Ground #418 - Dairy Hill

Date: 26th September 2026
Location: Halesworth, Suffolk
Ground: Dairy Hill

My third new ground of 2026 was on Saturday 26th September at Dairy Hill in Halesworth, Suffolk. The game was Halesworth Town vs. Holbeach United in the Eastern Counties League Division One North.

Dairy Hill is a sports complex in the north-east of the town with the football club counting the town's tennis club, bowls club and martial arts centre as neighbours to its south. Beyond these to the south are housing and this is also the case to the west along with an NHS surgery. There is a college building to the north and fields to the east. The ground is just 200 yards from the town's railway station and half a mile from the town centre.

The entrance to the ground in the south-west corner is positioned by the main club building. This building houses the club bar and dressing rooms. Heading round the west of the field there is a gazebo with picnic benches within, a food outlet in a shipping container known as 'Mandy's Shack' and then just before the half-way line the sole seating area - a 100-seat covered metal stand.

The only other structure is a small covered flat standing area behind the southern goal. Other than this the rest of the southern end and the whole of the northern end have a strip of hard standing with large grass areas behind. The eastern side of the field is not accessible by spectators though the two dugouts and a digital scoreboard can be found on this side.

Halesworth were top of the table going into this game with eight wins from their opening eleven matches. Holbeach were right in the middle of the table in 10th at this early stage of the season. This turned out to be a game of two sections - the first two-thirds comfortably managed by Holbeach with the final third dominated by Halesworth. The visitors got on their way in the 20th minute when they were given a penalty for a trip on Alpha Wurie. Kelvin Ibeneme calmly stroked his penalty to the keeper's bottom right. Home keeper George Macrae saved a low shot from Wurie just after the half-hour mark but in the 41st minute with Wurie causing problems again, the Holbeach man's shot from the right deflected off a Halesworth defender and ended in the net to extend the away side's lead. The game appeared to be done and dusted in the 65th minute when a ball up to Patrik Kacirek saw the Holbeach attached twist and turn past a home defender and poke the ball slowly past the keeper into the bottom corner to make it 3-0. This however, spurred the hosts into action and barely 60 seconds later the deficit was back down to two with Cameron Russell's low drive from outside the box going in off the post. The lead was reduced further seven minutes later - Callum Bell's long-distance effort was palmed out by keeper Jack Sellars but straight to Lewis Chenery close to goal and he smashed home. In the 76th minute a corner was headed onto the away goal's post and a couple of minutes before the end of normal time a throw-in into the box found Lewis Chanery who blazed over. The hosts kept up their siege of the backtracking visitors and in the 92nd minute Macaulay Holt curled a shot from the edge of the box into the far corner to level the game at 3-3. With more injury time to play the hosts smelt blood but in the 96th minute this enthusiasm saw Shaun Whiteman receive his marching orders after launching a wild flying challenge on Holbeach keeper Sellars as he tried to score the winner. The entertaining second half concluded shortly after this red card with Halesworth securing a point from 3-0 down.

Result: Halesworth Town 3-3 Holbeach United

Division: Eastern Counties League Division One North

Attendance: 129

Ground #331 - Ladywell Arena

Date: 4th September 2019
Ground: Ladywell Arena
Location: Lewisham, London

My forty-sixth new ground of 2019 was on Wednesday 4th September at the Ladywell Arena in Lewisham, London. The match was Lewisham Borough vs. Forest Hill Park in the Southern Counties East League Division One.

Ladywell Arena is part of the Ladywell Fields park area in the Lewisham area of south-east London. The northern side of the ground has Ravensbourne River with green space beyond while the western side has the  Charing Cross to Hayes rail line separating the arena with further green space. The eastern and southern sides meanwhile are bordered by housing. The venue, which was opened in 1997, is well served by rail connections with Ladywell station half a mile to the north and Catford and Catford Bridge stations half a mile to the south.

The Ladywell Arena is an athletics venue with a six-lane running track meaning fans are a way back from the field of play. The west has an all-seater metal stand just to the south of the halfway line. This stand has around 100 seats spread across three rows. To the north of the stand is a small hard standing section with a barrier to indicate where this ends and the grass area, which is not designated for spectators, then begins. To the south of the stand is a long jump with sand pit.

The southern end has the entrance with a large patio leading out from the main leisure building which includes the leisure facilities, dressing rooms and a food outlet. The south and west are the only identifiable spectator areas - the east side does has a slim grass verge behind the running track as well as the two dugouts while the northern end has a large shotput net which would impede views even if anyone did want to watch from this end.

This Southern Counties East League Division One league game was a local derby with both sides calling the Ladywell Arena home. Lewisham had experienced a better start to the season with Forest Hill Park second bottom of the table but having only played a couple of games it was still early days. Forest Hill had an early opportunity in the 6th minute when a nice ball was threaded in behind the defence but a striker bobbled his shot wide while one-on-one. In the 12th minute Lewisham had their chance when a cross into the area was met by Ijah Currie-Wilson who headed the ball down with it bouncing wide almost in slow motion with the goalie nowhere near it. The opening goal came in the 21st minute when Currie-Wilson was unnecessarily felled on the far side of the area. Mohamed Basir dispatched an excellent penalty into the bottom corner of the net. The rest of the half passed by with little action of interest though a couple of minutes before the break Currie-Wilson managed a good run down the left before cutting inside and shooting low at the away keeper. Barely a minute after the restart Currie-Wilson grabbed a deserved goal from a pot shot from 25 yards which took a big deflection en route to the bottom corner of the net. Three minutes later Currie-Wilson had another chance when a lovely through ball found him on the left of the area. He cut inside and decided to cut inside again instead of rounding it off with a dink over the keeper. This gave the defence time to get back and defuse the attack. Lewisham were well on top during the third quarter of the game and it wasn't until the final fifteen minutes until Forest Hill got a foot-hold in proceedings with a few wayward long range efforts. A third goal arrived in the 85th minute when the ball was clipped into the area and Tyrelle Thomas finished past the keeper from six yards. One minute before the end of the ninety Lewisham added a fourth when Josh Owen took an optimistic punt from nearly 30 yards. The ball took a wicked bounce as the keeper went down to save with the bacll flying well over him into the corner of the net. In the 91st minute a nice move by the home side was finished when a chipped cross to the back post was volleyed just wide. A five goal difference would have been a little hard on Forest Hill Park and the away side did manage to get a consolation three minutes into injury time after a bit of a scramble resulted in the ball falling to a striker who with his back to goal turned and shot low into the net.

Result: Lewisham Borough 4-1 Forest Hill Park
Division: Southern Counties East League Division One
Attendance: N/A

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 #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 #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