Oxford City A-A Barwell
Court place farm stadium
17/01/12
att 151
Does any ground in oxford have 4 stands?
So you are now witnessing history. Write it in your diary, tell your grand children and spread the word. PDM has the displeasure of reporting to you our first abandoned game in the (albeit short!) history of the site. Twice in one night the cold weather turned into our enemy. So here is a trail of the nights event; featuring 15 minutes of football, a lot of miles, quick decisions, one spilt Bovril and one dedicated Barwell fan:
Entering the car at PDM UK HQ the roaming reporter and I confirmed that through phone calls and twitter that the game at Wantage was on. So we headed towards Biscuitville and onto the M4. Our first sign that the evening wouldn't of been that smooth was a delay around Theale. We maybe should have gone to a more local game (Sandhurst finished!) but instead, in the name of ground hopping we continued. Leaving the M4 to Wantage the temperature dropped dramatically. we drove along, hunting the glow of floodlights. We were disappointed to arrive to two floodlights on, a frozen pitch and 4 people in the club house. Upon investigation we learnt that the game had been called of 45 minutes earlier by the referee. We now head a decision. Hungerford or Oxford City. We choose Oxford so had to make a quick journey.
Finally arriving some half an hour after kick off we searched for a turnstile. The only apparent entries to the ground were either through an open gate or some half built turnstiles. Enquiring in a recently built changing room complex adjoining a new looking 3G pitch we were pointed back to the gate. To our left was the clubhouse, this looked a new build, with a fence pin front. It was larger than most and the refreshment hut had the basic items found at most grounds. We walked round to the left side which had a small covered terrace running 1/3 of the pitch. This was 4(?) steps high. Behind the opposite goal was a similar covered terrace. The final side was the main 'charity' side. This was 3 rows high and so steep it had handle bars. The press box was rather modest in the centre of the stand. We were at this point when the half time whistle blew. We started talking to the lone Barwell fan, who informed us this was the 'first' game for the new changing rooms/tunnel in the corner. We felt sorry for him as he had travelled down for saturday's postponed game, so faced a long journey back to Hinkley.
As for the game, we arrived after city's goal, we saw 15 minutes, half time went and then the game was abandoned two minutes in. In this time the roaming reporter had 3 Bovrils, throwing one on he floor while trying to sit down! Upon the full time whistle we agreed we wouldn't be coming back too soon and are counting it as a visit. As for the lone Barwell fan he informed us that he ran the club shop and the club website. He wasn't too keen on coming back either! We're sure it's a nice ground when the weather is a bit warmer, however on a cold winter's day it isn't the best!
Oh and to add insult to injury, my pictures of wantage were so dark/blurry it's not worth uploading them!
Entering the car at PDM UK HQ the roaming reporter and I confirmed that through phone calls and twitter that the game at Wantage was on. So we headed towards Biscuitville and onto the M4. Our first sign that the evening wouldn't of been that smooth was a delay around Theale. We maybe should have gone to a more local game (Sandhurst finished!) but instead, in the name of ground hopping we continued. Leaving the M4 to Wantage the temperature dropped dramatically. we drove along, hunting the glow of floodlights. We were disappointed to arrive to two floodlights on, a frozen pitch and 4 people in the club house. Upon investigation we learnt that the game had been called of 45 minutes earlier by the referee. We now head a decision. Hungerford or Oxford City. We choose Oxford so had to make a quick journey.
Finally arriving some half an hour after kick off we searched for a turnstile. The only apparent entries to the ground were either through an open gate or some half built turnstiles. Enquiring in a recently built changing room complex adjoining a new looking 3G pitch we were pointed back to the gate. To our left was the clubhouse, this looked a new build, with a fence pin front. It was larger than most and the refreshment hut had the basic items found at most grounds. We walked round to the left side which had a small covered terrace running 1/3 of the pitch. This was 4(?) steps high. Behind the opposite goal was a similar covered terrace. The final side was the main 'charity' side. This was 3 rows high and so steep it had handle bars. The press box was rather modest in the centre of the stand. We were at this point when the half time whistle blew. We started talking to the lone Barwell fan, who informed us this was the 'first' game for the new changing rooms/tunnel in the corner. We felt sorry for him as he had travelled down for saturday's postponed game, so faced a long journey back to Hinkley.
As for the game, we arrived after city's goal, we saw 15 minutes, half time went and then the game was abandoned two minutes in. In this time the roaming reporter had 3 Bovrils, throwing one on he floor while trying to sit down! Upon the full time whistle we agreed we wouldn't be coming back too soon and are counting it as a visit. As for the lone Barwell fan he informed us that he ran the club shop and the club website. He wasn't too keen on coming back either! We're sure it's a nice ground when the weather is a bit warmer, however on a cold winter's day it isn't the best!
Oh and to add insult to injury, my pictures of wantage were so dark/blurry it's not worth uploading them!