Thursday 26 May 2011

Croydon Greenside

Croydon Greenside play at step seven of the English non-league pyramid, which is level eleven nationally, in the Surrey Elite Intermediate League. They play at the Croydon Post Office grounds, in Warmlingham, Surrey. I saw them play at the beginning of May 2011, when they lost by the odd goal in eleven to Crescent Rovers!



The ground is at the end of a quiet suburban street.



There is a social club here, as you would expect. Note the lone bench outside.



Dedicated to a stalwart of the cricket section.



In the corner, to the right as you walk in, are the changing rooms.



The venue is a multi-pitch complex. Our pitch today is the one straight ahead, where people are warming up.



Completely open behind the goal.



Behind the goal we see the 'main' spectator side. That is roped off, & is where everyone stood.



We're going to continue round the pitch, here we head for the corner.



Also completely open down this side touchline.



Lonely for the linesman, cricket squared roped off behind, on the left.



Across the halfway line. behind those trees is Verdayne Gardens, former first team home of Warlingham FC.



Now at the far end, still completely open, with a subbed visitor having a much deserved rest.



Behind the net.



Now we're at the tree lined roped off isde.



One of the club lino's looks a tad disinterested!



I told you it was roped off!



No dugouts, but there were 'invisible' ones marked out!



This chap is the secretary of the visitors Crescent Rovers, & I spent most of the first half having a chat with him.



The bin was popular! ;-)



Across the halfway line from this side.



On our way to the pitch corner where we started.



The other 'dugout'.



All they need is a picnic!



There were three groundhoppers present.



Almost completed our circuit now.



The rope starts, or finishes, here.



Now a number of snaps of the match itself,to finish.

































5 comments:

gee said...

one thing i dont understand is why they are in the pyramid if they are never gonna get up the leagues becuase they aint got a stadium, does that make sense. good blog

Rabbler said...

Many teams are happy at the level of the pyramid they are. Hardly any clubs at step seven have 'stadiums'. Where would you suggest they go to, if they have no desire to move upwards? At this level players pay to play, & are happy to do so. The few ambitious clubs that choose to try to move up can do.

Anonymous said...

Yeah.
We must remember that football is foremost of recreational use and for intertainment of yourself and others involved - the club, the team, relatives, friends, 'the better half' and other 'loved one's'.

I think many, include myself, find the amount of payment for a players license, to be expensive in my country Denmark.

My gues, combined with knowledge of the better known teams from my pov, is that we have amateur's in the starting eleven all up to some clubs in the 2. tier.
(of course many clubs have a vide range of arrangements, to make things work together, with the players, staff, etc. jobs and so on. So you can for example see semi-pro's and amateur's play together.)

But tax fraud, 'brown envelopes', 'vouchers', gift certificates, free car, 'gas card' and so on must be common.
To assume anything else, is naive, with the nearly general standard red numbers in our clubs anuual financial repors.

Unfortunately my favorite Copenhagen club was involved in a big 'non-case' like this this summer.
But they are happily still in the best league.
They used among other things, assumely 'extra contracts' that were not reported to the national association. (to keep hold of a good player..)

Their manager was a ('big chief' I guess) bank executive in an department of the biggest danish bank.
It was first this summer he dropped his temporary 'break' arrangement with the bank.

He is great.
And I don't know if it is that working background or what, but I really love his abbilities and way of work. :D

gee said...

wake up wake up
if you are in a pyramid then its based on rising through the leagues but how can you and whats the point if you play in a field, why not join the afa?
do you ever think about anything?

Rabbler said...

Time for you to wake up...I've already stated my viewpoint on the lower levels of the pyramid.
Your comments are such nonsense i'm actually not waking up, but your making me sleepy.
So 'wakey, wakey' to you...any more comments from you are being deleted. Sleep well!