2012 Stadium #12 - Don Valley Stadium

Date: 5th May 2012
Stadium: Don Valley Stadium
Location: Sheffield, South Yorkshire

My twelfth stadium of 2012 was on Saturday 5th May 2012 at the Don Valley Stadium in Sheffield, South Yorkshire. The match was Rotherham United vs. Northampton Town in Football League Two.

The Don Valley Stadium is located in the north-eastern part of the city of Sheffield in an area which houses various sports and entertainment centres including the Motorpoint Arena and English Institute of Sport building. The stadium is just over 2 miles from Sheffield train station in the centre of the city but is served by the Sheffield tramline which stops just a few hundred yards away. The venue was built as an athletics arena in 1990 and was the temporary home for Rotherham United between May 2008 and May 2012 with this match being the final one before the club move to their new stadium.

The stadium is designed as an oval-shaped bowl in order to suit the venue's primary role as an athletics arena. There is a 10,000 capacity two-tiered grandstand which runs along the entire south side of the ground and dominates the venue. The stand has a glass fibre canopy roof which covers almost all of the structure with just those towards the bottom of the stand open to the elements. This is the only seating area open for football games with away fans positioned at the eastern end of the stand and home fans taking up the remainder of it.

The rest of the stadium consists of a single-tier of seating and terracing which extends round the rest of the venue. This is entirely uncovered and adds another 15,000 to the venue's capacity taking it to 25,000. As the stadium is only 22 years old the facilities are good although as it is not designed for this sport, the football experience is somewhat lacking with spectators positioned quite some way from the pitch.

The game saw Rotherham start the brightest of the two teams and in the 7th minute they almost took an early lead when Lewis Grabban struck the post from close range. The hosts continued to press with Northampton offering very little in the first half and on the half-hour mark Rotherham took the lead as Alex Revell sent a mishit volley towards the goal with it looping over Northampton keeper Neal Kitson and into the net. Shortly after Lewis Grabban thought he'd extended the home side's lead when he put the ball in the back of the net but it was ruled out for offside as the teams went in at the break. The second half saw much of the same with Rotherham creating numerous opportunities but they were unable to take any of them. In the 94th minute the visitors punished them for their wasteful finishing when a free-kick was crossed into the box and Adebayo Akinfenwa headed home to give Northampton a share of the points.

Result: Rotherham United 1-1 Northampton Town
Division: Football League Two
Attendance: 4,729

2012 Stadium #11 - Memorial Stadium

Date: 14th April 2012
Stadium: Memorial Stadium
Location: Horfield, Bristol

My eleventh stadium of 2012 was on Saturday 14th April at the Memorial Stadium in Horfield, Bristol. The match was Bristol Rovers vs. Burton Albion in Football League Two.

The Memorial Stadium is nestled in a residential area in the Horfield area in the north of the city of Bristol. The nearest train station is Filton Abbey Wood which is 1.7 miles away. The ground has been home to the club since 1996 when they moved back to the city after spending a decade playing in nearby Bath. Prior to this Bristol Rovers had played at Eastville Stadium for 89 years up until 1986 when financial difficulties forced them out. The Memorial Stadium itself was built in 1921 and was primarily used as a rugby venue until the football club moved in.

Despite a capacity of nearly 12,000 the stadium has just 2,500 seats split across three separate stands. The 1,060 seat Uplands Stand was built on top of a terrace in the late 1980s and looks very tall compared to the rest of the ground. The stand is level with the half-way line and takes up around a third of the north-eastern side of the venue. The rest of this side of the ground is uncovered terracing which sits to the left, right and in front of the Uplands Stand and has a capacity of just over 2,300. On the opposite side of the pitch is the DAS Stand, a dramatic structure that looks more like a cricket pavilion than a conventional football stand. This stand contains 710 seats and like the Uplands Stand has terracing in front of it with room for a further 1,100 fans. Next to the DAS Stand there is the small Family Terrace stand which adds another 720 spectators to this side of the ground.

Behind the goal at the south-east side of the ground is the South Stand, an all-seater stand which can place just over 1,000 supporters. This was initially erected as a temporary stand and has no less than ten stanchions holding up the roof meaning that almost all the seats in this area will have their view partially blocked. Behind the opposite goal is the Blackthorn End, a covered terrace where around 3,700 home fans can watch the match from.

The game was a drab affair during a poor first half where neither team showed any real invention and with half-time approaching it looked like it would be a goalless first period. However, in the 39th minute the game sparked into life when Burton's Jimmy Phillips rounded the goalkeeper and when presented with an open goal managed to hit the post with his effort. The visitors were punished for not taking this opportunity just a couple of minutes later when Mustapha Carayol unleashed a speculative 25-yard drive which fooled Ross Atkins in the Burton goal and ended up in the back of the net. It took just 12 seconds of the second half for the hosts to double their lead when Burton defender Ryan Austin completely missed the ball with his attempted headed clearance and Eliot Richards snuck in to poke it into the goal. In the 54th minute Calvin Zola's looping shot from close-range pulled a goal back for the visitors but on the hour Rovers regained their two-goal lead as Matt Harrold converted from the penalty spot after Eliot Richards was felled in the area. Shortly after Jim Paterson added a fourth when he steered the ball into the bottom corner from 12 yards out to put the home side in control. In the 75th minute a deflected Matt Harrold shot from the edge of the box made it 5-1 and less than a minute late it was 6-1 after a terrible mix-up between Burton goalie Ross Atkins and defender Nathan Stanton saw them collide and allow Eliot Richards to tap home into the empty net. The scoring was completed in the 81st minute when a deflected shot from Eliot Richards allowed him to complete his hat-trick and ensure Bristol Rovers ran out 7-1 winners.

Result: Bristol Rovers 7-1 Burton Albion
Division: Football League Two
Attendance: 5,353

2012 Stadium #10 - The Darlington Arena

Date: 7th April 2012
Stadium: The Darlington Arena
Location: Darlington, County Durham

My tenth stadium of 2012 was on Saturday 7th April 2012 at The Darlington Arena in Darlington, County Durham. The match was Darlington vs. Grimsby Town in Conference National.

The Darlington Arena, also known as The Northern Echo Darlington Arena, is situated on the southern outskirts of the town, just over a mile from Darlington train station. The ground has been home to the club since 2003 when they left their home at Feethams where they had played for 120 years.

The Darlington Arena was built in 2003 by then-owner George Reynolds who moved the club from their 8,500 capacity Feethams home to the 25,000 capacity Darlington Arena. The stadium is bowl-shaped with all stands the same height the whole way round the ground. The only difference between the stands is the executive boxes  which sit at the top of the South Stand. The excellent facilities at the venue would be of a high standard for Football League competition and are very much wasted at non-league level.

The layout of the stadium including the perspex panels in between the roof and the seats means even when less than one-tenth full the venue retains sound well and enables a surprisingly good atmosphere. Sadly though, despite its technical achievements this ground will be forever viewed as one which has been fundamentally bad for the club, to the point where it may even result in Darlington FC's death. The venue was always going to be far too large for a club of Darlington's size and the running costs have crippled the club since they moved in. With attendances not even reaching four figures at times it is no surprise that Darlo have found themselves in administration on three separate occasions since 2003 with their fans longing for the days of Feethams again.

The game began with both sides on the attack in an end-to-end first 45 minutes with lots of decent chances and an equal amount of poor finishing. The two goalkeepers also made saves to make sure the score remained 0-0 at half-time. Much of the second half was one-way traffic with the hosts dominating the play for large parts of the game. Darlington created some good passing moves but as in the first period were let down in the final third of the pitch. Any time they did come close a combination of the crossbar, the Grimsby goalkeeper and bad luck meant they just couldn't get the ball in the back of the net. In the final minutes the visitors looked like they might steal it but desperate defending kept them out meaning a decent game ended goalless.

Result: Darlington 0-0 Grimsby Town
Division: Conference National
Attendance: 2,212

2012 Stadium #9 - Valley Parade

Date: 6th April 2012
Stadium: Valley Parade
Location: Bradford, West Yorkshire

My ninth stadium of 2012 was on Friday 6th April 2012 at Valley Parade in Bradford, West Yorkshire. The match was Bradford City vs. Southend United in Football League Two.

Valley Parade, also known as the Coral Windows Stadium, is located in the city centre of Bradford. There are two train stations within a mile or so of the ground, Bradford Forster Square and Bradford Interchange, which means that transport links to the venue are good. The ground has been home to the club since 1903 although they were absent from the venue between May 1985 and December 1986 after rebuilding was required in the wake of a disastrous fire which claimed the lives of 56 fans. Valley Parade itself pre-dates the football club by 17 years as it was originally built in 1886 to house rugby league team Manningham RFC.

The stadium has a very lopsided look to it with two large stands dominating the rest of the ground. Much of the total 25,136 capacity is taken up by these two stands. The Main Stand is a two-tiered stand which runs most of the length of the pitch on the west side of the venue. It can contain 9,004 fans including a single-tiered section which sits next to the main structure and is not covered by its roof. The other large stand is The Kop, a 7,492 capacity two-tier stand which sits behind the goal at the northern end of the venue. Linking the two stands is a quadrant in the north-west corner which can hold an additional 2,300 fans.

Running alongside the pitch on the east side of the ground is the Midlands Road Stand, a single-tier stand which can seat 4,500 people. Away fans are allocated the southern end of this stand. The remaining stand, the Bradford End, is located behind the goal at the southern end of the goal. With a capacity of just 1,800 this double-decker stand is the smallest in the ground. It is the only structure in the venue to feature stanchions which can restrict views. Because of the confined nature of this end of the stadium the stand does not extend all the way along the southern side of the ground with a scoreboard placed in the south-east corner.

The game featured a fairly tedious opening half an hour with lots of long-ball football and little in the way of chances. However, towards the end of the half things started to open up a bit and the opening goal came in the 38th minute when James Hanson headed in Michael Flynn's cross from close range to give the home side the lead at the break. It got worse for the visitors after the interval as Southend defender Sean Clohessy brought down Bradford's Nahki Wells in the box with a penalty awarded to the home side and a red card to Clohessy. Cameron Belford in the Southend goal got a hand to Craig Fagan's penalty but could only push the ball into the top corner as Bradford doubled their lead. In the 67th minute Southend were reduced to nine men when substitute Elliot Benyon kicked out at a Bradford player and received his marching orders. From this point on Bradford comfortably controlled the game but despite creating a few chances were unable to improve their winning margin.

Result: Bradford City 2-0 Southend United
Division: Football League Two
Attendance: 10,859

2012 Stadium #8 - Hertingfordbury Park

Date: 3rd April 2012
Stadium: Hertingfordbury Park
Location: Hertford, Hertfordshire

My eighth stadium of 2012 was on Tuesday 3rd April 2012 at Hertingfordbury Park in Hertford, Hertfordshire. The match was Hertford Town vs. Broxbourne Borough in the Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division.

Hertingfordbury Park is situated to the west of Hertford town centre with the venue in a rural environment out in the fields, a decent way from any housing. It is placed within 1 mile of both Hertford North train station and Hertford East train station. The ground has been home to the club since it was formed through a series of mergers in 1908.

The stadium contains one all-seater stand which sits level with the half-way line on the western side of the venue. It contains just over 170 seats as well as some additional benches and also contains the players dressing rooms. Adjacent to this stand is a small but pleasant club bar as well as a food outlet. Behind the goal at the southern end of the ground is the Stable End, a covered stand with raised concrete steps which stretches almost the full end of this side of the venue.

The remainder of the ground is uncovered standing although there is a small section of raised concrete steps which sit level with the half-way line on the eastern side of the ground. Unlike many grounds at this level the stadium is fairly spacious with plenty of viewing space along the wide concrete walkway which encircles the pitch. Behind the wall at the northern end of the ground there is also a small training pitch where the players were warming-up before the match.

The game saw Hertford start brightly as they attacked the Broxbourne goal but in the 14th minute they were dealt a blow when against the run of play the visitors scored from a tidy half-volley from the edge of the box which went into the bottom corner of the net. Just three minutes later Broxbourne doubled their lead when a close-range shot was fumbled by the goalkeeper and a Broxbourne striker tapped in the rebound from a couple of yards out. The visitors dominated the rest of the half but had to be content with a 2-0 lead at the break. The hosts began the second half well and in the 57th minute scored when the away defence failed to deal with the ball and it was poked into the net from six yards out. In the 67th minute Broxbourne had a golden opportunity to restore their two-goal cushion when one of their strikers was presented with an open goal from a yard out. Incredibly he somehow managed to lift the ball over the bar much to the derision of the home fans but two minutes later the away side did get their third goal when they split the home defence and tucked it home. With 15 minutes remaining Hertford got back into the game when a looping cross bamboozled the Broxbourne keeper with the ball coming off the crossbar before being headed in on the line by a Hertford attacker. The home side laid siege to the away goal in the closing stages and in the 88th minute got their reward when one of their strikers danced through the Broxbourne defence and shot low into the net to tie the game at 3-3 which was how it finished with Hertford pleased at their spirited comeback.

Result: Hertford Town 3-3 Broxbourne Borough
Division: Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division
Attendance: 65

2012 Stadium #7 - St Margaretsbury Recreation Ground

Date: 27th March 2012
Stadium: St Margaretsbury Recreation Ground
Location: Stanstead St Margarets, Hertfordshire

My seventh stadium of 2012 was on Tuesday 27th March 2012 at the St Margaretsbury Recreation Ground in Stanstead St Margarets, Hertfordshire. The match was St Margaretsbury vs. Leverstock Green in the Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division.

The St Margaretsbury Recreation Ground is located on the western edge of the village of St Margarets and sits within a larger sports and social club which lies less than half a mile from St Margarets train station. The ground has been home to the club since 1962 when they moved from  their former ground in the neighbouring village of Stanstead Abbots and changed their name from Stanstead Abbots FC to St Margaretsbury FC.

All the stadium's facilities are located on the western side of the venue with three adjoining stands level with the half-way line. Two of these, the Jack Smith Stand and the Lyndon Groucott Stand, are all-seater structures with 50 seats in each giving a total of 100 seats. Next to this is a covered terrace with raised steps and a few chairs located along the back wall.

The remainder of the venue is taken up by general uncovered standing behind the metal fence which goes round the pitch. As the River Lea borders the east side of the ground space is at a bit of a premium in this area compared to the west side of the ground. There is sufficient space for viewing behind the goals at the northern and southern end of the ground with netting put up behind the goal at the northern end to prevent errant balls hitting nearby buildings.

The game featured a frenetic opening quarter of an hour as both teams went for it from the first whistle. In the 8th minute the home side took the lead with a stunning volley from the edge of the box which dipped over the keeper and into the top corner of the net. Barely two minutes later it was almost 2-0 as one of St Margaretsbury's strikers expertly lifted the ball over a Leverstock defender before cannoning a shot off the crossbar. After 15 minutes however, the scores were tied when a goal kick was headed onto a Leverstock frontman who looped the ball over the advancing keeper. Unfortunately the exciting opening period was not maintained as both sides settled down to a slower pace with no more goals forthcoming before the interval. In the 58th minute the home side were given the chance to regain the lead from the penalty spot after a handball in the box, and the ball was duly dispatched into the back of the net, hitting the post on its way in. Towards the end of the game the two sides played some good end-to-end football with the hosts having a goal chalked off just before the end of the 90 minutes. However, it didn't matter for St Margaretsbury as they claimed a 2-1 victory upon the final whistle.

Result: St Margaretsbury 2-1 Leverstock Green
Division: Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division
Attendance: 22

2012 Stadium #6 - Fratton Park

Date: 3rd March 2012
Stadium: Fratton Park
Location: Portsmouth, Hampshire

My sixth stadium of 2012 was on Saturday 3rd March 2012 at Fratton Park in Portsmouth, Hampshire. The match was Portsmouth vs. Middlesbrough in the Football League Championship.

Fratton Park is located in a built-up area to the west of the city centre. The ground is half a mile from Fratton train station and has been home to the club since they formed in 1898.

Fratton Park is very much an old-style stadium with only the Fratton End, which was built in the 1990s, giving off a modern feel. This cantilever stand sits behind the goal on the western side of the ground and has a capacity of just under 5,000. At the other end of the pitch behind the goal on the eastern side of the ground is the Milton End. As it can only hold around 3,200 fans, this is the smallest stand in the ground with the northern half of it given over to away fans. This stand was uncovered until 2007 when a roof was installed.

The South Stand is a two-tiered stand which runs along the length of the pitch on the southern side of the ground and features the iconic mock tudor entrance. As the upper tier is built directly on top of the lower tier, the capacity is less than 4,000 and it is fairly cramped. On the opposite side of the ground is North Stand, a more traditional two-tier stand. With a capacity of over 7,500 it is the largest stand in the ground and there is plenty of space for fans in this area and this is where I watched the game from.

The game saw a poor first half punctuated with stoppages for various injuries. Chances were at a premium with neither goalkeeper having much work to do as the teams went in goalless at the break. 10 minutes into the second half the visitors were awarded a penalty after a push in the box and Barry Robson dispatched it to put Middlesbrough 1-0 up. Just after the hour mark this lead was doubled when a free-kick into the box caused all kinds of problems for the Portsmouth defence and Matthew Bates bundled the ball home from close range. A couple of minutes later the hosts were given a lifeline after a handball in the box led to a spot-kick for Portsmouth. Greg Halford put the ball past the Middlesbrough goalkeeper to bring the score back to 2-1. Portsmouth then went on the attack and in the 83rd minute found themselves exposed at the back as Marvin Emnes rifled the ball into the roof of the net after Portsmouth goalkeeper Stephen Henderson had made a good save from Adam Hammill's shot. Middlesbrough were reduced to ten men deep into stoppage time when defender Rhys Williams received his second booking but this did nothing to change the result as Middlesbrough ran out 3-1 winners.

Result: Portsmouth 1-3 Middlesbrough
Division: Football League Championship
Attendance: 16,770