Ford United-Rush Green

Rush Green: former home of Ford United, now playing at Barkingside, and known as Redbridge Football Club. And after they vacated it Romford FC moved in. But now it is empty, with Romford leaving at the end of the 2007/08 season. With the future of the venue now unsure, I popped over there on a sunday afternoon in late May to take some photos of the place. There was a local cup final about to take place, but I decided not to stop for it. My only previous visit was for a Dulwich Hamlet London Senior Cup tie, which we lost 3-1, in the 2000/01 season.. This was "the 'disgraceful' Kevin Holt match"...I will explain!
Kevin was a Dulwich Hamlet supporter, who came to Champion Hill whenever he wasn't playing local Saturday afternoon football himself. He was a half decent player, & even turned out on occasion for our Supporters' Team! He was good enough to go to pre-season trials and got selected for the Hamlet Reserves. He never made the First Team though, but this was his 'almost' moment. This was our disastrous relegation season, we went through three managers-Dave Garland; Les Cleevely & then Gwynne Berry! Martin Eede was the Club Chairman, and we were desperately short of players for this London Cup tie. Martin gave Kevin a last ditch call, late afternoon, asking him to sit on the bench,on behalf of the boss. Kevin obviously agreed practically dropping everything he was doing, and finished work early, dashing across London, battling rush hour traffic. And all he got as thanks was a sore arse as he sat on the bench. Not even a five minute run out in a not very important match that was clearly lost, which would have been a moment he would have cherished forever. Martin Eede went down a little in many supporters' estimations that night. Despite not being in the dug out that night, he was the one who made the call, and could clearly have suggested that Kevin have a bit of a run out, a moment he would have cherished forever. 2000/01 was the last time we got relegated from the Isthmian Premier. From which we've yet to bounce back, sadly. We were rock bottom, with only four wins, and 26 points. Fourteen adrift behind second placed Carshalton Athletic, and a massive 17 from safety! This was the year of the 'Bob the Builder' chant, which wasn't entirely appreciated by Les Cleevely! "Les the manager! Can he fix it? Les the manager! NO HE CAN'T!"

But back to Ford United, or a bit of their history at Rush Green, as taken from one of their old programmes:

" The present Ford United dates from a 1958 0r '59 merger between two older clubs, Ford Sports FC (Dagenham) and Brigg Sports FC, both of which were founded in 1934"
" Brigg Sports played at the Victoria Road ground, now famous as the home of Dagenham & Redbridge. Ford united's old ground was the Ford Sports & Social Club in Rush Green. Romford FC shared the ground in 1995/96, providing valuable funds at a difficult time. Sadly, this pleasant ground was ruled unacceptable to the Isthmian League in summer of 2000 since its owners, Ford Motor Company, would only grant a yearly lease, so some 40 years of history there came to an end. A new home was leased at Oakside Stadium, and the previous lessees (Barkingside FC) are now the tenants. Work to gain an 'A' grade was not quite complete at the start of the new season, which we had to kick off at Dagenham & Redbridge's Victoria Road ground."

This is the sign on the main road.



And the main turnstiles.



This was the match that was on a couple of hours after I
popped in, which was lucky, as I just walked into the social
club, and up the open players' tunnel!



To the left of these turnstiles, is a floodlit pitch, with
no other facilities. Presumably a training pitch, I do not know if
any local intermediate sides use this as a home venue.



And this is the entrance to the social club.



This is the main stand, on the halfway line. I'm going to
walk you clockwise around the ground from here.



To the left of the seats is this terrace.



Which leads you to the corner. It is strange how far away
the pitch is from the fence. Presumably many years ago, I
would hazard a guess, there was some sort of running track
around it.



Behind the stand, outside, is a cricket pitch, part of the Ford
sports & social set up, I presume.



And behind the perimeter, that's behind the goal, is a bit of
training ground, But not used for a while, despite being kept in
decent nick, with the grass being cut, judging by the state
of the old goal, and this piece of groundkeeping equipment.



A look at the stand from behind the goal. Not the little
huts to the left (right as we look at it) This is a toilet block, and
a small, disused, office.



Along the far side is another good stretch of terrace.



A remnant of the previous tenants!



Obviously an exit that hasn't been an exit for quite
a while.



This must have been quite cheap to build, but adequate enough.



Looking back down the side from the far corner.



There is another turnstile block in this corner too.



The same turnstiles from outside.



Back inside, the stand from behind the other goal.



Unlike the other three sides, there's just hard standing &
grass behind this goal.



And finally the last piece of terrace leading back to the stand.
This would be your first sight of the stadium, as you come through
the turnstiles.



They left their corner flags behind!



The dug outs, with the 'obligatory' Sunday League cup final
cans of beer in the dugouts! ;-)



A fading sign, from the old days. Which will be our last
look at Rush Green.

Crayford Arrows, Crayford, Kent.

Bakers Field is the home of Crayford Arrows Football Club a long established outfit, where I've seen Dulwich Hamlet junior sides play a number of times over the years. I took these snaps while on my way to nearby Phoenix Sports, where I was going to watch the Hamlet Under Eighteens last season. They have a mens' side in the very minor level South London Alliance.

I didn't go inside the ground, I'm not sure-sadly in this paranoid day & age- how they'd have reacted to an ordinary football fan just walking into their ground taking photos while kids' football was in progress. So these are taken from the road. There are no spectator facilities as such, though there is a small standing area at the front of the main pavilion.



If you look to the right of the changing room/pavilion building, you can see the balcony area, which is the 'spectator facilties' I was referring to, above.



A look across the pitches, from the car park entrance.



And a better view of the building from the road, through the fence.

London Skolars RL; New River Stadium, London.

London Skolars are the whipping boys of National League Two. I try to go over to North London a few times a season to watch htem, but less so now as they have the majority of their home games on Saturday afternoons. They used to do quite a few Sundays. I work every other Saturday, and when I am off I watch South London Storm, my local amateur side first, if we have a game. Storm actually play in the same league as Skolars II's; so I am in the somewhat 'strange' position of being a fan of the London Skolars First XIII; but cheering on the other side when they take on Storm! Even when they don't actually play Storm I couldn't care less about their second string results, yet always watch out for the First Team scores!

The ground is in White Hart Lane, with Haringey Borough, of the Spartan South Midlands League, a few hundred yards further along.

The New River Stadium has a 1,000 capacity, and only the big stand is open to spectators. However Skolars have got a safety certificate to open the terracing for the first time on Friday 29th August, when they attract rugby league followers from all over the country, who are in London for the Challenge Cup Final at Wembley. This eve of final match has a 2,500 capacity, and kicks off at 6.30pm against Keighley Cougars.

The New River Stadium is part of this White Hart Lane complex.



This is your first view of the ground.



This map shows the whole White Hart Lane site.



There are no turnstiles. You go through this main entrance, and
pay at the ticket office just inside. Your ticket is then checked
as you climb the flights of stairs to the top of the stand.



This is the main stand. I am taking you on an anti-clockwise
walk around the ground.



A typical running track venue, the view would be bloody
awful if you were permitted to stand behind the goal!



This is the decent stretch of terrace all along the side
opposite the seats.



Here is a view of the stand from the corner.



And from the halfway line.



Another look at the terrace, as it curves round at the far end.



And looking back from the far end.It's a shame it's not open,
it's a waste of a decent terrace for a summer sport.



As it curves round you see the changing rooms area. The
pitch, I presume, is used by Haringey RFC (union) in winter.



From the last corner I'm looking across the pitch at the
pre-match warm up.



despite the 'pre-match prediction' of an extremely heavy
whitewash, Skolars 'only' lost 6-40 to Oldham on this visit!



Despite this obviously being an athletics ground-I hate watching
football or rugby league at these locations- this is one of
my favourites, if there can be such a thing. You are high up, with
a good view of the pitch.



A final look up at the seats.




Time to settle down in my seat for kick off!

South London Storm RL, Thornton Heath, Surrey.

My local amateur rugby league club, South London Storm technically play in Surrey, with a Croydon postcode. But it's 'Sarf Lunnon' enough for me, & I try to watch them a few times each summer. Home is 'Storm Park'. Otherwise known as Streatham-Croydon RU club; the proper name of the ground being their one: Frant Road.
Storm play in the Rugby League Conference, which-if there was a real pyramid in place- would be the fifth level of rugby league.

all the spectator facilities are on one side, this is the main stand,
which was erected at the beginning of the seventies.
The roof was completely refurbished last year.



You get a very good view of the action sitting up in it.



Though you might want to being along a cushion, if you don't
want a sore bum, as the concrete steps 'double up' as the
seats! I would presume, many years ago, there may have been
some sort of proper seating in here.



To the right there is some grass banking.



Perfect for lazing on, if it's not raining in the summer!



To the left of the stand there is just a footpath, and a railing....
albeit a 'railing' without any rails!



A better view of the hard pitch surround here. note the
on duty police car, with its' occupants enjoying an ice cream
while watching the game, instead of fighting crime!
To be fair though, they may be at work, but one of them does
play for the Storm second team! ;-)