Coulsdon United

I visited Coulsdon United for the first time during the christmas break in last season's big freeze, when it was one of the few games on. This was for a Combined Counties League Division One match against South Park, & they ended up losing 3-0. I actually left thinking they had won ....programmes had sold out by the time I got there, & inside the ground I bumped into a chap called Eddie Scutt, who I knew in the late eighties when he was the star player for London Blackpool, in the Home Counties Football Quiz League, against whom we sometimes got beaten by, in the Dulwich Hamlet Supporters' Club team. He lives in Redhill, & is now retired, so doesn't get to the north-west much. So he follows local non-league matches, being involved at Three Bridges FC. He told me the wrong colours for the teams, so as I spent most of the game having a chinwag with him, we both got the result wrong. Doh!

This season Coulsdon United have dropped down into the Surrey Elite Intermediate League.





Thi is the spectators' entrance into the ground, from inside.



It is set back behind the goal, the club building at this end, which houses both the changing rooms and the clubhouse.



This is the inside of the bar area.



A previous name of the club is on the gla inside, NVFC standing for Netherne Village.



At the other end of the building, from the gate, is where the players come out onto the pitch.



The pre-match shaking of hands.



Here we are, stil lbehind the clubhouse goal, in the corner where our entrance is. We are going to head down the side to the left, in a clockwise direction.



It is a very open ground, set up on a hill, railed off, with the pitch boarded in, as you can see.



Here we turn the corner, looking over to the dugouts, on the far side.



Again very open along the side, there is hard standing, with grass behind.



From this corner we see across the goalmouth.



Moving round slightly, we see the boards behind that goal.



Not the best of snap, with the bright winter sun shining directly into the camera, but we can see the hard standing clearly, as well as a small bit of cover further along.



Time for a look across the pitch, as the match is about to kick off.



Here we are under the covered shed, looking back to get a better look, with the sun behind us.



Over the halfway line.



Lokking ahead, past the cover.



Another shot across the pitch.



Just past the covered standing area, we look back at it.



Moving along, more hard standing, very open.



At the corner we see back down the side with the cover.



A half time corner flag shot.



And onward, behind this goal. Just fenced off, no concrete at all under foot.



From this end we look back at the small cover.



With the dugouts in the other direction, from behind the goal.



Here we see along the dugout touchline.



And this is the same stretch of the ground, but on the spectator side.



From this side we look back at the far end.



Reaching the dugouts next.



From where we look over to the cover.



Past the dugouts there is some more hardstanding.



Which we see here, as we head on round to the clubhouse end, where we began.



Moving closer we see the gap in the pitch perimeter where the players come onto the pitch.



We are almost at the last corner now.



Looking back down the side.



Another corner flag picture, cover opposite almost lost in the trees behind.



And now back behind the goal where we came in.



This is the 'tunnel'.



And the way onto the pitch.



Keep off the pitch!



And back to where we came in, this is the entrance from outside.



A brief bit of the game.



Lastly, this is the man from Blackpool & Three Bridges-Eddie Scutt.

Raynes Park Vale

I've been to Combined Counties League Premier Division side Raynes Park Vale a number of times over the years, going back to when they were known as Malden Vale. I haven't seen a game there for 3 or 4 years, but took the opportunity to take these snaps, when I was nearby, just after the close of the 2008/09 season.



The old club name was still on the sign pointing the way to the ground from the main road, despite the merger between Malden Vale FC & Raynes Park FC being back in 1995.



Follow the sign & you head along this drive, the ground being at the end of it, on the right.



Still on the approach driveway, the ground is the other side of the mesh fenced perimeter.



Turning right at the end this leads up to the turnstiles & club entrance.



This building, outside the ground, houses the clubhouse & the changing rooms.



To the right of the bar, in the corner of the ground, is this entrance, which is the way in on a matchday.



Inside we see the booth where admission is taken.



To the right is a small area of cover behind the goal, & some shallow steps of terracing.



Straight ahead, as the entrance is in the corner, we see along the side, which has some terracing, & the main stand in the centre. We are going to head this way first, clockwise around the ground.



Set back, in the corner, is this walkway, which is the 'players tunnel', back to the changing rooms.



Here we see the tunnel, from just on the pitch.



Still pitchside, we look along the stand side.



Moving along a few yards we get closer to the stand.



Back behind the barrier, we see the hard standing, with some shallow terracing behind.



Moving on past it, we look back down the same area.



Now we are up in the stand, an old wooden structure, with wooden benches.



The area in the centre being set aside for officials.



Past the directors enclosure, we look back along the stand.



From up here we look beyond the stand, down along the open hard standing around the rest of the ground.



There is some sort of old concrete base, pitchside next. The dugouts are on the far side. I am wondering if they were previously over here, or if they were going to be moved over to this side at some stage?



Back on the pitch we directly face the stand.



Before moving on along the open hard standing to the corner.



And from the corner we now look over the pitch, & we can see the dugouts on the far side.



Before we turn the corner, to get behind the goal, we glance back down the stand side.



Very open, with concrete hard standing, behind the goal.



From behind the goal we look down the pitch.



Then to our right, back to the stand.



And now onto the next corner.



With the very open path down the dugouts side. Clearly the perimeter fence has taken a bit of a bashing from the elements!



Continuing along, getting nearer to the dugouts.



And here they are.



Here we look directly into the home one.



Before we walk onwards to the next corner.



Some of the groundstaff equipment left in the corner.



With the club tractor parked up behind the goal.



Here's another shot of it.



Moving along we come to a shallow terrace, with a bit of cover further along.



I'm not sure how dry you would be under it in wet, windy weather. But I bet the food from the barbeque is tasty on a warmer early or end of season day.



Finally, back to the corner where we came in, by the toilet block.