Merstham

Formed in 1892, and playing at their current location since the mid 1920's, the 2008/09 is the first ever for Merstham in the Isthmian League.
I have been here on a number of occasions for both Dulwich Hamlet Reserve & Youth Team matches. When I firsy came here it was practically a railed off pitch, with a small bit of cover behind the goal, which is still in use. The location of it makes me wonder if the pitch was ever facing the other way, and it was on an 'old' halfway line.
nowadays it is a smart little ground, with cover a both ends, and a modern stand down the side; with a changing room/boardroom complex next to it.
I was extrmely impressed by the friendly welcome we got at the ground from their officials, and the chap selling their 'golden goals' tickets was a cheerful bloke, with a nice word for everyone he spoke to. Volunteers like him are a credit to the club.
I also bumped into a Blackpool fan, who lives in nearby Redhill. He was actually asking for me! I used to play against him in the Dulwich Hamlet Supporters' Quiz Team, when he turned out for London Blackpool, in the Home Counties Supporters' Football Quiz League & hadn't seen him for fifteen years!



This is the car park. The club house is the building in the background. The ground is on the left, behind that.





The clubhouse is outside the ground itslef, and there is a public footpath between it and the turnstiles, shown here. The chap by the pushbike is a Hamlet fan. he cycled to the match, and he told me it took him ninety minutes!



Perfectly functional, but strange turnstiles. You pay through the hatch, and then move through them. Alright for an average, small crowd, but it would be a bit chaotic if they got a bigger attendance at a cup tie.



As you enter you're at one of the corners, and again I will take you on a clockwise journey round the ground.



Behind the goal is a new covered terrace.



Only one step, but it does the job for me.



Looking back towards the side we came in we see the changing rooms, & boardroom building. This was being built on my last visit, & the cover we've just seen was not there. This building was partly funded by the gate money from when they hosted two matches with AFC Wimbledon in their two Combined Counties League seasons, in the Kingston based Dons first two years of existence.



Past this we look over to the main stand, where the majority of spectators watched the match.



And here's a full length look at the same side of the ground.



Along the opposite side, with the dugouts, it's completely open, with no terracing or cover.



Back behind the goal the footpath continues past the covered terracing.



From the next corner we look back behind the goal...



And down the side.



And from that side we admire the terracing once more.



Along the side is a variety of 'clutter' except it's so neatly stored you can't really call it 'clutter'.



Across the halfway line we look across to the main stand.



And spot the stretcher propped up against the home dugout. Not used this afternoon thankfully!



This is the cover behind the far goal. This was the 'old cover' that was here on my previous visits.



Before having a closer look at it, we take another glance behind us, down the side.



And now our first look at the area behind the far goal.



A closer look at the covered terrace.



And from behind the goal we look over to the main side of the ground.



Wear your colours! Two of the forty or so Hamlet fans who made the trip to Merstham, going home happy with a 4-1 victory, in case you were wondering!



Looking down the far side. Study this snap closely. and follow the pitch markings, a although it's fairly straight, it's hardly level. About halfway down there's a bump in the pitch almost as big as a 'sleeping policeman'!



A look back behind the goal, to show you a glimpse of our flag!



We're on the final stretch now...



Here is the main stand.



And the dugouts, as seen opposite.



The tea bar is behind the stand, soing good business here at half time.



This is the other end of the seats.



And so to the new changing rooms.



I jsut can't get used to this 'MFC' everywhwere. I know we're at Merstham, but from my neck of the woods there's only one 'MFC', and that's Millwall!



The teams are helpfully marked up on a board, on the wall.



And practically back to where we started it's a view of the new covered terrace again.



Having popped into the clubhouse to check on the final scores I took tow last snaps, one of either end of the ground. And then it was time to go home.
It's only ten minutes to the station, and easy to find. If you haven't been here before it's worth a visit.

Horsham FC-Queen Street

Horsham FC are sadly playing away from their home town, and are forced to be tenants at Worthing, on the Sussex coast, after a groundshare with Crawley Town failed to materialise; & presumably 'local football politics' came into play, so they were unable to use Horsham YMCA, literally next door!

That's all assumptions on my part, but as an outsider looking in, I do worry about their long-term future. Queen Street was solding a number of years ago to a housing developer, and they failed to scure a new base, before finally reaching the deadline to move out at the end of last season.

Thier local council have recently thrown out plans to build an new ground on the edge of town...worrying times if you're a Hornets fan I'd guess; particularly the Lardy Boys!

This was a lovely ground, old spacious in places, and a sniff of charactor & history. I'm not sure of my first visit, but two do stick in the mind. One was a midwek Youth Team match, when I misjudged my dash to the station for the last train, having been in their bar after the match. I got some tins from the off-licence for the journey home, and had misread the timetable. And I'd missed the final London bound one by ten minutes! The chap locking up the station suggested I get a cab to Three Bridges, as there were still plenty of services from there. Unfortunately I didn't have enough money on me for that, so I said I'd just kip on the bench until the first train. The kind man re-opened the wating room, turned the heater on, and said he was on early duty in the morning, so I'd be alright until the first train!

Another trip was made memorable not so much by the game, as an incident near the end. I think it was a pre-season, and a player called Wade Falana, a nice bloke, but a hard bastard, got sent up for having a punch up. When he got red carded he proceeded to take on another player, then challenge someone esle as he finally left the field!

This is a mix of two sets of photos. The first lot are not that plentiful; they were from December 2007, & I hadn't quite got 'into the swing' of documenting grounds properly! ;-)
They were not at home, but we were away to the YMCA club next door. I thought this would be my last opprtunity to photograph Queen Street, as they were in the Premier Division above us.

On the 2nd August this year we were away to YMCA in a pre-season, the photos from their ground follow on from this. I saw that Queen Street was still standing, so after our match I managed to find a wall to climb over, and take some very sad ,final snaps. I don't know when Queen Street will be demolished, and finally built on, but it is clear it is a football gtound no more.

I have put no captions to the latter photographs. The words speak for themselves.



Match postponed-Horsham were preparing for their great FA Cup run last season.



If you've been to Queen Street there's a good chance you've had a pint or two in this pub across the road from the ground.



You walk down an approach road from Queen Street to the entrance here.



Just by this I spotted the 'Jackpot' sign, good to see a wonderful, traditional old fundraiser continued.



Just an opwn path behind the goal, as I take you clockwise around the ground. Note the size of the covered terrace on the far side.



Here you can see it runs the length of the pitch, through the net behind the goal.



In the other direction we see the main stand, elevated above the changing rooms and bar.



What a wonderful terrace! With smartly painted club shop in the corner.



Behind the goal is a terrace that lost it's roof a few years ago. The steps are concrete, which is fairly new. On a previous Hamlet visit it was wooden, with gaps, which made it very slippery and dangerous in rain, or cold, frosty nights. One of our fans actually lost his phone under it, when he dropped it, and couldn't retrieve it. It was fun ringing it though, for him to hear but not answer! ;-)



Looking over to the stand. The pitch side advertising hoardings were presumably put into place for extra revenue during their televised FA Cup run.



A placard, left behind from one of those Cup games, presumably.



A look back at the terraced end.



The main stand, old but smart.



With lovely signage on the side of it.



Here we see the end where we entered the ground.



Before you move on to the rest of my pictures I would suggest you scroll to the top and go through the ones you have see again. For the following ones are more in number, taken only three months or so after Horsham finally left their Queen Street ground. It makes depressing viewing; of which may well the last ever full set of photos of their historic old ground. now going to wrack & ruin prior to imminent demolition. As I said at the start there are no captions to these.
The images are far more powerful than mere words.