TJ Sokol Bedrichov; Jihlava, Czech Republic

What a delight the ground of Sokol Bedrichov was! I'd love to come back some day and watch a match here! It the sheer neglect of the old place that makes it's beauty shine through to me!
They play in the seventh level of the Czech pyramid, according to Sigma, a regular poster on Czech football, who is always extremly helpful to me, when I ask for help regarding Czech grounds.




As we enter through the gates behind one of the goals we see the old bank of terracing to our right. This is the anti-clockwise direction we are going to walk round this ground.



From by the goal we look over to the stand, with decent terracing either side of it.



From the same place we look to our left, and see the flat side where the dugouts are.



This is the terracing as it curves round to the side.



Here we look down the full length of the stand side.



From the same corner we glance back to the end we've just strolled round.



Moving closer to the stand the decay is obvious to see.



Seats long gone, so in effect this is now a covered terrace I suppose.



Tell a lie...there's a few old benches left.



From up in the stand we look over to the changing rooms and bar in the far corner, and the open area behind the goal to our right.



And back to our left not only do we see the terrace at that end once more, but to the right of it, directly behind the goal as we look, you can see the main entrance to the ground, where we came in.



Beyond the stand now, we see the terrace continue, and curve round, Where it stops you see some sort of hard sports area, and I am wondering if the terracing once continued all the way round in the old days?



Here is a better view of the outdoor sports courts.



You can see from this shot that there's no standing behind this goal, but I don't suppose anyone would complain if you did.



From this corner we have another good shot of the old terraces.



On the next corner, where the changing rooms are, is the scoreboard.



From in front of the scoreboard I took this photo looking over the pitch.



And finally we look down the last length of the ground. Simple hard standing, with trees behind.



This is one of the dugouts.



From between them we look across the halfway line.



In the corner is the tea bar, with tables next to it.



And here we are back at the main entrance, where we came in, and are now leaving!

FC Vysocina Jihlava-Stadion na Soupach; Jihlava, Czech Republic

This ground appears to be the training ground of Czech Second Division side FC Vysocina Jihlava.

I was told that it was the home of another club side, at least that was my assumption, the name being TJ Modeta. but there was nothing at al mentioning them. It was a basic set up, of two pitches, one grass, one all-weather. But I think that they may in fact be a forerunner/former club that became part of the current one at some stage.




This is not the way I got into the ground, there is another entrance down an access road round the other side. (Sort of to the right, as we look at this. Turn left, then left again)



This was on the gate above, I have no idea what it means. Probably 'groundhoppers keep out!' ;-)



This is the road where the main entrance is, with this restaurant with a football sign on it being on the corner.



As we entered this grass pitch, with track, was to the left. I didn't venture over to the far side, presumably that building is some sort of sportshall. Note the club crest on the side of the tractor.



This pitch has a grass bank for spectators down one side.



Behind the near goal is another bank, but I wouldn't have thought anyone would stay here for viewing anything.



Atop the grass bank along the side are some benches to sit on.



From up here we look over to the sportshall type building.



Moving along to the end of the main grass banking we see hoe it curves round behind the far goal.



From up here we look back and see the all-weather pitch, & the club building, where the changing rooms and a small bar are. We entered this ground to the right, just in front of the building, as we are looking at it here.



This is the only proper viewing area alongside the all-weather pitches. Just a bit of hard standing, a path up to the top of the banking, and some benches at the bottom.

Wembley / Hendon

Vale Farm is the home of Wembley FC, and from inside the ground you can see the arch of them somewhat more famous Wembley Stadium. Wembley currently play in the Combined Counties League, but the venue is capable of a higher place up the pyramid. Which is does hold, Isthmian League Premier Division club Hendon groundshare there having been forced to leave their old Claremont Road home last year.

I took these photos in August 2009, after Hendon versus Aveley, having been watching South Kilburn play Rayners Lane next door.




There are some smart gates outside the car park.



As you go through them the club house is directly in front of you.



With the turnstiles to your left.



Above them, inside, is an old Wembley FC club sign.



To the right, as you enter through them, is this bit of terrace, with a few seats at the back. But we are going to head round the ground the other way, in a clockwise direction.



From this corner, where the turnstile is, we look over to the seats.



Behind the goal it is open, with some buildings, which I can't remember what they were. (Toilets? Tea bar?) Beyond is some terracing.



Well not so much terracing, as a one step raised concrete area.



Which you can see properly here.



From behind this goal we look down the side to our left. Down the bottom is some covered terrace, the dugouts are there, and the bar and changing rooms.



Directly behind the goal we look down the pitch, to the covered terrace at the far end.



From the same angle we look, once more, to the seats down the other side.



Walking towards the corner it's open hard standing.



Here we look back across the end we've just walked along.



And so we turn the corner towards the seats. Hard standing first, then a bit of terrace, and then the seats.



This is the open terrace section.



And now the lengthy rows of seats in the club colour red of Wembley.



With some white ones in the front. This is the officials area, in the middle.



There is a press area in the middle, which doesn't seem to quite fit in. I may be wrong, but my guess is that this area may have been sorted to get Hendon their grading.



Here we look across the seats, & the sign that seems to indicate that the white ones are for the visiting officials.



From this stand we look directly across the halfway line, as the teams 'warm down' after their match.



From the same area we view the covered areas behind the goal and along the far side corner.



This is the continuation of the seats past the officials' and press area.



This strange fenced area is at the back. Maybe an old stand was made from brick? Or an attempt to build one that was never finished? Who knows? I certainly don't!



As we move along we head towards this cover behind the goal.



Before we get there we see another section of open terrace just past the seats.



From here we look back down the stand.



This is the terrace from the corner.



The corner from which we are looking across the pitch here.



We are now behind the goal, looking at the open hard standing.



From where we get this shot of the stand, with the floodlights.



As we move along we get to the covered terrace behind the goal.



The goal from where we see this shot of the stand.



This is from the other post, looking to our left.



The covered terrace consists of three shallow steps, posts holding the roof up, with wood at the back.



Standing on this teerace we look over to similar cover round the side, but note the fenced off bit immediately in the corner.



We can see part of it in the left of this photo, with the covered standing area beyond.



Before we move along there we look across the pitch once more, from another corner flag angle.



Narrow hard standing as we first move along the side. What is behind the boarded in area?



I managed to squeeze my camera in, it's the north London version of Steptoe's Yard!



In front of this area we look back behind the goal.



This is the shallow covered terrace past it. Note the old gates to an old Wembley FC stalwart, which once stood at the entrance to the ground. I don't know about you but I think it's a nice gesture to keep there here, rather than dump or scrap them, when they could not longer be incorporated elsewhere.



Moving onwards we see the players' tunnel past this last bit of covered terrace.



Breeze blocks, combined with plywood and whatnot elsewhere. It looks a bit cheap, but it is also a club living within their means. I've certainly seen worse....



Going pitchside, we see one of the dugouts.



And take the opportunity to take a photo or two of the ground noe we're the 'other side of the fence'.



This is the section behind the goal.



And the stand on the other side.



This is the middle section, where the press box is in the middle. From this angle it looks as though the press area may have previously been where the dugouts were.



Back on the other side this is the players' tunnel, with a clock above it. Unfortunately that wasn't the time, it was broken!



This chap is John Cumberbatch, who was at the Hendon match. He is a former Dulwich Hamlet player, who is currently on our Club committee. He had been watching his son Marc, who was at Champion Hill last season, play for them, on loan from Staines Town.



Past the tunnel is an open area, that includes penty of tables outside the bar area.



And here we are, finishing our tour of Wembley Football Club, on the area of terrace we first saw, as we entered the ground through the turnstiles just beyond.