Boreham Wood

Boreham Wood, as the club is called, as opposed to the town itself, which is spelt Borehamwood, are a Ryman League Premier Division club. My first visit here was in the late seventies, watching Dulwich Hamlet, & is still a smart, well kept ground, that doesn't seem to have aged. I visited twice, earlier this season, for two European Womens' Champions' League games, as this is also the home ground of Arsenal Ladies.




The club fixture board outside.



And a Football Foundation one, who I presume funded the adjacent all-weather pitch, & new changing rooms.



Here is one of the turnstiles.



Behind the main stand is this car park, with club bars & buildings to the right. To the left of the trees is the all-weather pitch.



This was the gate used for the Arsenal Ladies' match.



After going inside the main stand is immediately to our left.



In the other direction, toward the corner, is open terracing. This is the way we're going to head round, anti-clockwise.



In the corner is the Boreham Wood club shop.



Behind the goal is a decent area of open terracing.



Looking across the pitch, at the first 'corner flag', we see the covered terrace along the far side.



Here we look along the terracing from the back of it.



And from the same spot we glance back at the main stand.



Moving along slightly, now glancing down at the goal, and over the pitch.



Directly behind the goal, the stand once more.



Now the other end of the net, over to the opposite side.



And now the rest of the terrace, what I call the 'Bronco spot'. time for an old Hamlet anecdote, I'm afraid. Bronco was an old, strong pensioner, who loved baiting opposition players & fans alike. At an FA Trophy tie here in 1980, late in the second half he got into an 'altercation' with another elderly home fan. One punch knocked him to the ground, not surprising as Bronco was an old bare knuckle stree fighter! Their old boy sat on the ground shaking: " I'm 74, & he's attacked me. Call the police!" Bronco menacingly towered over him-"Well I'm seventy five, & if you get up I'll hit you again!"



Looking toward the side now, the local council may well support the club, shame they can't spell the name of it!



Toilets & refreshments along the side, with a hoarding for the local college that links up with their youth academy set up.



Before we head down the side we look back along the open terrace.



Now we're along the side, almost under the covered terrace.



Next 'corner flag' shot, the bulk of the crowd over that side.



Protective grill in from of the tea bar, with terrace beyond.



Only a few steps, but still a nice stretch of covered terrace.



Directly opposite the main stand, the trees behind making a nice backdrop.



Hanging down from the roof of the terrace, in the centre across from the main stand, are some official UEFA flags, actually covering up the words 'Boreham Wood FC'.





Moving along, past the flags, the terrace continues to the end, a mate of mine, Dave West, gives me a sad thumbs up!



Moving quickly past him we can see the start of more open terracing behind the goal.



From this side we see the terrace behind this far goal properly, for the first time.



In the corner, under the cover, is another refreshment hut, not in use for that purpose this afternoon, but 'changing' to an Arsenal Ladies club shop.



Here we look back along the covered terrace side.



Next 'corner flag' snap, again main stand in the background.



Here we see the open terracing behind this goal, similar to the other end, except it doesn't run the full length.



Now behind the goal we look across the pitch.



And then to our left, down the covered terrace side, where you can clearly see the UEFA flags hanging down.



Looking through the net, after the visiting side have conceded another.



After the terracing stops there are turnstiles at this end, and exit gates, with the club initials smartly painted on them.



There is a gate here, presumably for pitch maintenance vechicles, like tractors.



There's also a mobile refreshment hut, and then the terracing continues to the corner.



Which we see here.



From this corner, behind the goal, we look down toward the main stand.



Along the side is more terracing, the brick building on the right are the changing rooms, before the main stand.



Having turned the last corner we look back behind the goal.



A little bit of action from the second half.



We have now reached the seats.



Moving along we can see the dugouts at the front.



Looking down the seats, from the back.



This is one of the dugouts, press box behind, at the back of the stand.



And this centre part is for the various club officials.



The club badge is on top of the dugouts.



and we are now at the end of the stand, which will bring us to the part of the ground where we came in, & so finish our tour.

LPOSSA

So who are LPOSSA? Well the sign on the main road outside the ground gives it away.



I was at the LPR Club, Sudbury, Middlesex on Saturday 17th April for a Cherry Red Books Middlesex County League Division One West match between London Post Office Sports and Social Association Fc & Greens United. It even got a write up on the Football Association webite!

It was an 11.00am kick off, & another of the excellent Middlesex League morning hop games. The football is entertaining enough for such a low level of the pyramid, & it gives people like me the chance to see football in this league, which we would not otherwise attend.
I look forward to going to a couple more next season, & thank whoever it is who organises these early matches.



As to be expected at this level, there is a nice club building, but nothing else spectator wise.



The visitors' minibus, with a website address on it that no longer exists.



Here we are inside the sports ground, with a patio area outside the clubhouse, which is where the programmes were on sale for £2 each. not worth £2 really, but admission is free, so it was like paying two quid to get in, & rasing maoney for the home club, who I expect produced a programme sepcially for this match. So not a bad price after all.



Groundhoppers in the bar before kick off, tea bar in the corner.



Here is a shot of the bar itself.



herecwe look across part of the sports ground. There was three full size football pitches, a couple of small sided children's ones; & a rugby pitch.



For some it was vital to get the full team lists noted.



I stood on the far side of the roped of pitch for most of the game, from roughly this spot.



I still do a circuit, snapping away, even though there are no stands or terracing. Here we see behind one of the goals, where you can see the club building in the background behind the tree.



This is the side I was standing on, where most of the groundhopping spectators stood.



Set back behind the goal to our left, which we just looked at, were these boats, by the cricket net & ground maintenance equipment. Maybe for very wet winters, instead of a tractor?



From behind the goal, as we start in a clockwise circuit, we look down the 'popular' side.



Game in progress, as we see the other side of the pitch.



Here are some of the spectators behind the goal.



The only 'shelter' was under this tree, set back from the goal.



Another view of the pitch at this end, a few yards behind the rope.



Now we're looking down the other touchline, what is a little unual is that the pitch rope is set back a little more than usual from the pitch markings.



There are no dugouts as such, but pub garden style table 'improvise'!



This was the home one, the box being the one from where the programmes were sold, outside the bar, earlier.



This is the visitors' one.



You won't see any beer in the dugouts at Premiership games! This is true grassroots football! ;-)



Moving on we look back down this touchline, & you can see what I mean about the rope being set a bit of a way back.



Nothing to see really, but I'll still do a 'corner flag' shot!



Still roped off behind the goal at this end, but a bit more deserted.



A better view to be had on the sidelines.



Well there's always one...



A bit more match action...




Back on the busy side now, behind the crowd.



there was also one table on this side, the 'main stand', so to speak!



Another shot of some of the 85 strong crowd.



This snapper is a good friend of mine, Dave West. Who actually won't see it, as he doesn't have a computer!



A few more action shots...





Back behind the goal, looking down the full length of the pitch.



No wonder the Greens & their keeper look gutted. This is way into stoppage time & they've just conceded the winner. Game over, time for me to dash back across London for the game at Champion Hill.