Friday 9 April 2010

SK Aritma Praha; Prague, Czech Republic

SK Aritma Praha play in the top flight of the Prague leagues, level five in the Czech pyramid. I popped into their ground in October 2009, & it was the last ground I visited on that trip. You will see there is clearly a new stand being built, presumably finished by now. I hope that one of their home games coincides on my of trips in future years. If not I will still go back next year to snap the finished article.

The ground itself is on the main bus route from the airport to the town centre, so if ever you're cutting it fine for your flight this could be a good ground to visit, if you're lucky.



This is the entrance to the ground.



On the wall, as you enter, is the club war memorial.



As you come in there appears to be a hostel & other facilities, as part of a larger sporting
Aritma organisation. Nearer the main pitch is this pay booth.



The pitch is fenced off, as we see here, with hard standing along the side to our left. This is the clockwise direction we are going to walk.



Looking across we see the new stand, under construction. While I'm pleased to see such a good structure going up, part of me wonders if there was an old stand there beofre, & I wistfully wonder what we have missed.



Standing along the side we look back to the corner where we came in, and can see an open grass bank behind the goal.



Now facing the other way we see there is more banking behind the other goal.



Behind where we are standing is the hostel, & a crazy golf course! At how many grounds can you play that if you get bored?



At the corner flag now, we see the new stand again.



Behind the goal is hard standing, with some steps up to another path at the top of the grass.



As you see at many Czech non-league grounds, there are benches placed along the top.



From one of the benches toward the far end we see over to the new stand, and the changing room complex behind it.



Now, looking down the far side, we see some benches & tables, which indicates some sort of bar/refreshments on matchdays along here.



Directly behind the new buildings is a modern all-weather 3G type surface.



There is hard standing around this, but it's not railed off.



Now back on the other side, we venture onto the pitch to take a snap of the new grandstand.



I look forward to seeing it completed, it looks a bit strange half built.



Just past it are dugouts. Presumably these will become obsolete when the stand is ready for use, as there appeared to be 'gaps' at the front for new ones.



Moving along now, to the next corner, is more hard standing, with the grass bank in view.



Just before we reach the actual corner there are some railed concrete steps leading up to the top of the banking.



Atop this side of the slope is some flat hard standing.



From up here we glance back at the new stand, & club building.



While up here we look behind us, and see the other end of the all-weather pitch.



This end is similar to the one we've seen earlier. A path down at the front, with paved hard standing at the top.



From up here we get a good view of the hostel & sportshall complex, to our left, where we started. You can see the entrance to the ground to the left of the light buildings.



In the other direction we see back over to the new stand once more, through the high netting at this end.



At the corner there are more steps down from the grass bank.



Now on the side where we started, once last glance across the pitch, where we began our visit.

Thursday 8 April 2010

Westfield

This Westfield FC is the one that plays in Division One of the Combined Counties League, a few minutes walk away from their bigger neighbours Woking, who actually use this venue for their Youth Team matches.

I've not seen a match here, but took the opportunity to have a quick peek, when I saw at game at Woking just before Christmas last year.

It is very basic, and I was surprised to not be able to find any actual mention of the club around the pitch.

I walked into the ground through this gate, which was along the side, but behind the goal. You can see the railed off pitch in front of us.



It is simple hard standing all the way round the pitch, it's a very basic venue, as you would expect for CoCo One.



We going to walk round the pitch anti-clockwise, here we look along the side.



From around halfway along we see over to the other end, again just railed off.



We pass the dugouts, which is the only built up part around the pitch.



The path continues past the dugouts to the corner.



From this side we look over the pitch, to the pavilion & changing rooms.



Almost at the corner, we glance back down the side we've seen.



The rail continues at the corner, it's a tight squeeze.



Stepping back a little we see the ful length behind this goal.



As we move along you can see it opens out, further along.



From behind the goal we look back toward the dugouts.



Through the netless goal we see the club buildings, to our right.



And from the next corner look back behind the goal, where not all of the snow & frost has thawed out.



Again just hard standing down this side, you can see how far the club premises are set back, on the right.



This is the main club building.



Just outside it, under the overhang, are these two benches, the only 'seating' in the ground.



If you chose to sit there then this is the view of the goal to our right, where we are heading.



While this is the other end, where we've been. If/when I get to see an actual match here I think I'll stand pitchside!



There is this sign on the wall of the building, but no mention of any club name anywhere.



Another angle of the same building.



And a bit further foward, of the path that is the 'tunnel', looking directly into the bright winter sun, unfortunately.



This gap in the rails is where the players enter the pitch, and we also look to the next corner.



Now we're there, and we see more simple hard standing behind this goal.



Before looking back down the pavilion side.



That's the end of our brief tour, just a wintry look through the hedge outside, across the pitch toward the buildings on the left.



And, finally, down the other side, where we began our stroll around the ground in Woking Park.