Norton & Stockton Ancients 0-1 King's Lynn Town
FA Vase Fourth Round
22.1.11
Admission: Adults: £5 Children: £3
Programme: £1 (20 pp)
Attendance: 249
Capacity: 1,400
Seated: 120
Covered: 180
Town: Norton, Stockton-on-Tees
Shop: No
Floodlights: Yes
Step: 9
With the Thursday being someone's birthday I was able to choose which match I went to with the added luxury of a car. My intial plan was to go to Barnoldswick Town v Atherton LR, but a helpful message on the NLM forum cleared that one off the board. Believe me there don't seem to be any positives with having your birthday in January apart from the fact it is definitely in the football season. I then heard that Billingham Synthonia v Tadcaster Albion was on. This would be a backup if all else failed. However a call to Norton & Stockton confirmed that their match was on. We made the 75 minute drive to Norton with little signage that the game was on apart from a small sign at the end of Station Road proclaiming 'Norton & Stockton Ancients v King's Lynn Town Saturday'. That was it. We parked on Station Road and walked up beside the railway tracks to the ground. I caught a glimpse of the impressive stand at Stockton RFC who play in the Durham/Northumberland Division One. It was two minutes into the match when we arrived at the gate. I was surprised to see a small queue to get in. I had expected this game to be quite popular. Thwere is a small pay hut where admission is payed and the programme can be bought.
You come in at the Northeast corner of the ground. Going down the East side there is hard standing with two dugouts in the middle. The South End is the same, just hardstanding. The West side features a 120 seat stand. Not arena, but very similar. The seats are a mixture of orange and black in four rows. The North End has a small covered standing area holding about 60. Right beside this is the new clubhouse being built. It was covered in sheets on this occasion but looks like it will be a joy to behold once finally built. On the other side of this are the portacabin club buildings and refreshment hatch with the changing rooms set behind.
N & S started the better side with threatening chances troubling the KLT keeper. However King's Lynn soon hit N&S on the counter with Robbie Harris putting the ball into the back of the net. After half time it was KLT putting on the pressure with several chances almost makling the score 2-0. However N&S avoided conceding more, shame they couldn't convert some at the other end. Despite the few dozen KLT supporters, there was very little atmosphere and I think the small attendance sums that up.
We left the ground and made the 15 minute drive to Teesside Park where we were hoping to visit TGI Fridays. But we were met with a 45 minute wait. However after lots of driving round we finally found an Indian, in Darlington, 40 minutes from where we had started.
The programme was quite poor considering the occasion. A bright cover proclaims the match details. There is then a word from the chairman and club details and honours. There are then player profiles and a number of result and fixture pages. Team lists are on the centre pages with an advertisement for their next match against Penrith including a form table. There are 4 pages of ads, all kept to the back.
To be honest Station Road seems very much like a flat pack venue, so one visit and you'll never want to visit again.
Norton & Stockton Ancients matchday pictures
Friday 29 April 2011
Thursday 21 April 2011
23. Nethermoor Park-Guiseley
Guiseley 1-0 Harrogate Town
Conference North
1.1.11
Admission: Adults: £9.00 Children: £5.00
Programme: £1.50 (36 pp)
Attendance: 624
Capacity: 2,300
Seated: 340
Covered: 850
Town: Guiseley, West Yorkshire
Shop: Yes
Step: 6
Well another year has come and gone with 2011 bringing yet more cold weather to the New Year's day fixture schedule. On the Thursday I checked the Guiseley website to find pipes had burst with the water seeping onto the pitch and freezing deeming the pitch unplayable. However by the next evening, the problem had been fixed and the pitch had been cleared up. The game was on.
The next morning, as there were no buses running, I had to be dropped off at Northallerton station from where I got a train to Leeds and a connection to Guiseley. It was then a 10 minute walk through the derelict streets of Guiseley to Nethermoor Park. I know it was New Year's Day, but the streets were completely empty with the football ground being the only area of any activity. There are a couple of turnstiles in the North West corner and the North East corner. The programme can also be purchased here.
Guiseley have had plenty of success in recent years. In 2004 the club won the Northern Premier League Division 1 giving them promotion to the Premier Division. In 2008/2009, they reached the play offs, but were knocked out by Nantwich Town. However last season they won the league by 1 point and were promoted to the Conference North.
This season they look to challenge for promotion as a win would see them go top.
Once inside the ground from the North West going clockwise, there is flat standing behind the North Goal. At the end there are more turnstiles and a tea bar. Once you've turned the corner you will also see the hospitality suite on the left. You will then see the seated stand. This is a modern steel design (not an srena stand, but similar) and contains 340 blue seats with GAFC picked out in white. The flat standing continues to the corner. Behind this goal is 1 step of terracing that looks like it used to be a pavement. It continues all the way down. On the East side is a small covered terrace with about 5 steps of terracing and could probably hold between 100 & 150. The dugouts are on this side, as is the club shop. At the far end of this side is the clubhouse which is shared with the cricket club. In front of this is a 7/8 step terrace that cazn hold around 350.
Neither side really deserved to win the game. Guiseley scored the only goal through O'Neil with 20 minuites to go, therefore taking them top of the table.
Harrogate's away support of 4 was louder than the 620 Guiseley supporters put together. Theonly noise they made was a 5 second roar when they scored.
After the match I made my way back to Guiseley station where I got a train back to Leeds from where I went back to Northallerton along with several dozen Middlesbrough supporters who had been at Leeds that day.
The programme is done on glossy paper with a couple of player pictures adorning the cover with match details in the bottom left corner. There are 14 pages of ads ikn the 36 page production.
There is a view from the board, manager's viewpoint, Conference North news, tables, results and scorers, news on the reserves and ladies teams, Harrogate Town history, club results (including attendances), a team sheet, supporters' club page, a plan of the ground, Harrogate Town player profiles, Guiseley news and sponsorship.
A fairly good effort with plenty on both teams. 8/10
If you're going to visit Nethermoor Park, dop it now. With the club rising through the leagues, the ground will be modernised with the terraces probably first to go.
Guiseley matchday pictures
Conference North
1.1.11
Admission: Adults: £9.00 Children: £5.00
Programme: £1.50 (36 pp)
Attendance: 624
Capacity: 2,300
Seated: 340
Covered: 850
Town: Guiseley, West Yorkshire
Shop: Yes
Step: 6
Well another year has come and gone with 2011 bringing yet more cold weather to the New Year's day fixture schedule. On the Thursday I checked the Guiseley website to find pipes had burst with the water seeping onto the pitch and freezing deeming the pitch unplayable. However by the next evening, the problem had been fixed and the pitch had been cleared up. The game was on.
The next morning, as there were no buses running, I had to be dropped off at Northallerton station from where I got a train to Leeds and a connection to Guiseley. It was then a 10 minute walk through the derelict streets of Guiseley to Nethermoor Park. I know it was New Year's Day, but the streets were completely empty with the football ground being the only area of any activity. There are a couple of turnstiles in the North West corner and the North East corner. The programme can also be purchased here.
Guiseley have had plenty of success in recent years. In 2004 the club won the Northern Premier League Division 1 giving them promotion to the Premier Division. In 2008/2009, they reached the play offs, but were knocked out by Nantwich Town. However last season they won the league by 1 point and were promoted to the Conference North.
This season they look to challenge for promotion as a win would see them go top.
Once inside the ground from the North West going clockwise, there is flat standing behind the North Goal. At the end there are more turnstiles and a tea bar. Once you've turned the corner you will also see the hospitality suite on the left. You will then see the seated stand. This is a modern steel design (not an srena stand, but similar) and contains 340 blue seats with GAFC picked out in white. The flat standing continues to the corner. Behind this goal is 1 step of terracing that looks like it used to be a pavement. It continues all the way down. On the East side is a small covered terrace with about 5 steps of terracing and could probably hold between 100 & 150. The dugouts are on this side, as is the club shop. At the far end of this side is the clubhouse which is shared with the cricket club. In front of this is a 7/8 step terrace that cazn hold around 350.
Neither side really deserved to win the game. Guiseley scored the only goal through O'Neil with 20 minuites to go, therefore taking them top of the table.
Harrogate's away support of 4 was louder than the 620 Guiseley supporters put together. Theonly noise they made was a 5 second roar when they scored.
After the match I made my way back to Guiseley station where I got a train back to Leeds from where I went back to Northallerton along with several dozen Middlesbrough supporters who had been at Leeds that day.
The programme is done on glossy paper with a couple of player pictures adorning the cover with match details in the bottom left corner. There are 14 pages of ads ikn the 36 page production.
There is a view from the board, manager's viewpoint, Conference North news, tables, results and scorers, news on the reserves and ladies teams, Harrogate Town history, club results (including attendances), a team sheet, supporters' club page, a plan of the ground, Harrogate Town player profiles, Guiseley news and sponsorship.
A fairly good effort with plenty on both teams. 8/10
If you're going to visit Nethermoor Park, dop it now. With the club rising through the leagues, the ground will be modernised with the terraces probably first to go.
Guiseley matchday pictures
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