Sunday 16 January 2011

Pagham

Pagham play in the Sussex County League First Division. I've never seen a game here, but took the opportunity to have a look at the ground before I saw Dulwich Hamlet play at Bognor Regis Town, in October 2010. It's about four miles or so between the two.



This is the entrance to the ground, to the car park, & the turnstile block.



Excellent message!



It's hardly expensive. (& the 'DH' in chalk is not my doing!)



This sign was also by the turnstile.



The entrance is in the corner of the ground, & once inside we look over the pitch.



To our right we look down the touchline. Initially I thought that was dugouts in the distance, but it turned out it was an open terrace.



To our left, behind the goal, it is open hard standing. with car park space as well. Have a look at the hoarding that's facing us, & not the pitch...



Something I've not heard of before, but this event sounds magnificently eccentric England at its best!



Turning round, we look back at the entrance, from inside the ground.



Not a sign you usually see inside football grounds...



The high netting to stop footballs flying out of the ground forms a 'barrier' between the hard standing & the car park.



From behind the goal we look over to the main side of the ground, which houses the club house, changing rooms & main stand.



A similar view, from past the other post.



Moving along we are almost looking down that side.



Here we look back along the car park end.



Now we're along the side, as we see over the pitch.



Further up is the entrance to the clubhouse, with a nice patio area outside the entrance.



And to the left of the above photo we cut round behind the clubhouse & past the beer barrels.



From pitchside you can see there is no spectator room in front of the bar.



Moving along are the dugouts, with the seats beyond for the next specatator area.



Here is the stand, from on the pitch.



A smart club sign is on the roof.



This is the players tunnel.



Next to it is the part of the stand sectioned off for club officials of the home & away sides.



Beyond that is your 'common garden gnome' spectator area.



In the middle we look back along where we've come from.



Following by the direction we're heading. Note the exits at hte back. Unusually you cannot leave the seats at the front.



A bit further down the stand we glance toward the other open end.



Behind the stand, & just beyond it, this looks a bit like a garden allotment area!



There is now simple hard standing to the next corner.



A quick peek back to the stand.



Behind the goal more open hard standing.



Scaffolding holding up the high netting at this end makes it's a bit of a tight squeeze in places.



As you can see here.



At this end we look back to the seats, & beyond.



Similar shot again, but past the other post.



On we go, along the scaffolded path.



In front of the railings are some old concrete posts, so there must have been a lower pitch surround in the past.



At the next corner, we look both across the pitch & back behind the goal.



Down the last side now, more hard standing, with a small grassed area behind it. Surely not a training area?



The goals are a bit on the small side...



But there is one at 'either end'! And beyond this one we see the terrace area.



Here it is. I have no idea, but I am wondering if maybe, in the dim & distant past, this terrace had a roof to it?



From this area of the ground we see over to the main side.



It's not just any old terrace...



Some Isthmian grounds don't have terracing this substantial...



Once past it there's only the hard standing up to the corner where we came in.



A last look over to the car park end.



And then we're at the exit. Time to go...



But not before one quick glance back, & clock that old turnstile. I wonder what ground that came from?



Off we go...waiting for the 'groovy' bus back to the centre of Bognor Regis!

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