Curzon Ashton FC
Tameside Stadium
Richmond Street
Ashton Under Lyne
OL7 9HG
0161 330 6033
Ground Number: 195
Monday 19th March 2012
Curzon Ashton 2-1 Woodley Sports
NPL D1 North
MY VISIT
This was my first match in a set of 3 that I had planned "up North" for my week off. Originally it was meant to be Manchester City against Chelsea, but that horrible mob from West London only went and won a FA Cup game, meaning that their game would have to rearranged. On the day I set off just before 11 and had a nice clear run up the motorway, arriving just after 2 after a brief break at services. I checked into my hotel, paid for courtesy of some spare air miles that I had in my account and spent a few hours relaxing in the hotel before I set off for the game. Bad news was had in this time when I found out that half the people I had been planning to meet during this mini-break couldn't make it, but I had to make the best of my few days away. There were quite a few miles of roadworks, but in the end, there was no major delay. I got to the ground in plenty of time, arriving just before 7.
After paying a very reasonable £7 to get in. plus £1.50 for a big thick programme, the first thing I did was make my way to the programme shop that I had heard about. It didn't disappoint, having a huge selection to chose from and all at good prices. I picked up 20 random fanzines for £4 and also a pennant for the same price - normally I'd stop at £3 to save space on my wall, but this friendly club deserved my money. After taking some pictures around the ground, I got myself a snack for dinner. The tea bar didn't have the greatest range in the world, but a fairly decent hot dog at £1.05 was great value. The game actually kicked off around 10 minutes late for some reason or other. The first half was entertaining, Curzon racing into a 2 goal lead, courtesy of a brace from their number 10 Kristian Dennis. They looked like adding a few more to cement their position at the top of the league, but playoff chasers Woodley Sports got back into it before half time with a goal from their right back Aaron Chalmers. A good first half then, and the second half, despite producing no more goals, was still a fairly decent affair. Woodley probably had the better off it, having several chances to level the game, but it was not to be, neither could Curzon convert any of the chances they had to put the game to bed. So I had a good day out, with plenty of people recognising my Wycombe coat and being friendly, as well as expressing their surprise at my attendance. Most of the other 205 fans that went would have got home before me, the journey taking just over an hour, meaning I got back to my hotel at 11PM.
THE GROUND
TAMESIDE STADIUM is an excellent non-league stadium, that is probably Smarter than a few grounds in the Football League. I had previously been there to take pictures on the way to a Wycombe away game at Bury in April. Certainly, the builders would have had a higher level than where they currently play in mind when they constructed the stadium. One one side is a decent sized main stand, holding around 500, and with a good bar and conferencing facilities built into it. It also serves as an area for the junior and adult teams that use the 3G pitches nearby to use for snacks and getting changed etc. On the other side is a large covered terrace, which probably holds just under a thousand at a push. The rest of the ground is open terracing, but all very modern. As mentioned before, the club shop is excellent and the tea bar is OK. As for other places to go, the ground was a bit far away from anywhere else from what I saw, you probably have about a 10-15 minute walk to the nearest pub or takeaway. All in all, though, I would recommend a visit, it's a decent ground, inhabited by a nice friendly club.
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