Dalry Thistle; Scotland

I visited the Dalry Thistle ground during my trip to Scotland in late May 2010. They play in the Ayrshire League. It was one of the awkward to find entry to, bearing in mind I don't actually break into grounds, bt find 'gaps' into them! And eventually I found a tight gap through an outer hedge!



This is the main turnstile entrance. It wasn't where I got in, but for the sake of this tour it is where we shall begin.



Some concrete steps lead down to the pitch. We are behind one of the goals, and at this end is grass banking, with some terracing at the front. We are going to head along it, going round the ground anti-clockwise.



At the front we look left and see the open terrace along the side, with one of the dugouts over there too. As is traditional for Scottish junior football, the two dugouts are opposite each other.



Looking the other way we see a brick building, which I presume to be the changing rooms, maybe a social club too, though not all junior clubs actually have them. And what looks like a stand beyond it. Actually a covered terrace. Not that many Scottish junior grounds actually have seating. I have no idea why.



Looking down the touchline, a bit tight at this corner.



The hard stadning widens as we move along.



Presumably this gap is where the players enter the pitch.



Past the modern brick structure is a small section of terrace, with a turnstile behind it.



Here we are now at the covered terrace, looking a little neglected, but still proudly in their colours, emblazoned with the club name.



A nice shot from the front, with the dugout.



The club name stretches along the back, with the roof looking as though it's been patched up more than once or twice!



At the back we look down the terrace.



Here we turn right & look down the rest of it.



From behind the dugout we look over the pitch to the open terrace side.



Beyond the covered area is a small training area.



Training lights pointing down, and some old, disused terrace in the ocrner. I am left wondering if this used to be more substantial, but was flattened to make the practice patch?



Nothing behind the goal at all, at quick first glance...



Before we move round there we look back at the cover.



Clearly there WAS some decent terracing here once, judging from this corner & the old railings.



From the look of this it once extended behind the goal, now grassed over?



From this end we look over to the covered terrace.



Here we look directly down the pitch to the other end.



To our right is the open terrace down the other side.



Up in the corner is an old, demolished, former entrance, at a guess.



From up by the brickwork we look along this side, with the steps of terrace at the front.



Here we glance back behind the goal, training lights in view, so this area must have been cleared at some stage in the past.



At the bottom of the pylon is some of the old terracing.



Judging by the position of the railing I would assume the touchline used to extend further along, before they created a small training area behind the goal.



Now it's time to move on, looking over the pitch, from the open terraced side.



A similar shot.



Now we look along the terracing. Nothing wrong with it, if you trad carefully. But without a doubt it would have been condemned by the fabled 'health & safety police' south of the border.



Moving along, toward the dugout on this side.



Behind it, we look over the pitch.



And here it is, from the front.



Moving along to the corner where we started.



The terrace curves at the corner.



Here we are at the bend.



Turning back we look along the open terrace.



In the corner, behind the goal now, we see over the pitch to the covered terrace.



Back at the entrance where we began, to conclude our tour of Merksworth Park.