Sunday 29 May 2011

Irvine Victoria; Scotland

Irvine Victoria play in the Stagecoach West of Scotland League Ayrshire District. I took a look at their ground when I was in the area in May 2010. It was typically baisc, ramshackle, but loveable! It must be great being a groundhopper in Scotland!



Here are the entrance gates, with the turnstiles, as you approach the ground. I gained access through a gap down behind the left hand side of the ground.



Just inside the turnstiles.



Steps straight ahead lead up to the open terrace to the left of the goal, at this end.



Here we are standing behind the terrace, looking down the pitch.



To the right is the social club & changing rooms.



Behind this end, next to the turnstiles, is the open toilet block.



We're now back at the corner where we came in, and about about to walk round left, in a clockwise direction, toward the covered area we can see.



From this spot we see the terrace behind the goal, social club beyond.



The covered terrace along the side, from the front.



From here we look over the pitch, where the other two sides have no spectator facilities at all, you can see a dugout on the far side. Railway line behind.



Under the narrow steps of terrace below the shed roof.



Moving along we turn for a good shot of the terrace behind the goal.



Past the roof the terrace continues to the dugout on this side.



This is the first dugout, look past it and you see another stretch of cover.



Here is the dugout from the front.



The terraced steps go on past it, to the next covered part.



Looking along, under it.



The steps go on past this second enclosure.



Still under it, we see back to the dugout.



From the front, on the pitch.



Time to look over the pitch to the railway line.



The terracing ends here. Permiter wall turns in, as if to say 'no access beyond here'. The gate on the left is where I got into the ground.



From the outside.



A final glimpse down this side before we move onwards.



Completely open, with just a tape, behind the goal.



Along the touchline, pitchside.



Behind the goal. It was drizzling slightly on & off, so I couldn't be bothered to wait for a train to go by as backdrop.



Up the pitch, stands to the right.



A low brick wall separates the ground from the railway embankment.



Down this side, along the brickwork.



The other dugout.



From here we look over the pitch to the covered side.



The rustier shed, we saw first.



Moving on to the last corner, we can now see there is also a section of terrace ahead.



From this shot it does look as though there was once upon a time terracing all the way behind the goal, until that modern, sorry Irvine folk, monstrosity, was constructed.



Here we are at the last piece of terracing.



Looking along it, from the back.



And back down the railway side.



Behind the goal.



The 'flat area' between the terraces.



And that concludes our visit here, back at the section of terrace where we began.



1 comment:

swopticsphoto said...

Fantastic shots - I now realise that we don't have any problems whatsoever looking at this ground...The number of turnstiles suggests that IV has seen better days!
Steve