Ground #393 - Ingfield Stadium

Date: 2nd September 2023
Ground: Ingfield Stadium
Location: Ossett, West Yorkshire

My eighteenth new ground of 2023 was on Saturday 2nd September at Ingfield Stadium in Ossett, West Yorkshire. The game was Ossett United vs. Marske United in F.A. Cup 1st Round Qualifying.

Ingfield Stadium is located near the centre of Ossett, directly opposite the town's bus station to the south. It is surrounded by housing on the other three sides. The ground is 3.5 miles west of the nearest railway station at Wakefield Westgate. Ossett United was formed as an amalgamation of Ossett Town and Ossett Albion in 2018 but the venue had been the home of Ossett Town since 1959. 

Many of the club facilities are on the eastern side of Ingfield Stadium. A clubhouse building faces towards the pitch (though you can only see half the pitch due to a dressing room building just to the northern side of the halfway line. In front of the clubhouse are picnic benches and then a three-level uncovered concrete viewing area. Towards the south-east corner are two-storey demountables with a little club shop and hospitality on the bottom floor and a supporters bar on the top floor. There is then an additional demountable serving as a food outlet in the corner itself. 

The dugouts are positioned on the western side and straddle the halfway line. Next to this towards the northern end is a covered concrete stand and beyond this a grass area with a strip of uncovered hard standing. There is more uncovered flat standing heading towards the southern end. The southern end itself has an all-seater stand taking up the middle half of this end - it has five rows of seating and has five supporting beams to hold up the roof. To the east of this is a little shack for announcers and an elevated disabled viewing area. The northern end is the most basic with it consisting of uncovered flat concrete standing except for a small covered metal terrace directly behind the goal.

The game was an F.A. Cup 1st Round Qualifying tie between Northern Premier League Division One East side Ossett United and Northern Premier League Premier Division side Marske United. Both had experienced similarly poor starts with both sitting 2nd bottom of their respective divisions with a single win from their first five games. The start of the game was a slow one with no early chances. The first item of note was a Marske attack after 20 minutes which resulted in Eddie Church's shot from the right side of the area being well saved and cleared after a scramble. Five minutes later Marske got their noses in front - Donald Chimalilo did well to ride several challenges before clipping a cross over Ossett keeper Joe Green. The initial header was blocked but it fell to Church who knocked in from a couple of yards out. The closest the hosts came in the opening 45 was just before the interval when Jimmy Burke headed well wide of the target from a free header resulting from a free-kick. The visitors started the second half on the front foot as in the first minute Adam Boyes headed just wide at the back post from close range. In the 53rd minute they were awarded a free-kick in a dangerous area and Josh MacDonald's excellent curling shot found the corner of the net to put his team 2-0 up. Eddie Church was inches wide of his second and Marske's third in the 74th minute as he saw a shot deflected wide but a couple of minutes later it was the away goalkeeper who was required. A free-kick was headed out as far as Zak Dearnley who smashed a shot at goal only for Nathan Harker to save theatrically. This proved important as five minutes later Marske had a third when Adam Boyes stroked past the Joe Green after a defence splitting ball. This put the tie to bed with the higher league opponents too strong for Ossett.

Result: Ossett United 0-3 Marske United

Competition: F.A. Cup

Attendance: 321

Ground #391 - Underlane

Date: 16th August 2023
Ground: Underlane
Location: Wendron, Cornwall

My sixteenth new ground of 2023 was on Wednesday 16th August at Underlane in Wendron, Cornwall The game was Wendron United vs. Penzance in South West Peninsula League Premier Division West.

Underlane is actually 4 miles north-east of the main settlement of Wendron and is closest to the settlement of Carnkie. It is mostly surrounded by fields with only the small village of Carnkie to the north. The ground is a few miles west of the outskirts of the Penryn & Falmouth urban area so is 4 miles from the nearest railway station at Penryn. Wendron Cricket Club have been based on the site since 1949 and the football club took up residence in 1986.

The northern flank has the sole stand at the ground. The whole side is perched atop a stone wall to give an unusual appearance. It is entirely covered with a standing section on two levels towards the east, then a seated area with 4 rows of benches and then back to the standing on two levels towards the west. There are a large number of supporting beams throughout to hold up the roof which is adorned with solar panels. It is an interesting set-up which sets it apart from other venues at this level in England. The opposite side is sparse in comparison with the two dugouts and a raised platform by the halfway line. There is a very thin walkway but this side is clearly not meant for spectators. Behind this side is the car park and the clubhouse which has a bar and small event space and is shared with the cricket club.

The eastern end is similarly limited on the spectator front but backs onto a cage 3G mini pitch as well as a larger grass pitch. The western end is where the entrance can be found as well as a 2 storey club building which includes the dressing rooms. There is a thin standing area which stops halfway past the goal to account for the stone wall which works its way round all the way along northern side to the end The rest of the western side is elevated as the ground rises with the hills.

This was a game in the early stages of season. The previous season had seen Wendron narrowly missing out on promotion with a 2nd place finish while Penzance were down in13th. The visitors took an early lead in the 12th minute when a shot by Oscar Massey was spilled by keeper Ethan Fearn into the path of Rolandos Samnauskas who bundled the ball over the line. The lead was doubled in the 27th minute - a free-kick from the right looped over Fearn, hit the post, and then bounced back to Kam Collins who knocked in during a scramble. The key moment in the game came eight minutes later - a terrific 25-yard volley for Penzance went just wide and could have seen them 3-0 up. Instead Wendron went up the other end and scored in fortuitous circumstances. A ball from the right looked to be going out but it hit the post, went back into the six yard box where a Wendron attacker managed to hit the other post before the ball fell to Charlie Young who knocked home. The away side did have another chance to restore their goal goal advantage on the stroke of half-time but Oscar Massey blazed over when let in on goal by a defensive error. 

They were made to pay four minutes after the break as Wendron's Reece Carroll ran down the left and unleashed a shot which took a wicked deflection to loop up and crash back down into the corner of the net. This part of the game was end-to-end stuff, Oscar Massey had a point blank saved by Ethan Fearn and then a minute later at the other end Josh Wood's header was saved at point blank range by Mikey Flores. Wendron got their noses in front for the first time in the 61st minute - a ball from the right found Charlie Young who controlled it, spun and drilled a shot into the bottom corner. The balance changed at this point and the remaining half-hour was one-way traffic. Wendron grabbed their fourth in the 70th minute - with the ball bouncing around the box after Mikey Flores saved Ryan Reeve's shot, it was Joe Wood who reacted first to knock in. Flores denied a fifth a couple of minute later when he saved a 20-yard shot from Young. He couldn't stop Young from completing his hat-trick ten minutes from time though. As the two went for the ball Young managed to nip in front of the keeper and though there was still work to do as he collected the ball on the left side of the box he did well to curl into the far corner to put the game to bed. In the final minutes the hosts were still hungry for more with Ryan Reeve hitting the bar and Charlie Young hitting the post. A cracking game finished 5-2 with Wendron well and truly coming back from behind to dominate the second half.

Result: Wendron United 5-2 Penzance

Division: South West Peninsula League Premier Division West

Attendance: 90

Ground #371 - Tannadice Park

Date: 7th August 2022
Ground: Tannadice Park

Location: Dundee, Scotland

My eleventh new ground of 2022 was on Saturday 7th August at Tannadice Park in Dundee, Scotland. The game was Dundee United vs. Livingston in the Scottish Premiership.

Tannadice Park is located in a residential area of the city just 200 yards from city rivals Dundee FC. It has roads to the north, south and west and allotments to the east and the parcel of land is irregular in size resulting in two of the stands tapering to fit in with it. The venue is 1.5 miles north of Dundee railway station and has been home to the club since 1909. Prior to this other clubs from the city used the ground dating back to the 1880s. 

The club store and ticket office are located on the opposite side of the road to the south side due to the tight footprint. The south end is technically split into two stands bolted together - the older Jimmy Kerr Stand was the first cantilevered stand in Scotland upon its opening in 1962 - it is a two-tier stand running from the halfway line and round the south-east quadrant to meet up with the east end. It has an upper deck for seating  with a high roof giving ample space for a TV platform and media section. ThE lower section is taken up by corporate viewing. This unusual set-up of corporate sections being low down is also split into two sections due to space required for the steps leading up to the seating deck. Directly in front of the corporate area are the two dugouts. The Jim McLean Stand was built in 1997 and is bolted onto the Jimmy Kerr Stand so that seating is provided for the full length of the south side. This extension has seating on both upper and lower decks. 

This eastern end is home to the Eddie Thompson Stand - another two-tier structure which tapers off at the upper level to accommodate the adjacent allotments. This stand was opened in 1994 and is inhabited by the loudest element of the home support. The George Fox Stand is the largest at Tannadice Park and runs along the northern end. Another structure dating back to the early 1990s this has two tiers with a smaller upper deck on top of the larger lower deck. The West Stand is the only single-tier one at the venue - it was converted from terracing to seating in 1994 and you can still see the leftovers of the terracing in the north-west corner with the stand not extending for the whole end of the pitch. This is a more basic looking stand with two stanchions supporting the roof. It is given over to away followings with large support while smaller allocations are positioned in the Jim McLean Stand. 

This was the first home league game of the season for Dundee United coming off the back of a 4th place finish last season while Livingston had finished 7th. The home side had a lethargic start, possibly due to being in Europa Conference action the previous Thursday beating AZ Alkmaar 1-0. The away side were the better of the two but the first half was a very dull affair with neither side registering a shot on target. That all changed four minutes after the break when Livingston took the lead through a cracking 20-yard drive by Christian Montano. This spurred United into action and a couple of minutes later Tony Watt did well to make space in the box for a shot which was well saved by Shamal George. Watt was involved again in the 66th minute after a neat 1-2 finished with him shooting just wide of the post. Livingston's best chance for a second came three minutes later when Joel Nouble played Scott Pitman in on goal. United goalie Mark Birighitti rushed out and closed down the shot to keep the game at 1-0. Dundee United continued to press and Mathew Cudjoe had two 20-yard efforts go close, the first requiring a tip over by George and the second just wide of the mark. The latter came in injury time and this proved to the the final chance for United to salvage something out of the game. Any hopes of a better performance in the 2nd leg of their Europa Conference tie against Alkmaar a few days later went up in smoke as the Tangerines suffered to a 7-0 defeat leaving them to contemplate a bad week for the club.

Result: Dundee United 0-1 Livingston

Division: Scottish Premiership

Attendance: 7,442

Ground #364 - Plantation Park

Date: 9th April 2022
Location: Blofield, Norfolk
Ground: Plantation Park

My fourth new ground of 2022 was on Saturday 9th April at Plantation Park in Blofield, Norfolk. The game was Norwich United vs. Hadleigh United in the Eastern Counties League Premier Division.

Plantation Park is off the A47 to the north-east of the village of Blofield. The wider complex is bordered by fields in three directions and the A47 to the south. It has a handful of smaller football pitches with the car park in the centre of the site. The nearest railway station is Brundall, some 1.75 miles south. The club have had a few venues over the years and have been at their current home since 1991.

The sole stand at the venue is on the southern side of the ground. This wood and metal stand is split into three sections - designated seating occupies the middle third and is flanked either side by two rows of benching which has been added atop of original terracing. This stand takes up the middle half of the south with uncovered standing to the left and right of it. The opposite side of the field houses the two dugouts and has a decent sized grass area behind the strip of hard standing.

The western end has hard standing behind the goal with grass and a few picnic benches beyond this. The back of this section leads to a food outlet facing the pitch and a clubhouse including a bar on the upper floor. The club building contains the dressing rooms and a Macron store. The most basic area of Plantation Park is the eastern end which consists of uncovered standing only.

The game saw 5th placed Norwich up against 14th place Hadleigh. The form book was turned on its head during the opening hour as the visitors opened up a three goal advantage. The first came in the 10th minute when Joel Glover finished well into the corner of the net. Norwich attacked the visiting end throughout the first half and went close in the 26th minute when a shot from the left side of the box was well saved by the Hadleigh keeper. The five minutes following this saw the hosts peppering the Hadleigh goal with efforts, first a low shot was saved by the keeper followed by a free-kick inches over the bar. This effort saw no reward and barely a minute into the second half the visitors extended their lead when a Joel Glover free-kick from the left went under the jumping wall and past the keeper into the bottom corner. And on 59 minutes the game looked to be won when Max Tate knocked in a third for Hadleigh. Norwich did however grab a goal back in the 69th minute when a cross into the box was hit towards goal by Liam Jackson - despite a defender's best attempts to keep the ball out the linesman flagged that the ball had gone over the line. It was a nervy finish for the Suffolk side when the deficit was reduced to one in the 89th minute as a shot went over the keeper and Liam Jackson stroked into an empty net from a yard out. Norwich had a great chance during injury time to salvage a draw when a ball to the back post found Jordan Buttle but the attacker blazed over and the final whistle went a few seconds later.

Result: Norwich United 2-3 Hadleigh United

Division: Eastern Counties League Premier Division

Attendance: N/A

Ground #318 - Guy's Meadow

Date: 8th May 2019
Ground: Guy's Meadow
Location: Cumbernauld, North Lanarkshire, Scotland

My thirty-third new ground of 2019 was on Wednesday 8th May at Guy's Meadow in Cumbernauld, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. The match was Cumbernauld United vs. Arthurlie in the West of Scotland Championship.

Guy's Meadow is located in the north-east of Cumbernauld in the 'village' area of the town just south of the M80 motorway. The complex is bordered by woods to the west and south, housing to the east and to the north is a road with a river at the side of it. The venue is a 2.5 mile walk from Cumbernauld railway station and has been home to the club since 1974.

The southern side of the ground has an eleven level concrete terrace for its whole duration. Unusually it continues beyond the western end of the pitch for quite some distance. This side has a covered section in the middle with uncovered sections either side. At the back of the terracing in the south-east corner is a snack bar and a surprisingly nice clubhouse and bar. There is then a separate designated smoking area in a garden-esque structure at the very back of this.

The only other side with spectator facilities is the eastern end. Leading through car park and into the entrance turnstiles this end has an uncovered hard standing walkway for most of its length. There is a dressing room building in the north-east corner but spectators are barred from standing near this. Behind this end is an artificial cage pitch. The ground is only effectively only a one and three-quarter side affair with the northern and western end off limits. The northern side has the two dugours while the western end has four artificial mini pitches behind the goal. Another slightly unusual feature is that the artificial pitches at either end are floodlit but the main pitch is not.

The match was a battle for the final Championship promotion place with the sides in 4th and 3rd respectively ahead of the evening's tie. There was a goal almost instantly as Arthurlie netted with barely 100 seconds on the clock. A corner found Liam Mushet who saw his shot blocked on the line. However the ball kept bouncing around the danger zone with James Marks managing to tuck away from close range. Cumbernauld were behind for only nine minutes though when Kieran McAleennan cutting inside the area before curling a great shot into the far corner of the net from 15 yards. The hosts had the better of the first half going close in the 22nd minute as Connor Stephenson's hard 25 yard effort was tipped over by the keeper. It was little surprise to see thr home side take the lead just three minutes after this - a through ball to Connor Scullion beat the offside trap allowing him time to stroke past the keeper with ease. Cumbernauld could have gone in two goals to the good but Connor Stevenson headed over Paddy McCabe's whipped cross six minutes before the break. After the interval the pattern continued with Scullion doing well initially to nick the ball off a defender after his misjudged a bounce in the six yard box. He then snatched at his shot and dragged it wide. In the 68th minute Arthurlie unexpectedly equalised - after great work down the left the ball was crossed in and headed towards goal. The home keeper then suffered a howler as he allowed it to slip through his legs and over the line. The pendulum now appeared to be swinging back to Arthurlie and with 14 minuted left a cross into the Cumbernauld box caused consternation between defenders and keeper with the ball just staying out. There was then a frenetic end to the proceedings with Cumbernauld being awarded a 90th minute penalty after the keeper brought down an attacker. Tony Stevenson went to the goalie's right and saw his shot saved. Then at the death Arthurlie nearly pinched it when a free-kick was floated in, an away attacker slid in and the keeper saved on the line to restrict both sides to a point.

Result: Cumbernauld United 2-2 Arthurlie

Division: West of Scotland Championship

Attendance: N/A

Ground #313 - Somerset Park

Date: 23rd April 2019
Ground: Somerset Park
Location: Ayr, South Ayrshire, Scotland

My twenty-eight new ground of 2019 was on Tuesday 23rd April at Somerset Park in Ayr, South Ayrshire, Scotland. The match was Ayr United vs. Partick Thistle in the Scottish Championship.

Somerset Park sits in between residential housing to the south and east and railway sidings
to the north and west. In addition the club can count as its neighbours a car repair garage on its northern border and Hawkhill Bowling Club just to the south. Ayr Racecourse is also a short walk away in a south-east direction from the ground. Newton-on-Ayr railway station is the nearest with it being half a mile to the north-west. However the greater served Ayr railway station is only a mile to the south. The venue has been home to Ayr United and its predecessor Ayr FC since 1888.

The Main Stand runs for around three-quarters of the length of the southern side of the venue. This Archibald Leitch designed structure has been in place since 1920 and is the only seated area at the ground. The original stand ran for the middle half of this side but an extension was built in 1989 to run up to the eastern end - it is very obvious where the existing and newer sections of the stand meet, not least due to the different materials and colours of the roof. This 1,597 capacity seating deck is elevated above ground level and includes a media section. There is limited standing room below the 1989 portion of the structure. In front of the older section is an area for player and official seating and a police control room. There is also a snack outlet in the south-east corner. As the stand only takes up three-quarters of the southern flank the remaining quarter running towards the western end has a small uncovered concrete terrace. Heading away from the pitch the club reception leads out to the car park where you can find a separate club shop building behind the stand.

The North Terrace is a large uncovered terrace with a segregation fence part way down to give the western third over to away supporters. With it being without a roof this is the only stand in the ground not to have views somewhat impeded by roof supporting beams. At the back of the stand is the Ally MacLeod Hospitality Suite which was opened in 1996 while there are food outlets for regular fans in the north-east and north-west corners. There are covered concrete terraces behind both goals - the Somerset Road End in the east is the larger of the two structures and is used for home supporters while the smaller Railway End in the west is given over to away fans.

Ayr were enjoying their best season in well over a decade with them safely in the play-offs to give them a chance of reaching the top flight for the first time since the 1970s. Partick Thistle on the other hand were occupying the relegation play-off place in the able but a win would jump them three places into mid-table to more was on the line for the visitors. Ayr started well but Partick took the lead against the run of play in the 17th minute - a cross into the area was punched out by Ayr keeper Ross Doohan with the ball landing at the feet of Partick's Shea Gordon. He reacted by smashing the ball into the top corner from 15 yards to put his side a goal to the good. After this the away side grew in confidence and were the better side for the remainder of the half. Three minutes before the break they could have gone two-up when a ball down the right found Chris Doolan who smashed a shot into the side netting from close range. This pattern continued after the interval and the hosts had keeper Ross Doohan to thank in the 54th minute when, while one-on-one with Shea Gordon, he pulled off a last ditch side to keep the deficit down to one. In the final quarter Ayr huffed and puffed but they didn't really test visiting keeper Jamie Sneddon. In fact it was the visitors who had the best opportunity of the latter stages when with ten minutes to go a scramble in the Ayr box could have resulted in the ball being poked goalbound. Ayr managed to clear but with them being ineffective going forward it was three points for Partick as they took a big step towards another season in The Championship.

Result: Ayr United 0-1 Partick Thistle
Division: Scottish Championship
Attendance: 2,429

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 #285 - Grange Lane

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ground #253 - The Homelands

Date: 3rd February 2018
Ground: The Homelands
Location: Kingsnorth, Kent

My first new ground of 2018 was on Saturday 3rd February at The Homelands in Kingsnorth, Kent. The match was Ashford United vs. Corinthian Casuals in Isthmian League Division One South.

The Homelands is in a rural setting a mile south of the nearest village of Kingsnorth. The football ground is to the west of Kingsnorth Gold Club and as a result is surrounded by trees except for the southern side where the car park is located. The nearest railway station is Ashford International which is 3 miles north of The Homelands. The venue has been home to the club and its previous incarnations since 1989.

The main stand runs for around half the length of the southern side of the ground and has a capacity of 500. The middle section of the stand is assigned to directors and officials and on the left hand side of the stand there is a food outlet and the players tunnel. The back of the stand is taken up by a spacious bar/clubhouse which looks out over the pitch. There are also six hospitality boxes with three to the east of the bar and three to the west. The rest of this side is uncovered hard standing - the area to the left of the main stand has a wider flat concrete area as well as the entrance turnstiles and a small club shop.

The northern side of the field is rather sparse - the whole side is uncovered with a wide concrete area behind the pitch and more grass behind this. There is an electronic scoreboard around the middle of this side. The two ends are similar in nature - both have a covered 2 level concrete terrace located directly behind the goals with uncovered standing either side of these structures.

There was a fifteen place gulf between the teams in the league table and the game went according to the form book in the first half. Corinthian almost went in front in the 13th minute when a cross from the right saw a goal line scramble before the ball was cleared. A couple of minutes the visitors went close again when later Jordan Clarke squared the ball in the area for Gabriel Odunaike who saw his shot came back off the post. It was not an exciting encounter in the opening period but when the Casuals got their next good chance they took it. The goal came five minutes before the break as the ball was laid off to Max Oldham on the left side of the area and his low shot beat George Kamurasi in the Ashford goal. Into the second half and Corinthian remained on top in the opening quarter-hour and were denied by the post again in the 58th minute. Less than a minute later the hosts had their first meaningful foray into the opposition box when a cross into the area was met with a powerful header from Dean Grant. Away keeper Danny Bracken reacted well to get down and palm the ball away. The hosts made a much better fist of the 2nd half and were a match for their higher place opponents. However a great opportunity to salvage a point was spurned in injury time when Jordan Wright hit the side netting with only Bracken to beat.

Result: Ashford United 0-1 Corinthian Casuals
Division: Isthmian League Division One South
Attendance: 243

Ground #239 - Sir Halley Stewart Field

Date: 12th September 2017
Ground: Sir Halley Stewart Field
Location: Spalding, Lincolnshire

My twenty-third new ground of 2017 was on Tuesday 12th September at Sir Halley Stewart Field in Spalding, Lincolnshire. The match was Spalding United vs. Lincoln United in the Northern Premier League Division One South.

Sir Halley Stewart Field is ideally placed in the centre of the town so easily accessible for fans. Its western border sits adjacent to Spalding bus station with a retail park to the south meaning there is plenty in the way of parking. The northern and eastern sides are close to housing. The venue is a quarter of a mile east of Spalding railway station and has been home to the club since they formed in 1921.

The main stand is by the half-way line on the western side of the ground. This brick structure is raised high above the pitch to give good views of the action. The stand is split in the middle by a section carved out which contains the announcers area. As a result there is a set of stairs leading to the northern side which is just standard seating, and a set of stairs leading to the southern side which is standard seating the lower section and officials seating in the upper section. The split stairs also allows for the players tunnel to be positioned in the middle of the stand with this leading back to the dressing rooms. The two dugouts are also located in front of the stand. To the southern side of the stand there is an additional small metal terrace and to the northern side there is a decent area of flat concrete for hard standing as well as a food outlet and a programme selling area by the turnstile.

The only other stand at the venue is a 4 row metal terrace behind the northern goal which contains the most vocal home support. On the western side of this stand is the clubhouse and on the eastern side a small grass area. The eastern side of Sir Halley Stewart Field has a strip of concrete for its length for hard standing and behind this a large grass section which could double as a mini-pitch. The southern end is all concrete with the back section of it given over to car parking spaces.

Spalding took the lead in the 12th minute when a corenr into the box was cleared as far as Nathan Whitehead - he looped the ball back into danger and it went over everyone before dropping into the bottom corner. The best opportunity Lincoln had was in the 25th minute when a free-kick into the area was met by the head of Jack McGovern who nodded just wide. It was a pretty sparse first half in the way of chances but fortunately the second period saw more incident. In the 54th minute Spalding doubled their lead - the ball was played forward to Gary King who controlled it and fizzed a low shot past Lincoln keeper Jake Turner into the bottom corner. The balance of play changed in the 63rd minute though when Spalding's Conor Marshall saw red for a two-footed tackle near the centre-circle. This game Lincoln impetus and a the resulting free-kick into the box saw a shot saved at point blank range by the home keeper. With a quarter of an hour to go the away side grabbed one back - after good work down the right wing the ball was crossed to Rob Norris who tapped home. Just after the kick-off from the goal Spalding keeper Michael Duggan then had to produce a good double save to prevent an equaliser. A minute later things got even harder for Spalding as they were reduced to nine men. This came about when Jonny Lockie flung an elbow at an opponent in an off-the-ball incident. Unsurprisingly it was all Lincoln in the final stages and in the last minute Duggan saved a shot in the area - the rebound was then blazed wide and Lincoln's last chance of rescuing a point was gone.

Result: Spalding United 2-1 Lincoln United
Division: Northern Premier League Division One South
Attendance: 147

Ground #213 - Hill Park

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ground #190 - Gardiners Close

Date: 2nd January 2016
Ground: Gardiners Close
Location: Basildon, Essex

My first new ground of 2016 was on Saturday 2nd January at Gardiners Close in Basildon, Essex. The match was Basildon United vs. Enfield 1893 in the Essex Senior League.

Gardiners Close is in the north of the town and is part of an area of green space which includes football pitches, cricket pitches and a leisure centre. The venue is 2.5 miles north-east of Basildon railway station and has been home to the club since 1970.

All of the covered areas are positioned on the west side of Gardiners Close. There is an all-seater structure by the half-way line which has a total of 104 seats divided into two sections with the entrance to the players dressing rooms in between. Behind the dressing rooms is the club bar building located in the car park. There are covered hard standing areas either side of the all-seater stand with both of these having picnic benches acting as seating.

The remainder of the ground is uncovered standing. On the eastern side of Gardiners Close there is a section of concrete steps built into the grass bank but because of the location of the two dugouts in front of it you cannot actually view the game from here. Behind the northern and southern ends there are grass banks with gentle slopes. Netting is in place directly behind the two goals to catch any wayward shots.

The game started with a spate of early goals as the players battled the wet conditions. Enfield gifted the opener to Basildon in the 7th minute after goalkeeper Jordan Warren ran out of his area to clear the ball only to play it straight to Rob Clark who lobbed into the empty net from 40 yards out. The away side got back on level terms almost immediately though as George Whitelock was able to push into the box before his bobbled shot snuck past the Basildon keeper. The home side restored their lead in the 12th minute when a free-kick was drifted into the box and an unmarked #4 Callum Leahy headed in. Basildon began dominating after this and despite missing a couple of one-on-ones did manage to add a third in the 33rd minute when a cross from the left wing by Lindisipho Mtyanda managed to trickle into the bottom corner. In the 57th minute there was a scuffle involving several players and coaching staff which resulted in Enfield's Andre Spencer receiving his marching orders. With Enfield down to ten men Basildon stepped up their attack and notched their fourth goal in the 73rd minute as Brad Warner stroked in after being left one-on-one with the keeper. Warner then scored another in the 81st minute after he held off a defender before rounding the keeper and knocking it into an empty net. The hosts really should have added to this total but a couple of terrible misses in the final few minutes meant they were limited to five.

Result: Basildon United 5-1 Enfield 1893

Division: Essex Senior League

Attendance: 122

Ground #186 - Old Trafford

Date: 28th October 2015
Ground: Old Trafford
Location: Old Trafford, Greater Manchester

My twenty-first new ground of 2015 was on Wednesday 28th October at Old Trafford in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester. The match was Manchester United vs. Middlesbrough in the Football League Cup 4th Round.

The Old Trafford complex sits in an industrial part of the city adjacent to a freight rail terminal. It is bordered by its own railway station to the south and the River Irwell to the north. The closest tram stop at Old Trafford is half a mile south but there are several other stations within a mile in other directions. The stadium has been Manchester United's home since 1910 except for a few years during the 1940s when bomb damage forced them to play at Manchester City's Maine Road ground.

I visited Old Trafford for a couple of tours during the 1990s but the venue has changed dramatically since. The 'front' of the ground is the East Stand which has a massive glass facade showing club offices behind. The base level contains the club reception and a vast megastore. The area in front of the stand has been converted to a plaza with a football mosaic on the floor. As you work your way round the outer ring of the stadium you go through a number of tunnels. The South Stand tunnel contains the Munich Air Disaster memorial and well as entrances to the press area and several directors boxes and suites. The West Stand includes a suite for international fans while the North Stand includes a number of suites as well as the ticket office, a cafe and the club museum.

Inside the ground the largest stand is the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand on the north side of the venue. Completed in 1996 this is the only three-tier stand in the venue and can hold 25,500 fans - around a third of the overall capacity. The two stands behind the goals had second tiers added during the early 2000s. The Stretford End behind the western goal houses 12,000 people across two tiers. At the other end of the pitch the East Stand is similar but has a large disabled section carved into the southern side of the lower tier therefore giving it a slightly lower capacity of 11,500. The South Stand is the only single-tier structure in the ground and seats 11,500. It includes the TV gantry and at the back of the stand corporate boxes which then extend in a bowl around the other sides of the stadium. As the only single-tier stand any potential future expansion of the venue would centre around this area. The most recent work was the addition of seats to the quadrants linking the stands giving the ground a current capacity of just under 76,000 making it the largest club ground in England.

There was very little action in the first half - the closest the tie came to a goal was when Sergio Romero palmed away Stewart Downing's 25-yard effort. The visitors gave it a good go in the second period and at one point had the ball in the net only to see it ruled out for offside. Romero was forced into making several saves but then blotted his copybook by almost gifting Boro an embarrassing goal when he misjudged a backpass and saw the ball bounce inches wide of the post. The home side very nearly won the tie late on when Ashley Young's crossed to the backpost found Jesse Lingard who half-volleyed the ball back off the woodwork. With no goals the game headed into extra-time - the hosts had several chances but when Anthony Martial headed wide from six yards out it was clear this one was going to be resolved by penalties. In the shoot-out Wayne Rooney, Michael Carrick and Ashley Young all missed sending the Championship side through 3-1.

Result: Manchester United 0-0 Middlesbrough (Middlesbrough win 3-1 on penalties)
Competition: Football League Cup
Attendance: 67,258