Cowdenbeath

This is more of a quick 'glimpse' of Cowdenbeath, rather than a full tour, as I was only here for five minutes, wn route to Hill of Beath Hawthorn FC, thanks to my driver 'prorege' for stopping off here. This season they are playing in the 'giddy heights'-by their standards- of the Scottish League First Division.

Luckily the gates were open, but time was against me, so I couldn't do a full circuit, but you will get a flavour of the ground from these pictures.



Here are the turnstiles, and when you clock those prices you can see why many Scottish football fans prefer Junior football, at a fiver to get in, rather than the much more expensive lower reaches of the Scottish League.



The ground is actually primarily a motor sports venue, with Cowdenbeath often playing 'second fiddle' to them.



We can see the stands up ahead, on the right, but we're going to dash up the steps, to the terracing.



Here we see the seats from the corner.



Grass banking behind the goal, with a path high above the track & pitch.



Open terracing along the side, taken through the mesh fencing around the track, hence the fuzzy black thing down the right hand side!



The banking curves round, and along the side you can see some terracing.



Here we look behind us, at 'our' end, you can see how far back it is, as we can't even see the goal.



On the banking along the side we look toward the open terracing.



From up along the corner, but on the side, we get to see one of the goals at last.



And from up here we look over the pitch to the two stands on the far side.



Here is a close up of the newer one.



Likewise the older one.



There is also substantial open terracing at the far end.



But, again, it is set a fair way back from the pitch.



Here I zoomed in, to catch the corner of the terrace at the end, on the side we're standing.



And anoher close-up, of where the two stands almost meet, on the far side.



Time to go, this was a very brief visit, so we look back across, at the end where we entered the ground.



And, from the very back, I try a panorama of as much of the stadium as I can fit in.



With the other side on show here.



Back to the corner where we came up into the ground, & that's it I'm afraid. This is certainly a ground I'd love to revisit one day, not because it's a great ground, but because it's so unusual.

Ramsgate

Ramsgate play in the Ryman League Division One South, & I took this set of pictures in September 2009, when I saw Dulwich Hamlet play a league game here.

I think it's a delightful ground, run down, yes. But also cared for, if that's not too much of a contradiction. The barrel roofed stand isn't the best for sightlines, but I love the actual design of it.






As you walk down the drive to the ground the clubhouse is on the right.



This is the entrance to the bar, which is set outside the ground.



If you walk straight past the clubhouse then these turnstiles are to the left.



A sign is up from the previous season, prices changed, not the year.



This is the other side of the turnstile block.



Outside is a 'zero tolerance' policy. Not implemented, I hasten to add!



Through the gates, and to our left is is this covered terrace behind the goal.



Prior to kick off there was a silence for a Ramsgate stalwart, who had passed away.



The roof is quite new, I'm sure when I first visited here, only a few years ago, this was an open end.



The supporters' sign is atop it.



This is one of our 'not so local' fans Dave....who travels down from the north-west several times a season, when he's not watching Prescot Cables. Here he enjoys local fish 'n' chips. Well you have to...at the seaside!



From behind the goal we see it's open down one side.



With the stand running down the left hand touchline.



The cover continues to the corner, where the terracing curves round.



Here we see it from the reverse angle.



This building is in the corner, which is their boardroom.



Down the touchline, stand side.



Open terracing goes up to the covered stand. The red shed on the left is their club shop, worth a visit to Ramsgate for that alone, it's excellent. Full of old programmes, books, as well as club souvenirs.



Here's a shot of it, right into the sun.



Now we reach the lovely old cover.



From this side we look back behind the goal.



Now under the cover, there is a tea bar at this end of it.



Moving onwards we observe the bench seating down the stand.



From under here another glance back behind the goal.



Almost at the halfway line, we look over the dugout, across the pitch, and see the cover down the far end for the first time.



The dugouts may be fairly modern, but they are old fashioned traditional sunken.



Sitting down in them after the match this is the view from them, looking left, to the end we haven't got to yet.



And to the right, where we've come from.



Back on the spectator side, we see some plastic seats toward the middle section.



These are actually the 'posh' seats, for officials of both clubs.



Going past them, we are getting closer to the next end.



Here we look back to the centre of the stand.



And the benches further along, then nothing, to make it covered terracing.



Standing at the front we see how low the dugouts are.



Similar view, but from pitchside, after the match.



Almost behind the goal now.



The terrace has a bit of a curve at this end.



With a hoarding for a greyhound stadium from another Isthmian One South town on the wall!



This is the cover at this end, from over the barrier.



Planes fly over, being not far from Manston.



Back at the corner, we look across the pitch.



The club have their own corner flags.



The stand, from behind the goal.



Here we see the covered part of this end.



Behind the goal we look down the pitch.



And to our right, at the stand, again.



Past the roof, the terrace continues to the corner.



Here we see the open side.



A look over our shoulder, back to this covered end, before we move on.



No terracing down this side, just open hard standing.



From this side, we look across the pitch.



Practice goals set back, but blocking your view, if you chose to stand here!



Moving along, we're getting closer to the end where we began.



On the fence along this side were a number of advertising panels. This one caught my eye, & made me smile.



And here we are, back behind the goal, where we started at the turnstiles.