VENUE #94 WATFORD Vicarage Road

                                                    

   VICARAGE  ROAD   

                                                    

             Home Of:  Watford

 Ground Opened:  1922

Previous Ground:  Cassio Road 

                                                 1898-1922

          Other Uses:  Rugby Union

VENUE #94

DIRECTIONS FROM TRAIN STATION
     The nearest railway station is Watford High Street, a ten minute walk away from the Vicarage Road ground. However you are likely to come into Watford Junction Railway Station, which is about a 20 minute walk. Either get a train to Watford High Street from Watford Junction or if you have time to walk to the ground then leave the station & take main road straight opposite (Clarendon Road) all the way (over Ring Road at lights) up to the High Street. Turn left and go past Wetherspoons (Moon under Water) on your right and then take the first right after 100 yards into Market Street. Continue along again crossing Ring Road to T junction & then left at an excellent chip shop. Vicarage Road is the next right turn. It should take around 15-20 minutes to walk.


VICARAGE ROAD STADIUM
     Vicarage Road Stadium has been improved recently, not only with the opening of the Sir Elton John Stand on the East side of the stadium but also with a number of cosmetic changes both inside and out. This has included new video screens, hospitality areas, and general improvements to the stadium corners, but also some smart external cladding, plus a new Reception and Club Shop. These have all been done very well and to a high standard making Vicarage Road not only a smart looking and tidy looking ground, but one that has some individual character too.

GROUND LAYOUT

 A   THE GRAHAM TAYLOR STAND

     The Graham Taylor Stand which is named after their former manager, who took the Club up from the old Fourth Division to Division One in just five years and firmly put the club on the map. This stand which was opened in 1986, is a two-tiered stand that has an interesting roof design, with a number of semi-circular arches. Light is also able to penetrate through the roof aiding pitch growth. It also has a row of executive boxes running across the back.

 B   THE SIR ELTON JOHN STAND

     Opposite the Graham Taylor stand is the Sir Elton John Stand, opened in December 2014 and was further expanded six months later, by the addition of more rows of seating to the front of it. Although quite simple looking, this covered single tiered stand has a capacity of 3,800 seats and its construction has greatly improved the overall look of the stadium. In a further tribute to Sir Elton John, some lyrics from one of his hit records; 'Your Song' are embossed in large letters across the back supporting wall.

 C   THE ROOKERY STAND

     The ground has had both ends re-developed during the 1990's along with the front of the Graham Taylor Stand. Both ends are similar looking large single tiered stands, with some strange looking floodlights perched on the roofs. The Rookery Stand is larger than the Vicarage Road housing some 6,950 supporters. There are two large video screens situated in opposite corners of the ground.

 D   THE VICARAGE ROAD STAND

     Away fans are housed on the Eastern side of the Vicarage Road Stand at one end of the ground. This stand is shared with home supporters (with the obligatory 'no-mans land' comprised of empty seats covered in netting in-between). Around 2,200 visiting fans can be accommodated in this area. The stand has electronic turnstiles, meaning that you have to place your ticket into a bar code reader to gain entrance. You should also then expect to be searched by the stewards on the way in.

Today's opposition BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION  This could be another first for me as I can't recall seeing either of these two teams in the flesh before.  Brighton are launching a Premiership campaign for the first time ever with a 34 year absence from the top flight and are one of the favourites to go back into the Championship next season.  Albion finished second to Newcastle last season achieving automatic promotion to the English top league.

     The Seagulls have made several signings in the run up to the start of the season to strengthen their chances of staying in the Premiership, Dutchman Soufyan Ahannach a winger from Dutch second division side Almere City has signed a three year deal with Brighton.  The Gulls also snapped up PSV midfielder Davy Propper for a record £10 million, the Dutch player should be a key addition to the squad.  Ales Mateju joined Brighton on a three year deal the Czech under 21 international defender leaves Viktoria Plzen for an undisclosed figure.  At the time of writing Brighton may break their record fee for a second time with the signing of Jose Izquierdo from Club Brugge, the Colombian winger is estimated to cost in the region of £13.5 million.

     All these signings plus others added to the likes of Anthony Knocheart, Solly March and Liam Rosenior make Brighton a formidable opponent this season and I wouldn't like to bet against them achieving their goal of staying in the Premiership for at least another season.

WATFORD ... 0     BRIGHTON ... 0

     Yet another football stadium with a graveyard across the road and yet another graveyard with residents that have more life in them than the home team players from the stadium opposite.  I was totally disappointed in Watford, after seeing them on TV a couple of weeks ago against Liverpool when their drive and passion saw them gain a point right at the death made me look forward to this game with great expectancy, but the Watford team that played that day didn't turn up for this match.

     They did start well and after only nine minutes a free kick taken by Tom Cleverly was headed goalwards by Nathaniel Chalobah but Lewis Dunk managed to clear off the line for the visitors.

     It didn't take long for Brighton to take control of the match and it was that man Anthony Knockheart that was leading the way for the Seagulls especially when his shot from the right side of the Watford box bent round Gomez and agonisingly cannoned off the post.

     A moment of silliness saw Watford reduced to ten men in the 24th minute when defender Miguel Britos made a knee high two footed challenge on Knockheart who was antagonising the Uruguayan on the right.  Referee Graham Scott ran half the length of the pitch to brandish the red card at the Watford number 3.  Marco Silva responded by bringing on Craig Cathcart to replace Nordin Amrabat who was sacrificed to sure up the                                                                           Watford defence.

     Brighton were trying their damnedest to make the extra man pay and Watford were

finding it hard to respond.  Solly March combined with Tomer Hemed but the Israeli's effort also came off the home sides woodwork leaving Watford feeling very fortunate to go in at half time on level terms.

     The Hornets picked it up a bit at the start of the second half but Brighton came back with a host of chances but the team in blue just couldn't find the touch to take all three points and so the game finished goalless with a point a piece and I bet everyone connected with Brighton at the game went home wondering how the hell they didn't manage to take all the points because they should have done for they were the best team by far on the day.

                         MATCH DETAILS

VENUE #93 CRAWLEY TOWN Checkatrade.Com Stadium, Broadfield

CHECKATRADE.COM STADIUM
(BROADFIELD STADIUM)

             Home Of:  Crawley Town

 Ground Opened:  1997

Previous Ground:  Town Mead 

                                                 1949-1997

          Other Uses:  None

DIRECTIONS FROM TRAIN STATION
     The nearest train station is Crawley which is about a 15 minute walk from the ground.  As you come out of the station turn left and walk down to the T-junction. At the junction turn left into Brighton Road. Keep walking straight down Brighton Road for just under a mile and at its end turn right. You should now be able to see the stadium in the distance behind the traffic island. Use the underpass to cross the A23 to the ground.



CHECKATRADE.COM STADIUM (BROADFIELD)
     This relatively new stadium was opened in 1997, the Club moving there from their old Town Mead ground. The stadium looks to be a quality one in terms of standard of build. It is dominated by the good sized West Stand on one side. This smart looking stand, is covered, all seated and runs for about two thirds the length of the pitch. It is raised above pitch level meaning that fans have to climb a small flight of stairs at the front to enter the seated area. The stand also has windshields to either side, plus three unusual looking floodlight pylons on its roof. It has a capacity of 1,150 seats. Opposite is the new East Stand which was opened in April 2012. This semi-permanent all seated stand, accommodates 2,145 spectators in 12 rows of seating. The stand does though have a fair few supporting pillars running across the front of it, that could impede your view. A pair of new floodlight pylons have also been erected to either side of the stand. Both ends are virtually identical, being small covered terraces that extend around both corners of the ground towards the West Stand, enclosing the stadium at those points. The stadium perimeter is surrounded on two sides by a number of trees, giving a rural look.

     Still known to many fans as the Broadfield Stadium, it was renamed the Checkatrade.com Stadium in 2013, as part of a corporate sponsorship deal.


GROUND LAYOUT

 A   THE WEST STAND

 B   THE EAST STAND

 C   THE BRUCE WINFIELD STAND

 D   THE KR-L STAND (Away) 

T

Today's Opposition CAMBRIDGE UNITED  Don't remember seeing the U's before in the flesh although I may have done back in the 70's at Walsall's old Fellows Park ground so this could be the first time I've seen both these clubs.
     Predominantly a bottom two league side throughout their English football league existence, had a brief three season spell in division 2 at the turn of the 21st century being relegated back into division 3 for the 2002/03 campaign.
     Things took a turn for the worse in season 2004/05 when they finished bottom of division 2 then known as league two and were relegated into the conference league alongside Kidderminster Harriers.
     It took 9 years for the U's to return to league football finishing second to Luton Town in the Conference Cambridge were resigned to do it the hard way beating Halifax 2-1 on aggregate in the play off semi's and then Gateshead by the same score in the play off final at Wembley.
     Cambridge finished eleventh last season 8 places and 15 points above Crawley Town and are currently at the time of writing one place above the Reds at the foot of the table.

CRAWLEY TOWN ... 0     CAMBRIDGE UNITED ... 1

     It wasn't hard to see why these two teams are finding themselves in the bottom three at the start of play.  Things did look promising early on when Mark Randall unleashed a curling shot that beat David Forde in the Cambridge goal only to rattle the U's bar.

     But it became clear as the game went on that these two teams would find it hard to score in a brothel.  Both teams lacked composure and the competence to do the simple things not just up front but all over the pitch.

     A prime example was when Uche Ikpeazu found himself clear of the Crawley defence and one on one with Glenn Morris the Crawley keeper, the big Cambridge striker never looked confidant enough to score and made a feeble attempt to put the ball in the net which Morris saved comfortably.

     The first half finished goalless unsurprisingly but the second started a little livelier with Crawley upping the tempo but the ball kept being given away cheaply by both sides.  Randall had a goal bound effort blocked on the edge of the penalty area and it seemed as though no one was going to break the deadlock this afternoon.

     But in the 63rd minute that illusive goal came when Ikpeazu broke clear again on the left and fired a shot that Morris could only parry across his own six yard box where Jabo Ibehre was racing in to jab the ball home in front of his own fans.  Ibehre had only been on the pitch five minutes replacing Liam O'Neil but the 34 year old striker was injured while scoring and had to come off six minutes later a brief but valuable spell.

     Crawley came close to getting a point with Thomas Verheydt and Matt Harrold both causing Cambridge concern but it was the u's who took all three points moving up to 17th in the table leaving the Crawley Red Devils pointless and bottom of the league.

     This was a poor game played by two poor teams who are going to struggle if things don't improve one way or another for if they don't they're going to find it hard to hang on to their EFL status and could possibly find themselves returning to the National league ..... again.  

                            MATCH DETAILS

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