Hillingdon Borough

My first visit to Hillingdon Borough was way back in 1990. they had just moved here, roughly on the side of the old Ruislip FC ground,that club disappearing in 1989. They had re-formed, and had just joined the London Spartan League. It was an August bank holiday afternoon, and there was a decent crowd against Croydon Athletic. I 'doubled up' with another 'tick' at nearby Ruislip Manor, who had an evening kick off.

These pictures were taken in July 2009, on the first day, a Friday evening, of a four team charity competition, at their Middlesex Stadium home.



This was the entrance to the ground from the road.



The club sign on the roadside...it's seen better days!



This was the poster attached to the entrance regarding the small competition.



And this banner publicising the worthy beneficiaries.



This is the entrance to the turnstiles, they were closed tonight, and you paid at a table in the bar.



Once through the bar, which was very plush for a club at this level, there was this patio looking over the pitch, which was very popular in the rain!



Better furniture than I have at home in my front room! ;-) You can see the pitch clearly in this snap.



From this bar area we look to the goal to our right, with the seats unusually behind the goal. I believe the pitch was turned round in the past, and that is the reason why.



But we're going to walk round the ground clockwise, in the other direction. In front of the bar area is this strangely angled terracing, and you can see a grassed area & hard standing by the pitch rail in front of that



Back up on the patio, we look out across the pitch.



Now on the terracing in front, we look over to the seats behind the goal.



Past the bar area we see the (closed) turnstiles from inside the ground.



This portakabin is the boardroom!



Before moving on round we look back at the area in front of the bar.



From here on it's simple hard standing all the way down the rest of this side.



From the same spot we look back at the raised terrace area once more.



From this side we see the stand behind the goal.



The man with the brolly tells you what the weather is like...and this is the height of summer in July! From here, at the halfway line we look over to the dugouts on the far side.



Towards the end of this side the grass disappears & it's all concrete. There are a number of temporary buildings on the left. These are changing rooms, in use tonight as there are four teams here. I think they are normally used for the all weather pitch behind the goal we are soon coming to.



The all weather pitch is behind this goal, where we can see a covered terrace.



This is the Slough Town changing room for the evening.



Almost at the corner, we look back down the length of this side.



From the corner the corner flag is actually a long way from the corner of the ground!



Here we see the hard standing behind the goal, with the cover in the centre.



This is the all weather pitch on the other side of the fence.



There are only two small steps of terrace under the cover.



Standing behind the goal we look over to the side we have come from, and you can see how far away the goal is from the spectator area.



As we move on round I attempt a low level 'arty' shot of some pitch maitenance equipment, with the dugouts along the side in the background.



Although pitchside it is not a danger as it's so far from the touchline.



Down the far side there is one step of terracing all the way along.



In the corner, at the start of this side, is an electriity pylon, totally fenced in. A 'resting home' for misplaced passes!



Now we're moving along the side, and we look back to the cover behind the goal.



One of the two games in progress, as we look over to the bar area.



More of the action here, covered terrace behind.



Moving along there's this chap busy with his camera. I got chatting to him later. A pleasant chap, a Fleetwood Town fan, serving in the Royal Navy, based down in Hampshire.



Further along are the dugouts.



They weren't the cleanest, so I couldn't resist the temptation to 'leave my mark!'



Moving on beyond them it is still the single step of terrace & hard standing.



The occasional weeds grow through.



Almost in the corner and we glance back down this side of the ground.



As we turn the corner to the seats the terracing becomes more substantial.



Here we have a full length shot of behind the seated end.



Another corner flag shot, like the other one opposite it is the proverbial 'miles' from the pitch!



We've finally got to the seats. They are a bit low, but it's a decent sized stand.



Up in the seats we look across the stand.



From the ones at the end we look at the terracing leading to it.



In front of the seats is a large open area, part of it is slightly raised.



Not the plushest of directors box!



Some fans ignore the seats, preferring to stand by the railing at the front, to be nearer the action.



In the middle of the stand is a smart press box, though I doubt if it's actually used that much.



From the pitch perimeter fence immediately behind the goal we look over to the far end.



Past the stand it's plain hard standing again, but with a slight grass bank behind.



This leads back to the bar area where we started, with the ground toilets also in this corner.



We're now back in front of the bar patio area, as the sun starts to set.



It's soon getting dark, with the lights on, as you can see in this last shot of the ground.

Fulham

This visit to Fulham was for the 125th annual Varsity football match between Oxford & Cambridge Universities last season. It was on a Sunday morning, before the famous Boat Race on the Thames.



The walk from Putney Bridge is a pleasant one, through Bishops Park, with Craven Cottage just past it, as you can see here.



This is the exterior on the Stevenage Road, & this stand is a Grade II listed building.



It was re-named the Johhny Haynes Stand in 2005, after the death of the Fulham legend, who is commemorated by this statue outside.



On the facade behind is the old Fulham emblem.



And the year of formation, which is incorrect, as they are now believed to have been formed in 1879.



Their next game is advertised, for which a somewhat bigger crowd will be expected!



Here are some of the turnstiles.



Outside the scarves were on sale, though these were for the boat race, not the football. I still bought one though!



I prefer the older emblem to this new one.



Inside the ground now, and I'm stuck on one side. In the Johnny Haynes Stand. The first thing I head for is the famous cottage in the corner. This is by the Putney End, which you can just see to the right.



Here we look along the Haynes stand, from the bottom corner. The plastic seats were put on top of the old terraced enclosure in front of the stand.



Here some of the players warm up, with the Hammersmith End in the background.



Here is another shot of the cottage.



And from this corner we look across the Putney End.



Now we're up in the Haynes Stand, the original wooden seats still in place. It was built by the famous football stadium architect Archibald Leitch. 'Engineering Archie' was published in 2005.



At the end is a montage dedicated to Haynes.



Here we look across the pitch to the Riverside Stand, built in 1973, & originally called the Eric Miller Stand. He was a director, who committed suicide, while under investigation for embezzlement, in 1977.



From near the back we look down the stand.



Moving further along, just as the teams come on the pitch, from the changing rooms in the cottage corner.



The teams line up for the pre-match bits & pieces. The spectators in the Riverside Stand were all ticket holders in advance, and on the day you could only pay for the stand we are in. It was not possible to get past the stewards and reach the other side. Which was a shame, as I am unable to show the the Fulham sign on the gable of the Haynes stand.



Standing for the national anthem. Not being a royalist I stay seated.



Here is a shot of the Johnny Haynes Stand, from the other end, during the match.



Game in progress, with the Riverside Stand behind.



The Hammersmith end of the listed stand also has the collection of Haynes memories on the wall. To the left is the Hammersmith End, and you can also see-immediately to the left of the pictures-some of the executive boxes in the corner.



Cambridge in their traditional light blue, & Oxford in the dark.



The end of the game, and the scoreboard tells the final score, in front of the empty Putney End.