Well, there's always next season

Saturday, 3rd May. We finish at home to Brighton and Hove Albion FC.  Hard to believe this is game 46 and the final game of a long season. I never thought I would have the chance to follow Forest home and away over a whole season. Actually, I would rather not have had the opportunity, but you have to play the cards dealt to you and my beloved Val has been with me (in spirit) every minute.

Nottingham Forest FC (NFFC) was formed after a meeting in Nottingham, at the Clinton Arms, in 1865 by some gentlemen who, until that time, had met regularly to play shinny (probably the game I knew as Shinty in my youth) on the Forest Recreation Ground. The new game of football was making it's mark and these young men decided that football was more fun than shinny and organised themselves into a club. At that time Giuseppe Garibaldi was admired and highly regarded as a leading figure in the struggle leading to the unification of Italy. In his honour the Forest team decided to play in red, a reference to the followers of Garibaldi being known as 'redshirts', though it was red caps that were used in football in those days. Hence, Forest still play in the Garibaldi and have the nickname the Reds.

NFFC have not changed their name or played in any other colour since that time, nearly 150 years ago. Their early tendency was towards amateurism, which is probably why they were one of the small number of provincial clubs to play in the early days of FA Cup competition. Though not the first provincial club to enter the competition, in 1878 they were the first of the "Northern clubs" (as the 'Official History of the FA Cup' puts it) to make their presence felt by reaching the semi-final of the competition, falling to the Old Etonians (the eventual winners that year)2-1.

In 1888 Forest were one of the 15 clubs who applied to join the inaugural season of the Football League but were rejected on this occasion, only 12 clubs being selected. It is possible that the amateur stance of the club mitigated against them during the selection process. However, they were elected straight into the First Division when the League was expanded in 1892.

After playing at several other grounds, Forest settled at the City Ground, on the banks of the River Trent, in 1898 and have been there ever since. Close by (in fact, just across the road), is Trent Bridge Cricket Ground and across the River Trent, but only three hundred yards away, is Notts County ground, Meadow Lane. 1898 was a good year, because Forest won the FA Cup for the first time, beating Derby County 3-1 at Crystal Palace in front of 62,000 people.

Amongst many notable early members of the club, the wonderfully named Sam Weller Widdowson was a fine all-round sportsman who gave rise to several innovations in the game. It is said he devised the 2-3-5 formation almost universally used until the 50s, he was the first to use shin pads, he was instrumental in the use of the whistle by referees and he experimented with floodlighting.

The enterprising and pioneering spirit at Forest has no better illustration than the gift to Dial Square, a team formed by a couple of former Forest players at the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, of a set of shirts and a ball. Which is why, to this day, Arsenal play in red shirts.

The City Ground is formed of four stands. The Main Stand was rebuilt in the late 1960s after the fire which completely destroyed the previous stand. This was on 24 August 1968 v. Leeds. No one was hurt, but the fire knocked the stuffing out of an already slow start and soon a fine manager, Johnny Carey, was sacked. Another consequence of the fire was the loss of most of Forest's records, trophies and memorabilia.

The Brian Clough Stand was built in place of the old East Stand with the proceeds of the victorious European ventures and was originally called the Executive Stand. It has two tiers and a line of executive boxes which were extensively refurbished during last summer.

The Bridgford End is joined to the BC Stand and replaced the old Bridgford Terrace in 1992/3. It has a curious roof line which dips down at the Main Stand end due to the demands of planners regarding light reaching the houses on Colwick Road, notwithstanding the fact that Forest actually owned some of the properties affected which were used for housing apprentices. The Bridgford Stand contains the police control room and a small section of the Lower Bridgford houses the away fans.

The Trent End, once a relatively small shed housing the most vociferous Forest supporters is now a grand Stand on a wonderful setting on the banks of the River Trent. Despite the proximity to the river, the pitch has no problems with drainage, due in no small part to the fact that an early member of the club owned a nursery business and laid great foundations to the pitch and, latterly, possibly due to the fact that the grounds staff consistently win plaudits for the quality of their work. The stand was rebuilt in time for Euro 96. The Trent End houses the Pitch diner and also a glassed-in area extending right across the centre of the stand for the patrons of that hospitality area to watch matches in comfort.
There have been mutterings over recent times (mainly coinciding with announcements of World Cup bids) of moving the club to new sites within the area, but these have, so far, come to nought.

After the Johnny Carey departure, Matt Gillies led Forest down to Division 2. He left, replaced by Dave Mackay. He soon left, after just a year in charge, not sacked, but to replace Brian Clough and Peter Taylor at Derby!! Alan Brown came in, tried his best, but with players like Duncan McKenzie being sold, could not effect a challenge in Division 2 and he soon went, too, to be replaced by the man who took McKenzie away from the CG, Brian Clough. Full circle, so to speak.

The whole history at NFFC soon dramatically changed. Peter Taylor came to join Brian and they took us to new heights, a summit which fans of a middling provincial club can only dream of attaining. First Division champions at the first attempt, European success two years in a row and a World Club Championship match and League Cup success.  An acrimonious split in the partnership took Taylor away from the CG, but Brian re-built the team and recorded more successes (it felt at one time that I had a regular seat at Wembley!) before his excessive drinking caused his health to deteriorate to the extent that he had to leave the CG and retire at the end of the 1992/3 season, which also coincided with relegation from the new Premier League. Despite this ignominious departure, his place in the pantheon of Forest folklore is assured. Not only our finest manager, but one of the best ever in the domestic game.

Since their original formation, Forest had persisted with a unique committee structure which gave no safeguards, financially, to the men who ran the club. Great success on the field meant that things would have to change and during the Clough reign the club became a limited company. The structure decided upon came back to bite the club, for during the wrangling which followed the retirement of Brian Clough, with separate groups vying for control of the club, a small group of shareholders were persuaded to part with their shares for a financial inducement which gave control to the group led by Irving Scholar. His group eventually broke up and the turmoil induced by this financial dispute finally put paid to any revival on the field.

Forest yo-yo'd between the Premier League and Division 1 for a few seasons, but since 2000 we have been in either the second or third tier of English football, despite owners and managers wasting considerable sums of money. Playoffs have come and gone, but promotion has (with one honourable exception; the automatic promotion from third to second tier) eluded us.

And so it has proved again this season. Brighton and Hove Albion arrived with the possibility of gaining the final place in the playoffs if they could achieve a good result. It was between them and Reading, with the other contenders, including Forest, having fallen away during the last couple of games.

It really looked like the last game of a disastrous and injury ravaged season. The Forest team that took the field was a patched up affair. Lascelles and Halford were both missing from the team that played against Bournemouth and Lee Peltier, playing possibly his last game for NFFC, was drafted as a stand-in centre back with Jamie Mackie, a winger, playing at right back. Also given a game were Tudgay, for his second start of the season, McLaughlin, for his CG debut, and Majewski . On the bench, Under-21s Josh Rees and Jack Blake were handed a seat. Of the team that started the first game of the season, only Collins, Mackie and Derbyshire survived to play in this last match and during that first game, Mackie and Derbyshire were substituted.

Brighton took the field in their bright yellow and black (dark blue?) away strip although their regular colours of blue and white stripes would hardly have clashed with our Garibaldi red. Perhaps the memory of their comprehensive defeat at our hands at the Amex, 3-1, caused them to hope that a change of fortune would accompany a change of colours. Whatever, they started well, with a fine ball through to Ulloa completely removing Collins from the equation, but the tall striker missed the one-on-one, putting the ball wide of the far post.

Forest then took command with several good chances. All were missed, but on 22 minutes Derbyshire stooped at the near post to head a Vaughan centre towards goal. The Brighton goalie gave a good impression of a very complicated semaphore signal, but completely missed the ball which bounced off him into the goal. A blow to the Seagulls hopes and their vociferous support was momentarily stunned into silence. Brighton had their chances, but Forest were easily on top during the first half.

The news that Reading were trailing 2-1 at half time must have revitalised Brighton, because within ten minutes they had gained an equaliser. If our goal was a bit soft, this one was equally so, but they all count. A corner from the left was delivered into the heart of the area, Ulloa completely missed his kick at goal (a classic air shot), the ball was cleared, but straight at a Brighton player with a clear view of goal. He did not miss the simple conversion.

Brighton back in it. Sort of, but news came through that Reading had got a goal back, 2-2 at the Madejski, so Brighton had to score again. The game now swung back and forth, both sides having chances, As usual, Forest mucked up their efforts and Brighton's chances consisted mainly of sub Lua Lua shooting over from 30 yards. The fourth official signalled added time (I  remember about 5 minutes) and it seemed that Brighton had shot their bolt. Then a most incredible gift from Collins. A harmless ball was floated into the penalty area, the ball heading straight for Danny Collins. However, he stood back indicating the goalie should come for it. Poor de Vries was rooted to his line with no chance to reach the ball and Ulloa nipped in to score the vital goal for Brighton. So for the second season in a row, the away side win the last game of the season at the CG and go through to the playoffs.

Brighton players and fans went daft, Forest fans just went home, despite the announcement that the players and staff and the usual array of children with "Daddy" on the back of their shirts would do the end of season parade around the pitch. As it was a thin sprinkling of fans applauded in a half-hearted way as the players ambled round the pitch, eager to get off and away on their holidays.


A disappointing end to a disappointing season. Such hopes in August, dashed by February. At this time there was still hope, but with our manager determined to self-destruct and a huge catalogue of injuries, the season slowly started to unravel. The small Scot went, sacked, after a thrashing by Derby, taking most of the backroom staff with him. Few were left behind, because, to Billy the tag "Unfinished Business" had meant, in reality, settling old scores wherever they might be. The naive amongst us, definitely including me, thought the unfinished business was on the pitch, but it extended to sifting out members of the backroom staff at the club, refusal to talk to certain members of the media, problems with setting up a new broadcasting contract with Radio Nottingham and bringing in unsuitable members of his own entourage,  all  gradually reducing the club to a laughing stock amongst the football establishment.

Finally, when he left, the playing staff had to be managed by Gary Brazil, Steve Sutton and Jimmy Gilligan all from the academy. We were threadbare, both on and off the field.

Stuart Pearce, a bastion of common sense and decency (and a genuine legend amongst Forest fans), is to be our new manager and he seems to be bringing in a good bunch of people to help him. Fawaz has promised not only not to interfere with day to day management of the playing staff, but also to find a CEO to run the administrative side of the club. Things are on the up. With fixtures being revealed on 18 June, we once again start to dream and hope for success. Perhaps our 150th Anniversary celebrations can be coupled with a return to the top division after all these years.

Come on you Reds.

The season, personally, has been a tremendous success, better than I could have hoped. My pre-season planning paid off and only a few changes were necessary to my original itinerary, mostly because games had to be postponed for the various cup tournaments  or timings altered because of the demands of TV. One of the reasons I didn't mind doing this season in the Championship was because most games took place at 3pm on a Saturday and not dotted about the weekend (any day from Friday evening to Monday evening at the whim of a Sky planner) at random times. I can't remember a match being lost to the weather, which was another unknown factor in my early season preparation. As it turned out, the ice and snow I had been worried about did not occur, but we had some fearsome winter storms to contend with.

In all, I visited 93 grounds (I was persuaded to include Wrexham as an international venue) covering 18,075 miles. I stayed at 25 hotels (all Premier Inns, which I found to be cheap, clean and comfortable) and spent a total of £5640.86 (all my savings, but it was once in a lifetime). The whole distance was covered in my somewhat old, but comfortable Honda CR-V which never missed a beat. I managed to get into a great proportion of the grounds I visited. Some, of course, because I had a ticket to see Forest play, but mostly I just turned up at reception and asked the receptionist if it was possible to pop into their ground for a few moments to look around and take some pictures. They were unfailing polite and tried their best to get me in. Only a few failed, but even then I managed somehow to take pictures of the interior (I sneaked into Leyton Orient ground beside a van from Barry Hearn's snooker empire, for instance). At other times, because our matches were mostly on Saturday and I turned up on a Sunday, the grounds were locked up, but again it was nearly always possible to view the playing surface somehow (I got into Burton Albion's Pirelli Stadium by going in with the cleaners, then searching out the kit man).

Only a few were negative and unhelpful. And only one was downright rude, but he still let me have a quick peek inside his ground! To all those who love their team and showed me so much courtesy, I salute you and hope your team achieves their dreams. And, closer to home, I know they take a bit of a bashing on the various forums at times, but the NFFC Ticket Office looked after me superbly during the season, with a constant supply of tickets only interrupted when I forgot to tell them about my new debit card. I sat with some great Forest supporters during the away games, not forgetting that they do it every season and not, like me,  just on a whim for one season.

Simply, the best time I could have hoped for.

If Life is a Bowl of Cherries, Why am I so Sad?

Saturday, 26 April, just two games to go this season and I'm heading off to the South coast for our last away game. AFC Bournemouth, nicknamed the Cherries, play at Dean Court in Boscombe which is currently known as The Goldsands Stadium under a sponsorship deal, though I'll bet you don't know or care what Goldsands do when they are not sponsoring football clubs.

I have long wondered if sponsors of sports events really get their money's worth or if it's a vanity project. Though it doesn't matter either way to me if it pays to keep my favourite sport going. The club was formed when a local lads club was dissolved and adopted the name Boscombe FC. This was in 1899, but the club, in a similar way to other clubs, claim establishment from the date of the lads club formation. The club played their matches in those days on King's Park, which is the large park, still there, next door to the present ground. In 1910, their president, Mr Cooper-Dean granted the club a piece of spare ground next to the park on a long lease on which to play their home games, hence Dean Court.

The first football game I ever went to was at Dean Court about 65 years ago. I have family in the area and my mother (who hated football) offered to take me to a match. I loved it!

The Dean Court of my youth and today is vastly different. Not only has the stadium been completely rebuilt, but it has also been realigned, with the pitch rotated 90 degrees from the original position. The redevelopment of the ground took place in 2001, moving it away from nearby housing and with three brand new stands.

The South End of the ground was left open (as at Oxford United), but the new South Stand (named after Ted McDougall, a free-scoring centre forward) was built following promotion to the championship in 2013. Opposite this stand is the Steve Fletcher Stand, named after another favourite of the club, the player who scored the goal in the last 10 minutes of the last home match of the  2008/2009 season which retained Football League status for Bournemouth after they had faced almost certain relegation to the Conference.

I like the Goldsands Stadium. It is a neat and tidy ground with no frills, but the views from the stands are good, there is plenty of space to move around the ground and car parking if you want it. However, as usual, I parked away from the ground adjacent to the A338 for a quick getaway as I was driving over to Taunton straight after the match in preparation for my next visits. There are now four stands round the pitch, three of them pretty much identical with the newer South Stand as the smaller, odd one out. They are all single tier. On the windshields at each end of each stand are giant photographs of events in the club 's recent history, though I have no idea what story they are trying to tell.

The players tunnel and dugouts are in the centre of the Main Stand (The C4L Main Stand) with a small video screen at the South end of it.



I wandered around outside the ground. The car park opposite the Main Stand is for players and executives of the club, the spectators car park is further down behind the South Stand, both areas are well surfaced and neatly laid out. Continuing round outside the ground I came upon the club training ground just behind the East Stand. Beyond that is an athletics track and grandstand which has no connection to the club, but adds to the sporty open feel of the area.

Behind the East Stand there is a decorated wall bearing pictures of teams, events and players notable in the history of the club. In the East stand there is a gymnasium and facilities for Young Players.

Continuing round I came upon the Jubilee Gates and the Cherries wall of remembrance.
The Jubilee Gates are, on one side, commemorating the Diamond Jubilee of Bournemouth and Boscombe Athletic FC in 1960, and on the other,  "DCFSC Founded 1957". Something to do with Dean Court I presumed, but I forgot to ask, so maybe I'll never know now. Also on the side of the Main Stand in this area is the Corporate Brick Wall; not a brick wall at all, but a representation of one on the aluminium siding of the stand. I presume this is a very new venture because it is embarrassingly empty at the moment.

The club was renamed in 1923 as Bournemouth and Boscombe Athletic FC and this name remained until shortened in 1972 to the present AFC Bournemouth, completely removing the Boscombe element, though my Uncle John (in his 90s and with all his marbles) still refers to them simply as "Boscombe". I believe, though, that the club are still registered as Bournemouth and Boscombe Athletic, using AFC Bournemouth as a trading name.

Bournemouth have had some success over the years, most notably in the FA Cup, (in fact beating Manchester United in 1984 when Utd were holders of the trophy), but in 2008 they nearly went out of business. The young manager Eddie Howe, a former player, was appointed and managed to avoid relegation from the League. Since then he has, in two periods with the club, lifted them to Championship status and, this season, so nearly to the playoffs, only failing to do so with a couple of games left in the season. Technically they could still have qualified for the playoffs at the start of our game with them, but the circumstances required to make that happen were so unlikely that they had accepted failure. We also still needed others to fail, but at least, there was a good chance of success, but only if we won our remaining matches.

The game at the CG earlier in the season ended in a 1-1 draw. Forest led for much of that game thanks to a superb Lansbury goal, but Bournemouth managed to equalise in the first minute of added time at the end of the match. Not the first time and it wasn't to be the last time that we dropped points from a winning position during the season.

The team for this game was similar to that at Leeds, though Jamie Paterson was absent, so Lee Peltier came in to replace him (he had been unable to play against his parent club due to the terms of his loan) as the only change.   The match saw us completely outplayed by a skilful and nippy team. They carved out quite a number of chances, but as half time approached the game was still scoreless. However, in the last few minutes of the half Derbyshire spurned a fine one-on-one chance to put us ahead and Bournemouth came straight back to score from a cross from the right. The ball went over to the back post and was nodded in leaving de Vries and Lascelles sprawling in the back of the net. 1-0.

Didn't stay that way for long, though. Straight from the kick off the Cherries mounted attacks and scored their second after only three minutes, the ball breaking to their leading scorer Grabban and he fired across the goalie for number two. However, we came back and from an Osborn free kick on the left, Halford headed beyond Camp, our former player in goal for Bournemouth. Not long after, from a corner, Halford had another golden chance, this time the ball dropping to his feet, but from six yards out he ballooned a sharp chance over the bar. Our hopes went with that effort as Bournemouth scored two more goals in the closing minutes of the match. The first from a penalty and the second in injury time as we pressed at the other end. As at QPR, I felt the score was not a fair reflection of our players efforts, but Bournemouth were decidedly the better team on the day.

The Bournemouth fans were in buoyant mood and invaded the pitch at the final whistle, many of them laying siege to our section of the East Stand. The local police and stewards adopted the age-old tactic for dealing with trouble; do nothing and hope it goes away, merely forming a wall of police in front of us with the stewards a few yards away on the pitch. One policeman was standing in front of his colleagues with a video camera glued to his eye filming the away fans. I thought this somewhat provocative tactic had gone out years ago with sophisticated camera techniques now available in the police control room. After a few spirited choruses of our MOK and some other chants (not all complimentary to Bournemouth and surrounding area) most of our fans slunk away and the situation was defused.

I wandered back to the car, brushing past Jamaal Lascelles who was talking animatedly to a family who had been sitting in front of me at the match, and left for Taunton and my next hotel. I suppose the fact that so many Bournemouth fans had remained in the ground meant that traffic was not as dense as it might have been because I was on the main dual carriageway out of town within about fifteen minutes. My Taunton hotel was by the M5 motorway and I arrived in good time. The attached restaurant boasted a carvery and I had a couple of cuts off the joint to enjoy a good meal to console myself for the virtual end of our season and to set myself up for climbing Pen y Fan in the Brecon Beacons the next day.

On Sunday I set off for the mountain. I wanted to take a photograph of myself in celebration of completing my selection on the mountain nearly 50 years ago. My first attempt earlier in the season (after the Swansea and Cardiff visits at the end of October) had been foiled because of the approach of one of those many violent storms we had during the winter. This time was to be no better, though I actually did climb the mountain. But the low cloud, pouring rain and quite strong wind foiled my efforts again. I carried the tripod up and down in my arms, much as we used to carry our rifles in  those far off days, (we weren't allowed slings, that would have been too easy) with the camera in a waterproof bag slung around my neck, but the weather was so bad I did not dare to take the camera out of it's protection. Ah, well, I suppose I had the exercise and the exhilaration of actually going up again, though I couldn't see anything.

So back to the hotel and a good rest prior to leaving for Exeter, Plymouth and Torquay to visit my last three grounds on the Monday. I had high hopes that visiting on a working day would mean three more visits inside the grounds. Off down the M5 to Exeter first. I got a bit lost, as usual, but the route I eventually chose was probably a better route and as I came off the roundabout onto the Old Tiverton Road, I saw St James' Road. I thought this was sure to be correct, but in fact I was on the wrong side of the ground. Stadium Way, the correct address, is a tiny little alleyway leading to the ground and is just up the road. Two policemen happened to be loitering near the back of the ground so I took directions from them.

Exeter City FC was formed in 1904 through a union between Exeter United and St Sidwell's United. Exeter United played at St James' Park in Exeter and the new club continued to use the ground and still do. Like many other clubs Exeter have had financial problems in recent times and the club is nowadays run by a Supporters Trust. The Trust were greatly helped when Exeter came out of the draw with a windfall FA Cup match against Manchester United in the early days of their stewardship which enabled debts to be cleared. The club nickname is the Grecians, though the fans I spoke to at the ground had no idea why. One thought it had something to do with St Sidwell's being beyond the City walls and the nickname Grecians being attached to them and thus transferred to the new club.

The ground is three stands and an open terracing (for the away fans). One of the stands, the Grandstand (which appears to be officially the Stagecoach South West Family Stand), is single tiered and is the only stand that has not been redeveloped and only stretches for part of the way down the far side of the ground. During my early drive around the ground trying to find the main reception, I had driven behind this stand and noticed that the railway line, which has a station right behind the ground called "St James' Park(Exeter)", cuts across the back of the ground forcing the cut-off of the Grandstand and the the Big Bank Stand.

There are turnstiles at the rear of  Grandstand which take you pretty much from the station into the side of the ground. The Big Bank Stand is, in fact, a terrace rebuilt at the turn of this century and clearly shows, at the Grandstand end of the terracing, the cut-off effect of the railway line as the stand slopes inwards.

The other new stand is the Flybe Stand, also single tier, with some executive boxes in the middle at the back. Above these boxes, attached to the underside of the roof, is the TV and Media gantry accessed by a  ladder which stands amongst the seating.
The players tunnel and dugouts are in the centre of the stand and "ECFC" is picked out on the seats. The main reception is at the rear of the Flybe Stand as are the main matchday corporate facilities, changing rooms and  club shop. At the end of this stand is a wall of bricks which doesn't look like the usual "In Memorian" wall, but more of a monument highlighting the people whose efforts (financial or voluntary)  have enabled the club to keep going as a Supporters Trust.

Also hard by the Flybe Stand, but with a separate entrance on St James' Road, is The Park, a venue for business or private events from weddings to conferences. Adjacent to the ground is the former St James' School buildings which have been taken over by the club and converted for use in the football in the community programme.

There are no floodlight pylons, all the lighting required being provided by the lights along the side of the pitch and on the roof of the Grandstand and Flybe Stand. Immediately beside the dugouts and also at the front of the Big Bank Stand are places for disabled supporters and painted on the upper terracing of the Big Bank stand is a heart in the club colours.
In the corner of the ground between the Grandstand and the St James' Terracing is a building constructed of two containers, one atop the other, which I presume is the police control post.

I stuck my head into the reception and asked the young lady there if it was possible to pop my into the ground for a couple of minutes. Possible and with no delay. She marched off to the end of the Flybe Stand, let us both in and patiently stood by whilst I took my photos. All this with a smile. Again, as with so many of the grounds I have visited, I was taken by the charm and grace of the people there, who took time to help me, even though I just turn up with no prior appointment. As I left her I stopped to chat with a couple of fans of the Grecians who were happy to answer my questions and just chat about our respective teams  and football in general.

I like the smaller St James' Park. A real football ground run by supporters who care.

Off now to Home Park, Plymouth. The weather was, by now, beautiful, sunny and warm. Quite unlike the atrocious weather of Sunday which had foiled my photographic mission up Pen y Fan. I arrived in Plymouth, found the ground easily, but again could not find a way in. The ground seems cut off from the main road running past it, by a very large car park which is beside the Plymouth Life Centre (a large aquatic and sporting venue), and the very complicated one way system in the area.

However, the car park is free, so rather than try to find my way out onto the road running up to the football ground, I left the car and walked the short distance to the main office buildings of Home Park, home of Plymouth Argyle FC.

The club was founded in 1886, but went out of existence for a brief period before reforming in 1897 and turning professional in 1903. They entered the Football League when the league was expanded by adding a Division 3 in 1920/1. The reason for adoption of the name "Argyle" by the first club is not now known, but the use of the name has continued through the various incarnations of the club. The club nickname is the 'Pilgrims' for obvious reasons and the club crest features the Mayflower ship.

I wandered into the car park area, found the reception and asked if it was possible to pop into the ground. After a short consultation with her superiors, the young lady said it was no problem. Just go through the gate across the road and there you are. I was overjoyed, a beautiful sunny day and a chance to look around unhindered. The team were out playing head tennis or something and took no notice of me as I looked around and took my pictures.

Home Park has been the home of the football club since 1901 and was substantially damaged by bombing in WWII. The present Grandstand dates from the 1952 rebuild after the war, but the rest of the ground was completely rebuild in phases during 2001 and 2002.
The Grandstand originally had a lower terrace and an upper seating area. At present the terrace has been cleaned off and looks disused, which leaves a lower seating area in the Grandstand in front of a bar and restaurant area and a line of boxes which in turn are surmounted by an upper tier of seating.

At one end of the Grandstand is a police control post and at the other end is a very small corner stand set at an angle to the main stand. The players tunnel rises out of the disused terrace pretty much on the halfway line and the dugouts are situated on either side of it.

The rest of the ground is in stark contrast to the ramshackle Main Stand. The three rebuilt stands, looking very smart, are joined at the corners and form a dominant U-shape, wrapping around the pitch.
They are single tier seating in green with "PAFC" picked out in white seats opposite the Grandstand and white seats picking out a single white line edged with black extending round the rest of the stands. I couldn't see any names on the stands except one end was marked as the "Vision Away Stand".

At the back of the Grandstand are a collection of temporary buildings, Argyle Retail Village, housing the main reception and administrative offices of the club as well as the club superstore and the Pyramid Suite, a small entertainment venue.

I understand that the club has plans to redevelop this area as well as the Grandstand. At the corner of the car park just to the rear of the Grandstand is a turnstile block which appears to be the only part of Home Park to survive the bombing, as the block displays a plaque noting that it was "Erected by the Plymouth Argyle Supporters Club during the presidency of A C Ballard Esq. 1936".

I walked back down beside the impressive new stands to the car, found my way out (much easier than getting in) and headed to Torquay. This was going to be quite a difficult journey for this route-challenged person as the ground of Torquay United FC  is situated close by the coast in an area of residential housing with no clear main road running by. However, when again I took the wrong route, I set the sat nav and found that I had accidentally put myself on the most direct road to the ground. Which is in the Plainmoor area of Torquay so is, quite logically, called Plainmoor. I had parked in Plainmoor Road and thought that road had given the name to the ground, but found out otherwise later. I had so nearly parked in the small car park at the side of the ground, but discovered that this car park is actually for members of Torquay United Indoor Bowls Club, whose rink is attached to the West Stand of Plainmoor, with an entrance adjacent to the bar and restaurant of Torquay United, 'Boots & Laces' which is open daily throughout the year and not just on match days.

Plainmoor is the 92nd and last ground to visit this season and, ironically, on the day I visited, was the 92nd and last club in the Football League, with their relegation to the Combination confirmed.
So it was with a sort of sad and slightly embarrassed feeling that I entered the reception area and explained that I was visiting every football league ground and would they mind if I wandered around and took some photos. It was not a problem, a young and keen supporter was detailed to guide me round and off we went. The first thing I saw on entering the ground was an interview in progress between the chairman of the club and the local TV station taking place on a corner of the pitch.

Torquay United FC were originally formed in 1899, then later, in 1910, merged with another local club to form Torquay Town. After years of local rivalry, a final merger took place in 1921 and the name of the club so formed reverted to Torquay United. This sequence of mergers was mainly due to the desire of United to enter the Football League and finally achieve parity with their Devon rivals, Exeter and Plymouth. Finally, the Gulls achieved their objective and gained admittance to Division 3(S) in 1927/8 season, though they finished dead last in that first season, but survived re-election and stayed in the League for the next 80 years until 2007. They had had their share of financial troubles throughout that time, however, and that final season summed up their problems. A chaotic post-season with sackings and changes of chairmen resulted in Leroy Rosenior reportedly being removed from the manager's position after just 10 minutes in the job!Torquay bounced back to the Football League after just two years out, in 2009, but again dropped down at the end of this season.

The 1910 merger with Ellacombe resulted in Torquay Town playing at Plainmoor, which was Ellacombe's ground, and the club has been there ever since. The ground was used by the local rugby club for some years before the football clubs started to use it. The Main Reception and club offices are situated in the Sondico Family Stand which is at the Southern end of the ground. Thus the Directors Box and other executive boxes are situated behind the goal at Plainmoor instead of at the side of the ground as is usual at most clubs. The Sondico Stand is single tier and all seated, with a rather nice clock complete with the club crest above the Director's Box.

All sides of the ground have been rebuilt since the 1990s.

Bristow's Bench is the name given to the all-seater stand running down the East side of the ground which was built in time for the 2012/13 season. This is so-called because of the generous support given to the club by the late Paul Bristow after a lottery win. The changing rooms are in this stand, with the dugouts straddling the half way line, but with the player's entry to the field off-set towards the Sondico Stand end. I say player's entry rather than tunnel because the players arrive on the ground through a rather anonymous grey door set into the raised section of the stand.


The other corner of the ground consists of two covered terraces, again rather neat and modern. Down the side of the ground is the Popular Terrace (where my amiable guide proudly showed me exactly where he stood to watch games, underneath a flag proclaiming him and his fellow fans "Fanatics") which has a neat TV gantry built into the roof. At the end of the ground is another covered terrace (I didn't discover the official name for this stand) which houses the police control box and also a large video screen between it and the Popular Stand.

There are four floodlight pylons at each corner of the ground with one bearing the almost inevitable mobile phone aerials. It was a beautiful sunny day with the sea shimmering in the distance as I drove away; the setting seemed just too relaxed and genteel for a football club. Torquay have fought back before, I hope they do it again, because I had a good feeling about the club.

It was an odd feeling to have completed my task, to visit all 92 league clubs in one season whilst following my own club home and away. Just one game to go, against Brighton at the CG. Earlier in the season we were wondering if this game would decide which one of us would get into the playoffs. Well, it has sort of worked out that way; we stand no chance, but if results fall right, Brighton could still make it into the top 6, so our lads can't get out their buckets and spades just yet.

Derbyshire Leeds the Way Again

Just three games to go and a place in the playoffs is still possible. We go to Leeds United AFC  hoping not only for a win, but a rare 'double' in this disintegrating season, having won 2-1 at the CG between Christmas and New Year thanks to a spectacular goal by Derbyshire in one of his (at that time) rare appearances. As usual we scored first (a Halford header in the first half) and were leading by this single goal quite comfortably when they scored an undeserved equaliser with only seven minutes to go. However, we went straight back at them from the kickoff and Derbyshire fired in an unstoppable shot from the right corner of the area across Paddy Kenny and into the far top corner. Possibly goal of the season, not only for the style of it, but also the pure joy of seeing the happy Leeds fans suddenly silenced. (Edit:  I'm writing this well after the event and that goal has been voted our Goal of the Season).

Leeds United were formed in 1919 as a direct result of the forcible disbanding of Leeds City FC by the Football League. Leeds City, formed in 1904, had played in the Football League, at Elland Road, from the start of the 1905/6 season until WWI brought an end to organised matches from the end of the 1914/15 season. After hostilities had ceased Leeds City were found guilty of having committed severe financial irregularities (allegations about paying players during the war years) and were disbanded and ejected from the League eight games into the 1919/20 season, to be replaced by Port Vale. They are the only club to be removed from the league mid-season and the only club to be removed for such financial dealings.

The area on which the stadium now stands was originally used for Rugby League matches from the 1898/99 season and was named the Old Peacock Ground (the owners were brewers and their pub opposite the ground was, and still is, the "Old Peacock") . After several tenants, mostly playing the association game,  had come and gone, Leeds United took it over in 1920, though by then it had become simply Elland Road after the thoroughfare running alongside it. Hence one of the nicknames of the club, The Peacocks. They are also known as The Whites and United. Interesting that they have a nickname The Whites because they have only played in an all-white kit since 1961 when Don Revie decided that they should look more like Real Madrid who by then had already won 5 European Cups. Prior to that date, Leeds had played in a variety of shirt colours; I remember seeing John Charles in a rather fetching shirt of royal blue and yellow, I think it was.

Leeds entered Division 2 of the Football League in 1920/1 and have been in the league ever since, rising to become champions of the old Division 1 on no less than three occasions, twice during the stewardship of Don Revie. Revie is fondly remembered by Nottingham Forest fans as being the bete noir of Brian Clough, who regarded his teams as "the dirtiest and most cynical in the country". It was the greatest surprise, therefore, when Clough was asked, and agreed, to become the manager of Leeds United in 1974. He lasted just 44 days before being sacked by the club's directors on 12 September 1974. A sacking which initiated the greatest period in Forest's long history, but we won't go into that now.

There is a statue outside the ground of Don Revie which gazes up at the mighty East Stand.
There is also a statue of Billy Bremner, a pugnacious all-action half back who played over 750 times for the club and has been voted their greatest player of all time. However, I'm not entirely sure the statue does him justice. During the 1970s there was a risque dance troupe known as Hot Gossip and I remember one of the male, black dancers had dyed blond hair. I'm sad to say, when I saw the Bremner statue, I was reminded of that chap!

The Elland Road ground consists of four stands, the giant East Stand, the South Stand, John Charles Stand and the Don Revie Stand. The corners are all in-filled with seating, except between the South and John Charles Stands where there is a large video screen, and the ground holds nearly 38,000 spectators, 15,000 of them in the East Stand, which has two tiers with a row of executive boxes along the centre.

Compared to the East Stand the rest of the ground looks comparatively modest, with the other three stands being of uniform height, their two tiers being equal to the lower tier on the East Stand. There are further executive boxes at the back of the South Stand and the police control box is in the corner between the Revie and John Charles stands.

The away fans are housed in the southern end of the John Charles Stand, which commemorates the man who I think ought to be regarded as Leeds United's greatest ever player. Equally at home as a centre half or centre forward he was the Gentle Giant of British football (he was Welsh, born in Swansea), never cautioned or sent off in a great career.

The John Charles Stand has one real drawback, which is probably why away fans are put in there; the TV and media gantry is placed so low under the roof that it severely restricts the eyeline of spectators at the back of the stand. If you stand up in the back row, you can't see the touchline running alongside the East Stand. Which is probably why, on our visit, seats on the back row were not sold. This stand also has the players tunnel and the dug outs placed by the halfway line, with the added advantage of the away dugout pretty much right in front of the travelling fans, which led to some light-hearted banter between fans and staff when we were safely in the lead.


Outside the ground, whilst wandering around, I noticed several banqueting and dining facilities. Behind the John Charles Stand there is a building housing the Leeds United Banqueting Suite, containing the Bremner Suite. Also within the same stand there is "Howard's Restaurant", a nod to Howard Wilkinson, another very successful manager of the club, who guided them to winning the final Division 1 title. This latter bar is for away fans only and is situated near the away fans turnstiles.
And in the South Stand there is "Billy's Bar". Facing the East Stand across Lowfields Road is the Leeds United Centenary Pavilion, a top class Conference and Events centre and one of the largest such venues in the North of England. On the day of our match, at half time, numerous local football clubs and teams paraded round the ground and the Centenary Pavilion was the location, before the match, for organising all these young people before they moved over to the stadium to sit in the yellow corner seating area between the East and South Stands.

I walked from my hotel along Gelderd Road and down Lowfields Road (which gave it's name to the stand demolished to allow erection of the East Stand) through a pedestrians-only bridge under the main dual carriageway M621 to the ground. A few minutes walk which allowed me to reach the ground feeling quite fresh as we were scheduled to appear on TV with a kick off time of 5.15pm. The late kick off gave us the chance to see if the results of the other games, which kicked off at 3pm, had finished in our favour. If so and we gained points in the last three games, the playoffs might still be possible.

This match was played only two days after the Birmingham game, because it was Easter Monday bank holiday. I wondered if the close proximity of the two matches had affected Gary Brazil's thinking regarding team selection. It did affect team selection in one way, Darlow and Fox sustained knocks which just had not time to heal, so De Vries and Harding came in. Lee Peltier had turned out for Leeds in that late December game, but was unable to appear against his old teammates because of the terms of his loan, so Stephen McLaughlin was given the chance of a first team debut. Thus the team was substantially similar to the Saturday team and the game also went substantially the same way! Except for one very important difference.

Almost from the kick off, Forest scored another goal! The travelling fans went into raptures over this unexpected turn of events, not only an away goal to cheer, but another so early in the match. Paterson and McLaughlin played a neat one-two before the latter sent an inch-perfect through ball to Derbyshire's feet. He was racing clear of the square Leeds defence and calmly placed the ball past the advancing 'keeper. Leeds were playing a dangerous game, using their full backs as attackers and leaving the centre backs exposed. Forest took full advantage of this tactical move and dominated the early exchanges.

Fifteen minutes later and our advantage doubled to the delight of the travelling support, present in numbers despite our poor recent form. This time the ball came in from the right and the chance looked to have been lost when the Leeds defence got to the ball first. But Derbyshire hounded the defender who hurriedly tried to clear, but only succeeded in kicking the ball against Derbyshire. The rebound fell straight into the striker's path. He needed no second invitation, calmly rounding the 'keeper and slotting the ball into the net. He must be enjoying his season against Leeds. A fine winner in the CG game and a double here to finish them off.

This was what we had needed to calm both fans and players. All too often the second goal has not been forthcoming and we have gone on to lose the advantage, but this time there was to be no slip-up. Despite a much improved showing in the second half, the home team had no answer to our resolute display. One slight problem was an injury to de Vries midway through the second half. Making a routine save to his right, he pulled up in pain. He carried on for a bit, but was again forced to seek attention from the physio when a decision was taken to substitute him and bring on the young Bulgarian, Dimitar Evtimov. Another debutant and another promising young player given a chance to taste first team action.

There were no more goals and Forest moved to within a point of the playoffs (with another 'double') because all the other results had indeed gone our way. All to play for next Saturday at the Goldsands Stadium, formerly known as Dean Court, home of AFC Bournemouth.

After Leeds, I had plans to visit Bradford City and York City. So it was a short pleasant walk, past another reminder of the great man, John Charles Way,
and back to my hotel for a sleep prior to making the short journey to Bradford in the morning. Normally, I attend our match on the Saturday and then tour round the other grounds on Sunday, but this week, as our game was on Easter Monday, I was to visit on Tuesday, a working day, and I harboured high hopes that I could persuade the nice people at each ground to let me in to see their facilities.

I was not disappointed. I set off to Bradford City AFC and their ground Valley Parade, now known as the Coral Windows Stadium as a result of sponsorship naming rights.
Valley Parade is the name of the short road leading down to the ground. I dare say that at one time the main reception and offices were actually on Valley Parade, but due to large scale redevelopment of the ground the reception is now to be found on a parallel road, Burlington Street. So I went down Valley Parade, round into South Parade and so on, round the ground until I got to what I thought was the car park for the Kop, but in fact turned out to be the car park associated with the "One in a Million" Free School. Not to worry, it was school holidays and the car park was empty.

I still hadn't actually found the offices of the club, but a short walk round the corner sorted that problem. I told the young lady in reception about my quest and asked if it was possible to see inside. A few phone calls followed and it was possible. She was so helpful and interested in all my visits, a really nice lady. An equally pleasant gentleman showed me round the ground. It was interesting chatting to him about the season that had passed and about hopes for the future. I suppose the football world is a small world and he seemed to imply that it was no surprise to him that the Billy Davies saga turned out as it did. Anyway, I had a great tour with him, another example of someone making that small effort and showing me how much they care about their club and equally, giving me a warm feeling for that club. I shall watch the progress of some clubs much more carefully in the future because of the kindness shown me by such nice individuals.

During my drive around the ground it was evident that the ground is on quite a steep hill and the development of the ground reflects this. Not only does the Main Stand (The JCT 600 Stand) tower over the ground because of it's size, but because it is built on highest point of the ground. It is joined to an equally impressive stand, the Community Kop, by a corner stand, the Bradford College Community Stand, giving that area of the ground a very impressive look. The other two stands at the ground suffer in comparison, not only because they are much smaller, but  because they are lower down the hill; the TL Dallas Stand behind the goal opposite the Kop runs parallel to Holywell Ash Lane down the hill and the Northern Commercials stand runs parallel to Midland Road at the bottom.


Bradford City was formed in 1903 as a result of the financial problems of Manningham FC, a rugby league club, who had played at Valley Parade since 1886. The new club decided to switch codes to association football and was immediately elected into the Football League in season 1903/04 despite not having played a game of association football. Bradford play in claret and amber, the only league club to do so, and inherited the colours from Manningham rugby club. Their nickname is The Bantams;  The Paraders and the Citizens have also been used in the past, but they no longer seem to be current.

One of the blackest events in Bradford's history occurred on 11 May 1985 when a serious fire destroyed the old Main Stand in just 9 minutes, killing 56 fans and injuring more than 250 others. Looking at the memorial outside the main entrance to the JCT 600 Stand it is difficult not to shed a tear because it is obvious that grandfathers and grandsons died together as well as whole family groups on that terrible day.
As well as the memorial outside the ground, there is a memorial flag draped over a whole section of seats to one side of the Main Stand and also,above the Main Reception entrance, there is a sculpture commemorating the event.

In the lobby of the JCT 600 Stand there is the name plate from the LNER Class B17 locomotive named Bradford City salvaged from the loco when it was scrapped and presented to the club.
There is a video screen in the corner between the TL Dallas Stand and the Northern Commercials Stand. The Main Stand does not run the full length of the pitch, but only three quarters of it, the rest of that side of the ground is taken up by brick buildings. Outside the ground these serve as the Club Shop and inside the ground as the changing rooms and security offices and the area above the flag decorated seats is used as a disabled fans area. The dugouts are, however, situated on the half way line.

I was most impressed by the ground. My guide pointed out that last season was one of great success for the Bantams, getting to Wembley twice, once in the Carling Cup Final and secondly in the playoff final, which they won, gaining promotion from League 2. He was quite content with progress this season, which meant consolidation in League 1.

The weather was a bit changeable as I bade farewell to Valley Parade and my most accommodating companion and made tracks to York.

By the time I arrived at Bootham Crescent, home of York City FC since 1932, it was pouring with rain. I have to admit to again getting lost; initially I drove straight past Bootham Crescent and tried to turn round to retrace my steps. Turning in the middle of a medieval city is not easy, as I quickly found out, crawling slowly up and down very narrow two-way streets until I could regain the main road and retrace my steps to Bootham Crescent, which road runs down to the ground. The club is actually situated on Grosvenor Road; a very narrow entrance leading through to a small, cramped car park.
In fact, the whole ground is shoe-horned in between residential housing and has nowhere to expand, which has meant that the last few owners have spent considerable time and energy seeking a new home for the club. As a result, the ground has not had a facelift for some time, though like all clubs I have visited, it has a vibrant heart and is attended by people who care for it deeply.

The club was first formed as an amateur side in 1908, turned professional in 1912, playing in the Midland League until folding in 1917. The present club was established in 1922. They played mostly in the lower reaches of the League until being relegated to the Football Conference in 2004, after 75 years in the League. They won the FL Trophy in 2012 as well as winning back their League place later that year in the playoff final at Wembley. In fact, over the years York have had several notable Cup runs and gained some fine victories over top clubs. York presently play in red shirts and white shorts and have done so for most of their history, though for one short period in the 1930s they played in chocolate and cream striped shirts, probably a nod to the local sweetie industry. In fact the ground was for some time called KitKat Crescent as a result of a sponsorship deal. The club nickname is the Minstermen, for very obvious reasons.

As usual, I wandered over to the main reception, though here it was described with the business-like term, 'General Office'.

Inside I explained the purpose of my visit and immediately the kind gentleman working in there offered to accompany me around inside the ground. He had no outer coat though the rain was still tumbling down. We kept under cover as much as possible, but it was not possible to visit all areas without venturing out from under cover. I was getting wet but at least I had a leather jacket on, he was still just in a short sleeved pullover, so I rather rushed through my visit, not wishing to get him too wet. Nevertheless, we chatted amiably when back under cover and it transpires that all the formalities have been sorted in respect of a move and it just remains for i's to be dotted and the t's crossed. I wish them well, he was such a nice chap he actually thanked me for coming to see their ground.

Arriving at Bootham Crescent after the magnificence of Valley Parade was a bit of a culture shock. The ground has three covered stands and one uncovered terrace reserved for away fans and, believe me, if you are due to visit York City FC before they move, get a seat in the stand or prepare to get wet. I can vouch from personal experience, the Grosvenor Road End in the face of the wind and rain can be most inhospitable!
None of the other three stands actually stretches the length or width of the pitch it overlooks, though the Popular Stand is only just short of it's target.
It stretches alongside the pitch opposite the Main Stand (labelled the York Pullman Main Stand, after sponsorship by a local bus company)  starting and ending by the six yard box in each penalty area.
The Main Stand straddles the half way line and covers about half the length of the pitch, tending to have more of it's length towards the David Longhurst Stand. It has sort of two tiers, the lower tier with smart red plastic seats and the upper tier with what looked like wooden armchairs.
The tunnel (a very modest affair) and dugouts are situated opposite the half way line.

David Longhurst was a striker who died during a match at Bootham Crescent in 1990 aged just 25 years. I was not aware that he started his career at Forest and, though never played for our first team, in all, he played for four League clubs. The David Longhurst Stand stretches nearly all the way across the Shipton Street End, but has to be attenuated towards the Main Stand because of the encroaching housing which cuts across the back of the stand and that corner of the ground.

The executive facilities are housed on the outside of the Main Stand, not one of them facing towards the pitch. Another good reason for moving to a more comfortable and modern ground. The club shop is squeezed in just inside the main gateway as are more of the club's offices.

When York gained a new chairman and owner in 2002, they also gained a new name. This eccentric individual re-named the club York City Soccer Club! However, his bizarre handling of the club's affairs resulted in severe financial difficulties and his reign ended after a year and the name reverted to York City FC.

I was getting wet and photo opportunities were becoming hard to find, so I decided to head for home having had another pleasant couple of days looking around football grounds.