extreme groundhopping

Saturday, July 29, 2006

AFC Sudbury

AFC Sudbury 3 Histon 2 (Friendly)
King's Marsh Stadium, Sudbury, Suffolk

As a former pupil of Sudbury Upper School it's something of a surprise (to myself at least) that it's taken me so long to get to a Sudbury home game, even more of surprise given that my sister used to live within an errant goal kicks distance of the old Sudbury Town club’s Priory Stadium. Sudbury Town have since merged with Sudbury Wanderers, to become AFC Sudbury, moving across the River Stour to King’s Marsh where the old Wanderers club used to play. The Priory Stadium still exists, although in a very run down and vandalised state, as various attempts to offload the acreage to local builders have come to nothing. A ground that has hosted FA Cup ties as recently as 1996 surely deserves a quicker and more fitting end.

Since it’s formation in 1999 AFC Sudbury have not looked back and if it weren’t for the financial millstone of having two grounds to support, the club, which finally accepted promotion from the Eastern Counties (Ridgeons) League to the Isthmian (Ryman’s) League this summer, could have gone up a level on any one of five other occasions have dominated the Ridgeons League and finishing as it champions five straight seasons from 2000-01 to 2004-05. In that period they also won the Suffolk Premier Cup three times, the Eastern Counties Football League Cup once, and did I mention three consecutive appearances in the final of the FA Vase (2002-03, 2003-04, 2004-05)?

King’s Marsh is a modest, but well maintained ground, with a 200-seated stand and Club House on one side and a relatively new covered terrace opposite with space for 300. Known as the “The Shed” the terrace boasts some of the noisiest fans to be found in non-league football in this part of the world who, unsurprisingly given the clubs success, have followed their side in high numbers around the grounds of the Suffolk, Essex and Norfolk in recent years.

Along with local rivals Bury Town, AFC Sudbury accepted the invitation by the Isthmian League to join Division One (North) for 2006-07, and can look forward to trips to, and visits from, the likes of AFC Hornchurch, Barking & East Ham, Enfield Town and Hendon over the next nine-months. The Isthmian League, incidentally now in its 101st year, draws all of its participating clubs from around London and the South-East.

Match Number: 1321

Official Website: www.afcsudbury.com

Match Report: www.afcsudbury.com

posted by chevblue at 11:09 PM 0 comments

Friday, July 21, 2006

DFC Dordrecht

Sportpark Reeweg Oost, Dordrecht, Holland

Our five-day tour of Holland and Belgium concludes with one final stadium visit, which, by happy coincidence, is just 150 metres from FC Dordrecht’s GN Bouw Stadion. Sportpark Reeweg Oost is the home of the aforementioned DFC Dordrecht, and is a neat affair, bordered by trees and shrubs, with a small covered stand with seating for around 250. And that’s about it.

Well, ignoring the football that was a pretty decent tour and a haul of eight grounds in five days represents a pretty decent return, although those with more stamina would no doubt have easily bettered that number. So for now I’m off back to England, but come back soon for reports from stadia in the more familiar surroundings of the British Isle’s.

Official Website: www.dfc-dordrecht.nl

posted by chevblue at 7:52 PM 2 comments

FC Dordrecht

FC Dordrecht 1 Ipswich Town 1 (Friendly)
GN Bouw Stadion, Dordrecht, Holland

[Click here for a full size version of the panorama]

The final game and the last day of our tour of Benelux puts us twenty miles or so to the east of Rotterdam in the town of Dordrecht.

Formed as Dordrechtsche Football Club (DFC) in 1883, this evenings opposition for Town have had more name changes than any other club in Holland. In 1972 the amateur and professional arms split into two separate clubs, with the former retaining the name DFC Dordrecht, while the later became FC Dordrecht. Since then FC Dordrecht have been known as Drechtsteden 79, Dordrecht 90, SVV/Dordrecht 90, Dordrecht 90 again, finally returning to the name FC Dordrecht in 2002. It remains unclear whether this confusion over names is responsible for the club being one of the worst supported in Dutch professional football.

FC Dordrecht, currently in the Dutch Second Division, play at the GN Bouw Stadion – not that dissimilar in scale to Colchester United’s Layer Road ground, although considerable more modern. What first catches the eye on entering the away section is the rather daunting security fence that towers above you as you walk along the lower gangway into the seating area. There is also a very low roof, and with the bottom edge of the scoreboard only just clearing the view of the near cross-bar the overall effect is quite claustrophobic. The remaining three sides of the ground also have low-level covered stands giving the GN Bouw a total all-seated capacity of 4,100.

The match ended in another 1-1 draw, the third of the tour, and the forth in the five pre-season games played so far under new manager Jim Magilton. Probably the best entertainment wise to date (and I use that word cautiously), with the home side rushing ahead after just two minutes, and Town equalising through Richard Naylor (in his testimonial year) just two minutes after that. Only one further friendly to endure, against recently shamed and ex-Serie ‘A’ side Lazio of Rome at Portman Road next Friday, before the Football League season kicks off for real on August 5th.

Match Number: 1319

Official Website: www.fcdordrecht.nl

Match Report, Stats and Lots of Pictures: www.prideofanglia.com

posted by chevblue at 7:41 PM 0 comments

Thursday, July 20, 2006

FC Brussels

Stade Edmond Machtens, Brussels, Belgium

Winners of the Belgian Second Division in 2003-04, FC Brussels was formed just a year earlier following the merger of two sides R.W.D. Molenbeek and K.F.C. Strombeek. Formed in 1909, R.W.D., or Racing White Daring , were League Champions in 1975 and regular competed on the European stage around that time. Financial difficults led to their collapse and bankruptcy in 2002 and their ejection from the League. K.F.C. Strombeek came into being as recenly as 1932 and have enjoyed an unremarkable time of things since. Last year the newly re-formed club finished 10th in the Jupiler League.

Their 11,000 Stade Edmond Machtens, has two covered all-seater grandstands along each touchline, terracing behind one goal, while the other end has no provision for spectators opening out onto a not entirely unattractive copse. The ground is set into the side of a small hill and apart from a factory at its northern end, and a civic swimming pool to one side, sits in a predominantly residential area. There is a pleasant park between it and the Beekkant station on Metro Line 2, and while I don’t claim to be an expert on the European capital it strikes me as being one of its more pleasant municipalities.

Town were due to play here tomorrow night, but for some undisclosed reason the game was called off. Instead the Blue’s will now take on FC Dordrecht of Holland. Incidentally the game with FC Brussels had already replaced a game against another Belgian side, St Truiden, which was called off last month due to the latter’s involvement in the Intertoto Cup.

That’s it for Brussels. See you in Dordrecht tomorrow.

Official Website: www.fc-brussels.be

posted by chevblue at 7:36 PM 2 comments

RSC Anderlecht

Constant Vanden Stock Stadion, Brussels, Belgium

From the Saint-Guidon metro station head south-west to Astrid Park at the far edge of which you will find the concrete, steel and shiny-glass edifice that is the Constant Vanden Stock Stadium. I watched a UEFA Cup game between Anderlecht and Lens here way back in the early 1980’s and in the intervening years the ground has undergone a massive transformation.

The original stadium, then known as Stade Emile, was first constructed back in 1917, consisting at the time of a single wooden stand. Over the years this was replaced by concrete stands on all four sides in what, if my memory serves me correctly, was a pretty average looking European ground. Fast forward to 1983, and president Constant Vanden Stock began pouring millions of Belgian Francs into the complete reconstruction of what is now a truly world class stadium (if a little bit on the small side).

Old Trafford excepted, Anderlecht were the first club in Europe to install executive boxes, which can house 406 suits, a further 1,583 of whom can park their rears in a special VIP seating area, and the ground can also boasts a Michelin Guide one-star restaurant. The Vanden Stock has an overall capacity of 28,400, and as is common in a number of European countries, standing accommodation is still available behind both goals (although regulations decree that these areas are closed for UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup matches).

RSC, the most succesfull Belgian side in European football, having won the Cup Winners’ Cup & Super Cup twice and the UEFA Cup once (interspersed with 28 domestic titles), have plans afoot to boost the capacity of the Vanden Stock to 40,000 in the not to distant future.

Official Website: www.rsca.be

posted by chevblue at 7:32 PM 1 comments

Stade du Heysel II

Stade du Heysel II, Brussels, Belgium

This stadium was a bit of an unexpected bonus sitting as it does within yards of the King Baudouin Stadium. A search of the web turns up very little information on this charming 10,000 capacity stadium, other than it was once home to Racing Jet de Bruxelles who played here for a few years in the 1980’s before moving 30 km’s south to Wavre. Named in a couple of places as Stade du Heysel II, signage on one stand would suggest that it is also known as Ville de Bruxelles Terrein. Let me know if you know any differently!

posted by chevblue at 7:28 PM 4 comments

King Baudouin Stadium

King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels, Belgium

[Click here for a full size version of the panorama]

The first stadium I visit today is possibly the most notorious stadium in European football. Rename it, rebuild it, but it’s still Heysel. Events at the European Cup final played here in 1985 are very well documented elsewhere, so I won’t dwell on them here other than to ask the simple question: Why is there no memorial to the 39 who perished here so unnecessarily 21 years ago?

There is no mistaking the famous Atomium when you surface from Heysel metro station, but the first view you are presented with of the King Baudouin is rather disappointing – if it weren’t for the truly massive floodlight pylons looming overhead you could imagine yourself outside an Ikea warehouse in the UK. But follow the road round to the left and down the hill past a cinema complex and the stadium takes on a quite majestic air.

The façade of the original 1930’s grandstand has been retained and integrated into the frontage of the now completely rebuilt stadium. Either side of the façade are some rather impressive street level glass windows into which has been engraved the name of the stadium, in both French and Flemish. The remainder of the frontage is constructed of light red brick, all nicely set-off with low level street lights, shiny brushed aluminium safety barriers and a block paved roadway.

While I was taking all this in I was almost run over by a car performing a three point turn. As I peered in through the windscreen I suddenly realised that the driver and passenger were two Ipswich fans (from Norway) down in Belgium for the pre-season tour. And I had sat in front of them at last nights game in Waregem. It’s a small world! While this was my first stadium of the day (at almost 2:30 CET) they had racked up an impressive nine already, having got the ball rolling at some ground or other in Zeebrugge on the Belgian coast earlier in the day.

Where was I? Ah yes. Separating the stadium from the main car park is a small but pleasant park, set to lawn in places and lined with shrubs and perennials, which makes for a rather pleasant place to sit awhile before heading to the next stadium. Which is right next door.

posted by chevblue at 7:22 PM 2 comments

Wednesday, July 19, 2006

SV Zulte-Waregem

SV Zulte-Waregem 1 Ipswich Town 1 (Friendly)
Regenboogstadion, Waregem, Belgium

[Click here for a full size version of the panorama]

Game two of Town’s mini tour of the Lowlands.

Tonight’s opponents are SV Zulte-Waregem, who finished a very credible sixth in the Belgian Jupiler League last season having only gained promotion to the Belgian top-flight the previous summer. And to top that they clinched a place in this years UEFA Cup by winning the Belgian Cup! The current SV Zulte-Waregem club came into being five years ago following the merger of Zultse V.V. (from the neighbouring town of Zulte) and KSV Waregem (from Waregem), the later having been regular participants in Belgian First Division before their demise in 2001.

Just a short walk from the centre of Waregem, the Regenboogstadion (Rainbow Stadium in Dutch) consists of two stands along either touchline, separated from the pitch by a running track. The main stand has two tiers of seating, while its opposite number is an odd affair with seating in a single elevated tier, flanked by two separately constructed and stand-a-lone sections of terracing. There is no seating or terracing behind either goal, which leaves the Regenboog with a capacity of around 8,500 spectators. This is ample according to one of the stewards I spoke to who said that, with the odd exception, attendances of around the 5,000 mark were typical for most home league games.

It’s a clean and modern ground that has obviously benefited from the funds made available to it by the current owner, a successful, and obviously wealthy, industrialist, although given the average attendance you must wonder why the club has plans for a 500-seater restaurant! Perhaps the success of last season has caused them to get a bit ahead of themselves (you wouldn’t get that at Ipswich, oh no).

Another friendly welcome when we arrived several hours before the game, with the ground staff kindly allowing us to wander around the ground accompanied. Come kick-off it was a different matter though, and the by now 100-strong contingent of Blue’s fans’ were asked to occupy a segregated area in the smaller of the two stands to watch the action. As on Monday, of the two available stands, this was the one that had been subjected to near-40 degree temperatures during the afternoon, while the shaded main stand opposite remained empty! Scorchio.

Official Website: www.svzw.be

Match Report, Stats and Lots of Pictures: www.prideofanglia.com

Match Number: 1318

posted by chevblue at 11:04 PM 3 comments

Tuesday, July 18, 2006

You can't get there from here

KAA Gent
Jules Ottenstadion, Gent, Belgium

Day two of the tour finds us at our base for the next three days, the historic Belgian City of Gent, twenty to thirty miles to the west of Brussels. Our arrival coincides with the start of the annual ten-day Gent Festival which last year attracted in excess of one million visitors. The event is a mixture of street theatre, music old and new, eating and excessive drinking.

It was also pretty damn hot too (forty degrees centigrade according to some sources) so perhaps not the best time to head off on foot into unknown territory searching for the ground of Jupiler League side K.A.A. Gent. And a bit of a fiasco it proved to be. While the Jules Ottenstadion was clearly visible on our approach along the E17 earlier in the day, actually getting to it on shank’s pony across a maze of motorway junctions, railway lines and canals proved impossible. We can’t have been more than a stones throw away when my fellow traveller, bathed in sweat, decided enough was enough and demanded that we returned to the centre of Gent for refreshments.

Here’s hoping for a better success in my planned hop round Brussels later this week.

Official Website: www.kaagent.be

Stadium Pictures: www.stadionwelt.de

posted by chevblue at 6:44 PM 3 comments

Monday, July 17, 2006

Willem II

Willem II 1 Ipswich Town 1 (Friendly)
Willem II Stadion, Tilburg, Holland

[Click here for a full size version of the panorama]

Welcome to day one of a five-day tour around Holland and Belgium to watch the Tractorites prepare for the upcoming Championship season. So get ready for reports from Tilburg and Dordrecht in Holland, Waregem in Belgium, and as many stadiums as I can manage to get to in between ...

Originally formed as Tilburgia in 1896, today’s opponents Willem II adopted their current name, after the Dutch King Willem II, in 1898. They’ve won the Dutch championship on three occasions, most recently in 1955, the Dutch Cup twice, and a second place finish in the Eredivisie in the 1998/99 season ensured qualification for their first and only taste of Champions League action. More recently, victory in last seasons relegation play-offs ensured top flight status for at least another season for the team nicknamed the “King’s Army”.

Their Willem II Stadium, completely rebuilt in 1995, is a single-tier fully-enclosed affair with a capacity just shy of 15,000. A moat separates the spectators from the pitch so no need for the security fencing that is still very much in evidence at other Dutch grounds as the country continues to struggle with the “English disease”. As is the case everywhere in Holland cycling is positively encouraged and the stadium is equipped with a large cycle park – although quite how a full house of fans is able to identify their individual bikes after a game remains a mystery. There are a number of other nice touches around the ground (the football shaped bollards catching my eye (see pics)), the stewarding was particularly friendly (and of course they all spoke fluent English), which all helps lend the place a homely feel.

The two sets of fans were allowed to mix freely inside and outside the stadium. Town fan’s have an exemplary record, at home and abroad, so no problem here. But only opening two stands - and the two that have been baking in the sun all day at that - not such a good idea. As for the game, I’ve watched enough pre-season friendlies to know not to expect much in terms of entertainment. True to form the first forty-five minutes were pretty poor and the second half was truly dire, enlivened only by the site of three hot air balloons passing overhead (see link to pictures below) and a last minute equaliser by Town’s Matt Richards.

Official Website: www.willem-ii.nl

Match Report, Stats and Lots of Pictures: www.prideofanglia.com

Match Number: 1317

posted by chevblue at 11:00 PM 2 comments

Friday, July 14, 2006

Framlingham Town

Framlingham Town 2 Ipswich Town Reserves 4
(Neil Whatling Testimonial )
Sports Ground, Framlingham, Suffolk

[Click here for a full size version of the panorama]

Match: 1316

posted by chevblue at 10:01 PM 0 comments

Tuesday, July 11, 2006

Midland Road Stand, Valley Parade

I’m quite fortunate to receive a regular flow of contributions for my other little web project. The 1950’s Bradford City team picture above, is one such example, and is of interest to me in two respects. One, the trainer standing on the left is Frank Shufflebottom, who played for Ipswich in the 1930’s and Two, the stand in the background, Bradford City’s Midland Road Stand, is the work of famed stadium architect Archibald Leitch.

Opened Christmas Day 1908, the Midland Road Stand, which upped Valley Parade’s capacity to almost 40,000 for newly promoted First Division City, was one of the Leitch’s more challenging projects. Not only did he have to contend with a drop of between twenty- and thirty-feet from pitch level to the street below (Valley Parade is built on the side of a hill), but also the fact that the street itself ran at an angle to the touchline. The resulting stand had two total distinct facades. Street side it was all concrete and straight lines, with huge supporting pillars towering over passing traffic. Pitch side the steel framed upper structure, had a more traditional early-1900’s feel to it, with three mock Tudor gables toped off with decorative wrought-iron work. Safety concerns saw the stand partially closed following the 1946 Burnden Park disaster and it was completely demolished in 1952, leaving City to play in a three-sided arena for the next fourteen years.

posted by chevblue at 10:55 PM 3 comments

Saturday, July 08, 2006

Boston United

Boston United 1 Ipswich Town 1 (Friendly)
York Street, Boston, Lincolnshire

[Click here for a full size version of the panorama]

I like Boston, so the 220 mile round trip for a Saturday afternoon friendly is no effort at all. Ipswich have played a number of friendly games at York Street in the last three years and, as visiting supporters, we’ve previously occupied the Town End Terrace. However, that was closed today so we were offered the choice of sitting with the home fan’s Staffsmart Stand or standing with them along the Spayne Road terrace. Blimey! Un-segregated rivals supporters at an English League ground. Whatever next?

The aforementioned Town End Terrace can accommodate up to 1,800 visiting fans, while the total ground capacity is 6,643, and despite having only gained promotion into the Football League as recently as 2002, York Street boasts facilities that match, if not better, those of many others grounds in League’s One and Two. A short walk from the centre of Boston, and in the shadow, almost, of the Boston Stump, this is pleasant and friendly venue, and well worth a visit.

Match: 1315

posted by chevblue at 10:43 PM 2 comments

Boston Town

Tattershall Road, Boston, Lincolnshire

[Click here for a full size version of the panorama]

Boston Town of the United Counties League Premier Division, of which they have been champions twice (1994/95, 2000/01), have, one season excepted, played at Tattershall Road in north Boston since their formation in 1964. Located next to a Country Park their ramshackle ground boasts a capacity of 6,000, although the record attendance stands at 2,700 for the visit of archrivals Boston United in an FA Cup 3rd qualifying round tie in 1970.

But that’s all about to change with a possible move to the other side of this picturesque South Lincolnshire town for Town. In a bizarre deal, their ground has been brought by League Two side Boston United, who intend to sell it and their own York Street ground off for residential development, while new grounds are constructed for both sides, United ending up with an £8M shiny new 7,500 stadium, Town left with warm altruistic glow, knowing they’ve helped fund it. Unsurprisingly, there seems to be remarkable few people in favour of any of this. United fan’s are rightly proud of their well appointed York Street ground, while Town fan’s also want to stay put. And, in the meantime, one of the architects of this cunning plan, former United Chairman Jon Sotnick, has resigned his position to join Darlington!

posted by chevblue at 10:00 AM 2 comments

Friday, July 07, 2006

Green Green Grass

Here is a photo of the newly relaid Portman Road turf. Apparently it was just laid yesterday and they've been cutting it today! How can they have an immaculate lawn after 24 hours, and I've been trying - and failing - for years! It just isn't fair!!

posted by chevblue at 7:46 PM 2 comments