Bognor Regis Town currently play in Division One South of the Ryman League, & I-among many Hamlet fans-were more than happy when they came down last season. We don't wish them ill-will, but it is always a good awayday!
True our fans have mellowed over the years, & we don't travel in large numbers, so we don't have the 'fun' we've had here in the past, but it's always a decent ground to go to. Decide for yourselves...
Unusually I couldn't find the club crest to begin with, so we start with the one of the flag flying high.
Also fluttering is the county flag of West Sussex.
At the entrance was the standard Ryman League signage.
The entrance is down this drive, from the road.
A sign by the main road advertises the match.
At the end of the approach are the turnstiles.
Here they are from the other side.
Having gone through them the pitch is ahead of us, with the large clubhouse to our right.
Set back immediately on our right, before you get to the bar, is this construction.
There is a club shop here.
The team line-ups are helpfully pinned up.
As is a poster for this chap, who has a gig at the Club.
Past the club shop section of it is the food area. Bognor has always had one of the best, if not best, tea bars in the Isthmian League (&, I guess Conference South, when they were in that)
As well as the insider servery there is an outer hatch. Beyond that are some toilets.
Back at the corner of the ground, near to where we came in, there is this hut selling the matchday programmes.
Looking from this corner, again to our right, there is an open terrace in front of the clubhouse.
A similar shot if it, from the front.
We're going to head round the ground the other direction, clockwise. Along the side is a section of covered terrace. The first bit sectioned off as a storage aea. Presumably an 'overspill' of furniture when there is a large function held in the bar area.
The club name runs along the top of it.
Right back at the corner (not by choice, I put the photo in the wrong place!) we look over the pitch, with the cover on the far side in the background.
Moving along we see the side terrace here.
It continues until we reach the seats.
Before we reach them it's a glance back to the bar end.
This is the first section of seating, more recent than the older stand further along.
From here we look over the pitch, just before kick off, scoreboard on the roof opposite, as the Dulwich Hamlet players wear our new kit for the first time this season.
The game about to kick off.
This is the red seating, from the other end.
Beyond that is the old stand, with the dugouts in front of them.
A few yards on we are in front of the other dugout.
Back spectator side, this was the first section we got to.
Then this area, which leads to the boardroom.
At this spot we are again over the fence, & look back down the touchline, where we've come from.
Then over the pitch, to the covered side.
And toward the covered end, where we will soon reach.
At the back of the seats now, we look along this stand.
Turning the other way we see the last section of it.
From this end of it we look to the standing area past it, though, if a spectator, you can't actually walk round the ground this way.
There is open terracing next, between where we are & the stand it is fenced off, for the changing room area.
Set back to the right, as we look back to the stand, is this turnstile block.
To the corner are two shallow steps of open terracin.
From here we see the covered end.
At the corner we look back along the open terrace, on the main stand side.
Time for the next 'corner flag' shot.
Then we are at the covered end, finally!
From here we glance back along the stand side.
This is behind the goal, we can also see some of the cover on the far side.
Here we see the side cover, from behind the net.
And from the other post, without the goalnet to look through.
One of our committemen, Mr. P. Griffin. Photo taken as he has just had his longstanding ponytail shorn!
We lost two nil, as you can tell by some of our somewhat disinterested looking fans!
Now that is style! Socks in club colours, as 'modelled' by Ben!
The cover continues all the way along, to the next corner. Someone appears to have brought their own seat!
The next 'corner flag' shot. One to go now...
Along the side is more shallow terracing, open to bgin with, then covered further along.
There are also toilets on this side.
There is segreagation in place as we reach the covered area. Clearly not in use. But, I would guess, a ground grading regulation from their Conference South days.
Under the roof of the decent stretch of covered terrace.
From this side we look over to the main stand.
Then the other seats, & the covered terracing over there.
Moving along the covered terrace side.
Above it is a scafoold television gantry.
Now we look ahead to the bar end.
Almost at the end of the covered section.
Then open terracing to the corner.
Behind teh goal are two Hamlet fans, Phil & Shaun. Happy to stay where they are as drinks aren't allowed past this corner point, at the bar end.
Now behind the goal, which we saw as we came in. Looking toeard the bar.
A glance down the covered side.
This is the rest of the terrace at the bar end.
It is a large, spacious bar inside.
Time for a little bit of match action.
And that concludes our tour of Nyewood Lane. But before we go here is a snap of my brother Ferenc, posing in the main stand.
And the final one, here he is with our nephew Kalvin, whose kit sponsor for 2010/11 is www.hoppysnaps.blogspot.com !
Brought back a few memories of Enfield's trips to Nyewood Lane in the 90s. Do they still do that excellent bread pudding?
ReplyDeleteSorry don't know about the bread pudding. If they had & I'd spotted it, I'd have bought some! Will check next season, if they don't go up, which they probably will. Bognor was/is always a good awayday!
ReplyDeleteWe used to get on wel lwith your lot, playing them in Supporters' games.
They did have bread pudding and very nice it was too. They have also changed the club shop round - not as many programmes and where have all the pennants gone, that were on display there?
ReplyDeleteThe mesh segregation fencing was put on the covered terraced flank for a game against either Newport County in the Conference South or Hereford United in the FA Trophy, and it hasn't been moved since! The white building next to it was a handy little canteen which shut about five years ago. I might be wrong, but I believe the lonely turnstile in the corner was last used for an FA Cup tie against Exeter City in the 1980's, when the away fans were placed in the area no longer used for spectators.
ReplyDeleteRuss: Long queues, unsurprsingly, for the play-off game. Presume the bread pudding sold out well early, though didn't go looking ofr any.
ReplyDeleteAshtree: Thanks for the info on the fence. Good luck in the Premier...hope we join you back there, one day!