Beckenham Town

I took these pictures of Kent League Premier Division side Beckenham Town pre-season, in July 2009. It is basic, and long way short of Isthmian standard, if ever they were to finish high enough up the table to be considered for promotion, but it's more than adequate for their needs.
What it lacks in character I've always found has been made up in friendliness, and have always felt welcomed here on my previous visits; probably a dozen or so times over the years. And as an added bonus, it's also just a few minutes walk from Eden Park Station. not just that but two buses go past that run right by my street, a couple of miles away. I really should pop down here more often...





The ground is set back from the road, an access road doubling up as a car park.



Here are the turnstiles.



Once through them, to the left, and set back from the pitch, is the club house, and changing rooms.



This is the entrance to the changing rooms.



There are some tables outside the bar area, it was summer when I took these after all! Behind them you can see the railed off path for the players to the pitch, which is to the right.



There is hard standing around the pitch,and the ground is fenced in, as you can see, on the left.



This is the view down the pitch from the 'tunnel'.



Basic concrete hard standing, the goal resting on the fence, due to renovation work on the pitch.



Before we move on round the ground, we see the board from the current League sponsors.



And one of the former ones...



As was this newspaper company.



An unusual shot of the goal!



Moving along the side now, again just open hard standing, with the dugouts further along. Note the fence behind the training goal, on the left. On the other side is a second pitch, with no facilities around it whatsoever, which is often used by the Beckenham Town first team for pre-season matches.



There is this larger flat area of concrete hard standing. I have no idea why it's there. My guess is that they once planned to build some sort of new stand, but either ran out of money, or just changed their mind.



Now we have reached the dugouts...with a television gantry behind! not as strange as it seems. At the end of the '08/09 season they had staged a charity game, which was filmed by the Sky cameras.



We're now standing in front of the dugouts, looking back to the changing rooms end.



Looking across the pitch we are opposite the small main stand.



Continuing our stroll round the pitch we see the rest of the hard standing that goes to the next corner.



Dumped by the perimeter fence is an old roller.



Now behind the far goal it's hard standing as well, the only 'overhang' being from the trees outside.



From this end we glance all the back down the dugouts side.



There's a good vantage point just outside the ground, from this tree house!



Now we're at the next corner, the only thing missing from this picture is a corner flag!



We're on the last stetch now, more open hard standing, leading up to the stand.



And here we are! Granted it's not much, but it is lovingly painted in the club colours.



Here is a shot of it from the pitch.



No seats as such, just 'wooden benches'.



Beyond this is more of the hard standing, leading back to the entrance.



At the corner you can see how far back the entrance, & club buildings, are.



One last look over the pitch...



Passing the turnstiles as we leave.