Team Solent - Test Park Sports Ground

Team Solent FC

Test Park Sports Ground

Lower Brownhill Road

Southampton

Hampshire

SO16 9QZ

Official Website

Twitter

Ground Number: 714
Monday 28th August 2017
Team Solent 0-0 Bournemouth
Wessex League Premier





TEAM SOLENT FC - A BRIEF HISTORY

Team Solent was formed in 2005 and are affiliated to the local Southampton Solent University. After starting out in the Southampton League, they were founder members of the Hampshire League in 2007 and enjoyed four successful seasons here, finishing as runners-up in 2010 to Colden Common and 2011 to Liphook United. That year they took the step up to the Wessex League, spending four seasons in Division 1, prior to becoming champions in 2015. Since promotion to the Wessex Premier, they've had two 7th placed finishes. Despite this, they team have enjoyed a torrid start to the current season, losing all six games so far and sitting rock-bottom of the league.

Team Solent has not had a huge amount of success in the FA Cup with their sole victory in 5 seasons coming when they beat Lydney Town 6-0 in 2016, prior to losing 4-1 at Cadbury Heath in the Preliminary Round. The FA Vase campaign last season saw an incredible run with the students beating Hythe & Dibden, Hallen, Helston Athletic, Shaftesbury Town, Bodmin Town and Croydon prior to a 5-2 defeat to eventual winners and Northern League Champions South Shields in the 5th Round. Locally, Team Solent have won the Hampshire Premier League Cup twice, the Southampton Senior Cup four times and the Wessex League Cup in 2016 as they beat Newport IOW 1-0 in the final thanks to a Tony Adekunle goal. 



MY VISIT

At the start of this season, I knew that game 27 of this season would be my 2000th of all time. That figure was a bit of a rough guess, having not recorded the multiple games I'd seen watching my brother play when we were younger, games for my school team or the occasional Sunday league game. However, I'd only got around to keeping records around five years ago and with only details of certain games online, this was the figure I'd decided to go with. It looked like I was going to have to wait for the landmark, with very little choice of evening kick offs on Bank Holiday Monday. Team Solent proved to be real stars by being the only late kick off in the UK at a ground I'd not been to. Although it was only 10 miles closer to my afternoon game at Shoreham than it was to home, I decided to go and get it done, therefore giving myself a nice bank holiday treble.

From the game at Shoreham, I drove across to Southampton. As I'd been warned that the catering facilities were poor, I drove to the next town, Shirley, for dinner. Arriving at 6.20, I parked in Sainsbury's, getting some Irn Bru from Iceland and some chicken strips and chips from Roosters Piri Piri. After finishing my dinner, it was 7, so I drove the 10 minutes to the ground. I spent 10 minutes looking at before going in. As there was a multitude of hoppers and only 7 programmes printed, I and others missed out, although it didn't bother me that much as I'm fast running out of storage space anyway. I caught up online and went around taking pictures of the ground while I waited for kick off.



I stood on the far side, glad that it was cooler than earlier. Team Solent might have lost all their games so far but they didn't show it as they started the game well, defending solidly and attacking regularly. Though the build up play was very good, the final finish was lacking. They were restricting Bournemouth to chances on the break and limited ones at that but you felt that if they did get their noses in front, the hosts' confidence would drop and they'd find it hard to come back. At half time though, it was still scoreless, though it had been one of the better 0-0 halves that I'd seen. Both sides continued to have chances and Solent might even have had a penalty but the referee adjudged that the Bournemouth keeper Nick Thomas had not felled the onrushing home striker. Bournemouth also hit the bar with 10 minutes to go as both sides got closer and closer in the latter stages. The visitors were on top by now but were fortunate when Team Solent broke. Two players brought down Silvano Obeng simultaneously as he got away from the defence but just one got booked despite them being the last men. The free kick was wasted and Bournemouth broke quickly which led to another free kick for a cynical trip by a Team Solent defender. This time the effort was a lot better and it drew a good save from home keeper James O'Rourke. Moments later the final whistle blew and Team Solent had their first point of the season.

A goalless draw had not been what I would have wanted to mark my 2000th game but in truth, it had been an excellent contest and the best game of the day. Both of tonight's sides reminded me of Bemerton Heath Harlequins from the same division in that they created plenty but just couldn't finish. As a result, better teams will pick them off and they will struggle despite playing some great stuff. I'd been cheering Team Solent on as I'd like to have seen them pick up a rare win, especially as they offered my only option for a late kickoff. It was quite late on by the time I left, around 9.50 and as per usual, the Two Mikes podcast kept me company on the way home. A slow spot on the M3 was hit as soon as I got on there and due to problems further up I was sent via the A34 which also had some slow drivers. After better progress up the M4 and coming home via Maidenhead and Marlow, I got in at 11.30. It had been a good day and it had worked out well when you split the mileage and fuel costs across the three games. I went to bed within 20 minutes, but it took me ages to get to sleep. As a result, I was knackered the following morning as I woke at 4 am for work - stupidly I'd volunteered to work my day off before I knew I had a late game. I, therefore, decided not to go to Desborough the following evening, instead, my next game will either be at Wisbech St Mary on Friday or more likely on Saturday for Wycombe v Forest Green Rovers.



THE GROUND

TEST PARK is situated in the middle of nowhere near the M27 motorway and as a result, has no food or drink options. It's a real shame as there is no bar and the food and drink are limited to once machine selling fancy coffees at over two quid a paper cup and another machine selling weird stuff like nut and seed mixes. It's not really set up for football fans, as the meagre print run of 7 programmes testifies.

The ground itself, while not being the greatest is very well kept with well-cut grass behind the standing areas and wooden fences giving a pleasant surround. The stands may be metal ones, but they are of an interesting design, at least the two seated ones that hold around 50 fans each are. There's another covered area for those who wish to stand and this holds around another 50, whilst the rest of the ground is open to the elements.

SCORES ON THE DOORS

1: Ground facilities & condition (for the level)
Tidy and pleasant ground, but the extras are sadly lacking (6)

2: Area around the ground (parking, food/drink, public transport)
Middle of nowhere, but decent amount of parking (4)

3: Welcome / Club Friendliness
Decent enough (6)

4: Value for money
£5 at step 5 is always good value (8)

5: Social Media & Website
Bit lacking, semi-regular updates (4)

6: Programme
Sold Out (-)

7: Game entertainment
A good contest for a 0-0, best game of the day (7)

8: Tea Bar
A couple of machines (2)

9: Bar / Clubhouse
None (-)

10: Club Shop
None (-)

TOTAL SCORE OUT OF 70: 37
AVERAGE SCORE 5.3

GROUND PHOTOS

Shoreham - Taxi-Link Community Ground

Shoreham FC

Taxi-Link Community Ground

Middle Road

Shoreham-By-Sea

West Sussex

BN43 6GA

01273 454261
Official Website
Twitter

Ground Number: 713
Monday 28th August 2017
Shoreham 0-3 Cray Wanderers
Isthmian D1 South






SHOREHAM FC - A BRIEF HISTORY

Shoreham FC was founded in 1892. Their nickname is the Musselmen owing to the local fishing industry. They started out in local leagues such as the West Sussex Football League and the Brighton, Hove and District League. In 1920 they became founder members of the Sussex County Football League. Aside from a brief break from 1927 - 1932 when they dropped down to the Brighton League and between 1939 - 1945 due to the outbreak of war, they remained here until the end of last season. They were champions in the last season of the league being a singular division in 1952, a far cry from the 1926/27 season when they gained just five points all season and finished bottom. They also won the league the following season, as it expanded to a two-tier system. For the most part, they remained in the top tier, with the most disappointing season coming in 1984 when they finished second-bottom of Division 2. Following promotion from Division 2 in 2005 when they finished third behind Crowborough Athletic and Wick, they remained in the top tier until they were champions for the 4th time last season, a marked improvement as they finished in the top half for the first time in seven seasons. This time they took the promotion to the Isthmian D1 South but have had a tough start, sitting bottom of the table and without a point from their first three games.

In the FA Cup the club's best ever run has been to the 2nd Qualifying Round and that came during the 1994-95 season. After beating Ringmer and Ramsgate, they lost narrowly 1-0 at Chertsey Town. In the FA Vase, their best progress has been to the 3rd Round - losing to Tunbridge Wells in 1975/76, Stamco in 1994/95, Stanway Rovers in 2008/09 and Shortwood United in 2008/09. Locally they have won the John O'Hara League Cup on five occasions, the Sussex Senior Cup twice, the Sussex Royal Ulster Rifles Cup twice and the Sussex League Floodlit Cup in 1994 when they beat current Conference South side Whitehawk 3-2 in the final at Lancing FC.

MY VISIT

Originally on this day, I had been planning a Bank Holiday double of Darlington Railway Athletic and Darlington, with the latter being one that I'd wanted to visit for ages and the former having an 11 am kick-off. Even when fellow hopper Chris pulled out due to other commitments, I was willing to make the more than 500 mile round trip on my own, such was the attractiveness of getting them both done on the same day. However, Darlington RA (or their opponents Northallerton Town) decided that the 11 am kick off was too early for them and I and many other hoppers, one of whom had come all the way from Norway and booked a non-refundable hotel. It was hard to see why RA had looked a gift horse in the mouth, with no doubt that they would have significantly boosted their attendance with the original plan. I had to seek an alternative and although there were plenty of morning kickoffs, afternoon games were a bit scarce. I eventually opted for Shoreham's clash with Cray Wanderers, having looked at the choice of pre-match refreshment options.



I left my game at Southwick at 12.50 with it taking 10 minutes to get to Shoreham's ground. I was lucky that I was able to turn left at a level crossing as it was very busy. I was parked up at the ground by 1 and after going in to get a programme, I walked into town. The brilliant Old Star Micropub had a cider festival on and with 26 on offer, there were plenty of opportunities for new tries and I was able to sample four thirds before heading back to the game. For the second time that day I was stuck at the level crossing as a foot passenger, surely at such a busy junction, you'd have thought a bridge was in order, but obviously not. I had to wait a pathetic ten minutes for the crossing to go through its machinations and as a result got back to the ground just before kick off. Google Maps has sent me to a dead end, so I had to go back on myself and go to the player's entrance. I rang the number on the gate and someone let me in. After going to the turnstile and paying, I went to the tea bar and got some chips.



The game started with Cray Wanderers on top in their smart away kit. They took the lead with a drilled shot from the edge of the area by Bradley Stevenson on 22 minutes. Ten minutes before half time, the same player made it two with a smart finish from the edge of the six-yard box. It stayed that way at the break and despite the occasional chance on the break for Shoreham, Cray were well on top. They extended their lead to 3-0 just before on 52 minutes when the ball was worked into the area and Lee Denyer deflected the ball into his own net. That was it as far as the scoring went, sadly, the hosts looked way off the pace and barely had a shot.



THE GROUND

THE TAXI LINK COMMUNITY STADIUM is a three sided ground with the far side closed off to spectators. On the other three sides, it has small areas of cover, two seated and one standing. Overall there is capacity for around 300 of each, with a total capacity of around 2000. There's a decent tea bar at the ground, with a decent range at sensible prices. The bar does its job but it's nothing special, whilst I didn't see a club shop.

The location is a bit of a mixed bag with the proper entrance being a pain to find in amongst a sprawling industrial estate. Luckily there is a number on the player's entrance gate for someone to let you in and take you round to the turnstile to pay. It's only a 20-minute walk from a very nice town with the Old Star Micropub being excellent and a range of other outlets.

SCORES ON THE DOORS

1: Ground facilities & condition (for the level)
Fairly smart, nice surroundings (7)

2: Area around the ground (parking, food/drink, public transport)
A pain to find the correct entrance, but only 20 minutes from town (6)

3: Welcome / Club Friendliness
Excellent and helpful officials (9)

4: Value for money
One of the pricier at this level (5)

5: Social Media & Website
Well maintained Pitchero site, regular Twitter updates (7)

6: Programme
An excellent effort for £1, glossy and a bit to read (8)

7: Game entertainment
Disappointing one sided contest (5)

8: Tea Bar
Good choice (7)

9: Bar / Clubhouse
Standard choice of drinks (6)

10: Club Shop
N/A (-)

TOTAL SCORE OUT OF 90: 55
AVERAGE SCORE: 6.1

GROUND PHOTOS

Southwick - Old Barn Way

Southwick FC
Old Barn Way
Southwick
Brighton
West Sussex
BN42 4NT

01273 701010
Official Website
Twitter

Ground Number: 712
Monday 28th August 2017
Southwick 0-1 AFC Varndeanians
Southern Combination D1




SOUTHWICK FC - A BRIEF HISTORY

The club was founded in 1882 and played in the West Sussex League prior to becoming founder members of the Sussex County League in 1920. They've remained there ever since, apart from a two-year hiatus in the Metropolitan & District League in the 1950's and a spell in the late 1980's and early 90's when they had a spell in the Combined Counties & Isthmian Leagues. It was during this spell that they enjoyed their best-ever season, finishing 3rd in the Isthmian D1 behind Woking and Wivenhoe Town in 1989/90 which at the time was the third step of non-league football. During their time in the Sussex County League, they have been champions on six occasions as well as being runners-up a further nine times. Recent times have been a lot tougher with the club dropping as low as step 7 of non-league between 2013 and 2015 as they were relegated to Division 3 of the Sussex County League. They were champions in that final season, however, winning promotion back to the newly named Southern Combination D1. After finishing 5th and 11th in the last two seasons, they've endured a slow start to this season with their sole point from three games coming in a 2-2 draw with Little Common.

Southwick enjoyed a great run to the FA Cup 1st Round during the 1974/75 season. After beating Bexhill Town, Haywards Heath, Ringmer & Hayes before losing 5-0 at local Football League side AFC Bournemouth. During their time in the FA Trophy, there was not much success but in the FA Vase, they have reached the 3rd Round twice - losing to Windsor & Eton in 1979/80 and Bracknell Town in 1985/86. Locally they've won the Sussex Senior Challenge Cup on ten occasions, the John O'Hara Challenge Cup twice, the Sussex Royal Ulster Rifles Cup eleven times and the Sussex Intermediate Challenge Cup in 2015. The record attendance of 2000 came against Maidstone United during a 1986 FA Cup 4th Qualifying Round game against Maidstone United. This game was part of a four-game saga which eventually ended when Southwick lost 5-1 in the third replay.  



MY VISIT

With my usual hopping partners busy elsewhere, I decided that this would be an ideal time to head south. There was plenty of choices for an early 11 am kick off, but the 3 PM and 7.45 pm options were a bit limited with Team Solent the only option in the evening and Shoreham the best option for a 3 PM kick off. For the morning kick off I'd fancied going to Eastbourne Town and Arundel for some time. However, due to wanting to visit a decent looking micro pub before the Shoreham game, I opted for a visit to Southwick, just a few miles from Shoreham. I'd only decided the night before where I was going, so it was a bit of a rush making plans and researching three club histories and as a result, I didn't get to sleep until around midnight.



Due to having a large sleep the previous afternoon, I didn't get much shut-eye that night and got up at 7, an hour before my alarm was due to go off. I had a can of Irn-Bru and a jerk chicken pattie for breakfast before getting freshened up and dressed. With the prospect of extra bank holiday traffic, I decided to leave at 8.35 which would factor in nearly an hour for any potential delays. As it turned out, I was fine and even the usually repugnant M25 only had a few minutes delay and that was due to someone shedding a tyre in the fast lane. Thankfully they were safely on the hard shoulder and the few minutes delay didn't bother me. I got to the ground at 10.10, paying a fiver to get in and a quid for what was a very good programme for the price. I went and sat in the bar to read my programme, meeting Lesta Blew Hopper who had also come down for this and the Shoreham game but had already done my late game at Team Solent. I also caught up online and it was nice to have some time to relax before kick off, rather than the usual rush. Around 20 minutes before kick off, I went outside and got some pictures of the ground while I waited for the game to start.



I opted for my usual spot of on the halfway line, between the two dugouts to watch the game from. As you would expect from two struggling teams there wasn't a huge amount of quality on show. The visitors opened the scoring on 13 minutes, a well-worked set piece was met by an AFC Varndeanians player who deftly chipped the ball over home keeper Jason Bridge. There were half chances for both, the best falling for Southwick but visiting keeper Tom Bradford saved well with his legs to deny the striker. At half time I got some chips for £1.50 which were freshly cooked and worth the 5 minute wait. Connah Bradwell-Lowe saw red for the hosts on the hour when he went in hard on Varndeanians keeper Tom Bradford. The referee had been having a good game up to this point, but it looked a booking at most. Southwick were galvanised by their numerical disadvantage and shortly after had a shot cleared off the line by a visiting defender. Despite further chances for the hosts, they couldn't get on the scoresheet and the visitors held on for their first win of the season.



THE GROUND

OLD BARN WAY is located in the middle of a residential area, one with a lot of retirement homes, so it's worth checking that you don't park in a disabled place in error, as the car park is really small. As for the grounds, it's delightfully ramshackle and unkempt in parts. The main stand has seating for around 100, has padded seats and although it has supporting pillars, the view is fairly decent. The rest of the ground is mainly flat standing, although there are a few steps of terracing behind one goal. There's an excellent tea bar and also a moderately sized bar which will do the job whilst not being amazing.

SCORES ON THE DOORS

1: Ground facilities & condition (for the level)
Fairly basic but delightfully ramshackle (6)

2: Area around the ground (parking, food/drink, public transport)
Small car park, plenty of street parking (6)

3: Welcome / Club Friendliness
Nice welcome at the turnstile (7)

4: Value for money
Common sense price of a fiver (7)

5: Social Media & Website
Decent website and Twitter (6)

6: Programme
Good value for a quid, lots of info (8)

7: Game entertainment
Reasonable contest (6)

8: Tea Bar
Burgers, hot dogs and chips available, good for step 6 (7)

9: Bar / Clubhouse
Had its own club lager, Thatchers Gold for cider (6)

10: Club Shop

N/A (-)

TOTAL SCORE OUT OF 90: 59
AVERAGE SCORE: 6.55

GROUND PHOTOS