Ground #390 - The Nest 3G (Norwich)

Date: 12th August 2023
Ground: The Nest 3G

Location: Norwich, Norfolk

My fifteenth new ground of 2023 was on Saturday 12th August at The Nest 3G in Norwich, Norfolk. The game was Dussindale & Hellesdon Rovers vs. Haverhill Borough in Eastern Counties League Division One North.

The Nest is a community sports complex on the north-west outskirts of Norwich. The first phase opened in 2018 with additional phases added since then and now consists of two full size-pitches (one grass and one 3G) and six smaller pitches. The venue is 4.5 miles north-west of Norwich railway station and is surrounded by farmland on three sides and bordered on its eastern side by Norwich International Airport. 

The 3G pitch is a cage one with three sides available to spectators. The ground is accessed through the building known as 'The Hub' which has the dressing rooms, a nice cafe and other event spaces. This leads directly out to pitchside with the roof of the building extending out over the seating area. This seating consists of a long single row of 101 seats which goes from the western end to just beyond the halfway line. The remainder of this side is uncovered hard standing.

The eastern and western ends are uncovered hard standing up to the edge of the cage on the southern flank. As with other cage venues it is entirely hard standing rather than a mixture of hard standing and grass in other non-cage venues. The southern side is not accessible for spectators but does have the two dugoutss.

The game was early on in Dussindale & Hellesdon's first season at senior level with this being their second home game of the season. The visitors started brightly with Archie Cowe going close in the 11th minute as he was unleashed down the left, ran in on goal and saw his near post shot palmed away by the keeper. As the game entered its second quarter Dussindale came into the game, with forward Conor Durrant being the danger man. In the 23rd minute a ball up field resulted in him nipping in front of the away keeper only for a covering defender to block his shot on goal. Eight minutes later a similar passage of play saw Durrant round the keeper and slot home but this time he was denied by the offside flag. Less than a minute later it was third time lucky - another ball up to Durrant and despite a defender for comfort he slotted the ball across goal into the side of the net. Durrant switched to provider a minute before the break when he slipped in Harry Blossom who did well to sidestep a defender and poke the ball past the advancing keeper from close range. Haverhill could have reduced the deficit in injury time when Ryan Weaver's header in the six-yard box was saved point blank by Nathan Pauling. Any hopes for the second half didn't last long - barely two minutes after the restart Tom Cullumbine picked up the ball on the right, nipped around the keeper and slotted into the empty net. It was mostly one-way traffic from here - in the third quarter both Cullumbine and Jack Bibby failed to convert chances and Tom Fisher rattled the crossbar with a 25-yard drive. In the 88th minute the hosts grabbed number four - Jack Richardson got to the byline and pulled back for Luke O'Neill to knock in from inside the six yard box. In injury time there was time for two more chances, with Will Bennett hitting the crossbar and Richardson hitting the side netting after rounding the keeper. A comfortable win for Dussindale who could've scored a hatful beyond the four they dispatched.

Result: Dussindale & Hellesdon Rovers 4-0 Haverhill Borough

Division: Eastern Counties League Division One North

Attendance: 50

Ground #385 - Cliftonhill

Date: 6th May 2023
Location: Coatbridge, North Lanarkshire, Scotland

Ground: Cliftonhill

My tenth new ground of 2023 was on Saturday 6th May at Cliftonhill in Coatbridge, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. The game was Albion Rovers vs. Stirling Albion in Scottish League Two.

Cliftonhill is in a residential area of Coatbridge on the eastern outskirts of Glasgow. The oval shaped venue is bordered by housing to the north and west, a courthouse to the east and a retail and industrial zone across the road to the south. It is very well served by railway stations with the nearest half a mile north at Coatdyke. In addition Whifflet to the south, Coatbridge Sunnyside to the north-west and Airdrie to the north-east are all around a mile away. The venue has been home to the club since construction in 1919 when they moved from Meadow Park where they had played since 1882.

The ground still retains a partial oval shape in light of its days as a multi-purpose venue when it hosted speedway and greyhound racing. This is seen most clearly at the unused western end where a semi-circle a flat grass behind the goal gives way to a raised grass bank behind. The opposite end of the field has been converted with the oval shape removed to make room for a car park. This end saw the installation of an uncovered concrete terrace in 2015 to allow for spectator segregation.

The main side of the ground is the southern side where the entrance turnstiles are located. The main stand has 489 seats for the back half with four supporting beams in front. In front of this is a covered concrete terrace with four more supporting beams holding up the roof extension. This gives the unusual situation for people in the back of the stand to have two rows of supporting beams. The players tunnel is in the middle of the bottom section. There is uncovered standing in front of this and to the eastern part of this side of the ground where a covered disabled supporters section is positioned. The western side leads up to a club shop demountable and viewing is not allowed. The northern side of the ground has a concrete terrace for the whole length which is mostly covered except for small sections at either end. However, this side has been closed to spectators for some time with it not in a fit state to be used.

This was the final game of the League Two season - Albion were bottom and facing down a fight to keep their league status via the relegation play-off. Stirling were at the other end of the table having secured the title but had not lost a game for over five months. Albion knew their task - they had to win and hope that Bonnyrigg Rose lost at home to Elgin. With this in mind it was the hosts who started the better - in the 9th minute Joe Bevan did well to ride a couple of challenges before laying off to Euan Mutale on the right of the area who saw his shot saved. The closest Stirling came was in the 34th minute was Flynn Duffy's shot low to the keeper's right was comfortably saved. A nervy first half gave way to a more open second with Rovers taking the lead six minutes after the interval. Blair Malcolm passed the ball to Joe Bevan on the left side of the box and he slotted into the far corner. The celebrations were short-lived though as word reached Cliftonhill that Bonnyrigg had scored against Elgin. News from New Dundas Park would only get worse as the afternoon progressed so when Albion Rovers added a second in the 75th minute the cheers were muted. This goal came about when Bevan's shot was saved with Charlie Reilly smashing the rebound into the roof of the net. Reilly then hit the top of the crossbar with seven minutes to go with a 2-0 win for Albion proved academic with Bonnyrigg's 3-0 win against Elgin securing safety in their first season in the league. Two weeks later Albion's 120 stay in the Scottish Football League came to an end when they lost 2-1 on aggregate to Lowland League winners Spartans who took their place in League Two for the 2023/24 season.

Result: Albion Rovers 2-0 Stirling Albion

Division: Scottish League Two

Attendance: 623

Ground #384 - Stark's Park

Date: 5th May 2023
Ground: Stark's Park
Location: Kirkcaldy, Fife, Scotland

My ninth new ground of 2023 was on Friday 5th May at Stark's Park in Kirkcaldy, Fife, Scotland. The game was Raith Rovers vs. Partick Thistle in the Scottish Championship.

Stark's Park is located in the south of Kirkcaldy, towards its western edge. The ground is bordered by housing to the north and south and a railway line running directly west of the ground in between the stadium and a school. The eastern side is hemmed in by a road which gives the ground its unusual shape. It is one mile south of Kirkcaldy railway station and has been home to the club since 1891.

The ground is an odd mix of structures with the Main Stand in particular being rather unusual. This stand, built in 1925 starts from the south-east corner and works its way round to the halfway line where it has to stop due to the harsh encroachment from a road running alongside the ground. The two dugouts sit in this unused area so are not actually in front of any structures. The Main Stand is classic old design which had wooden seating and benching up until 1999 when plastic seats were put in. It has 5 supporting beams holding up the old roof and still houses the dressing rooms, ticket office and club shop.

Nowadays the ground is dominated by two large single tier stands at either end of the field. These identical structures hold 3,370 fans apiece thereby accounting for most than three-quarters of the current capacity. On my visit I was with the away fans in the northern end and with the wind protectors on either side the stand was very effective at keeping in the noise from the good travelling contingent to enable a great atmosphere. The western side of the ground is not currently in use - this thin stand is constrained by the railway line running behind and has concrete terracing for its southern half and bucket seating for its northern half. This stand is used to position the main TV gantry and would be brought back into use should Raith return to the Premiership.

The game was the final one of the Championship season. Raith had nothing but pride to play for after a very poor end to the season, with just one point from their previous six games, saw them marooned in 7th place nowhere near teams above or below. Partick entered the tie in 3rd place in the play-off places but there were a number of permutations which could see them topping the play-offs in a best case scenario and falling out of them entirely in a worst case scenario. What they did know was defeat would leave them relying on other results. With this in mind the away side leapt out of the traps almost scoring after eight seconds when Kyle Turner let fly with a curling 20 yard effort. This necessitated a good tip over by Raith keeper Jamie MacDonald. He was nearly beaten again with a long-range shot in the 18th minute - a cheeky quick free-kick by Ross Docherty tried to lob the home keeper from 40 yards but MacDonald was just able to backpeddle and tip over. It was little surprise then when the away side opened the scoring in the 21st minute, a Steven Lawless shot from the left was saved by MacDonald but he only pushed it as far as Darren Brownlie who knocked home. The game changed in the 34th minute when the home side were given a penalty for a Ross Docherty handful. Lewis Vaughan struck the penalty well sending David Mitchell in the Partick goal the wrong way. It was Raith's sole shot on target in the first half and Partick were unlucky to go in level going close just before the interval as Scott Tiffoney drove a low free-kick just wide of the post. 

The second half saw the teams trade attacks with a Raith shot blocked on the line before a minute later Partick had an effort blocked at close quarters. Another key moment came in the 59th minute - the visitors should have had a penalty but the referee failed to see a clear handball. Raith then went up the other end and a deflected Scott McGill shot ended up in the bottom corner to put the hosts 2-1 up. Ten minutes later the pendulum swung again when a ball was zipped across the Raith goal over to Aidan Fitzpatrick. The Partick midfielder squared the ball for Scott Tiffony who dispatched to level the game up at 2-2. The closing stages saw Raith's William Akio force a great save out of Mitchell with a curling effort and Aidan Fitzpatrick go on a mazy run before MacDonald saved his shot. The game finished 2-2 and the equaliser proved crucial for Partick in securing the final play-off spot at the expense of Greenock Morton. A great end-to-end encounter in front of passionate fans, the evening was a good advert for Scottish football.

Result: Raith Rovers 2-2 Partick Thistle

Division: Scottish Championship

Attendance: 2,899

Ground #262 - The New Lawn

Date: 2nd April 2018
Ground: The New Lawn
Location: Nailsworth, Gloucestershire

My tenth new ground of 2018 was on Monday 2nd April at The New Lawn in Nailsworth, Gloucestershire. The match was Forest Green Rovers vs. Colchester United in Football League Two.

The New Lawn is located on the western tip of the village of Nailsworth at the top of a fairly steep hill. The stadium is in a rural setting with fields to the north and west and trees to the south. To the east they are next door to a primary school with the residential areas all beyond this point. The remote setting means the nearest railway station is at Stroud some four miles north. The venue has been home to club since 2006 when they left the ground that gives the current one its name - The Lawn. Apart from a brief 3 year spell away for ground improvement works during the 1920s this had been Forest Green's home since their formation in 1889.

The stadium is dominated by the East Stand which runs the full length of the field of play. This all-seater stand has 1,881 seats with hospitality boxes running along the back of the stand. Unusually there are no dugout structures with two split areas of normal looking seating separated by a barrier from the rest of the spectators. Unlike other grounds in the Football League there is no barrier separating the seating areas from the pitch. Inside the stand itself is the reception, ticket office and a pub for home supporters.

Upon my visit the western side of the ground, which is allocated to away fans, was made up of seven rows of concrete terracing and was entirely uncovered. In August 2018 the club completed construction of a 200 seat covered stand towards the southern end of the ground. This sits at the back of the concrete terracing so still allows for supporters to occupy terracing in front of the stand. In the north-west corner there is a food outlet serving these supporters - Forest Green are well known as a vegan club so no meat products on offer! The northern end has a covered terrace running for around three-quarters of its length with the north-east corner taken up by another food outlet. Directly behind this stand was a tented area for away fans to congregate in which again sold food and drink. The southern end of the ground also has a covered terrace though this only takes up around half this end. In the south-west corner there is an additional building which serves as the dressing rooms with this leading out onto the pitch via the players tunnel.

The game started off perfectly for Colchester as they recorded the opener after just 16 seconds. A neat one-two between Sammie Szmodics and Mikael Mandron sent Szmodics down the left wing and his cross found a free Drey Wright who knocked the ball into the corner of the net from inside the six yard box. The U's found themselves on top in the first half and some nice interplay between Szmodics and Wright saw the ball crossed into Szmodics who blazed over on the volley from six yards out. Straight from the goal kick the ball was sent back up the home end with Mikael Mandron dragging a shot wide when he was just about in on goal. The hosts finally started to get into the game after this and shortly after Tahvon Campbell missed a close range header Forest Green were given the perfect opportunity to level the scores when Tom Eastman clumsily fouled Haydn Hollis in the box. Reuben Reid sent Colchester keeper Sam Walker to the wrong way to ensure the sides went in tied at the break. The visitors managed to replicate their fantastic start to the first half by netting very early on in the second half. This time it took 89 seconds after the opening whistle for Ben Stevenson to pick up the ball 35 yards from goal, run unchallenged to the edge of the area before smashing into the bottom corner. Forest Green generated a couple of nervy moments from free-kicks and corners before Drey Wright had a shot cleared off the line in the 70th minute. The final section of the match was all Forest Green as Colchester dropped deep. The away side rode their luck a little over these minutes but held on for a deserved three points.

Result: Forest Green Rovers 1-2 Colchester United
Division: Football League Two
Attendance: 2,869

Ground #175 - Burroughs Park

Date: 21st July 2015
Ground: Burroughs Park
Location: Great Wakering, Essex

My tenth new ground of 2015 was on Tuesday 21st July at Burroughs Park in Great Wakering, Essex. The match was Great Wakering Rovers vs. Concord Rangers in a friendly.

Burroughs Park is adjacent to a large number of allotments on the edge of the village of Great Wakering. Is is 2.5 miles from the nearest railway station at Shoeburyness although Southend Central at 5 miles away has the advantage of connecting bus services. The venue has been home to the club since 1985.

The ground has one all-seater stand which sits just to the west of the half-way line on the northern side of the venue. This stand can hold 150 supporters and includes a wooden press box in the back corner. The remainder of this side of Burroughs Park is uncovered hard standing and there is a small demountable club shop just to the east of the all-seater stand.

The southern side has a covered terrace level with the half-way line. In front of this are the two dugouts. There is additional uncovered concrete terracing behind both of the goals with this taking up half the space at the eastern and western sections of the ground. The north-east corner, known as Nobby's End, contains the clubhouse, a food outlet and changing rooms with a roof section extending over the hard standing in this corner.

The game was a friendly between Isthmian League Division One North side Great Wakering Rovers and Conference South side Concord Rangers. The visitors were the better of the two sides throughout the game taking the lead in the 23rd minute as Ben Greenhalgh dinked a free-kick over the wall and into the bottom corner from 20 yards. Five minutes later Concord doubled their lead with a short corner routine allowing Sam Bantick to collect the ball before cutting inside a defender and curling the ball past the keeper. The home side steadied themselves and had a decent spell before the break including an effort which hit the crossbar. However the away side showed their two division advantage in the second period with a comfortable performance. Great Wakering relied on their goalkeeper to make a number of good saves but in the 82nd minute they broke through when Tony Stokes held off the attentions of the home defence before curling into the net from the edge of the area. Concord rounded off the scoring in the 87th minute as they camped around the home penalty area - the first couple of shots were blocked but when the ball fell to George Doyle he made no mistake as he slotted home.

Result: Great Wakering Rovers 0-4 Concord Rangers
Friendly
Attendance: N/A

Ground #171 - Parsonage Field

Date: 6th April 2015
Ground: Parsonage Field
Location: Farleigh, Surrey

My sixth new ground of 2015 was on Monday 6th April at Parsonage Field in Farleigh, Surrey. The match was Farleigh Rovers vs. AFC Croydon Athletic in the Combined Counties League Division One.

Parsonage Field is in a leafy, residential area on the edge of Warmlingham. The ground is around 3 miles east of the closest railway stations at Whyteleafe, Whyteleafe South and Upper Warlingham. The venue became home to the club in 1959.

The southern side of the ground contains the car park, a clubhouse and the dugouts. The clubhouse building has an overhanging roof providing a covered spectator area which includes a couple of wooden benches. To the right of this there is an open area which extends towards the pitch and this contains several additional picnic benches.

The remainder of the venue is uncovered standing but there are no more hard standing areas on the other three sides. There is a metal barrier running alongside the pitch on the the northern side of the ground and this extends round the corners almost as far as the two goals. There is however only a narrow strip where fans can congregate behind the two goals. Directly behind the eastern goal is the access road to the venue and beyond this a field. The perimeter fence on this side has seen better days so the club are hoping to replace this soon. There are no floodlights at Parsonage Field which led to the club moving to the Croydon Arena a few years ago. They have now returned but will be unable to progress any further up the league ladder without a floodlit ground.

This was a top of the table clash with both sides knowing a win would see them occupying 1st place come the final whistle. The visitors had the best of the opening period of the game and took the lead in the 26th minute when Callum Maclean controlled the ball well in the box before driving into the bottom corner. AFC Croydon Athletic were looking to extend their lead while they were on top but two Farleigh goals in the space of four minutes turned the game on its head. Just after the half-hour mark the hosts were awarded a penalty when a free-kick was handled in the box - Liam Neaves stepped up and sent the keeper the wrong way to level the game up at 1-1. In the 38th minute Neaves scored again when his free-kick into the area bypassed everyone and bounced into the top corner of the net. The away side were on top for the bulk of the second half but Farleigh dug in resolutely and were able to eke out a 2-1 victory to remain at the summit of the division.

Result: Farleigh Rovers 2-1 AFC Croydon Athletic
Division: Combined Counties League Division One
Attendance: 207

Ground #156 - The New Croft

Date: 12th August 2014
Ground: The New Croft
Location: Haverhill, Suffolk

My sixteenth new ground of 2014 was on Tuesday 12th August at The New Croft in Haverhill, Suffolk. The match was Haverhill Rovers vs. Newmarket Town in the Eastern Counties League Premier Division.

The New Croft is on the eastern outskirts of the town as part of a larger sports complex. The nearest railway station is the small one at Dullingham around 9 miles north-east of the ground though for connecting bus services Cambridge is more suitable. The venue was opened in 2010 with its name a reference to the club's former home at Hamlet Croft where they had played from 1913 until the move. In addition to Haverhill Rovers, the venue is also the permanent residence of Haverhill Borough FC.

There is a covered all-seater stand capable of holding 158 people located on the western side of the ground. Behind this is the main club building including the bar, food outlet and dressing rooms. There is also an outside seating area to the left of the stand. The New Croft was built 2010 at a cost of £2m and this shows with the club building as it is very impressive compared with other teams in the division.

The only other stand in the ground is a small covered metal terrace directly behind the goal at the southern end of the venue. The rest of The New Croft is uncovered standing behind a metal barrier which extends round the pitch. The two dugouts sit on the eastern side of the ground opposite the main stand.

This one turned out to be a one-sided affair with a rampant Newmarket thrashing the home side. The visitors opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 27th minute - Richard Chadwick was clumsily fouled in the box allowing Lee Clift to dispatch the resulting spot-kick. In the 36th minute Newmarket doubled their lead when Jake Wayne cut inside a defender before chipping the goalkeeper from 20 yards. Just a few minutes later it was 3-0 as Ollie Snaith's sweetly struck shot from the edge of the area went in off the post. Things didn't get much better for Haverhill in the second half, they fell four goals behind in the 51st minute when Andrew Claydon was left unmarked from a corner and was able smash the ball in off the crossbar. In the 66th minute the visiting side extended their lead to five as a Jack Higgs free-kick took a big deflection on its way past Adam Whybrow in the Haverhill goal. The bad night for the hosts was compounded in the 84th minute when they were reduced to 10 men after a wild tackle by Dan Cornwell on Newmarket goalkeeper George Lawton.

Result: Haverhill Rovers 0-5 Newmarket Town
Division: Eastern Counties League Premier Division 
Attendance: 72

Ground #135 - Prenton Park

Date: 26th October 2013
Ground: Prenton Park
Location: Birkenhead, Merseyside

My twenty-fourth new ground of 2013 was on Saturday 26th October at Prenton Park in Birkenhead, Merseyside. The match was Tranmere Rovers vs. Milton Keynes Dons in Football League One.

Prenton Park is located in the Prenton area of Birkenhead and is 1 mile from the nearest railway station at Rock Ferry. The venue has been home to the club since 1912.

Prenton Park was extensively renovated over the 1994-1995 season in order to fulfil the requirement for clubs in the top two tiers to have all-seater stadiums. The Main Stand is on the west of the ground and is the largest at Prenton Park with a capacity of 5,957. The stand is a two-tiered structure consisting of a 3,598 capacity upper tier and a 2,359 capacity lower tier. The stadium reception, club shop and hospitality areas are all in the Main Stand.

Opposite the Main Stand is the Johnny King Stand. As this backs onto the road behind the ground this is the smallest stand at Prenton Park - it has a capacity of 2,414. Before the stadium redevelopment The Kop behind the southern goal was an uncovered terrace - in 1995 it was re-opened as an impressive all-seater structure with room for 5,696 fans. The Cowshed Stand is behind the northern goal and because of the road running behind it the stand has an unusual slanted look. The Cowshed Stand can seat up to 2,500 away supporters.

Both teams went into this game on a poor run of form with Tranmere yet to win at home and MK Dons having only recorded one away win. The opening goal came from a defensive error in the 7th minute - a long ball was played from the edge of the Tranmere box and MK Dons defender Shaun Williams headed the ball into the path of Ryan Lowe who was able to lob goalkeeper Ian McLoughlin from 20 yards. Tranmere did not look like a team in the relegation zone in the opening half an hour as they played well and easily contained the threat from the visitors. That changed in the 39th minute when Tranmere stood off Daniel Powell and allowed him to run unchallenged before shooting into the bottom corner from just outside the penalty area. This gave the visitors a lift and they ended the half in strong form. This continued into the start of the second half as Jason Banton beat a defender before curling a 25-yard effort into the corner of the net. Tranmere were under pressure at this point and the visitors came close to wrapping the game up with a third goal. In the 65th minute the home side won a free-kick and as it was lifted into the box Jimmy McNulty was fouled by Jordan Spence. Ryan Lowe tucked away to penalty to even the score up at 2-2. The rest of the game was end-to-end stuff - Patrick Bamford missed an easy chance to put MK Dons back in front and they were made to pay for this in the 84th minute when a cross into the area found Jake Kirby who clipped the ball back to James Rowe to shoot home to win the game for Tranmere.

Result: Tranmere Rovers 3-2 Milton Keynes Dons
Division: Football League One
Attendance: 4,100

Ground #117 - Ewood Park

Date: 29th March 2013
Ground: Ewood Park
Location: Blackburn, Lancashire

My sixth new ground of 2013 was on Friday 29th March at Ewood Park in Blackburn, Lancashire. The match was Blackburn Rovers vs. Blackpool in the Football League Championship.

Ewood Park is located to the south of the town centre and is mostly surrounded by housing though the eastern side of the ground backs onto a wooded area. The stadium is just under a mile from the nearest railway station at Mill Hill with the better serviced Blackburn station 1.5 miles away. Ewood Park was built in 1882 and the club have played there since 1890.

Three sides of the ground were extensively redeveloped in the mid-1990s with only the Riverside Stand on the eastern side of the venue not updated during this period. This stand is the only single-tiered structure in the stadium and can house around 4,000 supporters. There are eight supporting pillars which hold up the roof providing cover to the back section of the stand. The fans in the front section remain uncovered.

The remaining three stands are all two-tiered with executive boxes in between the two tiers. The 11,000 seat Jack Walker Stand runs alongside the pitch on the western side of the stadium contains the dressing rooms, media centre and premier hospitality section. The stands behind each of the goals are similar in nature with both providing around 8,000 seats. Behind the goal at the northern section of the venue is The Blackburn End and behind the other goal is the Darwen End. This end is split between home and away supporters.

The game was pretty poor in the first half. Blackpool played some neat passing football with Tom Ince causing problems for the Blackburn defence, but there were no clear-cut chances for the visitors. Blackburn had the best opportunities of the half with Grant Hanley coming closest after a penalty box scramble. The game livened up in the second period and Blackburn really should have been ahead in the 54th minute when David Jones rounded Blackpool goalkeeper Matt Gilks only to lose his balance and blaze over the bar. Josh King also had a good opportunity to score for the home side a couple of minutes later when he shot over from six yards. Surprisingly though it was the visitors who opened the scoring in the 64th minute. This was against the run of play but the hosts failed to react quickly enough when a corner was nodded onto Gary Mackenzie who steered home from close range. The home side kept up the pressure and in the 79th minute finally got their reward when Jordan Rhodes headed home from six yards out after good work from Todd Kane. In the closing stages of the match the visitors came back into it and a good Jake Kean save was required to prevent Nathan Delfouneso's header from ending up in the back of the net. This secured a point for Blackburn with the match ending 1-1.

Result: Blackburn Rovers 1-1 Blackpool
Division: Football League Championship
Attendance: 17,764

Ground #102 - Keepmoat Stadium

Date: 4th August 2012
Ground: Keepmoat Stadium
Location: Doncaster, South Yorkshire

My fourteenth new ground of 2012 was on Saturday 4th August at the Keepmoat Stadium in Doncaster, South Yorkshire. The match was Doncaster Rovers vs. Barnsley in a friendly game.

The Keepmoat Stadium is situated in a sports complex just to the south of Doncaster town centre around 1.7 miles from Doncaster railway station. The ground has been home to the club since 2007 when they moved to the venue from their previous Belle Vue stadium where they had played since 1922.

The ground is a single-tiered bowl which has a total capacity of 15,231. The West Stand runs alongside the pitch and is the main stand in the ground. It contains the players dressing rooms as well as the media centre and reception area. Opposite this is the East Stand which features a number of executive boxes and includes the family section towards the southern end of the structure.

Behind the goal at the southern end is the South Stand which includes the ticket office and club shop. Finally, at the other end of the pitch is the North Stand where away fans are seated. As the stadium is part of a larger sports complex there is a small athletics stadium directly next to it featuring a 500-seat stand which is the base for athletics in the town as well as the home for other sports teams.

The game was a friendly match between Football League One side Doncaster Rovers and Football League Championship side Barnsley. The first goal did not take long to arrive as Doncaster's Martin Woods cut inside a defender and took a shot which took a deflection on the way through and bobbled into the bottom corner of the net to give the hosts the lead. In the 25th minute the visitors equalised when the ball was sent across the six-yard box and defender David Cotterill slid the ball into his own net. In the opening period of the second half Craig Davies was twice sent clear of the Doncaster defence but on both occasions shot wide. However, the home defence did not learn their lesson and in the 72nd minute Davies was once again sent clean through and this time made no mistake as he stroked the ball under the advancing goalkeeper. Just a few minutes later however Doncaster levelled when a corner flew over Ben Alnwick in the Barnsley goal presenting David Syres with an open net in which to place the ball. The game finished 2-2 which, between two evenly matched teams, was a fair result.

Result: Doncaster Rovers 2-2 Barnsley
Friendly
Attendance: 2,913

Ground #99 - Memorial Stadium

Date: 14th April 2012
Ground: Memorial Stadium
Location: Horfield, Bristol

My eleventh new ground of 2012 was on Saturday 14th April at the Memorial Stadium in Horfield, Bristol. The match was Bristol Rovers vs. Burton Albion in Football League Two.

The Memorial Stadium is nestled in a residential area in the Horfield area in the north of the city of Bristol. The nearest railway station is Filton Abbey Wood which is 1.7 miles away. The ground has been home to the club since 1996 when they moved back to the city after spending a decade playing in nearby Bath. Prior to this Bristol Rovers had played at Eastville Stadium for 89 years up until 1986 when financial difficulties forced them out. The Memorial Stadium itself was built in 1921 and was primarily used as a rugby venue until the football club moved in.

Despite a capacity of nearly 12,000 the stadium has just 2,500 seats split across three separate stands. The 1,060 seat Uplands Stand was built on top of a terrace in the late 1980s and looks very tall compared to the rest of the ground. The stand is level with the half-way line and takes up around a third of the north-eastern side of the venue. The rest of this side of the ground is uncovered terracing which sits to the left, right and in front of the Uplands Stand and has a capacity of just over 2,300. On the opposite side of the pitch is the DAS Stand, a dramatic structure that looks more like a cricket pavilion than a conventional football stand. This stand contains 710 seats and like the Uplands Stand has terracing in front of it with room for a further 1,100 fans. Next to the DAS Stand there is the small Family Terrace stand which adds another 720 spectators to this side of the ground.

Behind the goal at the south-east side of the ground is the South Stand, an all-seater stand which can place just over 1,000 supporters. This was initially erected as a temporary stand and has no less than ten stanchions holding up the roof meaning that almost all the seats in this area will have their view partially blocked. Behind the opposite goal is the Blackthorn End, a covered terrace where around 3,700 home fans can watch the match from.

The game was a drab affair during a poor first half where neither team showed any real invention and with half-time approaching it looked like it would be a goalless first period. However, in the 39th minute the game sparked into life when Burton's Jimmy Phillips rounded the goalkeeper and when presented with an open goal managed to hit the post with his effort. The visitors were punished for not taking this opportunity just a couple of minutes later when Mustapha Carayol unleashed a speculative 25-yard drive which fooled Ross Atkins in the Burton goal and ended up in the back of the net. It took just 12 seconds of the second half for the hosts to double their lead when Burton defender Ryan Austin completely missed the ball with his attempted headed clearance and Eliot Richards snuck in to poke it into the goal. In the 54th minute Calvin Zola's looping shot from close-range pulled a goal back for the visitors but on the hour Rovers regained their two-goal lead as Matt Harrold converted from the penalty spot after Eliot Richards was felled in the area. Shortly after Jim Paterson added a fourth when he steered the ball into the bottom corner from 12 yards out to put the home side in control. In the 75th minute a deflected Matt Harrold shot from the edge of the box made it 5-1 and less than a minute late it was 6-1 after a terrible mix-up between Burton goalie Ross Atkins and defender Nathan Stanton saw them collide and allow Eliot Richards to tap home into the empty net. The scoring was completed in the 81st minute when a deflected shot from Eliot Richards allowed him to complete his hat-trick and ensure Bristol Rovers ran out 7-1 winners.

Result: Bristol Rovers 7-1 Burton Albion
Division: Football League Two
Attendance: 5,353

Ground #16 - Hawthorns

Date: 19th January 2011
Ground: Hawthorns
Location: Stanway, Essex

My third new ground of 2011 was on Wednesday 19th January at Hawthorns in Stanway, Essex. The match was Stanway Rovers vs. Walsham-le-Willows in the Eastern Counties League Premier Division.

The Hawthorns ground is located in a residential area of Stanway just to the west of Colchester. The venue is 3 miles from Colchester railway station but there is a bus service from the railway station which stops close to the ground. Hawthorns has been home to Stanway Rovers since 1979.

The ground has two small stands level with the half-way line on the eastern side of the venue. These are both able to seat 50 supporters giving the ground a total seating capacity of 100. The remainder of this side of the ground is uncovered standing and it is the same story on the opposite side of the pitch. The western side of the ground contains the dugouts and two five-a-side pitches behind the pitch.

The uncovered standing section continues round behind the goal at the northern end of the ground but behind the goal at the southern end is a covered standing area which also contains a few chairs for those who want to sit. The southern side of the ground contains most of the other club facilities such as the players dressing rooms and the clubhouse.

The game was a pretty turgid affair - both teams came into the match in difficulties with Walsham-le-Willows towards the foot of the table and Stanway having sacked their manager three days earlier. It was the visitors who took an early lead but just when it looked like they were heading towards a narrow 1-0 win Stanway managed to sneak a last minute equaliser to rescue a draw for the home side.

Result: Stanway Rovers 1-1 Walsham-le-Willows
Division: Eastern Counties League Premier Division
Attendance: 61