Norsemen

I wasn't looking for this, another AFA ground. But saw this sign as I was walking through the area, & recognised the Norsemen name. Their First XI are in the second division of the Southern Amateur League.





A slightly(!) blurred snap of their crest from a sign.





Here is a view of their sports ground. There are two football pitches on it.





This is the other one.





Presumably the changing room area.





And looking across from the first floor balcony of the bar area.





Which you can see here.





Inside you can take a trip down memory lane.





As always AFA clubs are proud of their heritage.





With the club scoreboard on the wall too.

Queen Elizabeth Stadium, Enfield

This is the Queen Elizabeth Stadium, in Donkey Lane, Enfield. Not too far from the old site of Enfield Football Club, in Southbury Road, now housed over. There is renewed talk of this athletics track venue being redeveloped & used a home in Enfield for the football club. Whether that be Enfield 1893 (in effect the 'old' Enfield); Enfield Town, currently at Brimsdown Rovers ( the team set up by the old Enfield fans to bring the town team back into the Borough of Enfield); or a merger of the two no-one seems to know. It is all speculation. Having been in the area recently I took the chance to try to look at the site for a possible future non-league ground.

There appeared to be faded rugby pitch markings on the grass, presumably used by the local rugby union club, until the stadium was closed down by the council.



The sign is fading away.






And this small sign on one of the doors tells you it's shut!





Here's the pavilion from outside.





Once inside, at first glance, it's looks half decent.





But on close inspection it's clearly run down, and in a vety bad state. I would be surprised it you got any change from at least a million quid to bring it up to basic Isthmian League standard.





Rather than 'walk & talk' you round the stadium I'll just let you look around without my comments. It's in such a state there's not really much to be said is there?







































Next to the stadium is this clubhouse for Enfield Ignatians RFC. Presumably they previously played in the stadium?





Next door is a large open space, called Enfield Playing Fields, with well over a dozen football pitches, and a couple of rugby ones. A, sort of, 'mini-Hackney Marshes'. This poster, on the park noticeboard, clearly shows there is a local determination to save the stadium.





I suppose you could phone the council on this number to find out more!





Football posts stretch way across the park.





with this one, at the far end, particularly poignant. For those houses are built on the site of the old Enfield football ground.





I briefly wandered round the development, looking in vain for any mention of the previous footballing occupants. A terrible shame the local authority can't even erect a plaque of some sort to commemorate the famous old club that brought such pride to the name of Enfield. Guilty conscience perhaps at 'losing them'?

Kodak (Harrow)

A rare Saturday morning Middlesex County League match, at Kodak FC, as part of their marvellous programme of encouraging both groundhoppers & curious fans of other clubs like myself, to visit their grounds.

As you would exepct at this level they can be very basic, and Kodak was no more than a roped off pitch. but it didn't rain, the football wasn't a high standard as you'd expect, but the players were keen, & tried their best. What more do you want?



A programme? Two pounds please. A pleasure, in lieu of the 'free' admission.






Walking from the station you pass the actual Kodak plant, from which the ream take it's name.





They are based here, at Zoom Leisure.







Here is the pavilion behind, from inside the ground. Note the Kodak FC flag flying high.





There is a nice clubhouse here.





With a Kodak FC cabinet. They run a number of junior sides.





I'm not sure what this is for, but I'll bet I wasn't the only one to take a picture of it today!





From the far end of the pitch you can see the Kodak factory in the background. And the majority of the groundhopping crowd behind the rope on the touchline.





It was also roped off behind the goal, but not the other two sides.





The only 'buildings' of any sort were the dugouts on the far side.





The far side had a slight grass bank down it.





Here are the dugouts from the opposite side.





Behind the 'roadside' un-roped goal two hoppers rested themselves on the only seating in the ground!





Another look down the line, from the other end.





And down the grass banking from this end too.





an attempt at catching some action.







Yet another goal let in by the rotund Kodak custodian! I'd love him to have a crowd behind him! Boy, would he get barracked! None of the goals 'were his fault' as he bawled out his defence, the lineman or the referee! He had a 'mare! ;-)