Ground #412 - The Hive

Date: 30th August 2025
Location: Harrow, London
Ground: The Hive

My fifth new ground of 2025 was on Saturday 30th August at The Hive in Harrow, London. The game was Barnet vs. Colchester United in Football League Two.

The Hive is a large sports complex in north-west London, six miles west of Barnet itself. It contains multiple full-size and mini pitches with a mixture of grass and artificial surfaces. The complex is surrounded by a combination of residential and industrial units and has the Jubilee Line on the London Underground running next to the West Stand. Though Canons Park tube station is within 400m of the ground, it is a 1.5 mile walk due to no direct route. It is a similar walk to Edgware tube station on the Northern Line. Construction on the venue started in 2003 as a home for Wealdstone FC but after the club ran into financial problems the site was bought by Barnet FC as a training complex. When Barnet needed to leave their former Underhill home in 2013 they moved to The Hive. 

Most of the facilities reside in the East Stand - it has a bar, outside picnic bench seating area, reception, club shop, ticket office and a physiotherapist. Inside the building has a banqueting suite which was being utilised for an event during the game. Unusually there are no hospitality boxes looking out over the pitch and the seating area is quite small with six rows of seating. Most of these are covered by the roof overhang and the players and staff sit at the front in the middle of the stand. The tunnel can be found in the north-east corner. 

The West Stand is the largest at the ground with room for 2,700 supporters while the similar looking North Stand behind the goal is given over to away fans and can hold 1,890. The southern end of the ground is currently vacant. It used to have a covered terrace but this was moved to an artificial pitch behind the stadium. There were plans to construct a new stand at this end to increase the venue's capacity from 6,500 to 8,500 but these were later shelved. Given Barnet's average attendance the current capacity is adequate for them.

Colchester came into the game off the back of two home defeats in a row, whilst Barnet had won their last two away games after an initially poor start to the season. The U's started on the front foot and took the lead in the 9th minute - Jack Payne laid off a free-kick to Arthur Read and his shot pinballed around the box before Jack Turner drilled into the bottom of the net. In the 15th minute it was close to two when the Barnet keeper Cieran Slicker rushed out of his box to intercept a ball over the top but when the ball fell to Jack Payne he tried his luck from 40 yards and it needed Slicker to palm wide whilst rushing back. The hosts stemmed the tide after this and were a match for Colchester beyond this point. Each side had chances with Ollie Kensdale going close for Barnet and Samson Tovide inches away from poking home a cross at the other end. In the final minute the hosts pushed Colchester back and got their reward in the 90 minute with Idris Kanu's cross from the right struck home by Danny Collinge to rescue an equaliser for the Bees.

Result: Barnet 1-1 Colchester United

Division: Football League Two

Attendance: 3,098

Ground #408 - Bayliss Avenue

Date: 22nd March 2025
Location: Thamesmead, London
Ground: Bayliss Avenue

My first new ground of 2025 was on Saturday 22nd March at Bayliss Avenue in Thamesmead, London. The game was SC Thamesmead vs. Welling Town in Southern Counties East League Division One.

Bayliss Avenue is located in parkland with the edge of the residential area of Thamesmead to the west and the Crossness Pumping Station to the east. It has two pitches - a grass field for the main ground and a 3G pitch for the reserves next door to the east. The venue is 1.3 miles north-east of Abbey Wood station on the national rail network and Elizabeth Line. It has been home to SC Thamesmead since 2014 and prior to that the now defunct Thamesmead Town since the mid-1980s.

The eastern side is the key side of the ground. The sports complex is situated here with facilities on the lower level and access to viewing areas for two different grounds on the upper level. The primary arena is to the right at the top of the stairs, through the club bar with a secondary 3G arena used by the reserves to the left of the top of the stairs. Both open up to a balcony giving a good view of the respective pitches. This top level of the primary arena offers covered standing with additional picnic benches towards the northern end. It merges into the main stand which has 152 seats spread over 3 rows for the northern section and 2 rows for the southern section. The dugouts and a tunnel back to the player dressing rooms sits underneath the elevated stand at pitch level.

The opposite side is uncovered standing along a fairly thin space. The northern end has an all-seater stand directly behind the goal which can house 96 spectators and takes up around a quarter of this side of the field. The remainder of this end is uncovered standing. The southern end is hard standing though the middle half of this is covered.

The game saw Thamesmead enter the day sitting securely in 11th with Welling Town down in second bottom. The visitors were not mathematically relegated but given the points deficit there was little hope of moving up. The hosts started brightly, going close in the 10th minute when Welling keeper Cameron Sanghera denied Steve Karkari's close range effort. He could not stop Karkari a couple of minutes later when the Thamesmead striker headed home but fortunately for Welling, Karkari was stopped by the offside flag. A few minutes later Welling had their first chance as Archie Aldous palmed away Harry Mark's shot from the left of the box. The rest of the half was a very poor spectacle but this perked up in with the last action of the half when Welling's Sam Huckle gave away a free-kick by blatantly punching the ball. Luke Alliband whipped into the danger area and after bouncing around it fell to Karkari who turned and shot home. The second half was a much better affair for the neutral. Firstly, the hosts extended their lead in the 61st minute when a well-timed ball over the top picked out Matthias Broome who advanced on the keeper before squaring for Deshon Carty to tap into an empty net. A couple of minutes later the game was almost put to bed when Leaven Sullivan picked the ball up on the edge of the box, leapt over a challenge and smashed the ball off the near post. Welling got a foothold in the 77th minute when Casey Nolan-Samuels lofted a free-kick over the wall to Archie Aldous' right, into the net. In the 85th minute Thamesmead scored again when Matthias Broome smashed in from a few years out but two minutes later the lead was back down to one as Kimani Williams slotted under Aldous from close range. The home side went up the other end from the kick-off and a cross from the left fizzed across the goal line but with no-one there to poke over the line the game stayed 3-2. This is how things remained in injury time with Thamesmead running out 3-2 winners.

Result: SC Thamesmead 3-2 Welling Town

Division: Southern Counties East League Division One

Attendance: 52

Ground #404 - New River Stadium

Date: 28th September 2024
Location: Tottenham, London
Ground: New River Stadium

My fourth new ground of 2024 was on Saturday 28th September at New River Stadium in Tottenham, London. The game was AS London vs. Burnham Ramblers in the Eastern Counties League Division One South.

The New River Stadium is located on White Hart Lane so shares its road with Haingey Borough's Coles Park and the more famous Tottenham Hotspur Stadium a mile and a half east. The stadium is part of a wider sports complex with additional full-size pitches, mini 3G cage pitches, tennis courts, a boxing centre and a community hub. Other than the rest of the complex the only other neighbour of note is a school directly south. The ground opened in 1973 and is three-quarters of a mile north-east of Wood Green station on the Piccadilly Line. 

The southern side of the venue has the grandstand which is accessed via the sports centre entrance. The sports centre sits underneath the grandstand although the dressing rooms are located in another building to the west of the pitch. This grandstand consists of 1,034 bucket seats so offers more than ample capacity for a club at this level.

The 3G pitch is used for various other sports, with an American Football team also residing at the ground. The venue has an eight-lane lane running track with the two dugouts in front of this at pitchside. There is a concrete terrace which runs from the western end, round the northern side of the ground and stops before the eastern curve. This eastern end has a grass bank for the northern half whilst the southern half is inaccessible due to hedges and a power station. The ground has a total capacity of 5,000.

The day started with AS London in 7th place in the table on a six-game unbeaten run. Having just avoided relegation last season the north London side had turned things around this season. Burnham by comparison had suffered back-to-back defeats and were sitting in 13th. Despite this the visitors begun brightly and in the 8th minute a free-kick into the box was shot straight at London keeper Martin Arnauchkov who saved from six yards out. That start ended up being the high point for the visitors as two minutes later they were a goal down. It came about through really nice link-up play on the edge of the box which culminated with a lovely backheel by Alie Bangura to  Francisco Figuereo who controlled well and lifted over the keeper from 12 yards. The hosts kept chipping away and before the break went close with shots from Nicholas Sanchez and Juan Araque. However, it was in the second half was when AS London really pulled clear. In the 50th minute the ball went sent up field for Alie Bangura and under pressure from defenders he did really well to make space for a shot underneath the keeper. On the hour mark London grabbed their third when Juan Araque saw the keeper off his line and lobbed him from 40 yards. Seven minutes later it was 4-0 with Alie Bangura causing trouble down the right and crossing the ball for an unmarked Lamin Bangura to stroke into an empty net. Burnham thought they had a consolation with five minutes left when a cross from the right was smashed in but the linesman had already flagged that the ball had gone out for a goal kick. Into added time Zac Argent missed a golden chance to get on the scoresheet for the hosts slicing wide from a couple of yards out. Mo Mahmoud wasn't about to make the same mistake a couple of minutes later with the London midfielder dancing through the Burnham defence and drilling the ball low past the keeper from the right side of the area to wrap up a convincing 5-0 win.

Result: AS London 5-0 Burnham Ramblers

Division: Eastern Counties League Division One South

Attendance: 40

Ground #372 - Plough Lane

Date: 1st October 2022
Ground: Plough Lane
Location: Wimbledon, London

My twelfth new ground of 2022 was on Saturday 1st October at Plough Lane in Wimbledon, London. The game was AFC Wimbledon vs. Colchester United in Football League Two.

Plough Lane is part of a wider community development in Wimbledon and is largely surrounded by high-rise apartment buildings. The stadium was built in the place of the former Wimbledon Stadium which hosted greyhound racing and motorsport until 2017 when it closed. Demolition of the venue and construction of the new football stadium constructed shortly after and was opened in 2020. The venue is well served by public transport with it being half a mile north-east of Haydons Road railway station, just around a mile from Wimbledon railway station, Wimbledon Park tube station and Tooting Broadway tube station. It is located around 200 yards from the original Plough Lane Stadium which played host to the original Wimbledon FC.

The largest stand at the ground is the West Stand - this two-tier structure is the only permanent stand at Plough Lane. It has a capacity of 4,267 which is spread over three levels - the lower level is the main seating deck and is in line with the other stands at the ground. Above this are two levels of corporate seating in front of hospitality boxes. With it being the main stand the dugouts are at the front carved out of the main seating deck. This stand extends round the south-west quadrant to meet up with the South Stand. 

The remaining three stands are of the same lower height - these are designed to be upgraded for higher capacity in the future should Wimbledon climb the Football League and require it. The South Stand is the designated safe-standing area with room for 1,092 fans, the West Stand runs the length of the field and has space for 2,391 while the North Stand is given to away fans and can hold 1,465. This gives Plough Lane a total capacity of 9,215 and the club has planning permission to increase this to 20,000 in the future. 

This was the first game for new Colchester manager Matt Bloomfield as he took over a side who had recorded one win in their opening 10 games. The new manager bounce appeared to be in effect when the U's opened the scoring in the 18th minute after Dan Chesters lofted a cross to the back post and Kwasi Appiah got above his man to head into the roof of the net. The away side held firm for the first half with Wimbledon's best chance coming in the 38th minute when the ball was played out to Edmond-Paris Maghoma on the left side of the box and his shot dragged across goal and just wide. Barely a minute after the restart the Dons were level -Ethan Chislett crossed from the left and after a scramble between a home attacker and away defender the ball spilled to Josh Davison six yards out and it was an easy task to shoot home. In the 66th minute the hosts won a smart penalty, with the ball up in the air Colchester's Ossama Ashley went to boot the ball downfield and the Wimbledon's Ayoub Assal jumped in front him so he took the man rather than the ball. Davison struck low to the keeper's right with Kieran O'Hara going the wrong way. Wimbledon bossed the second half and it was only in the final minutes that the visitors challenged - they almost grabbed an equaliser in the 97th minute when Beryly Lubala's header was saved by Nikola Tzanev but the corner was cleared and Wimbledon were victorious.

Result: AFC Wimbledon 2-1 Colchester United

Division: Football League Two

Attendance: 7,328

Ground #354 - Jack Carter Centre

Date: 7th August 2021
Ground: Jack Carter Centre
Location: Ilford, London

My fourth new ground of 2021 was on Saturday 7th August at the Jack Carter Centre in Ilford, London. The game was Frenford vs. Burnham Ramblers in the Eastern Counties League Division One South.

The ground forms part of a recently constructed sports complex in Ilford. There are additional full-size pitches and a sports centre which sit adjacent to a primary school to the south. The ground is three-quarters of a mile from Redbridge underground station and was opened during 2020.

The venue is a 3G cage set-up with the entrance to the ground in the south-east corner. There are two separate all-seater stands with 75 seats each. The Eddie Fowles Stand sits towards the eastern end with the Sir Jack Petchey Stand nearer the western end. The remainder of this side is uncovered hard standing - there is a fair amount of space except for a thinner section in the middle cut out to make room for the two dugouts.

The eastern and western ends are fairly narrow, particularly behind the goals and are asphalt standing areas. Additional practice goals are kept at both ends. The venue is a three-sided one for spectators as the northern side only has the fence to separate from the rest of the complex and is not accessible for viewing.

The first half was pretty even with mostly only half-chances. The closest Burnham came was in the 7th minute when Haziz Kone performed some neat play in midfield and played in Liam Barry on goal. However, Frenford keeper Sean Hinton closed Barry down and blocked the shot. In the 35th minute the hosts took the lead when a low corner to the near post was flicked by Taylor Tombides leaving Burnham frustrated at conceding a poor goal. This frustration increased six minutes later when they were reduced to ten men after Kone received his marching orders. Despite the man disadvantage Burnham were much the better side after the break. In the 47th minute a ball to the pack post found Albert Galbally at the back post but he was just at the wrong angle to knock in from a couple of yards. A couple of minutes later a near-carbon copy of their first half chance saw Liam Barry in on goal only to be blocked by Hinton. For the rest of the half Burnham saw a corner headed off the line, another good save from Hinton to save a one-on-one situation with Harry Shawyer and finally a dipping 20 yard effort from Shermaine Perkins-Palmer come back off the crossbar. Just when it looked like it wasn't going to be their day the visitors grabbed a well-deserved equaliser with just two minutes to go. Another attach was initially thwarted by Hinton but Liam Barry was there to steer the rebound low into the goal to grab a much celebrated point for Burnham.

Result: Frenford 1-1 Burnham Ramblers

Division: Eastern Counties League Division One South

Attendance: 46

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 #329 - Eden Park Avenue

Date: 21st August 2019
Ground: Eden Park Avenue
Location: Beckenham, London

My forty-fourth new stadium of 2019 was on Wednesday 21st August 2019 at Eden Park Avenue in Beckenham, London. The match was Beckenham Town vs. Glebe in the Southern Counties East League Premier Division.

Eden Park Avenue is in a residential area with housing flanking its eastern and northern sides. The western edges up to a second full-size pitch while the southern end is adjacent to the Charing Cross to Hayes rail line. The latter results in the stadium being a few hundred yards from Eden Park railway station. The venue has been home to the club since 1980 when they departed Stanhope Grove where they had played previously.

The venue is entered via the south of the ground via turnstiles next to a cosy clubhouse which was undergoing renovation work during my visit. In front of this is a grass area with picnic benches leading up to a concrete strip behind the goal. Completing this end are two small covered sections, one each side of the goal. The main stand is on the western side of Eden Park Avenue and it has 137 covered seats. The two dugouts are nearby and there is a separate covered section two-thirds of the way towards the northern end. The whole side has a strip of hard standing with a decent sized grass section behind.

The opposite side of the field has a concrete pathway for the whole length though with a smaller grass area behind. There is a covered section towards the southern end while a second all-seater stand by the halfway line adds another 59 to the covered seating capacity of the venue. Beyond this to the north are seven additional uncovered seats bolted to the floor. A similarly strange set-up is in place behind the northern goal where four uncovered seats are bolted to the eastern side of the goal. Other than this the northern end is uncovered standing with a slim grass section at the back.

Beckenham were looking to extend their good start to the season with a third consecutive win while Glebe were looking for their first points after defeat in their opening two matches. The hosts went close in the 7th minute when a curling effort from 20 yards went just wide of the goal. Glebe's best fashioned opportunity of the opening period of the game came in the 14th minute when a long punt up field by the keeper found a visiting attacker to the right of the goal and his first time half-volley dipped just over the bar. Beckenham took the lead in the 24th minute - a nice lofted ball to Shameek Farrell found him in lots of space on the left side of the area and his first time half-volley across goal ended in the back of the net via a touch from the keeper and the post. The score should have been level 31st minute when a home defender miscontrolled the ball and kneed it straight to a visiting attacker. Clean through on goal he managed to shoot straight at the home keeper though. However, Glebe were not to be denied for long and did equalise one minute before the interval. A free-kick on the edge of the box was laid off for Matt Parsons who curled a brilliant shot into the top corner from 25 yards. Into the second half a quick Beckenham attack in the 51st minute finished with a defender drilling a shot just the wrong side of the post while the hosts went close again during a penalty area scramble with 20 minutes left as a close range shot was blocked on the line and cleared. The game swung back to Glebe in the 78th minute when a free-kick was clipped into the area and landed at the feet of Scott Kinch who lifted the ball into the top corner from 12 yards. As Beckenham chased an equaliser they conceded again with five minutes to go - a free-kick from the left was nodded towards the goal line for Jack Harris to knock in from a yard out to secure three points for Glebe.

Result: Beckenham Town 1-3 Glebe
Division: Southern Counties East League Premier Division
Attendance: 195

Ground #328 - The Oakwood

Date: 20th August 2019
Ground: The Oakwood
Location: Crayford, London

My forty-third new ground of 2019 was on Tuesday 20th August at The Oakwood in Crayford, London. The match was VCD Athletic vs. Three Bridges in the Isthmian League South East Division.

The Oakwood is in a mainly residential area with housing to the south and west of the ground. The north and eastern sides are bordered by the rest of the sporting complex it sits on with an additional full-size pitch to the north and Oakwood Tennis Club to the east. VCD Athletic are based just a few hundred yards south of The Mayplace Ground, home of fellow non-league side Phoenix Sports. The Oakwood is just under a mile north of Crayford railway station though also just over a mile south of Barnehurst railway station. The venue was home to the club between forming in 1916 and 1999. The club then moved out and groundshared at other venues before moving back to a revamped Oakwood in 2006.

The entrance to the ground is in the south-east corner and immediately to the right of this is a food outlet and toilets. Also in this area are a number of picnic benches atop a paved section with a walkway leading down to the eastern side of the field. This side is home to the main stand in the middle which has a total of 159 seats split into two sections. A third of the seats are on the eastern side of the stand with two-thirds on the western side and a standing section in the middle.

The northern side of the field is split into thirds with covered standing sections in the eastern and western areas and an uncovered section in the middle which includes dugouts and a TV gantry. The western end has a strip of concrete with netting behind the goal itself. Further back is a grass section and this area also leads to the player and officials dressing rooms in the north-west corner. The smallest side of Oakwood is at the eastern end with this little more than a concrete walkway between the northern and southern sides. This is mainly due to the natural incline of the land behind the goal and there is a club building which sits atop this slope.

This was the second league game of the season but with both sides losing their opener they would be keen to get some early points on the board. Three Bridges appeared the keener initially as they opened the scoring with less than a minute on the clock when a ball from the left was steered home by Andre McCollin. VCD reacted well and equalised in the 5th minute as Raphe Brown glanced home Kelvin Ogboe's corner. The hosts edged the rest of the first half-hour and went close just before the half-hour stage with a series of shots peppering the Three Bridges goal culminating in Timi Toluwanile's poked effort being blocked on the line. However, in the 43rd minute the visitors got their noses in front for the second time when a quick counter attack down the left found Andre McCollin who ran in on goal and smashed low past the keeper from 12 yards to grab his second of the evening. Three Bridges could not hold on until half-time though as in the second minute for injury stoppages Henry Ikeije beat Michael Aziaya down the left and as he got close to goal was clumsily bundled over for a penalty. Kelvin Ogboe was on spot-kick duties and dispatched his penalty low into the net to send the sides in level at the interval. VCD went ahead for the first time in the 62nd minute - good work by Alastair Gordon in the middle of the field saw him play the ball through for Timi Toluwanile who rounded the keeper and slotted home. The away side pushed forward in search of an equaliser and should have got it in the 72nd minute when Solomon Taiwo danced his way into the area. Unfortunately for Taiwo the ball got stuck under his feet at the crucial shooting moment and the chance was gone. With the game in an end-to-end phase someone was going to score and in the 75th minute it duly happened. A cross from the left by VCD's Jack Steventon was completely sliced by an away defender and he ended up deflecting backwards into the bottom corner of his own net. In the closing stages the game grew ill-tempered. In the 83rd minute Three Bridges were awarded a penalty for a push int he box but a home player refused to let go of the ball resulting in a mass pushing and shoving incident involving most of the players on the pitch. It was difficult to see what was going on through the sea of bodies so the referee took no further action. After a four minute delay Tom Tolfrey took the penalty high to the keeper's left to reduce the deficit to one. Injury time saw some cynical fouls and poor discipline from the sides. It was therefore unsurprising when a red card was produced in the 93rd minute for Three Bridges' Dean Gunner who displayed his frustration as VCD ran down the clock in the corner. The referee blew for time shortly after this despite there probably being a few more minutes to play after all the stoppages but that was good news for the home side who clinched their first win of the season.

Result: VCD Athletic 4-3 Three Bridges
Division: Isthmian League South East Division
Attendance: 65

Ground #327 - Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Date: 4th August 2019
Ground: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Location: Tottenham, London

My forty-second new ground was on Sunday 4th August at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in Tottenham, London. The match was Tottenham Hotspur vs. Inter Milan in the International Champions Cup.

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium sits on the site of Tottenham's former White Hart Lane home in a largely residential area in north London. The closest railway station is White Hart Lane which is 500 yards due west. The nearest tube stations are Seven Sisters and Tottenham Hale on the Victoria Line both around 1.5 miles south of the venue. The venue replaced White Hart Lane which was home to Spurs between 1899 and 2017. After spending an interim 18 months at Wembley Stadium the club moved into their new home in April 2019.

The 62,062 seat stadium is a spectacular venue which consists of an irregular bowl shape with a southern end set apart from the rest of the ground design. This South Stand is the designated 'Home End' and has a single tier for 17,500 supporters making it the largest single-tier stand in the UK. The design of the stand means it is the only one with no corporate boxes of any kind giving it a feel of being for the 'genuine' supporters. There are four levels of concourses inside and this end includes the Goal Line bar, which at 65m, is the longest bar in Europe. The North Stand has three tiers with hospitality boxes at the back of the first and second tiers. The interior has four levels of concourses and away supporters are located in the north-east corner. The East and West Stands are of similar design to each other with both having four tiers including a lower tier split into two sections and a very slim third tier of just three rows of seating. The flanks of the stadium are where the majority of the expensive seating is with around 8,000 premium seats and 70 private boxes at the back of all four tiers. There are two concourse levels for the standard fan seats while the corporate guests enjoy two sky lounges and a Sky Bar hanging from the roof in the north-west corner which is reached via a walkway out over the pitch. The West Stand has a media section in the middle of the upper tier and the player and coaches area at ground level.

The state-of-the-art venue has many other features of note including the largest club shop in Europe at the foot of the West Stand. There is an additional smaller club shop in the north-west corner on one side of the access steps with a cafe on the other side. This is adjacent to Lilywhite House which houses the club offices and technical college. The structure is connected to the ground via a twisting walkway leading up to the roof of the North Stand. The East Stand has a banquet hall inside while the South Stand has a Sky Walk where guests can walk onto the venue's roof and even abseil down from the grass pane which supports the golden cockerel above this end. There are a total of 65 food and drink outlets dotted throughout the venue but where it really comes into its own is the dual purpose of the stadium between football and American football. With the stadium hosting the NFL there are two turfs - a hybrid grass turf for football which retracts under the South Stand to reveal a synthetic NFL turf underneath. As part of the ground, which had an element of NFL funding, there are separate facilities for the sport with additional locker rooms, medical facilities, hydrotherapy pools, warm-up areas, lounges and creches. Longer term should the NFL opt to place a franchise in London the stadium is in line to become the home of such a team.

The game was part of the International Champions Cup - a pre-season tournament involving 12 teams held across Europe, America and Asia. This match-up between Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur and Serie A side Inter Milan was a dead-rubber with Benfica having already won the tournament. The tie had an exciting start as Spurs took the lead with barely two minutes on the clock - a quick counter-attack saw Erik Lamela pick up the ball inside his own half and advance towards goal. With Inter backpedalling he laid the ball off to Lucas Moura on the right and Moura smashed the ball into the back of the net from 12 yards. The visitors looked well off the pace in the opening 25 minutes but in the 27th minute burst into life when Marcelo Brozovic's excellent 25-yard curling effort came back off the inside of the post. This started off a better period for the Italian side and they equalised in the 36th minute after some lax Spurs defending. Dalbert picked the ball up on the right and passed forward to Sebastiano Esposito who, having spotted the run of Stefano Sensi, played an deft ball through to his teammate splitting the home defence. Sensi had all the time in the world to run in on goal and slot low past Hugo Lloris. The second half was a dull one - standard fare for pre-season friendlies. A total of 20 substitutions were made by the two sides which inevitably killed the competitiveness of the tie. One exception was the introduction of Son Heung-Min who went close in the 78th minute after a 70-yard run culminated in his drive being well saved by Samir Handanovic. With the scores level at 90 minutes the format of the competition necessitated a penalty shoot-out with the winner of this receiving an extra point in the standings. Both sides missed their first penalties with Handanovic saving from Christian Eriksen and Paulo Gazzaniga saving from George Puscas. The next six penalties were scored but Tottenham's youngster Oliver Skipp saw his spot-kick saved meaning João Mário only had to score to give his side the bonus point. He calmly slotted into the corner of the net to secure a 4-3 penalty shoot-out win.

Result: Tottenham Hotspur 1-1 Inter Milan (Inter Milan win 4-3 on penalties)
Competition: International Champions Cup
Attendance: 58,905

Ground #302 - Terence McMillan Stadium

Date: 6th April 2019
Ground: Terence McMillan Stadium
Location: Plaistow, London

My seventeenth new ground of 2019 was on Saturday 6th April at the Terence McMillan Stadium in Plaistow, London. The match was Lopes Tavares vs. Newbury Forest in Eastern Counties League Division One South.

The Terence McMillan Stadium is part of the Prince Regent Lane Playing Fields in the Docklands area of London. The site is shared with two separate complexes, the Newham Leisure Centre and the Newham Multi-Sport Centre. The former is directly south of the ground while the latter is to the west with the venue's stand built into the side of it. The playing fields continues beyond the trees to the north while the eastern side is bordered by a healthcare centre. The venue is served by a number of rail options - one mile west is Canning Town station on the Jubilee Line, one mile north is Plaistow station on the District Line and one mile south are Custom House and Prince Regent stations on the DLR. The ground is currently home to Fire United and Lopes Tavares but in recent years has also served as the base for London APSA, Canning Town, Newham and Woodford Town.

A few years ago the western side of the ground used to have a free-standing structure with six rows of bench seating giving a seating capacity of around 400. After it fell into disrepair several sections of the stand were closed before the whole thing was eventually demolished. This was around the time the Newham Multi-Sport Centre building was constructed and the decision was made to build a new stand into the side of that building with the overhanging roof providing cover for the seating. The revised arrangement consists of 192 bucket seats installed across three levels of concrete. The other building of note is a demountable by the entrance hut in the south-west corner which serves as a basic clubhouse.

This is the sole stand with the rest of the ground uncovered standing behind a metal fence at the edge of the eight lane athletics track which encircles the pitch. The eastern and northern sides at least have grass banks behind the hard standing area to give better views. This is relevant for the eastern side which has a long jump area beyond the running track resulting in spectators being even further from the action than the western side. The two dugouts also sit in front of the running track on this side. The southern end of the ground is bordered by the Newham Leisure Centre so the spectator area stops halfway round this side but with crowds sometimes dipping into single figures this is a moot point.

The tie was between two sides in the bottom four places in the division but the way the game went you would have assumed there was a much larger gulf. Lopes could have taken the lead in the 8th minute when Mario Embalo headed on a corner and saw away keeper Bradley Simpson save the ball on the goalline with it clipping the post as a defender scrambled to clear the danger. The early portion of the match saw two very open defences with attackers lacking the all important touch in the area resulting in the ball being lost in good positions. That changed in the 34th minute when Lopes grabbed their first of a fruitful afternoon.With the ball up in the air Mario Embalo nudged it up for Sulaimana Ba who produced a great scissor kick which Simpson could only push into the corner of the net. Three minutes later the hosts doubled their lead out of nothing - with the ball bouncing around 25 yards from goal Quadri Olemoh absolutely walloped it into the roof of the net giving the goalie no chance. In the 52nd minute Lopes extended their lead in very similar circumstances. Again there appeared to be little danger with the ball 25 yards from goal but this Tigana Quebe took a pot-shot which ended up in the roof of the net. The chances kept arriving for the home side - in the 55th minute Ba was played clean through before he dragged his shot wide from inside the area. In the 66th minute Quebe did well down the right, clipped a cross to the back post but Suley Djalo responded by blatantly pushing the ball into the net with his hand resulting in a disallowed goal and a caution. Newbury goalie Simpson prevented another in the 69th minute when he saved Embalo's shot after he had been played in on goal. The fourth goal did arrive in the 72nd minute and it was finally Embalo on the scoresheet as he picked up the ball on the left of the area, cut inside to beat a defender and shot through the keeper's legs. A couple of minutes later Suley Djalo dispossessed Kingdom Dawson in his own area and squared for Tigana Quebe who only had to knock into an empty net. Inexplicably Quebe then miscued his shot so badly it almost went off for a throw-in provoking amusement in the small crowd. The home side were all over Newbury during this spell with shot after shot going over. With confidence high the skills started coming out as Lopes tried to cap the day with a perfect goal. In the 84th minute they grabbed their fifth of the game and it was Embalo netting his second of the game, stroking under the keeper in the area after Sulaimana Ba's assist. In the 89th minute a bad day for Newbury improved slightly with a consolation. A long ball was missed by home defender Quadri Olemoh letting in Jason Reynolds-Blanche. As Lopes goalie Januario Vaz Gomes came out the Newbury attacker rolled the ball to Francesco Cicconi to knock into an empty net from a couple of yards. Just over a minute later the referee called time on a big win for Lopes Tavares who arrested any lingering worries about relegation with a thumping win.

Result: Lopes Tavares 5-1 Newbury Forest
Division: Eastern Counties League Division One South
Attendance: N/A

Ground #204 - King George's Field (Tolworth)

Date: 29th August 2016
Ground: King George's Field
Location: Tolworth, London

My fifteenth new ground of 2016 was on Monday 29th August at King George's Field in Tolworth, London. The match was Corinthian-Casuals vs. Tooting & Mitcham United in the Isthmian League Division One South.

The ground sits within King George's Field - large area of green space close to the A3 road. The venue is surrounded by this except for the northern side which is adjacent to the Chessington branch railway line. The ground sits close to two railway stations with Tolworth half a mile to the east and Chessington North one mile to the west. The ground has been home to Corinthian-Casuals since 1988 when they were able to take it over from Tolworth FC and redevelop the site. This finally gave the side a permanent home after a nomadic existence of eight different locations in the post-war period.

The north side of the venue is the most heavily built up area. Starting from the north-east corner this begins with 5 rows of concrete terracing followed by an area with 3 rows of seating. This consists of 121 seats with a press box at the back close to the half-way line. There is also a separate directors area with 35 seats. Behind the main stand there is a covered eating area extending out from the clubhouse as well as a shed containing the club shop. This takes up around half of the northern side of the ground and with the exception of a single demountable for club officials next to the stand the remainder of the north side is taken up by uncovered standing.

Opposite this the southern side is fairly sparse with uncovered standing with a small grass section behind. The two dugouts are then located next to the pitch. The western end is also mostly uncovered though there is a covered section directly behind the goal with 3 platforms of concrete terracing. The eastern end has a covered stand for the majority of its length - this is larger with 4 platforms of concrete terracing.

The opening period of the match was action packed with a number of goals in quick succesion. This was almost started in the 10th minute when a bad Corinthian goal was kicked straight to Taurean Roberts who beared down on goal only for the keeper to redeem himself and palm away. His relief was short lived though as a minute later he was picking the ball out of the net - once again Roberts had an effort saved but this time Danny Bassett was there waiting to tap in the rebound on the goalline. The hosts equalised in the 14th minute when a free-kick to the back post was steered towards goal by Terry Murray and the ball bobbled through keeper's legs and into bottom of the net. Having within a couple of minutes the hosts found themselves behind again as Jordan Wilson's cross from the right side of area took a deflection off Josh Gallagher and looped over his keeper for an own goal. The Casuals had been on back foot but after conceding the second they got a grip of the game and made more of a fight of things. They got back to level pegging in the 40th minute when a tangle of legs saw Josh Gallagher brought down and the referee point to the spot. Josh Uzan steeped up and sent keeper the wrong way to make it 2-2. That wasn't the end of the first half scoring though as Corinthian put through their own net again - this time when Danny Dudley's deflected Claudio Hoban's corner into the goal. Into the second half Tooting had two efforts cleared off the line in quick succession but just when it looked like they could pull clear they gave away their second penalty of the match when Bashiru Alimi handballed in box. This time the keeper went the right way but couldn't stop Josh Uzun notching up a brace. This changed the nature of the game and it was now the hosts that were on top - shortly after making it 3-3 Uzan was inches away from securing his hatrrick when he headed over from six yards out. The home side were reduced to ten men in the 74th minute when Jordan Clarke received a second yellow for impeding the goalkeeper's goal kick. However this didn't disrupt the flow as both sides went close in the final 20 minutes. This entertaining match could have gone either way but the two sides had to be content with a point apiece.

Result: Corinthian-Casuals 3-3 Tooting & Mitcham United
Division: Isthmian League Division One North
Attendance: 212

Ground #167 - Beveree Stadium

Date: 24th January 2015
Ground: Beveree Stadium
Location: Hampton, London

My second new ground of 2015 was on Saturday 24th January at the Beveree Stadium in Hampton, London. The match was Hampton & Richmond Borough vs. Dulwich Hamlet in the Isthmian League Premier Division.

The Beveree Stadium is located in the suburb of Hampton close to the banks of the River Thames. It is surrounded by a mixture of green space, residential properties and a school. The ground is half a mile east of Hampton railway station and has been home to the club since 1959.

The Beveree Stadium has a real mixture of viewing areas - on the western side of the ground there is a covered concrete terrace which runs from the south-west corner to near the half-way line. Attached to this is a seated structure with room for around 200 fans. The section where the two areas come together also contains a kid's food outlet. An additional semi-permanent all-seater stand was added to this side of the ground in 2008 in order to satisfy ground grading requirements.

The southern side of the venue saw a lot of improvements during the mid-2000s. In 2006 a renovated club house and changing rooms were completed and work was also done on the turnstiles during this period. Directly behind the goal is the Alan Simpson Stand, another all-seater structure able to seat around 100 supporters. The eastern side of the ground mostly consists of uncovered standing though there is one covered section about a quarter of the way along from the southern goal. The dugouts are situated on this side of the venue. The majority of the space behind the goal at the northern end is taken up with a covered standing section though there are uncovered standing sections either side of this.

The two sides came into the game off the back of varying form with Dulwich riding high having won six of their previous seven while Hampton & Richmond Borough had only picked up one win from their previous eight games. The visitors had the best of the early play and almost scored in the 35th minute when Nyren Clunis stuck the post from close range. In the 40th minute the ball found its way to Hampton's Charlie Moone on the edge of the Dulwich box and his smart turn gave him space to knock the ball into the bottom corner to give the hosts the lead at the interval. The muddy pitch deteriorated in the second half slowing the game down and this seemed to particularly Dulwich. They came closest to a goal with 10 minutes to go when there was a scramble in the Hampton penalty area but the ball was eventually scooped away and the home side hung on to win 1-0.

Result: Hampton & Richmond Borough 1-0 Dulwich Hamlet
Division: Isthmian League Premier Division
Attendance: 639