Ground #406 - Lower Road

Date: 6th October 2024
Location: Sutton-at-Hone, Kent
Ground: Lower Road

My sixth new ground of 2024 was on Sunday 6th October at Lower Road in Sutton-at-Hone, Kent. The game was Sutton Athletic vs. Tunbridge Wells in the Southern Counties East League Premier Division.

Lower Road is out in the countryside in between towns in west Kent. It is surrounded entirely by fields except for the road, that lends the ground its name, which runs south of the venue. A mile east is the M25 Motorway. Lower Road is 2 miles north of the nearest railway station at Swanley.

The main side of the ground is the southern side. The entrance is on this side and a path leads towards the club building in the south-west corner which houses the clubhouse and the dressing rooms. This side has the two dugouts and a covered standing section set back from the pitch by the halfway line. 

The northern flank has a three-level all-seater stand towards the western end with around 100 seats. The rest of this side is uncovered standing with a grass bank behind. The western and eastern ends are uncovered standing with the western end having a good amount of room, including additional car parking space and the eastern end being rather thinner with an advertising board directly behind the goal.

Sutton Athletic had endured a poor start to the season with just one win in their first ten games leaving them sitting second-bottom of the table. Tunbridge by comparison were sitting in the middle of the table in 11th. The first half produced very little of interest with the best play coming three minutes before the break when Tunbridge's Festos Kamara danced his way past a couple of defenders and drilled a shot just wide of the post. Straight after this Jacob Feasey headed straight at the keeper from close range so a decent couple of chances for the visitors. This continued into the second half with Regan Corke shooting directly at the keeper just after the break. Corke was involved again in the 72nd minute when his cross found Festos Kamara who steered towards the keeper who tipped wide when it was heading in. The resulting corner saw James White's shot cleared off the line as Sutton kept the game goalless. Tunbridge pushed on with Harry Hudson dragging a shot wide from the edge of the box in the 84th minute and Rhys Bartlett having a goal ruled out for offside in the 87th minute. Completely against the run of play the hosts then grabbed the lead a couple of minutes later when Elias Ahmed headed into the corner from a cross from the right. As Tunbridge raced to equalise they left space at the back and in the 93rd minute Sutton snatched a second to wrap up a rare victory.

Result: Sutton Athletic 2-0 Tunbridge Wells

Division: Southern Counties East League Premier Division

Attendance: 327

Ground #392 - Summer Road

Date: 22nd August 2023
Ground: Summer Road
Location: Walsham-le-Willows, Suffolk

My seventeenth new ground of 2023 was on Tuesday 22th August at Summer Road in Walsham-le-Willows, Suffolk. The game was Walsham-le-Willows vs. Lakenheath in the Eastern Counties League Premier Division.

Summer Road is to the north-west of the village of Walsham-le-Willows. The ground is part of a sports area with it sharing a side with a cricket field and being on the opposite side of the road to a sports club with multiple grass pitches, one cage 3G pitch and tennis courts. Otherwise this is very much a rural setting with fields and farmland surrounding the ground. It is 6 miles north of the nearest railway station at Elmswell. Apart from a brief spell after the war the club have played at Summer Road since the late 1800s.

The entrance to the ground is in the south-east corner. The eastern side has a stand halfway along with the middle two-thirds of the structure taken up by 4 rows of seating. This is bookended by two level concrete covered standing. There are small dugouts on either side of the stand. The southern end has a pleasant clubhouse and cricket pavillion building and a separate dressing room building with a food outlet. These buildings are set a little way back from the pitch as a grass area with picnic benches bridges the gap to the field of play.

The northern end is uncovered standing except for a small covered stand directly behind the goal. This is a ramshackle structure with additional supports for the roof. The western side is shared with the cricket pitch and is uncovered standing. This side is unrailed instead having a rope to mark the edge of the spectator area.

The two teams had started the season in opposite ways - hosts Walsham had lost all 4 games while visitors Lakenheath had won all 3 of theirs. The game started in line with the form book with Lakenheath grabbing a 3rd minute lead - a ball to the back post was headed across goal to an unmarked Tom Thulborn who headed in on the line. The away side were the better of the two in a quiet first half but Walsham carved out a couple of chances. In the 26th minute Scott Chaplin's free-kick was palmed onto the post and just before the interval a breakaway from a Lakenheath corner saw Charlie Norman play in Olly McKenzie-Vince but he shot wide from close range. Another chance went begging four minutes after the restart when shots in quick succession from Charlie Norman and Ethan Garcia were aimed straight at the keeper. After this Lakenheath got on top with the first chance in the 56th minute when Luke Young's free-kick was headed onto the bar by Dean Grogan. In the 63rd minute the away side doubled their lead with a shot across goal from the left was slid in from close range by Luke Young. Six minutes later it was 3-0 - Tom Thulborn was unleashed down the right, he advanced on goal and deftly chipped over the advancing keeper into the back of the net. Walsham didn't want to let the quick-fire double get the best of them and shortly afterwards Charlie Inglasias danced through the defence, round the keeper and clipped wide under pressure from recovering defenders. Lakenheath weren't done though and with ten minutes to go Jamie Smith zipped a ball across goal from the right and after keeper and defender missed it Tom Thulborn was there again to scramble the ball over the line to score his third of the night. Walsham persevered and went close to a consolation in the 87th minute. A corner was bouncing around the box but Sam Last's effort went just wide when it could have just as easily gone in. It summed up Walsham's night with the 4-0 scoreline a little harsh against a clinical Lakenheath.

Result: Walsham-le-Willows 0-4 Lakenheath

League: Eastern Counties League Premier Division

Attendance: 89

Ground #382 - Leicester Road Stadium

Date: 25th March 2023
Ground: Leicester Road Stadium
Location: Hinckley, Leicestershire

My seventh new ground of 2023 was on Saturday 25th March at Leicester Road Stadium in Hinckley, Leicestershire. The game was Hinkley Leicester Road vs. Boldmere St Michaels in Northern Premier League Division One Midlands.

Leicester Road Stadium is located to the east of Hinckley, outside the town itself. It is parts of a sports complex with Hinckley Rugby Club and Hinckley Cricket Club next door to the south. The ground has additional space for grass pitches to the north and has a cage 3G pitch bordering the western end. The eastern area has a large car park and access to the road from which the stadium gets its name. The venue is 2.5 miles north-east of Hinckley railway station. Leicester Road Stadium was opened in 2004 as the new home for Hinckley United. The club was dissolved in 2013 with phoenix club Hinckley Leicester Road purchasing the ground.

The main stand takes up the middle third of the southern side of the ground. This all-seater structure is the only one at the venue and has a capacity of 732. There is space for hospitality at the back of the stand whilst there are two sections carved out for the dugouts at the foot of the stand. The interior of the stand also includes a gym, sports massage and physiotherapy areas. To the east of this is a two-storey clubhouse building including a bar. This building has a food outlet facing towards the pitch and the area in front of this has space for uncovered standing with drinks tables dotted about. To the west of the main stand is another smaller two-storey building.

The eastern end has the largest structure at the venue with a 14 row covered terrace taking up most of this end. There are toilets contained underneath the terrace whilst the back of the stand doubles as the main entrance to the ground and an events space. There is another large covered terrace taking up almost all of the northern flank of the pitch with 11 rows of standing on offer. The most basic area is the western end which is a thin area of uncovered flat standing with a dressing room building behind and a digital scoreboard appended to the south-west corner of the building. This end is currently fenced off and not in use. The ground hosted National League North football for the first nine years of its existence so is very large for the attendances Hinckley LRFC currently achieve. However, the club have recently been advancing up the league ladder and have a venue fit for them to continue this progression.

The game saw Hinckley LRFC who were sat comfortably in lower mid-table in their first season at this level up against Boldmere St Michaels who were in 4th position inside the play-offs but on the hunt for a result to strengthen their position. The game started to form with the visitors scoring in the 21st minute - a ball over the top resulted in a footrace between an away attacker and the keeper but they arrived at the same time causing the ball to spill to the feet of Owen parry who knocked into the empty net. It was a quiet first half with Boldmere edging it spending a fair amount of time in and around the Hinckley box but generating little more than half chances. The second half saw a real turnaround with Hinckley on top. They equalised in the 58th minute - Dom Brennan received the ball on the right and fizzed the ball across as he reached the byline with Jordan Burrows poking in on the line. The turnaround was made in the 73rd minute when a corner to the back post was headed into the six-yard box by Danny Jenno and Andre Williams steered home. Boldmere attacked in the closing minutes but couldn't get on even terms. It was a deserved with for Hinckley after a battling second half display.

Result: Hinckley Leicester Road 2-1 Boldmere St Michaels

Division: Northern Premier League Division One Midlands

Attendance: 126

Ground #377 - Vauxhall Road

Date: 28th January 2023
Ground: Vauxhall Road
Location: Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire

My second new ground of 2023 was on Saturday 28th January at Vauxhall Road in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire. The game was Hemel Hempstead Town vs. Dover Athletic in National League South.

Vauxhall Road is situated in a heavily residential area to the east of the town centre. It borders housing to the south and east, a school to the west and a disability day centre to the north. 2.5 miles west of the town's railway station, the venue has been home to the club since 1972 when they merged with Hemel Hempstead United and took over their ground.

The entrance to the ground is on the southern side. After going through the turnstiles there is a small stand to the left with around 60 seats and some covered standing. Beyond this towards the western end is uncovered standing. Coming back to the entrance and turning right there is a food outlet and the Tudor Tavern clubhouse which expands out from a bar into a large function room and is quite sizable. The area in front of this is uncovered concrete with a multitude of picnic benches dotted throughout. At pitchside the two dugouts also reside on this side of the ground. Viewing wise the ground is unusual with the pitch set fairly high against the uncovered standing viewing areas.

The middle half of the northern side is taken up by an all-seater stand with around 300 seats spread across 5 rows and has a TV gantry atop it. Flat uncovered standing exists towards the eastern end whilst there is an uncovered terrace towards the western end. This uncovered terrace is replicated towards the north-west corner and is only broken apart by a little media box with a digital scoreboard above it. The western end has a covered terrace directly behind the goal and has a double-stacked demountable building in the south-west corner. Finally the eastern end provides additional seating with 180 covered seats. The south-east corner has a small club shop cabin and a Racing Pigeon Club shed.

The game was a mid-table clash with 13th taking on 16th. Hemel were the form side coming into the tie off back-to-back wins whilst Dover were doing so off back-to-back defeats. The first close shave came in the 19th minute when Hemel's Andrew Eleftheriou low cross met a sliced clearance by a Dover defender. Fortunately for the hosts the ball went behind for a corner. The best chance for either side occurred in the 26th minute - a Dover cross from the right was headed against the bar by Noah Carney and Hemel cleared the danger. The second half was a poor spectacle, the visitors were the better side but other than a good chance just after the break when Joshua Ajayi's shot was well saved by Craig King there wasn't much in the way of goalmouth action. A dull game finished goalless and in truth was the kind of match where the sides could have played for another 90 minutes and still not scored.

Result: Hemel Hempstead Town 0-0 Dover Athletic

Division: National League South

Attendance: 515

Ground #370 - Post Office Road

Date: 30th July 2022

Ground: Post Office Road

Location: Featherstone, West Yorkshire

My tenth new ground of 2022 was on Saturday 30th July at Post Office Road in Featherstone, West Yorkshire. The game was Wakefield vs. Glasshoughton Welfare in the Northern Counties League East Division One.

Post Office Road is located close to the centre of Featherstone and is predominantly used as a rugby league ground for Championship side Featherstone Rovers. Terraced houses and the aforementioned  Post Office Road itself are on the southern side of the ground with a new housing development to the east. There are industrial units to the west while north of the ground is a railway line and additional pitches and a cricket club just to the north-east. The venue is a stone's throw in a south-east direction from Featherstone railway station. Whilst this was the first game for Wakefield AFC at the stadium it has been home to Featherstone Rovers since 1908.

The west side of Post Office Road has an all-seater stand taking up the middle half. This is split into three sections with plastic seats in the middle section and wooden seats in the sections either side. There are club rooms and a media area at the back. Behind the stand is the entrance turnstiles with quite a bit of space which is partially taken up by picnic benches. To the south of this is a large uncovered concrete terrace with a flat section at the top and to the north the areas are given over to a clubhouse and corporate area with portacabins next to this towards the northern end.

The southern end has an uncovered concrete terrace consisting of 13 steps of viewing. This terrace extends round the south-west and south-east quadrant with the latter expanding up to a rather uneven 20 steps. This runs up to the first of two stands on the eastern flank - this larger stand, built in 1997, runs from the penalty area to just past the halfway line. Next to this is a smaller stand which runs up to the end of the field of play. The north end has a large stand which was completed in 2015 by reassembling the stand from Scarborough FC's Athletic Ground which closed in 2007. Finally the north-west corner has a digital screen in between the north stand and the north-east stand.

This was an opening day clash with Wakefield playing their first game at this level since promotion from the county leagues. The occasion didn't start in the best way for them though as the visitors took the lead before 5 minutes were even on the clock. A long ball found Kiyani Clayton who unleashed a 20-yard drive into the top corner of the net. This great start for Glasshoughton took a turn when they were reduced to ten men after just 15 minutes when Matthew Cunliffe received his marching orders for hacking down a Wakefield winger progressing down the wing. Despite the man disadvantage the away side were the better side for the rest of the half easily containing Wakefield. This continued into the second half and on the hour mark James Cooper dragged a shot wide from a corner missing the chance to go 2-0 up. In the 63rd minute Samuel Nelson was sent to the sin bin for dissent leaving Glasshoughton with just nine men on the pitch and this was the opportunity Wakefield needed to make the breakthrough. Just before the end of the sin bin period the ball was picked up by Jake Morrison down the right and he smashed the ball across goal into the top corner on the far side. Three minutes later the turnaround was completed as a cross from the right found Ray Sibanda some 15 yards from goal and his curling effort went just out of the keeper's reach and into the net. With ten minutes to go the hosts had the chance to secure the win after good footwork in the box lulled Kyle Fish into giving away a penalty. Jake Morrison dispatched the spot kick into the top corner to grab his second of the afternoon. After this the game was done for the visitors and it was Morrison who went close to a hattrick in the 93rd minute with only the keeper pushing a drive over the bar to keep the score at 3-1.

Result: Wakefield 3-1 Glasshoughton Welfare

Division: Northern Counties League East Division One

Attendance: 361

Ground #369 - Bridge Road

Date: 23rd July 2022
Ground: Bridge Road

Location: Impington, Cambridgeshire

My ninth new ground of 2022 was on Saturday 23rd July at Bridge Road in Impington, Cambridgeshire. The game was Histon vs. Cambridge City in a friendly.

Bridge Road is located on the eastern edge of the village of Impington, just north of Cambridge. It is part of a sports complex that includes additional pitches and a tennis club. It has little in the way of neighbours with it mostly surrounded by roads or fields with only a GP surgery to the north. The venue is 2.5 miles north-west of Cambridge North railway station and has been home to Histon since they were formed in 1904.

The main side of the ground is on the west side. The two stands feature seating elevated above the walkway below with the lower section having a food outlet, the two dugouts a tunnel to the dressing rooms. The older stand by the halfway line has 350 seats with a newer stand attached to it with a larger 500 seat capacity. This stand was built in 2008 during Histon's brief spell in the National League and doubles as the Cambridgeshire FA Headquarters.

The other three sides of the ground all have the same base structures at a uniform height. The eastern side has 4 rows of seating for the whole length of the pitch adding 800 seats to the seating capacity and has a gantry atop the stand for TV cameras. The two ends have the same 4 row set-up but have terracing instead of seating.

The match was a friendly between United Counties League Premier Division South side Histon and Northern Premier League Division One Midlands side Cambridge City. It also doubled as a owners vs. tenants match as Cambridge City groundshare whilst their new stadium is under construction. Cambridge opened the scoring in the 8th minute - Ben Nolan advanced down the right before passing to Tommy Rigby who shot low from the edge of the box into the bottom corner. There was some end-to-end action in the middle of the half with firstly Cambridge seeing a point blank shot saved by the home goalie and a minute later Histon were up the other end of the field hitting the bar from a long-range shot. Two minutes before the break City doubled their lead with Mikey Davis laying up Connor Barnes to strike a long-range effort in off the post. The action continued into the second half with the third goal arriving in the 53rd minute after a defensive mix-up by Histon. As a defender headed the ball back to the keeper he dropped the ball and scrambling to grab it was outpaced by Connor Barnes who coolly dribbled round him and slotted into the net. Barnes was then on the hunt for his hatrick for the rest of the game - five minutes later Barnes picked up the ball on the right, shot his shot saved and then chipped the rebound just wide of the goal. With 20 minutes to go a scramble in the box fell to Barnes and this time it was the post denying him a third goal. Finally in the 89th minute Barnes got what he wanted when he got on the end of a cross to head into the net to round off his hattrick and a comfortable 4-0 win for Cambridge City.

Result: Histon 0-4 Cambridge City

Friendly

Attendance: N/A

Ground #363 - Wetherby Road

Date: 2nd April 2022
Location: Harrogate, North Yorkshire
Ground: Wetherby Road

My third new ground of 2022 was on Saturday 2nd April at Wetherby Road in Harrogate, North Yorkshire. The game was Harrogate Town vs. Colchester United in Football League Two.

Wetherby Road sits in a built-up residential area to the east of the town centre. The ground has housing to the east and west as well as over the road to the south with the northern side flanked by an ambulance station. The venue is a mile south-west of Harrogate railway station and has been home to the club since 1920.

Wetherby Road has been significantly upgraded in recent years to facilitate the sides' dramatic rise through the football pyramid. The northern side of the ground is split into third with the Main Stand in the middle. This 880-seat structure replaced the previous 350-seat one in 2020. Next to this towards the western end is a terrace built a year earlier whilst to the east is a small corporate seating area. 

The southern side of the ground is mostly taken up by a terrace which is split into home and away sections via metal fencing. Atop of this terrace is the TV gantry whilst to the west, unusually for this level, is a small part of the pitchside area dedicated to an office building. Towards the eastern end is a small all-seater stand to provide a specific seating area for visitors. The eastern end itself is taken up by a small covered terrace constructed in 2019. This means that away supports have 1½ sides of the venue with home supporters having 2½. The other home area is for the more vocal fans who occupy the terrace which takes up the whole of the western end of Wetherby Road. 

The game saw Colchester's making the trip north to Harrogate with the away side needing the points to allaying relegation fears that have dogged the season. The hosts meanwhile were already all but safe with the majority of work done in an impressive first half of the season. The U's defence were not at all switched at the start of the game - Harrogate should have scored with barely 60 seconds on the clock when Calum Kavanagh was slipped in on goal and instead of shooting decided to lay off for Luke Armstrong to tap into the empty net. Unfortunately for the Irishman his ball was wayward and ended up going off for a goal kick. Colchester failed to heed the warning though and in the 4th minute poor defensive positioning resulted in Jack Muldoon getting the ball in plenty of space on the right side of the area. Muldoon coolly slotted the ball past Shamal George to put the Sulphurites 1-0 up. In the 21st minute Colchester equalised with their first chance of the match - Noah Chilvers' perfectly timed ball allowed Freddie Sears in on goal and the forward dinked the ball over the keeper into the back of the net. The two players linked up again on the stroke of half-time with Sears turning provider with a cross in from the left which found Chilvers six yards from goal only having to sidefoot into the corner of the net. The second half was a more even affair - the home side came closest in the 72nd minute when Shamal George pulled off a cracking save to Luke Thomson's 20-yard drive. Meanwhile Colchester should have grabbed a third in the 82nd minute as Sears again squared from the left but Luke Hannant's close range shot was saved by Mark Oxley. The final minutes saw the visitors very effectively manage the game to round off a 2-1 victory and three vital points in the battle to stay up.

Result: Harrogate Town 1-2 Colchester United

Division: Football League Two

Attendance: 1,615

Ground #362 - Weybourne Road

Date: 12th March 2022
Location: Sheringham, Norfolk
Ground: Weybourne Road

My second new ground of 2022 was on Saturday 12th March at Weybourne Road in Sheringham, Norfolk. The game was Sheringham vs. Huntingdon Town in the Eastern Counties League Division One North.

Weybourne Road is on the way out of town on the western side of Sheringham. It is part of a sports complex with a leisure centre to the north and a mixture of cage pitches, a full-size grass pitch and a cricket field to the west. The other two sides are taken up by an industrial estate to the east and housing to the south. The venue is half a mile west of Sheringham railway station. 

The ground has a single stand on its eastern flank. This consists of seating on the front row with two levels of concrete terracing behind. The back of the stand has a large gap between the edge of the stand and the concrete platform so needs to be monitored to avoid falling into it. The stand has a floodlight situated directly in front of the middle of it. The areas either side of the stand are uncovered standing areas.

The only other full side for viewing is the northern end of Weybourne Road which has a strip of hard standing with grass behind. The eastern section has no hard standing and is not advised as a spectator area. The two dugouts are located on this side of the field. Finally the southern end is definitively not a fan area with just a grass bank behind the goal up to the houses behind. 

The afternoon saw a bit of a dead-rubber game with 3rd placed Sheringham secure in the play-offs up against Huntingdon sitting in 11th safely in mid-table. The visitors took an early lead when Matthew Harris-Hercules netted in the 7th minute and this lead lasted until the 31st minute when Charlie Norman headed into Ethan Lane's cross to make it 1-1. A few minutes later the hosts went in front for the first time as a long ball up field was pounced upon by Kieran Hagan who nipped in to take the ball round the keeper and slot into the empty net. Into the second half and Huntingdon pulled the game back to parity in the 57th minute from another long ball greeted by Harris-Hercules who grabbed his second by tucking past the advancing keeper amongst protestations of offside from the home side and their supporters. Sheringham spent more of the second half in the Huntingdon final third but created few chances until the closing minutes. A good shout for a penalty was rejected in the 83rd minute when a home attacker was barged over in the box but with three minutes to go the hosts got what they wanted when Kieran Devlin's shot from the edge of the box hung for an age as it looped over the keeper into the bottom of the net to send the locals home happy.

Result: Sheringham 3-2 Huntingdon Town

Division: Eastern Counties League Division One North

Attendance: 66

Ground #361 - Mundford Road

Date: 29th January 2022
Location: Thetford, Norfolk
Ground: Mundford Road

My first new ground of 2022 was on Saturday 29th January at Mundford Road in Thetford, Norfolk. The game was Thetford Town vs. Fakenham Town in the Eastern Counties League Premier Division.

Mundford Road forms part of a community and sports hub for the town. The ground is bordered on the east by a leisure centre and a pharmacy with additional grass pitches to the west and north with an additional full-size cage pitch on this latter side. The southern side runs along the A1066 with allotments and the town's railway station beyond. 

All of the ground's facilities are on the southern side. This includes the entrance in the south-east corner and the main building featuring a well-sized clubhouse as well as a food outlet facing out towards the pitch. The sole stand at the venue is by the half-way line and consists of four rows of wooden benching. 

The remainder of Mundford Road is uncovered standing. The northern flank has the two dugouts with a raised gantry in the middle which could be used for filming. Spectator-wise it is merely a narrow concrete walkway with the fence close up separating from the additional pitches to the north. The western and eastern sides are similarly slim acting more as walkways than viewing areas for many fans.

The game saw two sides at the wrong end of the table - Thetford arrived in 15th place, just two points above the dropzone, with their opponents one place better off in 14th. The quality of the game was always going to be dictated by a very windy day which didn't encourage a good spectacle. The best action of a poor first half was two efforts by the hosts within a two minute window. The first in the 17th minute saw Daniel Gilchrist's 25 yard drive sting the keeper's hands while the next opportunity came about when a ball into the box took a deflection before coming back off the crossbar. The only goal of the afternoon came three minutes after the restart when a Fakenham corner was headed into his own net by one of the Thetford defenders. The home side tried to equalise and did come close in the 58th minute when Artur Visocanskis curled the ball to the back post for Adam Laker who headed over from a couple of yards out. The hosts offered little after this though and if anything it looked more likely that Fakenham would grab another - they continued to press and in stoppage time one of their midfielders went on a good run through the Thetford defence before shooting over. An important three points for Fakenham to pull them further from the relegation scrap which Thetford remained well and truly in. 

Result: Thetford Town 0-1 Fakenham Town

Division: Eastern Counties League Premier Division

Attendance: 96

Ground #353 - Walmer Road

Date: 17th July 2021
Ground: Walmer Road
Location: Lowestoft, Suffolk

My third new ground of 2021 was on Saturday 17th July at Walmer Road in Lowestoft, Suffolk. The game was Kirkley & Pakefield vs. Sheringham in a friendly.

Walmer Road is in the Pakefield suburb in the south of Lowestoft. The complex, which includes an adjoining 3G cage pitch, is nestled in a green space between Pakefield Park and Pakefield Village Green. There is a care home to the north and housing to the south. The venue is two miles south-west of Lowestoft railway station. 

The entrance is in the northern east corner. The set-up on the eastern side of the ground is very pleasant - a nice, new looking club bar opens out onto a patio and large grass area including 15 picnic benches with The Royal Retreat bar towards the edge. On a hot day this was an excellent area which doubled as a good beer garden. Pitchside this side is uncovered standing except for a covered section towards the northern end. The two dugouts are on the eastern side as well.

Opposite this is the main stand at the ground - an all-seater stand with room for 145 spectators spread across 4 rows. Either side of this is hard standing with a large grass area behind. The other stand is the Russell Brown Stand directly behind the northern goal. This is a small stand for hard standing with some chairs and benches scattered within. The rest of this side and the whole of the southern end of the field have a strip of concrete standing with large grass areas behind.

The game was a friendly between Eastern Counties League Premier Division side Kirkley & Pakefield and Eastern Counties League Division One North side Sheringham. The home side took the lead in the 9th minute from the spot after an attacker backed into a defender to win a smart penalty. Miguel Lopez struck low to send the keeper the wrong way. Ten minutes after this an equaliser arrived in unusual circumstances - the home goalie took too long to deal with a backpass, was caught by Kieran Devlin who dispossessed him and then had all the time in the world to roll the ball into the empty net. In the 33rd minute Kirkley restored their advantage - some brilliant skill down the right beat two defenders on the byline before the ball was squared for Connor Swan to knock home from six yards. A couple of minutes after this however the game was stopped after a serious injury to Kieran Underdown. The Kirkley player suffered a broken fibula and dislocated ankle and with all parties waiting for the ambulance after a quarter of an hour the referee agreed with both managers that the game would be abandoned.

Result: Kirkley & Pakefield 2-1 Sheringham (Match Abandoned)

Friendly

Attendance: N/A

Ground #351 - Sheepy Road

Date: 19th June 2021
Ground: Sheepy Road

Location: Atherstone, Warwickshire

My first new ground of 2021 was on Saturday 19th June at Sheepey Road in Atherstone, Warwickshire. The game was Atherstone Town vs. Earlswood Town in a friendly.

Sheepy Road is located in the north of the town in a predominantly residential area. The ground has allotments to the south, a power substation to the west, a restaurant to the east and trees to the north. The venue is half a mile north of Atherstone railway station

The entrance to the ground is in the north-east corner. There is a snack outlet by this entrance and to the left is a sports bar with a fairly small clubhouse. There is a 4 level concrete terrace for the length of the eastern side of Sheppy Road. There is a covered section by the halfway line and dugouts but the rest is uncovered. Towards the southern end there is a grass section behind the terracing. The terrace extends round the corner for the length of the southern side of the ground with the flat grass section also in place at this end.

The main stand takes up two-thirds of the western side. The stand has a few hundred seats in the middle spread across 5 rows. Either side of the seating are covered flat standing areas within the confines of the stand. The northern end is similar to the southern end with the same 4 level uncovered concrete terrace. Behind it is a flat grass area with a goal on it set-up for practice.

The game was a friendly between Midland League Division One side Atherstone Town and Midland League Division Two side Earlswood Town. The tie almost saw a goal on the one minute mark as Callum Carsley whipped a ball into the danger zone and Atherstone's Cowley smashed the ball off the underside of the bar. The same two linked up in the 19th minute with Carsley stealing in to capitalise on a defensive error when when the ball was played through to Cowley he blazed wide into a tree behind the goal. It was little surprise when the opener arrived five minute later. A Collins free-kick hit the post but in the second phase the ball dropped back into Ryan Quinn who steered into the bottom corner from 12 yards. Atherstone went 2-0 up int he 32nd minute when a cross by the right by Cotton found Cowley at the back post. The attacker nodded back across goal for Quinn to tap in on the line to grab his second of the half. Two minutes after this the Earlswood keeper denied Atherstone a third with an acrobatic save following a rasping 25-yard drive by Naughton. The respite lasted only three minutes though when another cross to the back post by Cotton found Carsley who saw his powerful header find the corner of the net. The second 45 minutes was similarly one-way traffic. Just after the hour mark Cowley dragged a shot just wide of the post from 10 yards and a couple of minutes later the fourth goal arrived courtesy of Toby Bartram drilling past the keeper from close range. Bartram notched a second one in the 72nd minute with a shot from the edge of the area into the bottom corner just as a covering tackle came in. The chances kept coming in the final minutes but there were no more goals as Atherstone rounded off a comfortable win over their lower-division opposition.

Result: Atherstone Town 5-0 Earlswood Town

Friendly

Attendance: N/A

Ground #347 - Parkside Road

Date: 12th September 2020

Ground: Parkside Road

Location: Kendal, Cumbria

My seventh new ground of 2020 was on Saturday 12th September at Parkside Road in Kendal, Cumbria. The game was Kendal Town vs. Bishop Auckland in the F.A. Cup Preliminary Qualifying Round.

Parkside Road is located in the south of the town not far from Kendal Castle. Netherfield Cricket Club is located due north on the other side of the road and there are additional football pitches to the south of the ground. Other than that there is an industrial estate to the west and housing to the east. The venue is just over a mile south of Kendal railway station and has been the club's home since they were formed in 1919. 

The entrance to the ground is at the northern end with the car park also in this area. Upon entrance to to the left is the main stand. This seven level concrete terrace is split into two distinct sections with the eastern half having a spacious classic old style clubhouse and bar at the back of the stand which looks out over the pitch. Directly in front of this are 140 seats which are spread over the upper three levels before tapering off to a single row by the middle at which point the western half of the stand becomes terracing only. At the bottom of the stand is a flat concrete section for people to watch from pitchside.

The opposite end of the ground is the most basic consisting only of uncovered flat concrete though it is of decent size for fans to use. The eastern side has a two-level covered concrete terrace in the north-east corner though this was cordoned off during my visit. Beyond this is a seven level uncovered concrete terrace with a grass bank behind it which is used by spectators as well. The western side has a covered stand towards the northern end which has 84 seats across the front two rows and a flat concrete section at the back with a single bench section part of the way along. One of the two dugouts is located next to this and by the halfway line is a wooden stand consisting of six rows of benching. The middle of this stand leads back to the dressing rooms within. Towards the eastern end is the second dugout, a medical room building and a small club shop.

The match was an F.A. Cup Preliminary Qualifying Round tie between Northern Premier League Division One North West side Kendal Town and Northern League Division One side Bishop Auckland. The visitors had the ball in the net with less than 5 minutes on the clock when a free-kick to the back post was headed in but the goal was ruled out for offside. This didn't put off Bishop Auckland and in the 20th minute Kendal keeper Luke Camacho had to get down well to palm away Craig Hutchinson's shot from the left side of the area. For their part Kendal's first chance arrived after 27 minutes as Robert Liam Lightfoot's good attacking run saw him jink past a couple of defenders and then shoot strongly at Nicholas Liversedge who tipped it wide. The away side had a second goal ruled out in the 39th minute when an attacker fouled the keeper while heading the ball in from a cross. Bishop Auckland might have felt it wasn't going to be their day but just a minute later their luck turned. A ball up field saw an attacker in on goal and Luke Camacho mistimed his attempt to clear and absolutely clobbered the visiting player. Craig Hutchinson stroked the resulting penalty low to Camacho's left and despite getting a touch on it the ball ended in the back of the net. The 9th tier side were well worth their first half lead but any hopes Kendal had of a second half revival were dashed with an absolutely inept performance that saw Bishop Auckland run riot. The second goal came in the 51st minute and it was Hutchinson on the scoresheet again as he nodded home when a corner was floated over the keeper. In the 62nd minute the away side added a third as a ball over the top found Luke Hogan who coolly slotted the ball home from ten yards. The one-way traffic continued which a series of chances with a quarter of the game to go - in the 74th minute Luke Hogan poked the ball left to Craig Hutchinson whose deflected shot was heading over the line until a Kendal defender managed to clear. 60 seconds after this Hutchinson had another chance to complete his hatrick when he broke free of the defence but when in on goal the ball bobbled just as he went to pull the trigger and he sliced wildly over the bar. The home side were still all at sea and barely a minute after this the third key chance in as many minutes resulted in a goal. It was a near carbon copy of the third goal as a defence splitting ball saw Luke Hogan clean through and he had all the time in the world to stroke past Camacho as the keeper came to meet him from 15 yards. It had been a super attacking display by Bishop Auckland but the Kendal defence was woeful in the extreme as they took a thrashing at home from a team from a lower division. Their misery was rounded off in the final minute of the 90 when Luke Hogan picked up the ball down the left wing and squared for substitute Regan Nixon to tap into the empty net on the line. A 5-0 away win did not seem a likely scenario at kick-off given the two positions in the football pyramid but Bishop Auckland well deserved to continue further in the competition.

Result: Kendal Town 0-5 Bishop Auckland

Competition: F.A. Cup

Attendance: 257

Ground #344 - Keighley Road

Date: 22nd August 2020
Ground: Keighley Road
Location: Silsden, West Yorkshire

My fourth new ground of 2020 was on Saturday 22nd August at Keighley Road in Silsden, West Yorkshire. The game was Silsden vs. Bradford Park Avenue in a friendly.

Keighley Road is right on the southern edge of Silsden in line with the town sign. It is part of a sports complex with additional football pitches, a cricket field and a golf driving range to the south of the ground. The western side has another football pitch squeezed in at the limit of the site with fields beyond this. The north backs onto a new development with the eastern flank leading out to the car park and the road into town. The club originally played on Keighley Road when they formed in 1904 and after moving to the town's rugby league stadium at Cougar Park moved back into a redeveloped version of Keighley Road in 2010. 

The eastern end of the ground has the club building housing the clubhouse, bar and dressing rooms. In front of the bar is an uncovered three-level terrace though there are plans in place to extend the club building roof to put a canopy over this. To the south of this is the 1904 suite demountable and then a grass area with hard standing by the pitch itself.

The western end has a four-level covered metal terrace with hard standing either side of this. The northern flank has the two dugouts with a fairly narrow standing area for the whole length. The southern side is uncovered standing though upon my visit construction was underway on two new structures. Towards the western end was a new building for hospitality and a food outlet while towards the eastern end a new all-seater stand to rectify the current situation of there not being a seated area in place.

The match was a friendly between Northern Counties East League Premier Division side Silsden and National League North side Bradford Park Avenue. The home side came close to a 4th minute lead as an error by a Bradford trialist resulted in the ball being given away on the edge of the box. It broke to Chris Wademan who shot just over the bar. The first half was a quiet but even affair with the next meaningful action coming in the 41st minute when Silsden's Khurram Shazad played a nice through ball to Wademan who was denied by the keeper from close range. Just before half-way the visitors were given the chance to take the lead after a trip inside the box. Ollie Johnson struck the spot-kick low to Alfie Darke's right as the Silsden keeper went left and that was 1-0 to the away side as the half-time whistle immediately blew. Five minutes after the break Bradford went 2-0 up - an attack down the left saw the Silsden defence all congregate on this side of the field. The ball was poked to Jamie Lyons on the far post on the left of the box and in acres of spot he had time to control and knock past Darke from a couple of yards out. The hosts reduced the deficit back to a single goal in the 66th minute when Shaun Airey powered home a corner with a forceful header in the six yard box. Avenue were the better side for the next passage of the match and in the 70th minute a mazy run by Brad Dockerty culminated in a fierce shot being parried by the home goalie. Silsden had a decent final ten minutes as they chased an equaliser but it wasn't to be and the side from three divisions above them ran out winners.

Result: Silsden 1-2 Bradford Park Avenue

Friendly

Attendance: 139