Mile Oak is supposed to be an awkward one to get to, & while it is a fair trek from the nearest railway station there is a bus from Brighton that stops in the street where it is tucked behind. So it was just as easy to jump on a bus back to Brighton after the game, rather than get the train.
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There is a small car park in front of the changing rooms, which is in part of building that is a local community centre.
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Someone's car specially customised!
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The changing rooms are outside the ground, the 'tunnel' up the steps where the rail is, to the left of the match officials.
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This is how the players get to the pitch.
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The entrance for spectators is further along the path, up the next set of steps.
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These ones here.
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Prices prominently displayed.
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Back down the bottom through the doors of the local playgroup is a room selling refreshments, but no alcohol, there is no actual bar here.
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This is where you pay your admission money.
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We are now behind the goal, with a small area of cover to our right.
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Team line-ups are helpfully displayed, for those who like to note them down.
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We are going to turn left, and walk round the ground clockwise. This end is completely open, with hard standing along the length.
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Behind the net the ground looks very open, set in a residential area.
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As we walk round the players start to appear from up their steps.
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Here we see them from up above.
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The path continues to the corner.
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But stops, with just a rail down the side, note the boy struggling to keep the corner flag upright!
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As we look over the pitch from the corner it looks like he's done it.
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It's very narrow down this side, with a drop behind.
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Take care when going behind the dugouts. A strange set they are too..
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As you can see from the front, extended with plastic sheeting.
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In use here.
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Past them the grass is flatter.
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But still on an incline.
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At the next corner we look back along the dugout side.
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And then across the pitch toward the cover.
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The hard standing is back behind this goal.
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From near the next goal we can note the grass bank along the other side.
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Through the net.
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The path curves at the corner, at we can see there is a small concrete 'wall' at the bottom of the slope, which you can use as 'seating'.
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As you can see here.
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Before we stroll along the path we clamber up the grass banking to get a shot of this end of the ground.
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Then turn to our left, to cover the rest of the pitch.
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As we move along the top of the slope we reach the covered standing section.
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Here we are directly behind it.
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Finally looking toward the end where the entrance is.
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Back at the bottom, on the hard standing, down the other end.
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Almost at the section of cover.
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Just a couple of steps of terrace, surprisingly with no rail at all in front of it. It might be basic, but it's nice to see it painted in the club colours.
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A front on view, taken at half time.
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And a little closer, from a slight side angle.
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Beyond the 'shed' it is more hard standing, and the low wall 'seating'.
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Heading toward the end where we began our tour.
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Another climb up to the top, to see the ground from this corner of the slope.
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And back behind the goal where we started, pay booth now shut.
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Some 'bored yoof' making their mark in the concrete!
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A few shots of the game to finish...
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Finishing up with a look along the main side of the ground as the summer night time draws in.
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