VENUE #72 FOREST GREEN ROVERS The New Lawn Stadium

NATIONAL PREMIER LEAGUE

20th February 2016

@ The New Lawn Stadium

Ground Capacity:- 5,140 (2,000 seated)

Kick Off:-  15:00

Entry Fee:-  £17

Programme:-  £3

Venue # 72

     OMG, never have I had a game marred so much by what was going on around me.  It all started though in the morning when I went on the FGR website to see if the game was still on to find that there wasn't many stand tickets left to watch the game and so I bought one on-line and collected it when I got to the ground.  There was only 4 seats available and all were on the front row near the centre circle, I thought that maybe they would have been elevated above pitch level slightly but no I was pitch level with just a set of stairs separating me from the dug out, I never got that close to the subs bench when I was playing Pub football over 20 years ago.  And so I was sitting with the subs, cameramen and the inbred fuckers and to top it all it never stopped raining and I was soaked.  One IBF was pacing along the touchline like the manager screaming and shouting at the Rovers team and blocking the view of people in the seats, mainly me, I'll still hear his voice as I'm trying to get to sleep tonight " COME ON PARKIN, MOOVE IT, YOUR STANDING STILL PARKIN GET IT UP FRONT.  MOOOVE IT, MOOOVE IT", and all this while the trainer was on the pitch tending an injured player.  The stewards never did a thing about it, mind you, they couldn't say a lot for they were blocking peoples view more than he was.
   

      I moved from the stand into the South terrace during half time in the hope of seeing something of the game and not having mad men screaming in my ear hole constantly and to be fare it was 50 per cent better as I did see more of what was happening on the pitch, (one out of two ain't bad), although it was at one end of the ground behind the goal.




     The first half, from what I saw of it was scrappy with neither side taking control of the game, chances were made but the attempts at goal more likely than not went over and out of the ground.  Matt Tubbs had a good shot saved by Rovers keeper Arnold on the half hour mark and a couple of minutes later Marsh-Brown had a shot saved by Ross Flitney in the Eastleigh goal.

     After the interval it seemed as though things were going to carry on in the same vein but then Eastleigh began to get a grip on the match and looked dangerous in the opposition penalty area and their persistence paid off in the 64th minute when James Constable got free just inside the Eastleigh 18 yard box and drove the ball into Arnold's left hand corner of the net.



     The Eastleigh joy only lasted 3 minutes though as a string of Rovers corners resulted in Jon Parkin getting on the end of a volley from around twelve yards which left Flitney with no chance, I think the home fans summed it up nicely when they chanted, "Not bad for a fat bastard".
     Both sides had chances to break the deadlock but it was that man again Jon Parkin in the 88th minute who broke the Eastleigh hearts all 3 and a half hundred of them when he netted the winner.
Ben Strevens of Eastleigh was given his marching orders in the 95th minute for spitting at an opponent.
   

    The New Lawn was opened at the beginning of the 2006/07 season replacing Forest Green's old
ground "The Lawn" which was situated a few hundred yards away from the new ground and has now been re-developed into a housing estate.
     Set in the Cotswold's in the beautiful town of Nailsworth on top of a hill which leaves it open to the elements and rather cold in the month of February.  The ground is situated over 3 miles away from the nearest railway station which is Stroud and another taxi journey for me there and back which is becoming a feature this                                                                   season.

     The Main stand is the main feature of the ground and is the only seated area for spectators.  It has a 2,000 fully seated capacity and looks rather splendid compared to the other 3 terraces, It also sports a cantilever roof and a set of executive boxes to the rear.  There is an area behind the stand to get food and drink and watch Sky sports during intervals.  The toilets are clean, modern and tidy a credit to the non league side.

     Across the other side of the pitch is the is the Barnfield terrace which is a small open affair with only seven steps high.  There are four floodlight pylons across the back and strangely the dug outs and changing rooms are situated on this side, it would have made more sense if they had been located on the side of the main stand.
    




     To the left of the Barnfield stand as you look at it is the South stand so called because it used to be a stand until the seats were removed to make it a behind the goal terrace for home supporters.  Apparently, the stand had been transported from the old Lawn ground and is of historical value.





   

 At the other end of the ground is the Nympsfield Road end and is the fully covered terrace for away supporters, this end also features part of the old Lawn ground in the form of the roof.  Away supporters are also allocated the corner of the main stand that joins onto the Nympsfield Road end.






     Overall, yes it is a modern ground and is sufficient for a National league side but if this team has desires on becoming a football league side which, given their position in the table could become a possibility next season then they must seriously think about relocating.  The ground is literally in the middle of no where miles away from the nearest railway station, it cost me £32 in taxi fares there and back today, I think I've spent more on taxi's this season than I have on actual train fare which is utterly ridiculous.
      Plus the fact that there are certain aspects to the layout of the ground that need attention if they do make the football league the stand is not segregated from the side of the pitch and it is possible to walk all round the perimeter which could be a safety issue if they are promoted.

     My verdict on what I've seen today is that if I had the chance to return to the New Lawn I would decline, I paid £17 for my ticket and what I was subjected to during the course of the first half was a disgrace.  The seats at the front of the pitch should not be allocated to paying customers as it's not possible to watch the game without interruption mainly from stewards and people who they let wonder the touch line.  I've never seen the likes of this before and I sincerely hope I never do again, POOR SHOW FGR.

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