Favourite Grounds

[ref off ref]

What are people's favourite SSML grounds, for whatever reason, scored a hat-trick, saved a pen, loved the scenery, got married on the centre circle.

Loved Royston until they got promoted, nice little set up, enclosed ground....and Bradwell always got a result over there, Ampthill too has a nice feel to it.

Everyone has their favourites, and non favs too.......(I haven't visited many Prem Clubs)

[NeutralFan]

V&E, Hanwell, Harefield.. always had a knack of scoring at Hanwell in my earlier years, been involved in a couple of cracking games there as well 4-5, 3-4, 2-3 ... always plenty of goals there!!

 

Dislikes... Chalfont, did my ACL there. New Bradwell... Bloody miles away, smallest changing rooms ever (might've changed now?), always windy and hardly ever got a result. Luckily In my 16 odd years in the Spartan I've managed to avoid the pleasure of visiting Stony Stratford... strangely there was always a wedding, holiday or injury around the time of that fixture.

[ref off ref]

New Bradwell now have new changing rooms next to the pitch so an improvement there, old one's were.....old.

Talking of small changing rooms Stony's are ok if you are running a 5-a-side team, then when changed you need to catch a taxi to the pitch or face one heck of a walk, worst for night games as you can't see where the f**k you are treading.

[Tommy]

stonys changing rooms is the smallest ive been in people have to get changed in the shower or outside facing houses with people walking by,my favourite ground is cranfield always had a nice pitch

[ref off ref]

Cranfield is a nightmare if your keeper happens to be a plane spotter too though

[onekeown]

Worst in Prem:

Harringay & Hertford both shocking

[ref off ref]

In Division 1 Harpenden wasn't up to much, pay for the car park, dire club house and no beer on tap, Division 2 a couple of years back Crawley Green had a wicked club house but pony pitch at the back of it, before their move to ground share at Barton Rovers and their rise to Division 1, also in them days Flamstead too had an excellent clubhouse, then you stepped onto the pitch, probably why they folded.

A club that rarely gets a mention on here is Buckingham Athletic, not the best pitch but believe money is being spent to upgrade everything down there, clubhouse, changing rooms etc, so maybe their fortunes may change if it all goes well in time.

[markhayward]

Best ground and nicest people must be Kingsbury London Tigers,always a pleasure to visit,although i have to say Haringey aswell as i follow the club,dont be so hard on us,we do our best!!!!

[Rhodes]

A club that rarely gets a mention on here is Buckingham Athletic, not the best pitch but believe money is being spent to upgrade everything down there, clubhouse, changing rooms etc, so maybe their fortunes may change if it all goes well in time.

Ref Off Ref - Yes I had the pleasure of visiting leafy Stratford Fields last Saturday and it's certainly all hands to the pump up there, they are such a nice Club and deserve more success than they have got in recent years. I know they were Division 1 Cup Runners Up in both 2003/2004 and 2005/2006 and finished second in Division 1 in 2004/2005 however weren't promoted.

[Jonno]

I like Langfords ground. Slight slope on the pitch but normally good condition and ultra friendly club. I also like Cranfields place.

 

Worst grounds include Haringey, St Mags (the pitch looks like an alotment right now) and despite its superior playing surface, id say Broxbourne Borough, most soulless ground ive ever had the misfortune to visit.

[onekeown]

I like Langfords ground. Slight slope on the pitch but normally good condition and ultra friendly club. I also like Cranfields place.

 

Worst grounds include Haringey, St Mags (the pitch looks like an alotment right now) and despite its superior playing surface, id say Broxbourne Borough, most soulless ground ive ever had the misfortune to visit.

 

Soulless??

Hoddesdon is a club locked behind gates and only opened on match days, freezing cold coz Roger won't put the heating on, as welcoming as concentration camp in Poland, a tea bar where you feel like you they are doing YOU a favour when you buy something and a bar with hardly any alcohol!

 

Oh, forgot the pitch.... dreadful..

[NeutralFan]

But apart from that.....

[onekeown]

Apart from that NF, its the New Wembley.....

[ref off ref]

Don't forget the friendly traffic wardens too who only seem to operate when a game is on

[Rhodes]

as welcoming as concentration camp in Poland,

If that doesn't entice LATO out of the woodwork nothing will. I want to get his view on Roman Polanski who was arrested recently for having sex with a minor at Jack Nicholson's home in Hollywood back in 1978, the warrant for Polanski's arrest has rightly been in effect ever since and he hasn't set foot in the States in all that time despite his illustrious, albeit controversial career in film, his pregnant wife for example, the late actress Sharon Tate was murdered by followers of Charles Manson.

[Wader]

I like Langfords ground. Slight slope on the pitch but normally good condition and ultra friendly club. I also like Cranfields place.

 

Worst grounds include Haringey, St Mags (the pitch looks like an alotment right now) and despite its superior playing surface, id say Broxbourne Borough, most soulless ground ive ever had the misfortune to visit.

 

Soulless??

Hoddesdon is a club locked behind gates and only opened on match days, freezing cold coz Roger won't put the heating on, as welcoming as concentration camp in Poland, a tea bar where you feel like you they are doing YOU a favour when you buy something and a bar with hardly any alcohol!

 

Oh, forgot the pitch.... dreadful..

 

 

The only thing that can be said for the standard of bar service at St Mags and BBV&E is, exactly how hard is it to serve with a smile and know where the ice bucket is? It's a bar for gawds sake, not HMP. Go and see how it's done at Langford and then enact same.

[Rhodes]

Hoddesdon is a club locked behind gates and only opened on match days, freezing cold coz Roger won't put the heating on, as welcoming as concentration camp in Poland, a tea bar where you feel like you they are doing YOU a favour when you buy something and a bar with hardly any alcohol!

Oh, forgot the pitch.... dreadful..

OneKeown - I feel that you are being a bit harsh on Hoddesdon, Lowfield is one of my favourite places to go and with Haringey Borough, Kentish Town and Tokyngton Manor I have always been treated like a Lord by Roger, he is the perfect host.

[Jonno]

Onkeown, sorry if I offended, didnt mean to!!

 

I like the club as I know lots of people there. I just feel with the recent developments on the ground, it has lost some of its character. Looks a bit "plastic". If Id have known my comments would have prompted such an acid tongued response however, Id have kept my mouth shut!!

 

After your rant, its only fair that I comment on the BBVE facilities:-

 

Tea Bar: Although the guys behind the counter are friendly enough, it resembles a cab office and the "hot" food I bought was stone cold on my last visit.

 

Bar: Echoing someone elses comments, I've seen friendlier faces on Crimewatch. Make you feel like they are doing YOU a favour

 

Clubhouse: As it is a sports and social club, obviously it is open more often than my own club. However, the downside is that you are forced to rough it with the Cheshunt/Flamstead End down and outs, while they drink till their liver starts crying, roll cigarettes while sat at the bar and sit on the stools all around the bar, thus making getting a drink a somewhat troublesome task during busy periods. On my last visit, I decided Id had enough and sought relief by making my way to the boardroom for a bit of hospitality instead. However, I note you have done away with it and now have a "porter-cabin" in place. Lovely.

 

Right, I think I'd better stop. As I said, I like V&E as a club and on the whole, very nice people but we all have our faults.

[syd_lexic]

Yes Langford gets my vote, I remember winning an FA Cup match there, when I was with Stansted. I've always liked visiting Royston's Garden Walk aswell, got alot of old friends over there & last time I was there, I won the meat raffle !

Of the non SSML grounds at Step 5 & 6, Saffron Walden was always a lovely ground & I've got good memories of Barkingside's Oakside. Never liked Sawbridgeworth though even though along with St. Mags it's probably the closest to my home now. The away changing rooms haven't changed since I first played there in 1988 & they can count themselves very lucky still to hold Step 5 status, whereas Cockfosters got punished.

[NeutralFan]

Looks a bit "plastic".

 

You're kidding Jonno... never seen so much wood in my life. Must admit I don't venture over to the right hand side.

 

Anyway, I'm over there Monday evening for the biggest (if you see the players you'll get my meaning..) local derby at the moment : Pengelley v Fanfold. Vets County Cup I beleive, not sure which County mind you! Plenty of ex-Hoddy players on show if you fancy it Jonno?