The drive into the ground, from the main road.
There are a number of local sports clubs based together, by the football ground. Cricket, running & tennis also listed on this board.
They like their noticeboards in these parts, here's another one.
And more!
Having walked down the driveway we now reach the entrance to the ground.
Inside, here are the turnstiles from inside.
We are at the corner of the ground, main stand to the right, along the side. Immediately to the ride is a couple of steps of open terrace, with a wider flat hard standing area behind, in front of the clubhouse.
So here we are behind the orner flag in the turnstiles corner. I am guessing this section is wider to allow access to both tractors to look after the pitch, & ambulances, if ever needed, after a serious injury.
We're going to go left, along the side, heading round in a clockwise direction. Here, from the isde, we get a good view of the steps behind the goal.
A snap similar to the earlier, a little closer to the flag, stand as the backdrop.
Along this side it is quite tight, flat open hard standing slopes down. Note the cricket screen behind it on the left, other side of the fence is the cricket pitch.
This side is somewhat unusual, as the spectator area only stretches halfway along, as you can see here, looking toward it.
A little bit of the cricket action.
From this side we have a full length look at the clubhouse end.
And over the pitch, to the stand.
Over the fence we see down this 'half side'.
No standing beyond the fence, to the next corner.
An old League sponsors board is still hanging up.
At the next corner now, cricket nets over the other side.
Behind the goal, we look down the pitch.
There are a couple of steps under cover at this end.
Not the most packed part of the ground!
At this end we turn back to our right, to the cricket side.
From behind the post we turn the other way, to the main stand.
At the back of the covered end, in the centre, are some disused turnstiles. I don't know if they are in use for Leighton Town matches or not, but certainly weren't for this Aylesbury United match.
Past the goal now, that's the side we're heading toward.
Another view down the pitch, with the main stand & club buildings in shot.
Past the rest of the cover you can see more hard standing behind the pitch perimeter fence, with a grassed area behind.
Almost at the corner we see the covered terracing from this angle.
A full length shot of it, from on the pitch.
Still pitch side, we see along the terrace.
The club name & crest are proudly displayed above it.
Now we're at the third corner.
The path, & grassed area behind, continues along the side, up to the seating area.
From here a picture from another side angle of the covered terracing.
Getting close to the main stand.
The dugouts are also on this side.
There is also this strange raised concrete 'stump', with steps leading up to it. Any suggestions anyone?
This is how they attempt to retrieve footballs hoofed out of the ground!
This is the first dugout.
A path behind the stand leads to the rest of the ground.
Here we are, looking into the seats.
Similar shot, a little further along' glancing toward the clubhouse end.
Back to the covered terrace, the other way.
Directly over the halfway line, to the cricket side.
A nice shot of the stand, from the other end, after the match.
Officials & press area, in the centre.
Above the press table.
A full view of the stand, from on the pitch.
And back at the bottom end of it, during the match.
The stand, from the front, taken during the match.
Moving on from the seats now, we're moving along to the last corner, as we see over the pitch once more.
From this side we can see what appears to be a bit of cover behind the goal, then the changing rooms & club house past that.
At the final corner now, you can see how this end is raised above the pitch.
The last of our quartet of 'corner flag' shots.
The 'cover' behind the goal is actually the area where the tea bar is, and not really 'cover' for the football.
Note the bench to the left...
A treatment table! It looks in good condition, so i'm not sure why it's there. Maybe the changing rooms are small, & they only put one in there, as required, when the ground graders visit? I'm not saying that happens mind, just surmising!
Past the tea bar is the 'players tunnel'.
Here we see it, from the pitch.
As used by the players at the start.
By the 'tunnel' steps we can clearly see the lower level of the pitch, to the standing area at this end.
Back up behind the goal now, a wide flat area above the steps of terrace at the front.
Here we see the terracing at the front.
Picnic style pub tables in front of the clubhouse.
Back at the corner where we began.
I've not seen an ASBO notice stuck up at a football club bar before!
Now for the match itself....
The man on the right was the Eton Manor gaffer, I think. He never stopped rabbiting & moaning, & was great entertainment!
2 comments:
The Concrete stump used to be the foundations of a hexagonal "gazebo" type structure, that was made mainly of wood & glass, and was very pretty to see.
It was used as the stadium announcers box until it was demolished circa 2005 because of health & safety issues. They didnt like the idea of a ball hitting it at speed, despite the fact that had often happened in the thirty or so years it stood without any problems.
Cheers for that, that explains it. I certainly eouldn't have guessed that one.
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