Walton & Hersham - Elmbridge Sports Hub

Walton & Hersham FC

Elmbridge Sports Hub

Waterside Drive

Walton-On-Thames

Surrey

KT12 2JP

Official Website

Twitter

Ground Number: 738
Tuesday 24th October 2017
Walton & Hersham 1-0 Bedfont Sports
Combined Counties Premier Division






WALTON & HERSHAM - A BRIEF HISTORY

The club was formed in 1945 after the end of the Second World War after an amalgamation with the existing club Hersham FC who were formed some 50 years earlier. They immediately joined the Corinthian League and after finishing 7th in their inaugural season, they were champions three times on the trot, still a league record. After that, a twenty-year spell in the Athenian League followed, with the club finishing as champions in 1969. This event also holds a place in musical history as Jimmy Pursey, founder member of the punk band 'Sham 69' took the bands named after he saw the second part of the graffiti 'Walton & Hersham 69' sprayed on a set of double garage doors.

In 1971, Walton & Hersham joined the Isthmian League. Despite finishing 3rd and 2nd in their first two seasons, they were relegated in 1975 after finishing second-bottom. They remained in the second tier for nearly 20 years until another strong spell saw them spend 5 out of 6 seasons in the Premier Division in the late 1990's, with a good finish of 9th in 1998. After being relegated again in 2000 hey matched that 9th place in a two-year spell in the Premier between 2005 and 2007, but were once more relegated. Despite finishing 6th in 2011, they suffered another relegation, this time to the Combined Counties League in 2016. Last season saw a credible 5th placed finish and the club was doing even better at the time of tonight's game, sitting in third, five points behind leaders Westfield.

Walton & Hersham have had a number of decent FA Cup runs, reaching the second round in 1973 and 1974. The latter of these is the most well known. After drawing 0-0 in the 1st Round home tie against Brighton & Hove Albion, at the time managed by Brian Clough, they travelled down to the south coast with most expecting the third division hosts to stroll to victory. The reality couldn't have been more different with the non- leaguers recording an emphatic 4-0 in one of Clough's worst days in football. They lost 3-0 in the next round, to fellow cup giant-killers Hereford United. The club were winners of the FA Amateur Cup in 1973, defeating Slough Town 1-0 at Wembley. In its replacements, they had a notable run to the FA Trophy 4th Round in 2000 (losing to Kettering Town)

Local cup wins include the Surrey Senior Cup on five occasions. Famous former players include Nathan Ellington, Richard Pacquette, Andre Scarlett, Bas Savage and Laurence Batty. The club is based in Walton-On-Thames, the birthplace of Dame Julie Andrews and home to Fay Ripley as a youngster.



MY VISIT

I didn't think I'd be going to football on this originally as my car was out of action due to a damaged wheel. However, with its replacement due for arrival on the afternoon, a local clash could be possible. I'd had a good nights sleep the night before with me waking up at 9 am on my day off work. After getting bathed and dressed, I double checked the delivery time and as it was confirmed as between 12.50 and 2.50 pm, I walked down town. After getting various items, I got a lift back with my Dad and waited in for my delivery. I used the time to check tyre prices online and was annoyed to see that to get a decent price, you had to book a couple of days in advance. In the end, the offer of half price tracking from a garage I'd used before, total £82 including the new tyre, which was not a lot more than the cheapest I could possibly find - and without the wait. That was after I'd fitted the two new wheels, although the second needed help from Green Flag as it was stuck on. Most importantly it was all sorted, bar getting a couple of minor jobs done to get it through the MOT next Tuesday. I was a bit pushed for time after all that, getting home around 6.

After a quick dinner of chicken risotto and getting my things together, I left around 6.20. The journey over there was decent enough, especially considering it was the rush hour. I was in the vicinity of the ground by 7.20, but the signposting was non-existent. I spent 15 minutes trying various entrances, although, with so many sets of floodlights in the vicinity, it was confusing. In the end, I went back to the leisure centre that I had started at and walked across a metal fence that had blown down during the recent bad weather. I'd seen other cars driving around confused too, so hopefully the signposting will be improved in the future. My visit had got off on a bad foot and my mood was not improved after I had to pay an above average £8 entry. The quid or two more will make absolutely no difference to me financially, it's just the principle of football getting more expensive. I also picked up a programme for £1.50 which included all the essentials, plus some interesting facts, but not that much to read. With a few minutes until kick-off, there wasn't much time to catch up, but it was nice to bump into hoppers including Laurence, Robyn, Lee and Andy over the evening. In fact, there must have been around twenty hoppers in attendance, with it being a popular location due to the ground being recently opened.



There was a minutes silence before the game, though I didn't catch who it was for. The game kicked off at a decent pace and it was the hosts that were on top with Bedfont Sports keeper Rourke Pickford pulling off a couple of great saves to keep the game goalless. The visitors had a good spell towards the end of the half with Tim Pitt hitting the post. Despite lots of chances, it was goalless at the break. It was a scrappy start to the second half and the game wasn't nearly as free-flowing as the first period. The game was reinvigorated on 62 minutes as Bedfont's Jamie Richards saw red after he clattered Bilal Benali with a late tackle. The home crowd were woken from their slumbers by this and gave out plenty of stick to Richards as he trudged down the tunnel. The hosts went close again when TJ Nkoma hit the post shortly after, but it seemed as if luck was against them. Walton & Hersham finally opened the scoring six minutes later - Jamil Okai got away down the right, rounded visiting keeper Pickford and slotted into the empty net. The hosts deserved it for their dominance and they went on to waste several chances to extend their lead. Despite their numerical disadvantage, Bedfont Sports threw everything at Walton in the last ten minutes, but despite coming close on a number of occasions, they just couldn't find the equaliser.



I'd had a good chat with a Slough fan towards the end about their clashes with Wycombe in the early 90's and I'd been in good company throughout the night, speaking to several familiar faces. Despite the rocky start, it had been a good and enjoyable evening. Before I went, I got some pictures of the outside of the ground a small crest on the door being the only sign that Walton & Hersham played there, For a club with such a rich and varied history and contribution to popular culture, it's a shame there wasn't more on display. It's certainly a decent ground, but the choice of blue seats when one of the tenants play in red and the other in orange is baffling. I left around 9.50 in the end, listening to the Man City v Wolves League Cup game on the way back. I got back at 10.35, just as the penalties were starting. I was glad that my car was back on the road, meaning that I wouldn't be cycling again. I'd still be up at 4.10 am and it was frustrating when it took me ages to drift off to sleep. In the end, I only got a few hours sleep and ended up catching up as usual with a nap the following afternoon.



THE GROUND

The ELMBRIDGE SPORTS HUB is a pretty decent new build, with the sole cover being a 500 seater stand. Despite being a fair way back from the pitch, it offers great views thanks to it being elevated. The rest of the ground is open, though it offers decent sightlines that are fairly close to the pitch. The bar at the ground is bright and airy, but fairly bland although it does have sports TV. The tea bar offers a wide range, but prices are fairly expensive. 

SCORES ON THE DOORS

1: Ground facilities & condition (for the level)
Decent ground, but lacks personality. (6) 

2: Area around the ground (parking, food/drink, public transport)
Nothing much around the ground, lots of parking, terrible signposting (5)

3: Welcome / Club Friendliness
Couldn't fault the welcome (7)

4: Value for money
£8 was above average (4)

5: Social Media & Website
Fairly decent (6)

6: Programme
A reasonable effort, but not a lot to read, £1.50 a fair price (6)

7: Game entertainment
Was a decent game overall, save for a quiet spell at the start of the second period (7)

8: Tea Bar
Good choice, but pricey (6)

9: Bar / Clubhouse
Smart but dull (5)

10: Club Shop
N/A (-)

TOTAL SCORE OUT OF 90: 52
AVERAGE SCORE: 5.77

GROUND PHOTOS

North Walsham Town - Greens Road

North Walsham Town FC
Greens Road
North Walsham
Norfolk
NR28 0HW

Official Website
Twitter

Ground Number: 737
Friday 20th October 2017
North Walsham 2-2 Hindringham
Anglian Combination D1





NORTH WALSHAM TOWN - A (VERY) BRIEF HISTORY

Information about the club is hard to come by online, but they were established as far back as 1879 and are nicknamed 'The Angels'. A team called North Walsham Athletic competed in the FA Cup for one season in the mid 50's - beating Bungay Town 3-2 before losing 4-1 to Gorleston in the 2nd Qualifying Round. The club appear to have been in the Anglian Combination for most of their history - winning titles in Division 4 in 1985 and Division 2 in 1967 and 1985. They've been in the Anglian Combination Division 1 since 2013/14, finishing 3rd in their first season, but settling around 6th or 7th place since.  This came after they were relegated from the Anglian Combination Premier at the end of the previous season. The club are hoping to move to a bigger site in the future, with help from a property developer. However, local resident Berni Marfleet opposed this and was succesful in getting the council to veto the plans due to traffic concerns. The town itself has a population of 12,634 according to the last census and was once home to Horatio Nelson who studied at the local school. Way back in 1600, the town suffered 'The Great Fire' which destroyed 118 homes and 70 shops as well as the market area.



MY VISIT

This visit was planned in the week leading up to the game. Myself and Chris always aim to do a game on Friday and this one was no exception, especially seeing as it was my week off. My preferred option was Kimberley Town AFC, but this was out as Chris doesn't like watching anything that isn't first team football.  Aberystwyth Town and Prestatyn Town would have been good, but these were too far in terms of travelling time, especially on a Friday night. This left us with two options - Presteigne St Andrews, or our eventual choice, North Walsham Athletic. This satisfied my criteria of having some cover or something to get a picture of and Chris's of being a first-team game. I did my research with regard to eating and drinking places, with all bases covers. Time would still be tight though, so I was hoping for a good journey.

On the day of the game, I woke around 9 am. After having a bath, I walked down town and bought a few bits before getting a lift back with my Dad. The afternoon was spent finalising arrangements for tonight's game, including checking the weather and researching the club history. I left just before 3, meeting Chris in Milton Keynes at 4. Soon we were on our way and hearing about numerous traffic delays on the radio. Luckily Chris knew the local area around Cambridgeshire, so we avoided the worst of the delays there, but we weren't so lucky further up, with delays at roundabouts. Then, on the final leg of our journey, we were stuck behind a slow-moving caravan and then a horse box, with us getting to the ground at 7.10.



We went in, paying a nominal £2 entry to get in. Visitors Hindringham started the strongest and they took the lead early on with a close-range finish by Broughton. Soon, after around 15 minutes, the hosts were level. There was a trip in the area and Daniel Reynolds stepped up to convert the penalty. Right on halftime, they were ahead, it appeared that a visiting defender deflected the ball into his own net. North Walsham had already hit the bar at this point and shortly after halftime, they had a goal chalked off for offside, at least according to the linesman on our side. The equaliser came on the hour mark, and there was an element of farce about it. A home defender went to clear the ball, but instead passed it to Matt Hudson who gratefully gobbled up the chance as the bemused defender just stood and watched. There were further chances for both sides, with the better ones falling to the hosts, but there were no further goals.

We went into town after the game. I had a swift half of a local cider in a place called the Hop In before heading off to the local Chinese takeaway for chicken satay and chips. I left Chris in the pub while I had my dinner and came back to find him talking to a couple of blokes in the pub about football. I joined in for a bit and it was around 10.20 by the time we left. I took it easy on the roads home, as it was wet and dark, eventually dropping Chris off at 1 am. All was going well until I was driving through Aylesbury. I'd already had a problem earlier this year, having to fork out £900 for a repair to my car when a fox ran out in front of me. The wildlife was at it again, although this time I avoided hitting it, thanks to a combination of braking and swerving but did clip one of the wheels on a kerb. It was a fairly low one, so I didn't damage any bodywork, but it will almost certainly mean a new wheel and definitely a couple of new tyres, although one of them needed replacing anyway. Not the best end to the night, but at least I did have Green Flag cover to recover the vehicle. At this time of night, I did have to wait an hour for help, but the bloke was nice and helpful and to be honest at around £35 a year for the cover, I was glad I had it. I'd heard of mates with the AA being left all night for similar problems, so the speed was good really. I got home eventually just after 3.15, pleased that I was going on the coach to the Swindon v Wycombe game tomorrow. I got the wheels in motion (excuse the pun) for the alloy repair/replacement in terms of quotes when I got home. I was still wide awake at this point, so watched TV for a bit before going to sleep. Next groundhop for me is unknown, as I'll be without my car for a bit, plus there's the cost factor to consider as well. I'll certainly be reconsidering how much and how often I drive to games now, I was aiming to cut this down at the start of the season, but have failed so far in my aims.



THE GROUND

GREENS ROAD is a smart ground for the level and would almost certainly be ready for step 6 football with the addition of some seats. There is plenty of standing cover as it is, a few separate areas with capacity for around 200. The rest of the ground was open. There was a decent sized clubhouse too and this appeared to have a decent range and do hot drinks too. I didn't see any food or a club shop, but the town was under a mile away, with a decent choice of outlets.

 SCORES ON THE DOORS

1: Ground facilities & condition (for the level)
A very decent ground for step 7,  but no seats (7)

2: Area around the ground (parking, food/drink, public transport)
Loads of parking, just under a mile from town (7)

3: Welcome / Club Friendliness
A decent welcome (7)

4: Value for money
£2 was great value (8)

5: Social Media & Website
Both are of a decent standard and are interactive (8)

7: Game entertainment
A decent enough contest (6)

9: Bar / Clubhouse
Seemed decent enough, although I only popped in for a quick photo (6)

6: Programme
8: Tea Bar
10: Club Shop
Didn't have these, as far as I could see (-)

TOTAL SCORE OUT OF 70: 49
AVERAGE SCORE: 7

GROUND PHOTOS

Clanfield 85 - Radcot Road

Clanfield 85 FC
Radcot Road
Clanfield
Oxfordshire
OX18 2ST

01993 840941
Official Website
Twitter

Ground Number: 736
Thursday 19th October 2017
Clanfield 85 0-0 Hemel Hempstead Town (5-3 on pens)
FA Youth Cup 3rd Qualifying Round




CLANFIELD 85 - A BRIEF HISTORY

The original Clanfield FC was formed in 1890. They played in local leagues such as the North Berkshire League, prior to joining the Hellenic League in 1967. Starting out in its second tier, they had a good debut season, finishing 6th and won promotion at the third attempt as Division 1 champions in 1970. There then followed a ten-year spell in the Premier Division, during which time they finished as runners-up twice to Witney Town in 1973 and Moreton in 1974. Despite dropping down to Division 1 in 1980, they bounced back straight away, finishing 2nd behind Wantage Town on goal difference. In 1985, the club reformed following relegation from the Premier Division, thus earning their current name. Since then, they have remained in Division 1, being allocated a place in the Western variant when a geographical split was introduced at the turn of the century. Their best ever finish since reformation is 4th, which they have achieved twice.

FA Cup experiences have been limited for Clanfield with two defeats in the Extra Preliminary Round to Fareham Town in 2010 and Staines Lammas the following year. The club first entered the FA Vase in the 1974/75 season and their debut season remains their finest. They beat Didcot Town, Wantage Town and Moreton Town before Farnborough Town defeated them 4-3 in an exciting 4th Round clash on home turf. Aside from a 13-year absence between 1993 and 2006, they've entered the Vase every season since, with the second round their best progress in recent times. Local cup honours include two Hellenic Premier Cups, an Oxford Junior Cup and a Witney Senior Challenge Cup. The record attendance of 197 came for a 2002 game against Kidlington. The village of Clanfield itself is pretty small, with a population of 879 according to the last census.

MY VISIT

I'd been planning to go to Clanfield for a while, as it was pretty local. The only problem was, they played in a small league with just 15 teams so midweek fixtures were pretty thin on the ground. I'd missed out on a few opportunities in this seasons FA Youth Cup - this season Clanfield had already accounted for Bracknell Town and Oxford City so far, both on home soil. Tonight's visitors Hemel Hempstead Town had beaten Uxbridge and Chesham United to get here, the latter with a convincing 6-0 win earlier this month. I'd visited Clanfield 85 back on the 5th April 2011, on the way to a goalless draw between Hereford and Wycombe. I wasn't really a groundhopper then in terms of going to games, but I did enjoy looking at and getting pictures of grounds. I got a really friendly welcome at Clanfield, getting a free programme and this stuck in my mind whenever I saw their name come up on fixture lists.

On the day of the game, I woke at 8.30 after a late night the previous night. My first job was to get dressed and take my car to the local garage for its annual MOT and service. After walking back, I cracked on with catching up on my blogs for grounds that I'd visited during my couple of days up north. After lunch, I started tonight's blogs - researching Clanfield's club history. I also had a couple of things to post that I'd sold on eBay, so I was quite busy. It was my Mum & Dad's 43rd wedding anniversary, so I was glad when my Dad was going down Sainsbury's so I could buy them the customary card and bottle of wine. I then went to pick up my car, which had failed its MOT due to two tyres and a windscreen wiper. I ordered the wiper, plus the advisory items of a new windscreen fluid bottle and brake pads with the garage, choosing to sort the tyres myself. £316 down already for the service & MOT, I then came home and ordered the tyres myself. I saved £20 - £30 per tyre by getting them done online, with the pair costing £82, booking them in for next Monday and the rest of the stuff on Tuesday. I was glad that I'd got my MOT done with 3 weeks still left to run, as it gave me plenty of time for a retest and to get things sorted. After all that was done, I relaxed for a bit, having a Chicken Jalfrezi for dinner before leaving at 5.45.



I picked Anwar up at 6.15, but it was slow getting out of Aylesbury due to daft traffic calming measures on the main route out of the town. Due to delays elsewhere, we were forced to take a back route through country lanes. We got to Clanfield at 7.35, paying £4 to get in. I met a couple of people I knew - Sean (a Swindon Supermarine fan) and John (a fellow groundhopper) briefly saying hello before taking a seat in the stand. The seats had been added since my initial visit, with the cover being quite full thanks to the inclement weather. Hemel were wearing a fetching two-tone green kit, which I couldn't work out whether I liked or not, but it was Clanfield who had the better of the first half, creating the most chances and coming closest to scoring. I spent most of the second half chatting to someone from the Cheltenham Town FC academy and he was decent company and wished Wycombe well. On the field, the referee could have done better. Hemel Hempstead were slightly fortunate not to be a man down after a two-footed tackle, however, a Clanfield man got his marching orders for two yellow cards. The lad in question was frustrated and threw his shirt to the floor before trudging off. The hosts were still well on top at this point, albeit that chances were few and far between. Any fears that the balance of play might be altered were allayed as they continued to have the upper hand during extra time, although Hemel also came close on the break. I was glad when it went to penalties so that there could be a bit of drama to end the night. All takers were successful until it got to the visitors' third striker. The player hit it fairly central and the home keeper guessed correctly. 

Wild celebrations followed and Clanfield had deserved it, both on and off the field. They'd promoted it well on social media and were rewarded with a decent crowd that could have been three figures. Though it hadn't been the best of games, I'd enjoyed my night out. It was past 10.30 by the time we left, but good time was made on the way back. I dropped Anwar off at 11.30, stopping for petrol on the way home. With me getting in around midnight and still not tired, I had a couple of drinks and started to write up my blog. I'd filmed the penalties too, so I was hoping to find an app to edit that. Hopefully, Clanfield will get a good draw in the next round, for me it will be something, probably North Walsham with another hopper, Chris, tomorrow.



THE GROUND

When I visited Radcot Road back in 2011, I didn't see much of the ground. There was no seats at the time, but there was a pretty large covered standing area, with space for around 200. The rest of the ground was open standing. Upon my return, seating had been installed under the cover, making the ground compliant for the Hellenic Premier. There was also a bar and hot drinks available.


SCORES ON THE DOORS

1: Ground facilities & condition (for the level)
Fairly standard step 6 ground, well maintained (6)

2: Area around the ground (parking, food/drink, public transport)
Plenty of parking (6)

3: Welcome / Club Friendliness
A nice welcome when I visited in 2011 (8)

4: Value for money
£4 for the FA Youth Cup was good value (7)

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

6: Programme
Didn't see one on my match visit (-)


7: Game entertainment
Not the best, penalties was a good conclusion (5)

8: Tea Bar
Didn't use (-)

9: Bar / Clubhouse
Didn't use, but looked OK (6)

10: Club Shop
None (-)

TOTAL SCORE OUT OF 70: 45
AVERAGE SCORE 6.4

GROUND PHOTOS

Crook Town - Sir Tom Cowie Millfield

Crook Town FC

The Sir Tom Cowie Millfield

West Road

Crook

County Durham

DL15 9PW

01388 762959

Official Website

Twitter

Ground Number: 735
Wednesday 18th October 2017
Crook Town 1-5 Newcastle Benfield
Northern League Cup 1st Round






CROOK TOWN FC - A BRIEF HISTORY

The club was formed after a merger between Crook and Crook Excelsior in 1889. They played friendly matches for their first few years before joining the Bishop Auckland & District League in 1894. After finishing as runners-up in their second season, Crook Town joined the Northern League in 1896. They struggled at first, finishing bottom in two of their first three seasons.They won the first of their five Northern League titles in 1915, all of them achieved whilst the competition was a single division, The club had a brief spell in the North Eastern League in the 1930's, their only spell away from the Northern League, but success was limited, finishing in the bottom half more often than not during a six-year spell. For the 1982/83 season, the Northern League established a second division and Crook have spent equal time in both. Finishes have ranged from a low of 18th in Division 2 in 1992/93 to a high of 5th in Division 1 in 1996/97.

In the FA Cup, Crook Town got as far as the FA Cup 3rd Round, way back in 1933 where after beating Football League sides Aldershot & Stockport County, they crashed 7-0 at Leicester. Success has been a little more modest in recent times with runs to the 1st Round in 1976 (lost 4-1 at home to Nuneaton Brough) and the 4th Qualifying Round in 1999 (lost 7-0 at Doncaster) being the highlights. The FA Amateur Cup saw great times for the club back in the day - reaching the final 5 times and winning them all. In its replacements, they have reached the FA Trophy 3rd Round in 1976/77 and the FA Vase Quarter Final in 2005/06. Local cup wins include the Northern League Cup three times, the Durham Challenge Cup four times, the Durham Benevolent Bowl on five occasions and the Captain G Wright Trophy twice. In the 1910's and 1920's, the club made regular trips to Barcelona to play the Spanish giants, winning 2 and drawing 4 of the 10 games they played. The club's record attendance came in 1952 when 17,500 somehow packed into the Millfield for an FA Amateur Cup game against Walton & Hersham.



MY VISIT

As I was up in Carlisle for a Wycombe game on Tuesday, I booked a botel overnight to break the long journey. Of course, a match would be taken in on Wednesday and initially, I was hoping to make progress south and see an afternoon game too. However, choices were few and far between, so I thought again. Crook Town and Tow Law Town (who contest an amusingly named local derby - Crook v The Lawyers) were two grounds I really wanted to visit, but chances were very sparse. So when Crook came up with a rare Wednesday night game against Newcastle Benfield, I knew I had to go. It would mean a mammoth trip home on Wednesday night, which wasn't ideal as I had to be up fairly early on Thursday as my car was in for its MOT. Also, I had to find somewhere to kill time on Wednesday daytime. But these were sacrifices both worth making, especially as according to 'Groundtastic' magazine, the ground was due to go in the not too distant future.


I’d had a few drinks the night before, celebrating a last-minute equaliser for Wycombe in their 3-3 draw at Carlisle. Unusually for that type of situation, I fully remember the evening, although I did wake up at 5 am with the light on. After switching it off, I had another sleep until  9, which meant that I’d had a good night’s sleep after getting to bed at 11.30 ish the previous night. I felt pretty fresh considering, but couldn’t be bothered to go out and get breakfast as I wanted to get my blog done. With all that uploaded and me caught up online, I had stacks of time to kill, so after checking out of my room at 10.30, I went for a look around Carlisle. I didn't buy much, just a film for my PSP that cost a bargain 20p about the history of the England football team. At least I'd used up some time, as it was nearly 1 when I got back to my car. From there I drove to Carlisle City to look at what was a very impressive ground for the level and was luckily open for me to get pictures. I wasn't so lucky at Prudhoe Town but managed to find a hole in the fence at Annfield Plain. In between, I popped into Consett. It was a nice town and best of all, thanks to a decent council, parking was free. I bought a fancy box of Carte Noir chocolates from Barry's Bargain Superstore for a quid, having remembered it from when I went to Consett's old ground. I also filled up with fuel at Morrisons, so I had enough to get me home.



I got to Crook at 4.45, parking in a car park opposite the ground. After checking that the game was definitely on, I made my way into town. After having a look around the town and buying a paper, I went to the local Wetherspoons. I had a half of Thistly Cross while I read my paper. After that, I went in search of dinner, having a pork curry with chips and rice as well as a pint of Strongbow for £5.95 in the Crook Hotel. After that, I made my way to the ground, paying a very reasonable £6 including programme. I sat in the freshly refurbished bar for a while, reading my programme before the game. Fellow groundhoppers had said good things about the ground and I had to agree, it was a right cracker. I sat in the stand for the game, which had a decent view of the action.



Newcastle Benfield started the strongest and they took the lead on 6 minutes, a low diagonal shot from around 10 yards after Scott McCarthy got away from the defence. The visitors looked comfortable and likely to add to their lead but on 23 minutes, Crook equalised with a towering Matt Stephenson header from a corner. Their joy was short lived though, on 25 minutes Benfield were back ahead when a cross from the left was headed in by McCarthy from close range for his and his team's second. At halftime, I got a Bovril from the tea bar before retaking my place in the stand. A few minutes into the second half, the visitors looked to have the game sewn up, making it 3-1 from another close-range finish, this time from 40-year-old Paul Brayson who starred in the Football League with Cardiff, Swansea and Reading amongst others. Benfield were running away with it by now and after having a Brayson goal disallowed for offside, it was 4-1 after 80 minutes. It was veteran Brayson again, this time slotting past the onrushing keeper from the edge of the area. A few minutes from time, it was 5-1, with a finish from a few yards at the near post, Brayson completing his hat-trick.




From there I drove home, leaving Crook just before 9.30. It was a decent journey home, with just the one stop at Woodall services. I got in at 1.40, but not being tired at all, I stayed up until 3.30 am. Despite not much sleep, I felt fine when I woke at 8.30 am the following morning. It had been an expensive couple of days away, costing nearly £150 and it was to be was to be an expensive week with my car in for its MOT and service, but it had been enjoyable. The football would continue the following night with something a bit more local - Clanfield 85 v Hemel Hempstead Town in the FA Youth Cup.



THE GROUND

THE SIR TOM COWIE MILLFIELD has a great reputation amongst groundhoppers and rightly so, as it's a classic. There's a covered stand, this is rated as a 400, capacity, but as it is bench style seating, you could probably fit another 100 in physically. To the side of this is some covered terracing, this has space for around 700. There's some open terracing behind the goal too, with around the same capacity again. The rest of the ground is open flat standing.

The bar is newly refurbished and quite a nice place to have a drink. The tea bar has a wide range at good prices, although I didn't see a club shop. There's plenty of choice in the town, a short walk away and I enjoyed the Crook Hotel better out of the two pubs that I visited.

SCORES ON THE DOORS

1: Ground facilities & condition (for the level)
A real classic ground, well kept too (9)


2: Area around the ground (parking, food/drink, public transport)
Lots of free parking, close to town (8)

3: Welcome / Club Friendliness
Nice enough (6)

4: Value for money
A fiver entry was good value (7)

5: Social Media & Website
Reasonably regular updates on Twitter (7)

6: Programme
Contains all the essentials, good for £1 (7)

7: Game entertainment
A bit one-sided (6)

8: Tea Bar
Good selection at good prices (8)

9: Bar / Clubhouse
Freshly refurbished, reasonable range of drinks (6)

10: Club Shop
None that I saw (-)

TOTAL SCORE OUT OF 90: 64
AVERAGE SCORE: 7.1

GROUND PHOTOS