Mangotsfield United

Mangotsfield United currently play in the Evo-Stik Southern League Division One South & West.

I saw Dulwich Hamlet play here in an FA Trophy tie, back in 2002, so when I was in Bristol at the end of February 2012 I thought I'd try to get some snaps of the ground. It was a Sunday morning & nobody was around, & unfortunately their high perimeter fencing beat me, so these are a smal lselection of 'views' from outside, which I hope give you a little flavour of the place.

As I recall they were a very welcoming club, & it was a great day out.

Out on the main road, by this turnstile, is a lovely old stone perimeter wall.

Great club gates, at the entrance to the car park.

With the rest of the club title on the other one.

Club board at the entrance of the car park advertising the 'next' game, which was the day before my peek in.

Holding my camera over the wall, not knowing exactly what I was pointing at, we see the cover down at the far end, to our left, from the 'car park' side.

The main road end has this covered terrace.

A few yards to the left we get a better angle of it.

A a bit further along...

A wonky shot of the cover on the far side, where the dugouts are.

Moving through the car park, we see another turnstile, by the main stand.

This is what we see through the gate.

Zooming in on the dugouts, from the same spot.

At the end of the car park is the clubhouse. Note the path past the signage,which is the players matchday entrance.

Mandatory officia League sponsor board.

Sadly plonked on top of a nice individual one, in club colours.

The 'view' through a small gap in the players entrance gate, which I just mentioned.

Turning round this is the back of the stand area, from in the car park. From here we are going back out to the road, to look at the other side.

Another look over the wall before we do that.

Again not the best of shots, but you can just make out the covered area at the far end.

So it's past the outer perimeter stone wall.

Still outside, sown the far end, on the opposite side of the ground. Here we see the cover down at this end, from the side.

The main stand, opposite.

Across the pitch, from this corner.

The cover, up at the main road end.

Now trying to get some more pictures, from over the fence, behind the goal, here we see the cover, on the dugouts side.

Up the pitch.

And turning left, toward the main stand, with the cover behind this goal just in shot.

Good cover, but no terracing.

Same spot, but straight ahead.

Then turning the camera to my left.

Our last photo is further along this end, looking toward the main stand along the side.

Not the best set, with no way in, but better than none at all. At least I tried! ;-)

Cleve RFC; Bristol

Cleve RFC are a club from Bristol, and their ground is few yards along from the local football club, Mangotsfield United. Cleve currently play in the Tribute South West 1 West division, which (not being a follower of rugby union) is, I think, on the fifth regional rung of the national Union pyramid.

The entrance into the ground, from the main road. Note the club name on the brickwork.

Cleve on the left...

with the RFC bit on the right.

Across the car park is the main club building, which includes this clubhouse.

There are memorial gates at the entrance to the actual ground itself.

Here is the other one.

Remembering their fallen...

Named on the other pillar.

With the club crest on top of each gate.

Straight ahead is the main side, pavilion & changing rooms. Note the hut on wheels, that is the matchday admission booth.

A neat wooden fence goes around the pitch.

Like the vast majority of minor football grounds they are basic, spectator facility wise, around the pitch. As we can see looking over the pitch from this first corner, it is a very open venue.

We are going to turn left, clockwise, round the ground. Behind the posts at this end there is hard standing all the way along.

From this end we turn right, to the pavilion side.

Then left, behind the posts.

And onward, along the path behind the goal.

At the corner there is a scoreboard.

From this spot we have our next 'corner' shot.

Down the side is more open hard standing.

From here we turn back behind the end we've just walked along.

Over the halfway line.

And then we carry on along the side.

Now at the third corner.

Behind this goal is more hard standing, with trees behind.

The main side, to the left now, through the posts.

Heading toward our last corner.

Again, very open along the main side.

We reach the club buildings, where there is a modern barrel roofed terrace set back from the pitch.

Just a few steps, it looks nice enough, but i don't think you'd get too much protection when it rains.

The bins have the Club emblem on them!

The players 'tunnel' from on the pitch.

Heading toward the gates where we came in.

Past the changing rooms is this entrance into the clubhouse.

Back to where we started, end of our brief dip into rugby union.