Watford and Some Other Delights of the East

As explained earlier, this trip was amended, after the original planning, by the belated decision of Sky to televise our game, shifting it to Sunday, 25 August. As I had booked hotel already, I was unable to change that without incurring a financial loss, so just switched days. It meant that I had to arrange to be at Northampton Town's ground, Sixfields, and MK Dons Stadium, rather originally called Stadium MK,  during their games or be embroiled in the pre-match traffic and policing arrangements. Stevenage were away to Notts County, so it didn't matter when I arrived there; as it happened I didn't get to the Lamex Stadium in Stevenage until Sunday morning.

The weather was rather dodgy on this Saturday, with heavy rain and possible thunderstorms forecast for the Eastern Counties. In fact, as I set off, it started raining and didn't stop until I got into the vicinity of Northampton. Sixfields was easy to find and I got there just after kick-off. I found it easy to park right outside the stadium. I had a chat to two very friendly stewards, one of whom allowed me to enter the stadium, stand in one corner and take a couple of photos of the interior of the ground. Trying not to impose too much on his kindness and being a pretty rotten photographer I managed to take two poor photos. I propped my companion Brian on a rubbish bin for one shot and now have a picture of a red-faced cuddly toy and a wheelie bin with a strip of grass just visible. Anyway, I thanked him, left the ground and started climbing. The ground is partly cut into the side of a hill, so it is possible to see inside the ground, without seeing too much of the pitch, by standing atop the hill. I only climbed half way up because time was marching on and I still had to get to Milton Keynes before their game ended.

I liked Sixfields Stadium, a proper football ground.

I got off to a bad start in MK. All the roads look alike and every road is interrupted by roundabouts every few hundred yards. I followed the signs to Stadium MK. Although this took me off the route I had planned, I thought I was fireproof. Not so, in a very British way, the signs ceased when I was in the middle of nowhere. Eventually by driving in what I thought was the general direction of the ground, I located it, as had thousands of other people, none of whom had any interest in football. Stadium MK is rather like a giant prison dropped into the middle of a retail park. It has high walls, covered in black, shiny tiles, with few relieving characteristics save a few windows. There are no signs visible that this is in fact the home of a football team. What I took to be the main entrance is in fact a hotel. The main MK Dons reception area is a rather anonymous door set into the gloomy walls in the shadow of the hotel. The steward I spoke to was very stern and unfriendly. Not interested in my quest in any way. I took a few photos and left. An uninspiring ground in an uninspiring town.

The weather was still gloomy but dryish. As I took my pictures of Stadium MK a large black cloud loomed up. Just as I left, the heavens opened. I made my way to Stevenage, but it was much too wet to try to visit their ground that evening. The forecast for Sunday was better, so I left that visit for later.

After a very comfortable night and sustained by a full English breakfast, I visited Stevenage's ground before going to Watford for our game. Another proper football ground, obviously the pride and joy of the football club, evidenced by the fact that someone has recently planted a border of small shrubs by the executive car park. OK, it's the car park for the posh people, but still a nice little touch. Stevenage have recently removed the "Borough" from their name, but the little brick frieze at the entrance to the ground still bears the initials SBFC.

Like so many of the smaller clubs, the ground is constructed of four stands rather than the boring "bowls" preferred by many of the so-called "bigger" clubs. Although it is right on a roundabout, the ground gives the impression of being in a much more rural setting and is surrounded on three sides by trees. It also seems much cosier than many other clubs, not being surrounded by acres of asphalt, as their main car park is situated across the road.

I managed to photograph a small section of the interior of the ground by pointing my camera through two of the bolt holes in the doors to the ground. Not very inspiring photos, but the best I could do in the circumstances. Clubs nowadays have taken to spelling out the name of the club or putting other messages by using different coloured seats in the stands. Stevenage obviously decided that leaving 'BORO' spelled out in the stands was preferable to buying new seating.

Then on to Watford's Vicarage Road ground for the main business of the weekend, the game between the top two in the Championship, at least, it would have been if we had played on Saturday. It was a fine game, played between two teams who wanted to win. Having said that, it finished 1-1, though, probably being slightly biased, I thought that we deserved to win if only for having more and better chances. I was particularly impressed by Watford's desire to entertain Sky TV, to such an extent that they demolished half the old Main Stand to accommodate the broadcaster's equipment.

However, I managed to take a couple of photos of the stand occupied by away fans by entering the ground through the press doorway onto this old terracing, thanks to the help of an amiable steward. I was allowed a few steps into the hallowed area and then asked politely to leave after the pictures were taken. Two other noteworthy aspects of the day  were that I managed (by being rather dim) to jam the electronic turnstile and there were no programmes.  I inserted my ticket into the bar code reader, caught my knee in the turnstile and clicked it through without actually entering the ground. I had to go round to a side door and be admitted by the chief steward, who turned out to be a very nice man who spent a few minutes with me discussing the modern electronic age versus the old ways. The programmes mysteriously failed to appear, apparently because of inappropriate content, but no one was prepared to elaborate.

A thoroughly enjoyable weekend.