalised as Tom Waudby flashed the ball across goal for Jake Martindale to knock in from a couple of yards out. Five minutes later the home side should have gone in front when a poor pass across the Lancaster defensive line was intercepted by Josh Vickers but in on goal he was panicked by the recovering defender and aimed a weak shot straight at Jack Sims. Lancaster came right back after this and retook the lead in the 19th minute. David Norris ran onto a through ball on the edge of the area and his deflected shot found the bottom corner of the net. North Ferriby didn't lie down and went close through Jack Smith in the 34th minute when his fizzed shot from 20 yards took a deflection and clipped the outside of the post. The best chance to equalise however fell to Jordan Harrison a minute before the break. After the ball was slid through to him he rounded the keeper but with a defender nearby he opted not to shoot instead attempting to square the ball. Unfortunately it was a misplaced ball and the chance was lost. An entertaining first half gave way to a more mundane second 45 minutes. North Ferriby edged the play but Jack Sims in the Lancaster had little to do for much of the second period. The main point of contention came in the 67th minute when Lancaster's Paul Dugdale shoved North Ferriby's Jack Smith into the hoardings at the side of the pitch while jostling for a corner. While Smith went off injured Dugdale was fortunate to only escape with a yellow card. There were a couple of scrambles in the visitor's box from North Ferriby corners in injury time. The second of these some six minutes beyond the end of the ninety boiled over with most of the players on the pitch becoming involved in a pushing match. For this Callum Harrison received his second booking and was sent from the pitch for the remaining seconds. After the final whistle there was a further altercation between the management staff of the two sides as a bad tempered second half was decided in favour of a 2-1 victory for Lancaster.

Result: North Ferriby United 1-2 Lancaster City
Division: Northern Premier League Premier Division
Attendance: 138

Ground #266 - East End Park

Date: 1st May 2018
Ground: East End Park
Location: Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland

My fourteenth new ground of 2018 was on Tuesday 1st May at East End Park in Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland. The match was Dunfermline vs. Dundee United in the Scottish Championship Play-Off Semi-Final 1st Leg.

East End Park is located on the edge of the Garvock residential area east of the town centre. The site has a road separating it from housing to the south, an Aldi to the west, a cemetary to the north and a car dealership to the east. Three-quarters of a mile north-east of Dunfermline Town railway station, the venue has been home to the club since 1920 when they moved having occupied a separate stadium at East End Park just to the east of the current ground.

The South Stand is considered the 'main' side of the ground. This stand includes the reception, a ticket office and a smart club shop which looks newly refurbished. The spectator areas facing the pitch consists of an upper seating deck of just over 3,000 seats which includes a media section. There are a couple of supporting beams to hold up the roof that sit in front of this seating deck. The lower deck used to have approximately 1,000 seats bolted onto an old concrete terrace which were split into two sections by the dugout area. In 2002 these lower deck seats were removed and executive boxes were added in their place for most of the length of the pitch. These are similarly split into two sections with a disused terrace section in the middle. This all gives the stand an unusual appearance with the hospitality boxes so low down. Level with the bottom of the box windows are the top of the two dugouts by the half-way line.

The opposite side of the field has the North Stand which has the shortest height of the four stands at the ground. This is the most dated structure and has lots of supporting beams in amongst the seating to support the roof. There are around 2,400 seats with a flat concrete area at the back. There is a also a TV gantry above the seating in the middle of the stand. The design of the stand means it retains sound very well generating a great atmosphere for this game. The two stands behind the eastern and western goals are near-identical with the only obvious differences being the police control box in the south-east corner and the player's tunnel in the south-west corner. Both stands are large single-tier structures that were constructed in 1998 to replace uncovered concrete terracing. Each offers uninterrupted views and have 3,016 seats apiece bringing the venue's current capacity to just under 11,500.

With the sides having finished 3rd and 4th in the Scottish Championship this was the first leg of the first stage of the play-off process for the Scottish Premiership. The hosts appeared much more up for the game and were clearly the better side in the opening half. Fraser Aird consistently caused Dundee United problems down the right and at the middle of the half his fizzed ball across the box just needed a home boot on it to nudge the ball home. As it was two defenders and one striker all collided stretching for the ball and the danger was over. The best opportunity came in the 38th minute - once again it was the inventive Aird who crossed in the ball from the right and Declan McManus' looping header from the six-yard line beat the keeper but not the crossbar. The ball bounced down and the rebound was knocked over the bar as the two sides went in level at the break. The hosts began the second half in a similar vein and went close again when Fraser Aird's 25-yard curling effort was acrobatically tipped over by visiting keeper Deniz Mehmet. The big moment of the match came in the 55th minute when a long goal kick by Mehmet was poorly defended leaving Dunfermline's Lee Ashcroft and Dundee United's Scott McDonald as the last two men before goal. A tangle ensued with McDonald going down fairly easily but referee Bobby Madden had no hesitation in producing a red card for Ashcroft. This turned the tide of the match and the away side were now the ones in the ascendancy. Scott Fraser flashed a shot just wide of goal from inside the area and an excellent save from home keeper Lee Robinson denied McDonald's low shot from 12 yards. Dunfermline were not done though and shortly after a free-kick into the box found the head of Nicky Clarke but with the goal seemingly goalbound Mehmet leapt across and palmed it away. In the 72nd minute Billy King was unleashed in on goal for the visitors but the keeper narrowed the angle well and his cross was deflected away before King's advancing teammate could knock the ball into the vacant net. The rest of the game was an end-to-end affair as both sides went for it in what was an exciting game that was only missing goals.

Result: Dunfermline 0-0 Dundee United
Division: Scottish Championship
Attendance: 6.474

Ground #246 - Withdean Stadium

Date: 28th October 2017
Ground: Withdean Stadium
Location: Brighton, East Sussex

My thirtieth new ground of 2017 was on Saturday 28th October at the Withdean Stadium in Brighton, East Sussex. The match was AFC Varndeanians vs. Seaford Town in Southern Combination League Division One.

Withdean Stadium is part of the Withdean Sports Complex in the north of Brighton. Built in 1936 the ground is three-quarters of a mile north of the nearest railway station at Preston Park. The ground is bordered by the rest of the sports complex to the north, has a wooded area to its south and east and housing to the west. It was the home of Brighton & Hove Albion between 1999 and 2011 before they moved to their new home at Falmer. AFC Varndeanians have been playing at the Withdean since 2015.

The North Stand runs from the six-yard box at the western end of the pitch to just past eastern end of the pitch with the furthest sections slightly behind the goal. This is the only permanent stand at the site and has a capacity of 1,350. The seating varies between five and seven rows and at the back there is a flat concrete space allowing for some media tables and a commentary box building. This side borders a pub and the leisure centre which can be accessed via the stadium. The bulk of the temporary seating used by Brighton & Hove Albion was removed when they left the stadium with only one uncovered temporary stand remaining behind the western goal with around 800 seats. With the venue being an athletics track this stand is quite some distance from the pitch and in between it and the goal has shotput netting and a storage box. There is a flat section behind allowing for more athletics facilities including the athletics club building, dressing rooms and a Varndeanians clubhouse which all sit in the north-west corner.

The southern section has the two dugouts placed next to the pitch. Behind these is the running track and then a flat area with a mixture of grass and concrete. Beyond this it starts to get steeper with a grass bank punctuated by a concrete walkway running through the middle of it. This side of the ground used to see the largest stand in the venue - the South Stand. This uncovered temporary structure was able to house around 4,700 supporters. The eastern end of the Withdean is another area which used to have additional seating. There were two uncovered temporary stands which made use of a portion of the car park to bring the venue's capacity up to 8,850 when the Seagulls departed. With these since removed there are no spectator areas with the running track running close to the boundary with the fully restored car park.

Varndeanians entered the game having lost their last seven league fixtures but despite this were much the better side early on. They took the lead in the 17th minute through Ryan Walton after work from James Walters down the left wing. Walters had picked up the ball in the final third and after advancing into the area shot at the keeper, the ball was palmed away but then found its way to Walton to knock in from close range. A couple of minutes after this the lead was doubled. This time Walton turned provider whipping in a free-kick from the left with Elliott Wood rising unchallenged to head home. The quick-fire double woke Seaford up and they went close a couple of times around the half-hour mark. In the 42nd minute they should have grabbed a goal back when an attacker went clean through but he blazed wide with just the goalie for company. The visitors improved in the first section of the second half but their shooting again let them down. After an even half an hour the away side suffered a disastrous six minute collapse where they conceded three more goals. The first of these came in the 77th minute when an attack was cleared as far as James Walters some 30 yards out. Walters let rip with a volley which flew past the keeper into the back of the net. In the 81st minute Varndeanians won a corner on the left and it was crossed to the backpost for Connor Martin to nod in from close range. Two minutes after Seaford let in a near-identical goal when a corner from the right went to the backpost and Connor Martin headed in once again. The hosts were reduced to ten men in the 87th minute when Ryan Walton picked up two bookings in the space of a minute - the first for a dive in the area and the second for a push trying to beat a defender and the keeper to the ball and score from another cross to the backpost. Thankfully for Seaford this stemmed the tide and ensured the score was kept at 5-0 - a scoreline few would have predicted at the start of the afternoon.

Result: AFC Varndeanians 5-0 Seaford Town
Division: Southern Combination League Division One
Attendance: 49

Ground #213 - Hill Park

Date: 26th November 2016
Ground: Hill Park
Location: Saltdean, East Sussex

My twenty-fourth new ground of 2016 was on Saturday 26th November at Hill Park in Saltdean, East Sussex. The match was Saltdean United vs. East Preston in the Southern Combination League Division One.

Hill Park is on the northern tip of the village so is surrounded by fields except for a single house to the north and a caravan site to the south. The nearest railway station is Brighton which is six miles west of the ground. The venue has been home to the club since they were formed in 1966.

Outside of the confines of the pitch the eastern side of the ground has a smart club bar with an additional club building containing the dressing rooms. In front of this into the ground itself the eastern side is hemmed in by trees so there is just room for a single strip of concrete for uncovered standing.

The west side of the ground has uncovered standing by the pitch and behind this a large steep grass bank which has an extra football pitch at the top of this. Built into the grass bank is the only stand which is a concrete structure which has several rows of benches to sit on. The area behind the southern goal starts off with a narrow area of standing but expands the further west you go leaving a grass area in the corner. There is scaffolding directly behind the goal which holds up netting to prevent balls going into the caravan park. The north of the ground is confined by the neighbouring house and trees so this is inaccessible to fans. There is fencing to mark the boundary of the ground but no space for supporters to go.

The opening half-hour was a dull affair with the most interesting moment coming when play was stopped after a dog ran on the pitch. East Preston were on top though and on the half-hour mark Jared Rance beat his man down the left, crossed the ball into the box and a Saltdean defender's clearance hit the outside of his own post. The second 45 minute saw the pendulum swing back to Saltdean as they dominated. The closest they came was in the 65th minute when a cross from the left wing found Wes Millis who headed onto the post from 6 yards out. The hosts had a large number of corners which prompted several penalty area scrambles but each time East Preston were able to clear the ball away. The visitors only had one decent chance a few minute from time when Dan Huet slipped in Jared Rance but Rance's shot was saved and the match ended goalless.

Result: Saltdean United 0-0 East Preston
Division: Southern Combination League Division One
Attendance: 43

Ground #200 - Falmer Stadium

Date: 9th August 2016
Ground: Falmer Stadium
Location: Falmer, East Sussex

My eleventh new ground of 2016 was on Tuesday 9th August at Falmer Stadium in Falmer, East Sussex. The match was Brighton & Hove Albion vs. Colchester United in the Football League Cup 1st Round.

Falmer Stadium, currently known as the American Express Community Stadium or the Amex, lies in the midst of two university campuses - the University of Brighton and the University of Sussex. To the north-east of Brighton the ground is located just off the A27 and is served by Falmer railway station which is adjacent to the site. The venue was opened in 2011 giving the club a permanent home for the first time since leaving the Goldstone Ground in 1997.

The stadium's unusual shape, designed to fit in with the surrounding rolling hills, sees to large stands running alongside the pitch and short ends behind the two goals. When the venue opened in 2011 there were four separate seating areas but within six months the club applied to add an additional 8,000 seats taking the overall capacity to 30,750 by the end of the 2012/13 season. The result of this is that all four quadrants have been filled in creating a lower tier bowl throughout the ground. With the short ends behind the goals the North and South Stand are single tier. The South Stand has a small hospitality area with a balcony overhanging the seating while the North Stand has a control centre and offices contained within. On the exterior of the North Stand there is the large club shop and ticket offices.

The largest stand in the ground is the West Stand which has three tiers. The middle tier is thinner than the other two and also extends out into the north-west and south-west quadrants. There are corporate boxes placed at the top of the lower and middle tiers and the fans 1901 Club is also included. As the largest stand a number of offices and meeting rooms are housed within. Opposite this is the East Stand which was a single tier stand when Falmer Stadium opened but a second tier was soon added. The south-east corner is where away fans are positioned with the hill directly behind this corner of the ground being the designated area for coach parking.

This was a League Cup 1st Round tie between Football League Championship side Brighton & Hove Albion and Football League Two side Colchester United. The first half was a cagey affair - Colchester had come with a tightly packed defence and frustrated the home side to a handful of half chances. The visitors had a couple of counter attacking moments with Sammie Szmodics going closest with a header from six yards. Colchester's resistance was broken in the 64th minute when Kazenga Lua Lua went down the left wing and squared for Sam Baldock on the edge of the area. Baldock had time to readjust and curl an effort into the top of the net. Once the first goal went in that was the end of the challenge from the visiting side as the hosts added two more in quick succession. The second goal was scored in the 70th minute when Lua Lua again ran at the U's defence before slipping in Jamie Murphy who ghosted behind the back line and chipped the ball over Dillon Barnes. In the 74th minute Colchester were undone down the left wing again as Baldock had time to pick out Elvis Manu in the area with Manu sliding low into the goal. The Championship team rounded off the night with a fourth in the 86th minute as Jamie Murphy ran through three defenders on his way to steering the ball into the bottom corner. Though the League Two side had put up a decent performance for the first hour the capitulation in the final third saw Brighton record a comfortable 4-0 victory.

Result: Brighton & Hove Albion 4-0 Colchester United
Competition: Football League Cup
Attendance: 6,895

Ground #192 - Imber Court

Date: 20th February 2016
Ground: Imber Court
Location: East Molesey, Surrey

My third new ground of 2016 was on Saturday 20th February at Imber Court in East Molesey, Surrey. The match was Metropolitan Police vs. Burgess Hill Town in the Isthmian League Premier Division.

Imber Court is a sports and training facility owned by the Metropolitan Police Service. It is situated just to the south of Molesey close to the River Ember. The football ground is contained within a complex which also includes rugby and cricket pitches. There are two railway stations within a mile of the ground - Thames Ditton to the east and Esher to the south. The football club was founded upon the purchase of the venue in 1919 and they have played there ever since.

The Main Stand is on the west of Imber Court and is the only seated area in the venue. The stand was constructed in 1994 and can hold around 300 spectators. The brick exterior to the front of the stand means the seats are elevated giving decent views of the pitch. Directly in front of the stand are the two dugouts. There is a small food outlet next to the stand and the rest of the western side of the ground is uncovered standing.

The only other covered area in the ground is the stand behind the northern goal. This consists of three rows of concrete terracing including a designated area for disabled fans in the north-west corner. The north-east corner acts as the entrance to the ground and backs onto the sports club itself. The east and southern sections of Imber Court are uncovered with a couple of rows of concrete terracing in place in what is a fairly compact ground.

The hosts took the lead in the 23rd minute when Charlie Collins' curled free-kick into the box was met by the sliding boot of Ryan James who steered the ball towards goal. Will Salmon then got the final touch on the goal line and despite protests from the Burgess Hill players the goal was awarded. Met Police were having the better of the play but were pegged level in the 34th minute after Darren Budd slid an excellent ball through to Chris Smith who stroked the ball under the advancing keeper. A few minutes later Met Police almost restored their lead when Charlie Collins' cross into the box came back off the post and was cleared away. Just before the half-time interval the hosts did get the ball in the net when Ryan James headed in a free-kick only to see it ruled out for offside. Burgess Hill put in an improved performance in the second half but it was a poor one for the neutral with neither side managing to carve out any good opportunities as the game culminated in a draw to keep both sides in mid-table.

Result: Metropolitan Police 1-1 Burgess Hill Town
Division: Isthmian League Premier Division
Attendance: 116

Ground #176 - Rookery Hill

Date: 23rd July 2015
Ground: Rookery Hill
Location: Corringham, Essex

My eleventh new ground of 2015 was on Thursday 23rd July at Rookery Hill in Corringham, Essex. The match was East Thurrock United vs. Dagenham & Redbridge in a friendly.

Rookery Hill is on the southern edge of Corringham next to the A1014. The venue is 2 miles west of Stanford-le-Hope railway station. It has been home to East Thurrock since 1984 but the club have their eye on a move into Stanford-le-Hope in the near future.

The south-eastern side of the ground contains the main stand - a 160 seater structure which sits level with the half-way line. Next to this there is a food outlet and club offices. The clubhouse is also on this side of the ground though this faces out into the car park.

Directly opposite the main stand are the two dugouts with an additional 140 seat stand towards the northern goal. Towards the southern goal there is a covered standing area though the rest of the standing on this side of the venue is uncovered. There are no stands behind the southern goal but the area behind the northern goal has two small covered concrete terraces located on either side of the goal. This two are linked by an uncovered wooden platform in the middle.

The game was a friendly between Isthmian League Premier Division side East Thurrock United and Football League Two side Dagenham & Redbridge. The Daggers sent a young side to Corringham but took the lead inside 10 minutes. The goal came as the visitors broke from an East Thurrock corner - the ball was crossed into the path of Ade Yusuff who slipped before recovering and unleashing a 20 yard drive into the corner of the net. The away side almost doubled their lead in the 36th minute when Jimmy Nottage hit the post for with a good effort from 25 yards. The Isthmian League side should have equalised just after the break but spurned a one-on-one opportunity with Daggers goalkeeper Lewis Moore. The second half was a quiet affair with very little happening until Dagenham sealed victory with a second goal in the 85th minute. A quick free-kick saw the ball played to Cadell Daniel who crossed for Reeko Hackett-Fairchild to stab the ball home from close range.

Result: East Thurrock United 0-2 Dagenham & Redbridge
Friendly
Attendance: N/A

Ground #93 - Tithe Farm

Date: 23rd February 2012
Ground: Tithe Farm
Location: Rayners Lane, London

My fifth new ground of 2012 was on Thursday 23rd February at Tithe Farm in Rayners Lane, London. The match was Rayners Lane vs. Hungerford Town Reserves in Hellenic League Division One East.

Tithe Farm sits in Rayners Lane, a suburban area of north-west London. The ground is just over half a mile from Rayners Lane tube station on the Metropolitan Line and has been the home of Rayners Lane FC since they were formed in 1933.

The ground is part of the Tithe Farm Social Club complex with the social club in the middle of a concrete pitch to the north and the grass pitch to the south. In addition to the social club, the north side of the pitch has several picnic benches where fans can sit to watch the game, and the team dugouts. The rest of this side of the pitch is general uncovered standing.

On the south side of the ground there are two small brick stands either side of the half-way line. These consist of two rows of benching with plastic seat covers with around 75 seats between them. The space behind the two goals is fairly restricted with tall trees separating the venue from housing at the western end and the road at the eastern end. As a result there is a thin concrete walkway which is perfectly sufficient for the level the club is playing at.

The game began with the visitors having the best start and took the lead in the 7th minute in comical circumstances. A misjudged backpass to the home goalkeeper saw him pass it straight back to his defender who then attempted to clear but only succeeded in cannoning the ball off a Hungerford striker with the ball bouncing into the net. The away side had chances to double their lead in the following minutes but instead found themselves pegged back to 1-1 in the 24th minute when the home side converted from the penalty spot after a trip in the box. Rayners Lane begun the second half brightly and took the lead in the 58th minute when a long ball caught out the Hungerford defence and the Rayners attacker rounded the goalkeeper and slotted home. However, just nine minutes later the game was all square again as a close range shot was palmed away by the Rayners Lane goalie only for Hungerford to hit the rebound into the roof of the net. The game was then decided by a three minute spell in which the home side scored twice. In the 79th minute a poor goalkick let in the Rayners Lane striker who lobbed the advancing keeper and then in the 82nd minute Rayners Lane wrapped up their win after one of their players surged into the area, beat two defenders and struck low into the bottom corner.

Result: Rayners Lane 4-2 Hungerford Town Reserves
Division: Hellenic League Division One East
Attendance: 98

Ground #28 - Champion Hill

Date: 14th March 2011
Ground: Champion Hill
Location: East Dulwich, London

My fifteenth new ground of 2011 was on Monday 14th March at Champion Hill in East Dulwich, London. The match was Fisher vs. Tunbridge Wells in the Kent League Premier Division.

Champion Hill is positioned just 400 yards from East Dulwich railway station. It is placed adjacent to a Sainsbury's supermarket which sits on the land of the original Champion Hill Stadium which was sold by owners Dulwich Hamlet after an 80 year spell at the arena. The current incarnation of the ground, built in 1992, is based around the former training pitch next door. Dulwich Hamlet are the occupants but my visit saw Fisher FC who were groundshared at the site between 2009-2016.

The Tommy Jover Stand is the main stand in the venue. It is a large all-seater structure running alongside the pitch on the north-west side of the venue. The stand has quite a metallic feel to it with each section separated by metal bars with a capacity of around 500. The players changing rooms is located in the stand along with the club bar in the upper part of structure which is also attached to a leisure centre.

Opposite the Tommy Jover Stand on the south-east side of the ground is a covered standing terrace which sits level with the half-way line. The rest of the ground is uncovered standing behind a metal fence with the areas behind the two goals having raised concrete platforms for viewing.

The game ended up being very one sided in favour of the away team. Tunbridge Wells got an early goal and proceeded to plug away to get a second to try and build a cushion. They managed to score 3 goals in ten minutes either side of half-time and were threatening to run riot when they went four goals to the good after just 49 minutes. After this they took their foot off the gas a bit although did manage to add a fifth late on to pile on the misery onto a poor Fisher team.

Result: Fisher 0-5 Tunbridge Wells
Division: Kent League Premier Division
Attendance: 91