Thursday 10 December 2009

Haringey Borough

I visited Haringey Borough for a pre-season match in August on a Wednesday evening. It's got a old stand, which I would have thought would have been condemned if anyone had any money to build a new one! They compete in the Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division.


A couple of their fans chatted to me, and it was a very friendly welcome. Although not really an inner London borough, it has an inner London feel, the ground hemmed in on two sides by terraced houses, and-a bit more unusual-allotments on another side!



No turnstiles, just a chap selling programmes at the entrance. A nice effort, considering it was a pre-season game against a side from the local Cypriot Sunday League.



The entrance is in this corner of the ground. From here we can see the open hard standing behind the goal, but we're heading clockwise, in the other direction.



Open hard standing along this side, apart from the tall stand.



As we get closer to the stand you can see it's in need of a fair bit of 'TLC'.



Covered in cracks, but still structurally sound, otherwise it wouldn't be open, presumably.



Fenced, and bricked, along the front, parts of it either unsafe, or blocked off due to old outbreaks of vandalism, maybe?



Ugly, but neccessary, breeze block.



A club sign on the back of the stand, old fire damage clear, which is why it's boarded up?



Now up in the stand we see the bucket seats, in the club colour.



From the back row, where I sat & watched a lot of the match, we look over the seats, toward the far end.



In the other direction we look toward the other goal, with a plenty of car parking space.



And over the pitch, to the dugouts, across the centre circle.



Moving along the seats, we see over to the goal, view partly obscured by roof supports & a floodlight pylon.



Set back behind the stand is the club bar, which is more of a cafeteria really.



Now down pitchside, we see over to the dugouts.



And glance back at the stand, from the other side.



Moving onwards, it's simple hard standing to the corner.



With more of the same behind the goal.



A corner flag shot, across the pitch.



As we're now behind the goal we look back to the stand.



Behind the goal, from the other corner.



And down the far side. There's plenty of empty space, as if the ground is surrounded by a big car park. In fact one of their main revenue streams is a large Sunday morning car boot sale.



From the dugout side we look over to the main stand, as the teams are about to kick off.



Past the dugouts now, it's the same concrete hard standing.



Looking back down the touchline.



A bit of goalmouth action, with the stand as a backdrop.



Behind the goal, heading toward the entrance where we came in, and there is a small grass bank between car park & pitch. The only raised standing vantage point in the ground.



Behind this goal we look back down the dugout side.



As well as a corner flag shot, this time toward the main stand.



No spectators standing behind the goal, so the keeper gets the ball himself!



One last look at the stand, from right behind the goal, and we finish our tour of Haringey Borough FC.



I take my seat up in the stand, as the lights come on, & settle down for the rest of the game.



This is an easy ground to get to, a very short bus ride from Wood Green tube station. I don't know how much life there is left in the old stand, but I'd suspect not much. Get here before it goes!

No comments: