London APSA / Canning Town

London APSA play at the Terrence McMillan Stadium, & they are members of the Essex Senior League. It is an athletics venue that is also used by Canning Town, of the Essex Olympian League Premier Division, & this set of snaps was taken during a Canning Town FA Vase game played on a Sunday in Spetember 2010. I believe the venue has also been used in the past to stage West Ham United reserve games, but a long time ago now. It is not the best of places to watch the football, the stand is low & set back behind the track, but is handy for Thursday night football, & APSA have some midweek games then.



The actual ground is tucked behind Newham Leisure Centre. Follow the sign.



The main building of the Leisure Centre is straight ahead, the entrance to the ground to the left of it.



This isn't connected to the football, but is on the wall near the gate to the ground.



No turnstiles, but a table with programmes on sale just inside. Club sign hanging up.



Through the entance & this is the first view straight ahead, pitch just to the right, out of shot.



To the left, as we came in, now facing them, the teams are led out to the pitch by the match officials.



This is where they are heading.



Parked up is the Ware FC minibus, used by the visitors Wodson Park, who groundshare there.



This hut includes the toilets, & a small teabar.



The redeveloped ground has outside funding.



The stadium is the home of the Newham & Essex Beagles.



Past the green pavilion is the pitch & the main stand.



Inside the hut is a plaque commemorating a previous refurbishment.



Walking along we are almost in line, behind one of the goals.



Hard standing, behind the track, leads up to the seating.



From on the track we can clearly see the stand has been erected in front of part of the leisure centre, built at the same time as the new seats.



This side is railed off all the way along, behind the track.



The seats are close now.



Here we are. Three rows of low green plastic seats.



They don't stretch the whole length of the side, but are more than enough for the football crowds they get here,for either club.



Toward the other end we glance back along the pews, with the much larger than usual Sunday crowd.



This is where the stand finishes.



Beyond that it is very open.



The path gives way to grass, & banking round the corner.



The path does go on round the rail, which is set back at a funny angle, for athletics purposes.



At it goes behind the goal we are a long way from the pitch.



Up on the rising grass bank we look over to the stand.



The other side is a large grass bank.



Up behind the goal, that cage ruins the view somewhat!



Moving across the track we turn left, toward the dugouts.



By the other side of the net, we look past the post to the stand.



Back on the other side of the track we see al lthe way down the next side.



At the top of the slope along the side now.



Opposite the seats.



A lone spectator on this side!



Behind the dugouts.



And right behind one of them!



Here we see them from the other side.



And from the side of them.



The slope peters out as we start to turn behind the other goal.



A corner flag shot, with the stand in the background.



Canning Town have their own corner flags.



By this flag we look down the dugouts touchline.



Behind the track the grass bank comes to an abrupt halt as part of the sportscentre blocks it.



Just behind this goal we have the stand in shot once more, the only real built up part of the ground.



Behind the goal, on the athletics area, we are noe heading toward the corner where we started off.



Now we concentrate on the game itself.























I finish with a snap of a friendly 'hopper', who I know from his posts on the
Tony Kempster (RIP) forum, & who I met at the end of the previous season for the first time at Harold Wood Athletic.