VENUE #33 ACCRINGTON STANLEY The Crown Ground

N-POWER LEAGUE TWO

Accrington Stanley... 1
Bristol Rovers... 0

Saturday 27th October 2012

@ The Crown Ground, 
           Accrington
        Kick Off 15:00


     "Accrington Stanley, who are they", "EXACTLY"!!!  I think we all can remember those lines from the TV milk advert in response to one young chap saying to another, "If you don't drink your milk you'll only be good enough to play for Accrington Stanley".
     Stanley formed in 1891 from players who used to live in Stanley road, Accrington and played league football from 1921 to 1961 but sadly went out of business five years later in 1966.  They managed to reform in 1968 back playing non league football working their way up to reach the Conference premier league the English fifth tier finally regaining league status with promotion to the N-Power league two in 2006 an absence of 40 years and a fitting response to that embarrassing advert.
     Paul Cook was the Accrington manager until two days ago when he was snapped up by Chesterfield and so Stanley have opted to appoint Leam Richardson as caretaker manager of this game.  Richardson was Cook's assistant for the eight months he was boss here and makes no changes to the team picked by Cook that lost to the only goal here on Tuesday night.
     Mark McGhee manager of Bristol Rovers has made two changes to the side that lost 3-1 to Wimbledon in mid-week, Parkes and Virgo are out while Lee Brown and Fabian Broghammer take their places.
     I really thought I was going to encounter my first no score draw of my renewed campaign as the first half closed at this scoreline.  Accrington took the game to Rovers but looked very poor in the final third and unable to capitalise on their domination.

Padraig Amond goal saved the day

     The second half started in the same manner as the first and I could see that dreaded 0-0 like the shadowy eyes of the mysterons in a captain Scarlet episode descending upon me but then with onlyeleven minutes of normal time remaining Luke Joyce found Romuald Boco on the left and his cross was met by Padraig Amond who got in front of the Rovers defence to fire home from inside the six yard area to secure Stanley a win after losing their last four games.
     It wasn't the best of fixtures to have to sit through especially with that October cold chilling your bones and not much happening on the pitch to put warmth inside you.  Rovers did have their chances in the game with Tom Eaves bringing some fine saves from Dunbavin the Accrington goalkeeper.  Losing today has left Rovers looking very likely candidates for the drop at the end of the season, they're in the bottom four now and it will be very interesting to see how or if they can manage to get out of the situation.

     The First Store Stadium or as it is more commonly known the Crown ground as it has the Crown pub just yards from it's turnstiles, is a shabby looking venue but is set in an area of open fields and hills behind the Coppice terrace which is used by away fans and subsequently open to the elements.
     The Main stand and the Thwaites are two separate stands with a gap in the middle that run either side of the half way line on the same side of the pitch, both are covered and all seated.  Thwaites stand has less seats due to the slope of the pitch running up from the Coppice terrace to the Sophia Khan end.
     Opposite the Main and Thwaites is the Whinney Hill stand which is very small and built into a hill.  It used to be a terrace but had seats put in to meet with football league regulations.  The Coppice end part of this stand is also for away supporters.
     The Sophia Khan stand is another wired looking construction with rows of seats at the front
and terracing at the back, I think that this used to be a terrace but had seats put in for the same reason as the Whinney Hill stand.

Main Stand

     I was seated in the Main stand and because of reserved seats for season ticket holders I found myself in the very front row which is good for leg space but not so good for viewing the game as you're almost below pitch level and if it's raining you're going to get wet.  The people there are very friendly especially the ground staff and because the game was a little on the boring side I found myself talking to the chap sitting next to me but I think he didn't appreciate what I had to say about the game.  There was a young lady seated behind us who reminded me of the old lady that lived in a shoe for she had so many children that she also didn't know what to do or how to control them.

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VENUE #32 LIVINGSTON Almondvale

IRN-BRU DIVISION ONE              


Livingston... 1  Cowdenbeath... 1

Saturday 6th October 2012

@ Almondvale / Braidwood Motor                             Company Stadium
                 Kick Off  15:00

     This is the game I've been waiting for a 600 mile round trip to Almondvale Stadium, also known as the Braidwood Motor Company Stadium in Livingston, Edinburgh.  It's another sunny day but not the warmest as you would expect in the month of October.
     Livingston manager John Hughes makes no changes to the team that thumped Dumbarton 5-0 here last Saturday while Cowdenbeath boss Colin Cameron makes one alteration to his squad that drew 1-1 with Falkirk at Central Park last weekend bringing in Greg Stewart for Lewis Milne up front.
     The game started very tactically with both defences cancelling out any attacking play and this was the theme for the majority of the first half.  A chance for Anthony Andreu of Livingston and a header from Marc McKenzie of Cowdenbeath were the only main talking points of the first half worth mentioning.
     It got a bit livelier in the second half, (thank God), with Livi laying siege on the Blue Brazil goal but it seemed as though Cowden had a charmed life and were going to come through this onslaught until the 55th minute when their captain John Armstrong saw a straight red card for a two footed challenge on Andreu.  John Hughes then made a tactical substitution bringing on Ruben Garcia-Rey for Greg Stewart in a attempt to fill the hole left by Armstrong's departure but Livi made the extra man count and their domination of the game got more intense and finally got their just reward in the 71st minute when Iain Russell's effort was blocked and fell to Keaghan Jacobs to fire a cracker from about 25 yards which deflected past Thomas Flynn in the Cowdenbeath goal.

Anthony Andreu home MOTM

     You would have thought that Livingston would of capitalised on the situation being a goal and a man up but in the last ten minutes of the game it was Cowdenbeath who looked the most likely very rarely allowing the home side to venture out of their own half.  I think that Hughes taking off Mckenzie for Lewis Milne in the 79th minute had a lot to do with this. Lewis Coult was playing a lone roll up front up at this point and seemed displeased, constantly shaking his head and making hand gestures in a moaning manner at what he'd been asked to do.  I mentioned to my Son who had made the trip with me that Coult looked lost and cumbersome to which he remarked "A bit like a beast of burden", (Whoops).
     The change had put a spring in the step of Cowden who started to look like more of a football team as they came forward at Livi and it was the blue's number eleven Jamie Stephenson who brought out the best of the home side's keeper Andy McNeill with a twenty yard shot that was well saved by the Livi number one.  Stephenson then had a free kick just outside the Livi 18 yard box palmed wide for a corner by McNeill, but it was third time unlucky for the Livingston keeper in the 90th minute who managed to tip another rocket of a free kick from Stephenson onto the bar but the ball rebounded straight to Lewis Milne who had the easy task of heading into an empty net.  And so it ended a point apiece, one gained for Cowdenbeath and two squandered by Livingston.

     Almondvale is a very modern looking ground built in 1995 to re-house Meadowbank Thistle who used to play their games at a Stadium with the same name in Edinburgh City.  Meadowbank fans wanted to keep their name but the people of Livingston saw this as an opportunity of putting their town on the map.

Livingston Turnstiles

     We arrived at the ground about a hour before kick off and so had a couple of pints in the bar before making our way into the ground.  We had a rucksack with us containing food and drink which was searched by a lady steward as we approached the turnstiles.  She confiscated a bottle of coke because it had been opened and she said that, "It could have contained anything" as a result which is fair enough I suppose.  There was only one stand in operation for this game, the West stand, as it was easier to keep the ground clean and tidy and could keep costs down by not using so many stewards.  We were directed to a dual turnstile and told to go to the left side and as I handed over the money I was asked, "Is this a concession", to which I replied, "No", and was told to go next door.  This was a bit annoying as I  WAS TOLD to go to this gate and there were no markings to say that one gate was concession and the other full payment.
     We sat in the half nearer the North stand, the view was good and as comfortable as you're going to get from plastic seats and there was plenty of leg room which was a bonus.    

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VENUE #31 DERBY COUNTY Pride Park

Pride Park, Derby

N-POWER CHAMPIONSHIP

Derby County... 1  Burnley... 2

Saturday 22nd September 2012

@ Pride Park Stadium, Derby
            Kick Off 15:00


     Another relatively short journey this time to Derby to see them take on Burnley in a N-Power Championship game at Pride Park.  It was a lovely sunny afternoon but got a little chilly as the game neared it's climax
     On Tuesday night last Derby played host to Charlton Athletic beating the Addicks 3-2 while Burnley travelled to the King Power Stadium Leicester on Wednesday losing for the third time running away, this time 2-1.  Derby make one change from mid-week Jake Buxton comes in while James O'Connor takes to the bench.  Burnley make three changes to the side that lost at Leicester, Ben Mee replaces Joseph Mills, Ross Wallace takes the place of  Brian Stock and Charlie Austin returns from injury to replace Cameron Stewart up front.
     Burnley's keeper Lee Grant pulled off two great saves early on one from Will Hughes and the other from Craig Bryson as Derby went for Burnley's jugular and try to power their way in front in this game.  They took the lead after twenty minutes when Burnley failed to clear their lines from a Coutts corner, the ball fell to Jamie Ward who turned sharply to fire home through a crowd of players.  Minutes later Conor Sammon should have made it two but Lee Grant managed to tip his effort wide of the post.
     Burnley came into the game soon after when Martin Paterson broke on the counter attack and

Another Derby chance comes to nothing

forced Fielding in the Derby goal to make a save.  But there was nothing Fielding could do on 32 minutes when Ross Wallace's cross was blocked and fell to an unmarked Charlie Austin to smash the ball into the Derby net for the equaliser.
     Things were starting to go the way of Burnley now and they were unlucky not to take the lead just before half time when Kieran Trippler's right wing cross was met by the head of Mee but the ball crashed against the Derby crossbar and came to nothing.
     So Derby found their selves level at half time and I think that Nigel Clough would have been the more aggrieved of the managers as his side were streets better performance wise in the first half.
     The first quarter of a hour of the second half was end to end action but with no real chances for either side until the 60th minute when Conor Sammon was inches away from a Jamie Ward cross from the left and the same player missed an easy chance 15 minutes later shooting straight at the keeper.
     Craig Bryson had a chance from point blank range making the Burnley keeper earn his keep as he did amicably.  Ten minutes from time substitute Michael Jacob's cross found Conor Sammon but his header went just over the Burnley bar.
     But it was in the 89th minute when Derby paid for all their missed chances when a cross from Chris McCann was headed home by that man Charlie Austin to bag Burnley all three points.

     Derby moved to Pride Park in 1997 when it was opened by the Queen, they played their football at the Baseball ground prior to this since 1895.  Pride Park is a modern looking ground with an all seated capacity of 33,597.  The seats are black plastic with some painted white to form the words THE RAMS in the East stand and DERBY in the North stand and very impressive it looks as well.  I watched the game from the West stand which is two tiered where as all the other stands have one tier which gives the ground an unusual but distinctive look.  The North, West and East stands are for home supporters and so is a large portion of the South (Cawarden) stand with away spectators allocated the left hand side looking at it from the pitch though I would imagine that more seats would be made available to teams with a bigger fan base.
     In the area where you would look to find the block and staircase in which your seat is situated in there are lots of food stalls, bars and TV's so you can eat pie and chips, have a pint and watch Sky
sports up until kick off if you so wished.

Charlie Austin

     Where I was seated it seemed as though everyone knew each other which made things a little awkward because no-one knew my face, it was like a big community that had just had a paedophile thrown in it's midst, although they weren't physically or verbally hostile it is not a situation I would like to experience again in the future.
     The Burnley supporters were in good voice throughout and had a amusing chant which they sang to the tune of  'Sloop John B', an old Beach Boy number from the 60's.  It is in praise of their striker Charlie Austin the two goal hero of the day who used to be a bricklayer before becoming a professional football player and the song goes " And now he scores goals, and now he scores gooooals, he used to lay                                                                      bricks but now he scores goals".

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VENUE #30 TAMWORTH The Lamb Ground

The Lamb Ground, Tamworth

BLUE SQUARE CONFERENCE

Tamworth... 1  Barrow... 3

Saturday 8th September 2012

@ The Lamb Ground Tamworth                      Kick Off  15:00

     It was a glorious day in Tamworth a bit of an Indian summer with a temperature of around 22 degrees and the sun beating down from a clear blue sky.
     Both these teams played in mid week with Tamworth making the short journey to Mansfield and were on the end of a 2-0 defeat at the hands of the stags.  They make a couple of changes to the team from Tuesday's game bringing in John Dempster for Tom Marshall and Peter Till replacing Charlie Collins in midfield.  The Lambs are currently mid-table with ten points.
     Barrow make one change to the team that drew with Grimsby in the week Robin Hulbert takes the place of Gary Hunter.  The Bluebirds are currently third from bottom after a disappointing start to their campaign and are still looking for their first win of the season.
     The game started brightly with Tamworth pressing forward as expected but failing to make their early pressure into an advantage as Jeffers had a couple of chances thwarted by Hurst the Barrow keeper.  Then Cunnington broke through the Barrow defence laying the ball back to Till but his shot struck a defender making it easy for Hurst to collect yet again.  Jeffers then won a corner which Till took but his cross was intercepted and Rowe raced up field with the ball and saw Barrow have their first meaningful attack which resulted in a corner.  From the corner Joe Jackson found space and swept a curling shot with the inside of his left boot into Breedon's bottom right hand corner of the net.

Adam Cunnington Tamworth
Man Of The Match

     From the restart Tamworth continued in the manner before the Barrow goal pressuring their defence but without any reward as the Bluebirds always seemed to get the final touch and clear the danger.  Then about two minutes before the half time interval the Lambs won a free kick 25 yards out, the ball broke for Dempster in the box but Alfred brought him down and the referee had no alternative but to give a penalty which Adam Cunnington drove into Hurst's bottom right hand corner sending the keeper the wrong way.
     1-1 at half time slightly flattered the men in light blue but it was the only way really Barrow were going to get anything from this game for as Tamworth came flying forward they were leaving themselves vulnerable to the counter attack.  You would have thought they would have learned their lesson but 'NO', they continued pushing forward in the second half and you could see that they were pressing too high up the pitch.  They had another warning in the 75th minute when a through ball beat the offside trap and left Adam Boyes clean through on goal but his shot was pushed wide by Breedon for a corner. Boyes was put through again four minutes later racing past the last defender and this time his shot from inside the box hit the back of the net leaving Tamworth with it all to do again.
     Looking very tired and dejected the Lambs laid siege yet again on the Barrow goal but the result was the same as before as in the very last minute of the four added on Boyes found himself free again in the Tamworth six yard box and scored his second and Barrow's third goal of the afternoon.

     Tamworth's the Lamb ground so named because there used to be a pub called the Lamb Inn situated near the ground car park.  It has a main stand which runs up to the half way line and seats up to 426 people and at the castle end of the stand there is a club house which can be used by both sets of supporters, it also has the only toilets available in the ground.  Opposite the main stand is a small covered terrace known as the shed which runs almost the full length of the pitch.
     The castle end is where I watched the game, it is an open terrace mainly reserved for home support.  The away supporters are situated behind the opposite goal in the Meadow Street End, it is partially covered at the back of the terrace.  The pitch slopes down from the Meadow Street End to the Castle End.
     You can get food and soft drinks from stalls that are based outside the clubhouse, they sell all kinds of burgers, chips, pies, hot dogs and all quite reasonably priced

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