I saw a game here several years ago, when I saw the Dulwich Hamlet Reserve Team play a game here, in the Surrey Premier Cup, I don't think the cover was there in the middle back then. This is-to all intents & purposes-a one sided ground at an athletics stadium, they are doing wel lthis season, challenging for the title, but I would be very surprised if this ground had the gradings to go up to the next level.
I took this set of photos toward the end of the 2009/10 season, in late March, & was on my way to see the Hamlet at Godalming Town, so I was pushed for daylight time, as I wanted to get there in time to take a set of snaps in daylight, & thus only took photos here from the main spectator side, & didn't venture round the track.
![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_8Mqu1wmEwRw/S8td12beS3I/AAAAAAAAELM/3St50t1kM68/s400/PICT0020.jpg)
As I mentioned, the ground is part of The Spectrum complex.
![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_8Mqu1wmEwRw/S8tejKUr0vI/AAAAAAAAEMs/KGeLGo75eTg/s400/PICT0042.jpg)
From one of the car parks we look back to the sportscentre.
![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_8Mqu1wmEwRw/S8tdnczL4QI/AAAAAAAAEK0/gK33NRfVtVU/s400/PICT0013.jpg)
Walking across this car park we see the floodlights from the ground, which is on the level below.
![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_8Mqu1wmEwRw/S8tdoqj-aCI/AAAAAAAAEK4/Poz8VsT3Qtc/s400/PICT0014.jpg)
The centre is also home to the Guildford Flames ice hockey team.
![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_8Mqu1wmEwRw/S8tefSEoVBI/AAAAAAAAEMk/JXffleCg7ao/s400/PICT0040.jpg)
And the Guildford Heat basketball one.
![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_8Mqu1wmEwRw/S8teh3MBVaI/AAAAAAAAEMo/mjZKubhc0gI/s400/PICT0041.jpg)
Whilst this banner on the side of the fence around the ground tells us who the local athletics club is.
![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_8Mqu1wmEwRw/S8td6Fip-JI/AAAAAAAAELU/8SKYlBZm4rQ/s400/PICT0022.jpg)
From up in the car park we look into the ground.
![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_8Mqu1wmEwRw/S8tdqyMQjjI/AAAAAAAAEK8/97dfH_6rcjs/s400/PICT0015.jpg)
This is the other end, in the bottom left of the picture you can see the roof of the stand.
![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_8Mqu1wmEwRw/S8tdwl8gzrI/AAAAAAAAELA/fiI5vA8EGN4/s400/PICT0016.jpg)
It was up on that open higher level car park where we looked into the ground.
![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_8Mqu1wmEwRw/S8td3kjFu6I/AAAAAAAAELQ/TGJ-VThgSqE/s400/PICT0021.jpg)
This is the matchday entrance for the football.
![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_8Mqu1wmEwRw/S8tdyvpFDaI/AAAAAAAAELE/1kvGiCx08uE/s400/PICT0017.jpg)
Inside now we see behind the goal, clearly no spectator area.
![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_8Mqu1wmEwRw/S8td8a4nnzI/AAAAAAAAELY/CamxmIZIVFg/s400/PICT0023.jpg)
Along this main side, above the pitch & track, is 'open terracing'. a seated area without any benches really, with the covered seated area bolted on in the middle, presumably to meet Step five gradings.
![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_8Mqu1wmEwRw/S8td-CifnBI/AAAAAAAAELc/cHCOYtovrvI/s400/PICT0024.jpg)
Down below we see the tops of the changing rooms, and associated athletics areas.
![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_8Mqu1wmEwRw/S8teAJJoL4I/AAAAAAAAELg/Rc7RU3nD9SA/s400/PICT0025.jpg)
Here we reach the seating. Adequate enough, but it just doesn't feel like a football ground.
![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_8Mqu1wmEwRw/S8teB76v4-I/AAAAAAAAELk/ZelSKnkigTY/s400/PICT0026.jpg)
Here we look across the seats, from under the cover.
![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_8Mqu1wmEwRw/S8teEFq2gyI/AAAAAAAAELo/TMUBIGSzW5M/s400/PICT0027.jpg)
Looking over the halfway line from here, we can just see the dugouts over the far side.
![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_8Mqu1wmEwRw/S8teF5787MI/AAAAAAAAELs/A56BfoCnOog/s400/PICT0028.jpg)
Eyes to the right, the end we've already seen.
![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_8Mqu1wmEwRw/S8teIMs4P4I/AAAAAAAAELw/1deppAGysSA/s400/PICT0029.jpg)
And back along the terraced steps.
![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_8Mqu1wmEwRw/S8teKbS1TEI/AAAAAAAAEL0/wy-lUXEWjYA/s400/PICT0030.jpg)
Then we turn to our left, again absolutely nothing behind the goal.
![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_8Mqu1wmEwRw/S8teMfM7t6I/AAAAAAAAEL8/b8Z5L1TQBV4/s400/PICT0031.jpg)
With the steps continuing along the rest of this side, past the stand.
![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_8Mqu1wmEwRw/S8teO8hcuTI/AAAAAAAAEMA/CyZRfeHVaLs/s400/PICT0032.jpg)
Up at the next corner the grass bank peters out, as mentioned, nowhere for supporters at this end.
![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_8Mqu1wmEwRw/S8teRJLK_aI/AAAAAAAAEME/Ex7qEQCfjGQ/s400/PICT0033.jpg)
Looking over the pitch from this corner.
![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_8Mqu1wmEwRw/S8teTWMWBsI/AAAAAAAAEMI/0j5nSl45rL8/s400/PICT0034.jpg)
A snap down the spectator area, our 'one side' ground tour almost over.
![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_8Mqu1wmEwRw/S8teVxQyCZI/AAAAAAAAEMQ/oLRhg7JeVwM/s400/PICT0035.jpg)
From down on the track we see how high up the seats are.
![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_8Mqu1wmEwRw/S8teWyfATCI/AAAAAAAAEMU/p7nuoatdFLE/s400/PICT0036.jpg)
Directly in front of & below the stand.
![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_8Mqu1wmEwRw/S8teYsr4R8I/AAAAAAAAEMY/4UNIN9tGt9s/s400/PICT0037.jpg)
Finally, up on the grass bank at the end where we started.
![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_8Mqu1wmEwRw/S8tea4XpZeI/AAAAAAAAEMc/9vGrR4_T6T0/s400/PICT0038.jpg)
And, from up here, we look along the only side of the ground, with the sports complex behind it.
![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_8Mqu1wmEwRw/S8tedGOSqGI/AAAAAAAAEMg/-WKn0X93Psw/s400/PICT0039.jpg)
![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_8Mqu1wmEwRw/S8td0TQK3EI/AAAAAAAAELI/0HUy691W-Vo/s400/PICT0018.jpg)
3 comments:
Hi, just to let you know that GCFC have carried out quite a bit of work on the venue since your visit. You can now walk around 3 sides of the ground, fencing all the way around - apart from behind the goal near the changing rooms which is still out of bounds to fans. There is also a extra stand now giving covered seating for around 250. There is a new spectator toilet block too!
Oh, and also a turnstile block too!
There have been so many changes at Spectrum since these photos were taken I have created a blogsite with some updated info -
http://gcfc-spectrum.blogspot.co.uk/
Thanks
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