I've had my third guest top five under wraps for sometime. It's by Andy Ollerenshaw author of the book "Wick to Wembley?" based on the blog of the same name. Both book and blog follow his journey from an FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round match a few hundred yards from his front door to the Final at Wembley. Andy is a Leeds United supporter who may well have spent more time in the last twenty years watching Peterborough United. Andy has become a champion of non-league football in recent years encouraging the campaign to keep football affordable. He followed the FA Cup trip with a similar journey persuing the FA Vase, currently tweets as @NonLeagueFooty, writes for various football publications, and would possibly consider himself as much a Chertsey Town fan as a Leeds fan.
All photos courtesy of David Bauckham who runs Centre Circle Publishing and is perhaps best known for his wonderful book about Dugouts.
1. Brixham United FC - This has to be one of the most unusual dugout designs ever! A striking double decked affair where fans can sit in the upper section and earwig on the team tactics below. Brixham United play in the South Devon League and the dugouts are even painted in the club colours. Quite unique.
2. Roche AFC - You'll be hard pressed to find such a spectacular backdrop to a football ground anywhere else in the country. Roche is in East Cornwall and you'd be excused for thinking this is a coastal setting. Roche Rock is in fact in a former China Clay mining area and has a tiny 15th century chapel at its peak.
3. Warminster Town FC - There is no fixed seating in these dugouts which is quite common in lower league football. This great view of the surrounding Wiltshire countryside is helped by the position of the Weymouth Street ground high above the town.
4. Great Yarmouth FC - This Eastern Counties League venue boasts an impressive Victorian stand and an unusual selection of four brick dugouts. There were originally two dugouts, but the 'Bloaters' were refused permission to extend them to meet ground grading requirements and so had to build two more.
5. Stanley United - Another real favourite, this time in County Durham. Stanley United play at the Hill Top Ground which provides a clue of what the ground is like, but I doubt if the first-time visitor has ever seen anything quite like this. The dugouts are pretty unspectacular, but the old house on the touchline houses the changing rooms.
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All photos courtesy of David Bauckham who runs Centre Circle Publishing and is perhaps best known for his wonderful book about Dugouts.
1. Brixham United FC - This has to be one of the most unusual dugout designs ever! A striking double decked affair where fans can sit in the upper section and earwig on the team tactics below. Brixham United play in the South Devon League and the dugouts are even painted in the club colours. Quite unique.
2. Roche AFC - You'll be hard pressed to find such a spectacular backdrop to a football ground anywhere else in the country. Roche is in East Cornwall and you'd be excused for thinking this is a coastal setting. Roche Rock is in fact in a former China Clay mining area and has a tiny 15th century chapel at its peak.
3. Warminster Town FC - There is no fixed seating in these dugouts which is quite common in lower league football. This great view of the surrounding Wiltshire countryside is helped by the position of the Weymouth Street ground high above the town.
4. Great Yarmouth FC - This Eastern Counties League venue boasts an impressive Victorian stand and an unusual selection of four brick dugouts. There were originally two dugouts, but the 'Bloaters' were refused permission to extend them to meet ground grading requirements and so had to build two more.
5. Stanley United - Another real favourite, this time in County Durham. Stanley United play at the Hill Top Ground which provides a clue of what the ground is like, but I doubt if the first-time visitor has ever seen anything quite like this. The dugouts are pretty unspectacular, but the old house on the touchline houses the changing rooms.
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3 comments:
This is brilliant. I want to sit in the 'fan' bit of that Brixham on. Wonder how much tickets are?
Probably not much when it's dry and an absolute fortune when it's cold & wet!
... though in reality not much more than a fiver.
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