Wednesday 31 July 2019

Seventy Hampshire Football Grounds, Part Two

The homemade stand at the soon-to-be vacated AFC Stoneham, the old Pirelli General ground.
I posted 35 photos from Hampshire football grounds last week as part one of a two-part Facebook quiz. Here are the second 35, which are in no particular order again, but by coincidence, feature a few grounds which have either been vacated since I started writing HAH, or are just about to be.

Springtime at United Sevices Portsmouth.
Upwardly mobile Hartley Wintney, who have risen rapidly through the leagues since I first visited them in 2012.
Back of the shelter at Winchester Castle.
One of the last games to be played at Colden Common's recreation ground last season.
This is Sholing, another club to have been highly successful since I started the blog.
Wigwams at Upham.
One of several pitches at the Wide Lane sports facility in Eastleigh. AFC Station were the home team here.
The Jam Boys of Whitchurch United. They've lost every time I've watched them.
Sunset at Folland Sports of Hamble.
Old wind sock on MOD land at Fleetlands. I was there again on Sunday and the wind sock has gone!
Basingstoke Town's Camrose. They left at the end of 2018/19 and have nowhere to go in their home town. Grim times for the Stokies.
Netley Central Sports on Southampton's East Side.
One of the first matches I ever featured on HAH in 2011 at Cove FC in Farnborough.
After the last-ever game at the Bass Ground in Alton.
Paulsgrove FC of the Hampshire Premier Football League.
Another upwardly mobile club - Blackfield & Langley from the Waterside area.
The College Ground, home of Hayling United.
Cantell School in Southampton. Unity 101 FC were the home team for this Southampton Sunday League game last season.
One of the Ultras at Petersfield Town.
Detail from one of the twin stands at Team Solent (now Solent University FC).
Behind the goal at Andover Town.
Hythe & Dibden's new ground at Clayfields.
Can't remember where this is. Perhaps someone else will know?!
Poplars at the popular Cams Alders, home of Fareham Town.
Overflowing balcony at Alresford Town.
The award-winning stand at AFC Totton.
Celebrations for Eastleigh as they won promotion from the National South.
Lounging around at Warsash Wasps.
Gloomy Ringwood Town.
Even gloomier Horndean on a foggy day in December.
Sparkly Moneyfields of the Southern League.
The Bus Stop End at Winchester City.
Another team that's lost every time I've seen them (and never scored a goal!), Fleet Town.
And finally...Lymington Town. This picture has been the blog header if you read this on a PC since about 2012.

Tuesday 23 July 2019

Seventy Hampshire Football Grounds, Part One

A panoramic view of Sway FC in the New Forest.
As I was sitting around waiting for the new season to start properly (and also dithering about whether to carry on with the blog - shall I, shan't I?), I thought I'd count up how many Hampshire football grounds I've featured on here since 2011. The answer is an impressive 70! And I still haven't finished with the Hampshire Premier Football League yet (Infinity, Colden Common at Otterbourne, and five clubs in Division One - I'll try and visit you all this season and publish a few photos of your grounds).

I posted photos from 35 of the stadiums/grounds/pitches on the HAH Facebook page yesterday and framed it as a quiz. I invited people to guess who played at each place. There were a lot of correct answers, but there were one or two that I think were too tricky.

Here's the same photos in the same order, but captioned with either the club who play at the ground, and sometimes the name of the ground. They were chosen semi-randomly and they're in no particular order. There's no overarching theme other than I like these pictures.

I'll publish another 35 in the next few days, so if your club isn't here (and I've featured you before), it probably will be next time.

The Bypass Ground, attractive home of Romsey Town, a club whom I watch regularly.
This is Mansel Park in Southampton, home of Bush Hill.
A halfway line flag at Eversley & California of the Combined Counties League.
The new dressing rooms at Stockbridge FC.
Jones Lane Recreation Ground in the rain, former home of Hythe & Dibden.
The track leading to the lower pitch at Priory Lane, home of Bishops Waltham Dynamoes.
The dugouts at Four Marks.
Drunken teddy in Bashley's clubhouse.
Monochrome view of Liphook United.
Rainy Farnborough.
Alton's new 3G facility at Anstey Park.
Short-lived homemade stand at QK Southampton.
Outside Totton & Eling's Millers Park.
AFC Portchester's players obeying the sign.
One of my favourite photos, taken on the day that Fordingbridge Turks hosted their twin town, Vimoutiers of France.
One of my favourite action pictures, taken at Testlands in Southampton.
The very yellow Hamble Club.
Another colourful stand, this time at ex-Football League club Aldershot Town.
Refinery chimneys behind Fawley's ground.
Rural idyll at Overton United.
The clever Buildbase Stand at Andover New Street - built on an old flat bed truck.
The back of a dugout at New Milton Town.
Through the peephole at Michelmersh & Timsbury.
Two matches going on at the same time at Locks Heath.
Atmospheric Grigg Lane, home of Brockenhuirst FC.
A big crowd at Gosport Borough's Privett Park during their time in National League South.
The seated stand at Tadley-Calleva on the Hampshire-Berkshire border (the ground is actually just over the border, but Tadley's in Hampshire, so I've included them).
Skateboarding during a match at Clanfield.
Lyndhurst FC during their title-winning game at the end of last season.
The South Stand at Fratton Park, the home of the famous Pompey FC.
Also in Portsmouth, this is Baffins Milton Rovers.
The back of one of the dugouts at Hampshire League Liss Athletic.
Non-league dog at Fleet Spurs.
And finally, a panoramic view of Westleigh Park, home of Havant & Waterlooville.