UPDATE 26/6/09: I am still having problems with Three! The connection has only worked sporadically. They have assured me that they are dealing with the problem 'at the highest levels'...but you know what? I don't believe a word! Hopefully it will be sorted soon, I am at a total loss as to what to do, and it is extrmely frustrating to say the least!-Mishi
To anyone who has looked in over the last couple of weeks, looking for some new photos to look at.
Unfortunately I have been having some serious mobile internet connection problems on my laptop. But it appears to have been working over the last couple of days.
It has been somewhat frustrating, but hopefully it is back to normal now, who knows eh?
If this happens again please continue to look back, this is not a site I will get bored of. If there are no new snaps it is because I am having computer problems!
I still have some English grounds to publish, plus a few French. I will take a few more, hopefully, when I am in Brussels this weekend, with the Dulwich Hamlet Supporters' Football Team.
I am also in Helsinki & Riga at the end of July, so hope to take some more there.
And I have a dozen venues to publish from my trip to Glasgow last weekend.
And, looking further ahead, I have a week booked for a trip to Prague in late October.
So thank you all for your perseverance!
Mishi
Wednesday, 17 June 2009
Tuesday, 16 June 2009
FC Dieppe; Dieppe, France
I had the pleasure of visiting FC Dieppe in May 2007. The opposition were my favourite French team Red Star, & this was, & still is, the only time I've seen them at an away game. This was a CFA (level four) match, but Dieppe were already relegated down to CFA2.
This is a modern stadium, the Stade des Vertus opening in 2006. It is situated on the edge of town, about a half hour walk from the centre, an uphill incline on the way there, but not too steep. there is a local bus that goes past it too.
This is the main stand from outside.
Like many French stadiums it is supported/owned by the local authority.
I stayed at the very basic hotel chain Formula1. Unbeknown to me, when booking it, the stadium was just behind it!
It's also only ten minutes walk from the Canadian War Cemetery, from where we spotted the floodlights for the first time.
The ticket booths were outside.
With various ground rules on display.
Just inside was a small club shop.
We're behind the main stand, on the left hand side. That's the gates we entered through, & you can see the area behind the stand.
Just past the souvenirs was this delicious food stall.
We're going to head round the ground, clockwise. It's open on three sides. Here is the the hard standing behind the goal. Presumably the shrubs will grow as they bed in & become more established.
From the far corner we look across to the impressive stand.
Along the far side is some open steps of terracing.
With more open hard standing behind the other goal.
We're now back round to the main stand.
This is named after Maurice Thoumyre, which was the name of their previous stadium, nearer to the town centre.
This is my friend Mark, a fellow Dulwich Hamlet fan, who was on the trip with me.
Here we look across the pitch, from the back of the stand.
Mark makes himself at home, well he's not getting any younger, he needs the rest! ;-)
The teams line up before kick off. Our hotel was just beyond that water tower in the background.
Some of the visiting Red Star contingent, who made the fairly long journey from Paris.
Allez Red Star!
Plenty of Red Star banners!
Including our own!
The main Red Star fan call themselves the 'Gang Green'.
I've yet to find out why Red Star has a Welsh flag at games. To be honest, being English, I don't really want to know!
I do like snaps of banners!
Here are some of the Red Star fans.
One solitary home flag!
Good top!
A bit of goalmouth action.
Cheering the team on!
Loyal supporters!
Some of the players appreciate the fans.
As the flares come out.
Which makes for a good photo!
Smile please! I think we're going to end up on the website!
Post match, we look across the pitch, from the back of the stand.
With one more glance across the seats, from the press area.
This is a modern stadium, the Stade des Vertus opening in 2006. It is situated on the edge of town, about a half hour walk from the centre, an uphill incline on the way there, but not too steep. there is a local bus that goes past it too.
This is the main stand from outside.
Like many French stadiums it is supported/owned by the local authority.
I stayed at the very basic hotel chain Formula1. Unbeknown to me, when booking it, the stadium was just behind it!
It's also only ten minutes walk from the Canadian War Cemetery, from where we spotted the floodlights for the first time.
The ticket booths were outside.
With various ground rules on display.
Just inside was a small club shop.
We're behind the main stand, on the left hand side. That's the gates we entered through, & you can see the area behind the stand.
Just past the souvenirs was this delicious food stall.
We're going to head round the ground, clockwise. It's open on three sides. Here is the the hard standing behind the goal. Presumably the shrubs will grow as they bed in & become more established.
From the far corner we look across to the impressive stand.
Along the far side is some open steps of terracing.
With more open hard standing behind the other goal.
We're now back round to the main stand.
This is named after Maurice Thoumyre, which was the name of their previous stadium, nearer to the town centre.
This is my friend Mark, a fellow Dulwich Hamlet fan, who was on the trip with me.
Here we look across the pitch, from the back of the stand.
Mark makes himself at home, well he's not getting any younger, he needs the rest! ;-)
The teams line up before kick off. Our hotel was just beyond that water tower in the background.
Some of the visiting Red Star contingent, who made the fairly long journey from Paris.
Allez Red Star!
Plenty of Red Star banners!
Including our own!
The main Red Star fan call themselves the 'Gang Green'.
I've yet to find out why Red Star has a Welsh flag at games. To be honest, being English, I don't really want to know!
I do like snaps of banners!
Here are some of the Red Star fans.
One solitary home flag!
Good top!
A bit of goalmouth action.
Cheering the team on!
Loyal supporters!
Some of the players appreciate the fans.
As the flares come out.
Which makes for a good photo!
Smile please! I think we're going to end up on the website!
Post match, we look across the pitch, from the back of the stand.
With one more glance across the seats, from the press area.
Monday, 15 June 2009
Entente Sportive Janvalaise; Dieppe, France
Entente Sportive Janvalaise are a small club, playing in the regional leagues in Normandy. It is a basic pitch, no floodlights, just railed off. We discovered it as it is situated immediately behind the FC Dieppe stadium.
Here we look across the pitch, to the club building on the far side, which housed the changing rooms and a small bar.
Almost the same view, but from another corner.
There were small dugouts, as you can see. A youth game was finishing as we were passing.
Here we look down the touchline, dugouts in shot, & the buildings again in the background.
You can see the FC Dieppe floodlights behind the trees.
This dugout was by their second pitch, which wasn't railed off.
Here we look across the pitch, to the club building on the far side, which housed the changing rooms and a small bar.
Almost the same view, but from another corner.
There were small dugouts, as you can see. A youth game was finishing as we were passing.
Here we look down the touchline, dugouts in shot, & the buildings again in the background.
You can see the FC Dieppe floodlights behind the trees.
This dugout was by their second pitch, which wasn't railed off.
FC Dieppe-Stade Maurice Thoumyre;Dieppe, France
We were a season too late to see a match here, as it closed a year before. Thankfully this former home of FC Dieppe, opened in 1927, hadn't been bulldozed yet, for my visit in May 2007. The pitch appeared to be still in use, so I don't know if it was still used by a local side. But I had been told it was due for demolition, as part of an extension for one of the local companies located around there. Maurice Thoumyre was a former president of FC Dieppe, & former Mayor of the town, who died prematurely from illness, in 11937, aged only 52.
I do not know if the ground has been demolished since my visit.
These were the ticket booths outside.
we entered behind the goal, from a gap in the fence, from the road. Behind the goal were these old buildings, they looked like an old clubhouse & offices. We are going to head round anti-clockwise, going towards the main stand first.
From behind the goal we see the old wooden stand.
Looking across the pitch I attempt an arty flowery shot!
Here is the stand itslef. Note the high mesh fences in front of it.
The seats are, surprisingly to an inner city Londoner, still in place.
The players tunnel, in the middle, which is surprisingly accessible.
This is one of the changing rooms underneath.
Looking down the players tunnel.
A cartoon left behind. I have no idea what it says!
Well I suppose if the ground was closing there was no harm in leaving your team on the door!
Oh dear! How French!
Back out in the open, we look across the pitch.
Going onto the pitch we look toward the dugouts, with the tannoy box at the back.
Fellow Dulwich Hamlet fans Mark & Paul go into management mode. Although we can't be sure we beleive this may have been the very ground where Dulwich Hamlet teams played on tour in the twenties & thirties.
They're clearly enjoying themselves!
Some people never grow up! ;-)
Ooh! I would say 'good save keeper!'..but in that goal?
Time for a 'power nap' after all that exercise! This litle dugout was inbetween the main two, presumably for the fourth official?
Moving along we glance back down the stand.
Starting to be overgrown, it looks rather sad, but you can't stand in the way of progress they say.
It's open behind the goal, with a training area behind.
Now overgrown, as you can see here.
The old scoreboard remains in the corner.
From this corner we look back across the pitch.
A decent stretch of open terrace down the far side, already 'returning to nature'.
Another angle of it, from the back.
And directly opposite the main stand.
I would guess there were old barriers here.
More overgrown terracing as we continue along.
In the corner are the old, 'traditional' open urinals.
And as for the actual toilets...I hope they used to have doors on them! ;-)
Another flowery shot before we go. A poppy to remember the ghosts of footballers past who graced the turf here. We shall remember them...
I do not know if the ground has been demolished since my visit.
These were the ticket booths outside.
we entered behind the goal, from a gap in the fence, from the road. Behind the goal were these old buildings, they looked like an old clubhouse & offices. We are going to head round anti-clockwise, going towards the main stand first.
From behind the goal we see the old wooden stand.
Looking across the pitch I attempt an arty flowery shot!
Here is the stand itslef. Note the high mesh fences in front of it.
The seats are, surprisingly to an inner city Londoner, still in place.
The players tunnel, in the middle, which is surprisingly accessible.
This is one of the changing rooms underneath.
Looking down the players tunnel.
A cartoon left behind. I have no idea what it says!
Well I suppose if the ground was closing there was no harm in leaving your team on the door!
Oh dear! How French!
Back out in the open, we look across the pitch.
Going onto the pitch we look toward the dugouts, with the tannoy box at the back.
Fellow Dulwich Hamlet fans Mark & Paul go into management mode. Although we can't be sure we beleive this may have been the very ground where Dulwich Hamlet teams played on tour in the twenties & thirties.
They're clearly enjoying themselves!
Some people never grow up! ;-)
Ooh! I would say 'good save keeper!'..but in that goal?
Time for a 'power nap' after all that exercise! This litle dugout was inbetween the main two, presumably for the fourth official?
Moving along we glance back down the stand.
Starting to be overgrown, it looks rather sad, but you can't stand in the way of progress they say.
It's open behind the goal, with a training area behind.
Now overgrown, as you can see here.
The old scoreboard remains in the corner.
From this corner we look back across the pitch.
A decent stretch of open terrace down the far side, already 'returning to nature'.
Another angle of it, from the back.
And directly opposite the main stand.
I would guess there were old barriers here.
More overgrown terracing as we continue along.
In the corner are the old, 'traditional' open urinals.
And as for the actual toilets...I hope they used to have doors on them! ;-)
Another flowery shot before we go. A poppy to remember the ghosts of footballers past who graced the turf here. We shall remember them...
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