Monday 1 June 2009

Fisher Athletic (London)-Salter Road

I made my first visit to Salter Road to watch Fisher Athletic when they first moved there in the early eighties, having previously been based in Mitcham, in the London-Spartan League. When this stadium was built, in conjunction with the LDDC, they joined the Southern League, & played in their traditional heartland at last.

After Champion Hill, this stadium is the one I must have visited more than any other. Now it lies derelict, awaiting revised planning permission, so it can be redeveloped, & bring the Fish-albeit a new club- home to SE16.

I spent my teenage years, til my mid twenties, living at home on the Aylesbury Estate, at the Old Kent Road end of it, & it was only a half hour or so to walk there, through the Bermondsey backstreets. You could always get a late one back then in their bar, which was why I liked it there for midweek games! ;-)

Despite not supporting them, I've got a 'soft spot' for them as another Southwark side, & have always watched then two or three times a season at least.

I'm not going to comment much on this ground, it's in such a poor state of repair I'll leave you to take in the extemely sad decay & vandalism, without my tuppence worth.









This was the view from outside, I wasn't sure if I'd get in.



But found a gap here, in the corner. It has since been made secure again, so I think I just got lucky.





A vandalised toilet block.













































This was a hole in the pitch, presumably made by foxes.





The next few are of changing rooms and offices, which are behind the stand.















This was the old 'executive bar' area, I think it was, up in the pavilion.



The next few snaps were taken from up in the balcony.





















Salter Road R.I.P.

33 comments:

marcuscleaver said...

Shame to see the old ground in such a sad state. :(

Stephen Lang said...

Great site will add a link to my groundhopping site.

http://groundhopper2000.blogspot.com/

Hope that is ok
Cheers
Stephen

FIXED BAYONET METAL SOLDIERS said...

What a shame? But why did they move in the first place.It seems a perfect s.P ground?

Rabbler said...

Marcus: Couldn't agree more!


Stephen: Enjoying looking through your site too! If I had more spare money I'd go to a lot more German football. apart from 'two world wars and one world cup' I love the country! ;-)

FBMS: The ground owner wants to redevelop it, which includes a new ground on the same site. Planning permission is there for 129 dwellings, but that wouldn't be enough to finance the ground as well. So they are now applying for permission to build 169 dwellings, which will be able to finance a new stadium on the same site. And would be used by the new Fisher club, formed out of the ashes of the old one.

Anonymous said...

This was a brand new ground hosting Conference football 25 years ago. It's utterly disgraceful the way it's been allowed to become derelict. With such a shortage of sporting facilities for young people in this part of London, the local Councillors and Planning Officers should be hanging their heads in shame!

FIXED BAYONET METAL SOLDIERS said...

But why?Who built the ground=who owns it?

FIXED BAYONET METAL SOLDIERS said...

What happened to the first Fisher club?

rich wilcock said...

@Fixed Bayonet Soldiers

Fisher Athletic cesed to exist in the spring months of this year, but formed a new club called Fisher F.C 13 days later, they will be playing in the Bulmers Cider Kent League this season. They are playing at Dulwich Hamlets lovely little place Champions Hill.

Anyway, its a confusing set up because the Council own the freehold after Fisher went bump. However, there have been plans to redevelop the ground for some time, however it should be undergoing renovation soon, so Fisher can move in (:

Anonymous said...

I was the physio at Fisher while malclom Allison and mike Bailey were managers when fisher were in the football conference it is sad to see the old ground in such a state.

Brian Mayo ( Quincy )

Rabbler said...

Blimey! Quincy! Small world...I remember when you were the Hamlet physio! Not sure if you remember me, but I'm Mishi, who does this blog!

Anonymous said...

Hi Mishi of course I remember you how could I forget you I have very fond memories of my time at Dulwich and Fisher. I am now 66 years old.simi retired as a therapist but still think back of my time (35years in non league football) keep in touch. Quincy

Rabbler said...

Thanks for leaving another post. What other clubs were you at then? 35 years?...bet you've got some stories to tell. Look forward to your memoirs now you've got more time on your hands! ;-)

FIXED BAYONET METAL SOLDIERS said...

what was allison like there?

Anonymous said...

Malcolm Allison was a good coach and at 67 years old he never lost his love for women and champagne and cigars.but on the pitch he was very ore inspiring and a privalidge to have worked with. He always wore the fedora hat and has left me thinking how lucky I was to have worked with him.

Anonymous said...

I will let you mishi be the first person to read my memoirs and maybe one day publish them.

Anonymous said...

Come on there must be some old fisher ath players and supporters out there who remember the old ground and the clubs time in the conference

Rabbler said...

Maybe you could go to the Fisher FC website, & then go onto their messageboard from there? I'm sure you'll get more of a response from their fans.
http://www.fisherfc.co.uk/wp/

Gordon B. said...

As a North Londoner who likes to keep in touch with all things non-league including clubs south of the river I would like to know if there's anyone out there who remembers the old Nunhead club. Would love to hear from anybody who remembers their ground (picture even)or who watched them at any time.

Gordon B.emsall

gee said...

i found a photo of them playing before a huge ground in the 20's but i'd like to know a lot more about them, where is nunhead?

Rabbler said...

Nunhead folded during the Second World War. Their ground backed onto Ivydale Road, in Nunhead. The land still remains, as a school sportsground, but nothing of their ground remains.

There was book about them written a few years ago, published in 2000, written by Mike Blakeman.

Ben Young said...

The scene of one of the greatest days in Barnet's history... when we gained promotion to the Football League for the first time in 1991.
Quite astonishing to think that were over 4200 fans at that game (4000 of them Bees fans) in that ground. It looks very small by current Blue Square Premier standards.
I stood behind the goal near the turnstiles for that historic game and remember the executive bar bit well. The whole ground had a sort of sleek 1980s Docklands architectural feel. It's very sad to see a football ground vandalised in this way (same for Claremont Road).

gee said...

So whats happening now about Fisher, any news from the council.As for the thing on Germany lets not forget (forgive yes) that they destroyed whole areas of London , a senior citizen I know told me that one of their V.2's destroyed a whole block of houses up near the Archway and killed a lot of children at a kids birthday party.All that shouldnt be forgotten for the simple reason that if we do forget we wont remember who the Germans really are.
i go a twice thrice a year to barnet when im in london because its easy to get to but the football isnt very good, last time i was there it was just big kicks down the middle to a centre forward who controlled zero of these kicks, not exactly a reason to go to football and be entertained.

Ben Young said...

That sounds like Lawrie Sanchez's tactics to me. I'm hoping for something different this time.

However, your comments about Germany and Germanys are totally bigoted and obscene.

gee said...

ben tell that to all the families destroyed by the germans, have we been reading the guardian by any chance?20 million russians killed in russia alone.

Ben Young said...

Quite frankly, does the Germany of today bear any relation to Nazi Germany? No it doesn't, it's a much less militarised society than the UK is.
I find it strange that a lot of people in Britain still hark back to the war whereas most European countries, who suffered much more at the hands of Nazi Germany, decided to move and forwards a long time ago.

gee said...

thats the attitude maybe that some people took after the first world war, well done, but the fact remains that you dont really care bout 20,000,000 russians killed because of the german invasion, you dont care bout millions of jews gassed to death because if you did you'd say well "there may be some truth in what you say" at the least.I find it amazing that everyone seems to think the Germans have moved on. Im Italian and we are not exactly enamoured bout Germans here.The real problem is Ben you deny evidence, refute the truth on what the Germans did just as so many people today refute the truth on the greatest dictaorial state in the world=Israel. We should never forget, never move on. Forgive but not forget

gee said...

getting back to football, as regards barnet last season well I took some italian friends and it was funny because after the game they said never never again, these were people who love football, LOL It was dire every time I went there. I support a 3rd division side in milan called pro sesto and the difference in approach is amazing, pro sesto like most sides in the 3rd use a slow slow build up then go hell for leather if they get a sniff of goal whereas barnet was like everyone running as fast as they could and that was that-dire.I think if they could get someone who could teach them how to really hold the ball slow things down then they'd make progress. Im a spurs fan and I saw the barnet v spurs match, photos on my blog,and barnet only won 3-2 with their entire first team against spurs under 18's.I went brentford as well and that seemed a bit better. I think pro sesto would swamp barnet, by the way pro sesto couldnt pay their debts and ended up in the type esssex senior league of lombardy , check out breda stadium sesto on google, thats their ground

Ben Young said...

That was hardly Spurs U-18s. Players like Livermore, Townsend, Obika and Kane were playing for the Spurs XI. They all have had first team experience at Spurs and have been on loan to Championship and League 1 sides. I'm sure there were others as well.
Also, seeing that the England C-Team, that is a team made up of players from the Blue Square Premier, has been pretty successful against Italian Serie C representative side I'd think that Barnet would hold their own against Pro-Sesto.

Additionally, you know absolutely nothing about my family background or political beliefs. Have you seen me denying what happened in WWII?

gee said...

yeh but it was still spurs youth but take your point, terrible match anyway, the spurs were useless, townsend made one great run then disappeared the rest were dismal, no one gonna make it unless they pull their fingers out. Pro sesto played much much better football then barnet, have you ever seen them? I was a season ticket holder.as for who you are I think it was you that judged first wasnt it? but I didnt judge you from a family point of view just that of how can someone ignore 20,000,000 war dead in russia and say that was then, incredible

Anonymous said...

It is nice and sad at the same time to see these pictures of the old ground.
But I look forward to seeing the new ground being build in the coming year.

Glenn Nellins said...

I played at that ground for the Fisher Athletic reserves and youth team for a few years. Bailey was the first team manager at the time. Our youth team made it to the final of a youth cup and played Tottenham at White Hart Lane in the finals. If anyone remembers the name of the cup competition that would be great to know. I still have the video of that match that belongs to one of my team mates. If anyone knows Craig (I'm sure that's his name) from that team let me know. I'd love to return the video of the match to him.

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