Coney Hall

Coney Hall is another club further down the pyramid that I visited before I really got into 'blogging mode' so these don't really fit in entirely with others I have taken. Ideally I would have like to have snapped a few more. These were taken at the end of the 2006/07 season, when Coney Hall were in the Combined Counties League Division One. The following season they switched across to the Kent County League, where they still play.




The back of the club house. That is a training light behind, they do not possess full matchday floodlights.




It was an 11.00am Bank Holiday kick off, the bar was closed, but the building open.




I wouldn't have thought many teams at this level sell scarves.




Strange posters on the noticeboard...talk about getting into bed with the devil...



And I don't think I've ever seen a 'nonce alert' at a non-league club before!




This was a poster from a previous game, there was also a programme on sale today, two quid, from the teabar outside.




The ground is a basic railed off pitch. You can see a small stand in the middle, with another one set behind it, where the pitch was, presumably, moved from a few years before. Sadly I didn't take any close ups of these, which is what I meant about not being in 'blogging mode'.




This is the training/second pitch. the bar & changing rooms are behind.





Looking across from the other side. The ground is simply railed off, no terracing at all.





A few local 'hoppers.




Happy to puruse my '442', to see if they got in the big "Easter 'Hop" feature!




Another shot looking across.




As you can see there is nothing behind the goal.




Player injured. The referee is a Mr. Keith Slaughter...a fellow Dulwich Hamlet supporter! Small world eh?

Dartford

Dartford's new ground is one of the most impressive I've been to. despite being a bit uniform, it oozes character. Because some thought has been put into the design, with plenty of wood, rather than soulless steel. It'n not the biggest fo gorunds, but certainly more than adequate to take them back up to Conference National, if they were to rise that far. Which would be some achievement having lost their old ground, being nomadically homeless for so many years, and having dropped down to the Kent League.
Princes Park was built with the support of the local council, which is superb, and should be used a a template for supporting local clubs up and down the country. But the thing that surprises me, and shames me, is that it is actually a conservative council!
I visited here in its first season of opening, towards the latter part of 2006/07, when my team Dulwich Hamlet were the visitors. And have been back once, to see Kent Ravens play rugby league there.



Well signposted from the main road.



Only one access road mind, up to the ground (this was after the match)



A multi use place, which was a proviso of council investment I believe.



Adjacent are community pitches.



Plenty of parking



The main buildings. Impressive or what?



Inside the bar areas famous football quotes adorn the walls.





With the local council proud of their investment.



And so into the ground itself. For once these snaps aren't in any particular order. The ground is 'very samey' on all four sides, and to be honest, I'm not entirely sure which end is which! The seats, in this photo, are all down one side, and if I have one ciriticism of the ground it is that-if the club progresses- they may not have enough of them. But that's a minor moan from me.



Behind the goal, from the car park end. Note that wooden statue in the background, you wil see more of that soon...



This is the same end from the side.



A good view of the wooden roof, which goes all the way round.



Looking back across from the far end from the car park, behind the seats.



I'm not entirely sure which end this is! I think it may have been the far one...sorry, I took these quite a while ago.



Here is another view down the seats.



A Dartford stalwart had passed away, the back drop gives a good look at the stadium.



Another look at the seats, with the solar powering on the roof clearly visible
.


Wear your colours, as one of our fans clearly does!



And this is that wooden sculpture I mentioned! I think it's marvellous! Apparently carved from an old oak that had to be felled when the site was cleared.



I hope the 'wooden man' doesn't need a leak at half time! ;-)



Give us a break...I'm allowed one attempt at an 'arty farty' shot aren't I?



Forthcoming games...I think it will be quite a while before the Darts play either two in a league match again.



This is looking down the side terracing, the sculpture being at the other end.



And that's it really, sorry i didn't take more, I wasn't really in 'ground blogging' mode back then.
I did take this one though, jsut to warn you about the 'ground catering'. Clearly someone doesn't like the food!



But before we bid Princes Park completely I show you two very similar shots of dusk drawing in, over a Friday night Kent Ravens match there, which was their first ever match staged here:

Chatham Town

I visited Chatham Town for a Dulwich Hamlet midweek match last September. I didn't realise how 'detailed' this blog would be, so there are not too many photos of their ground here. But despite being short on quantity this is still one of my favourite grounds for this level. Despite the contstraints of 'ground gradings' this place has character, the locals are friendly enough, and it's well worth a visit. Just a shame it's a steep hill up from the station!

I took these photos anti-clockwise, but will be walking round the ground 'backwards' so to speak, in my preferred clockwise direction.

Nice to see a turnstile block with a bit of individuality.

As you walk in the bar is ahead, and the covered terrace, with changing rooms behind. A newish building, I'm guessing less than ten years old.

Not new enough though that some of the letters & numbers on the wall haven't fallen off!

A nice individual touch for the current guests.

This is the terrace behind the goal, the mesh fence is to protect the tea bar behind it.

Moving round the side, here is a full view of it. The white is annoying though, as from the other end is is extremely difficult to pick out the goalposts on the pitch!

Down the side are these seats, which are newer than the old stand opposite.

Here is a view of the same stand, from behind the goal.

And a;omg the other side is the older stand. Note the white 'fencing' to the left of it...

Three cheers for the ground graders! The ground is now fully enclosed, but at what price? This was their cheapest option, and all they could afford with their modest funds.

This is what is behind it! So from a picturesque open end we now have a string of 'white potato sacks' turning this part of the ground into an ugly eyesore! Progress eh?

Moving round the final side we look across the pitch.

With a nice shot of the old stand here.

Bricked up, I am guessing the changing rooms used to be down here, before the modern ones were built behind the goal.

And the 'posh section' for the directors!

And that's it I'm afraid. I'm sure if I were to visit Chatham Town tomorrow I would have at least another dozen snaps to show you, but I hope you've still enjoyed this limited selection.