Saturday 25 January 2020

WALTHAM ABBEY v NORTHWOOD

CAPERSHOTTS

Isthmian League South Central Division

January 25, 2020

GROUND NO 225














AFTER King Harold got a closer look at an arrow than he'd have hoped for in the Battle of Hastings, word is that he was taken off to Waltham Abbey to be buried.

Whoever fired the bow that did for the last crowned Anglo-Saxon king of England was a decent shot, and make no mistake.

And if the spirit of King Harold is looking down over Capershotts, he'd have been pretty impressed by the shooting here too. Seven goals, including a couple of crackers, lit up a chilly afternoon on the Essex/Herts border.

On arrival we headed into the clubhouse on the other side of the car park after looking over at what we thought was the entrance and arriving at the conclusion that the turnstiles weren't yet open. 

Turns out they were actually boarded up and the entrance was around the corner but at least it was warmer inside and the early FA Cup game was on the big screen.

After locating the correct entrance we made our way in. It's still only eight quid for admission - I think I'm right in saying it's the cheapest in the league - so hats off to the Abbotts for keeping the price down.

The ground, tree-lined and hemmed in by allotments and a cemetery, is neat and tidy and predominantly decked out in green and white.

The exception is the concrete stand to the right of the entrance. Its rear wall is distinctively painted in alternate green and white blocks with WAFC in big letters.

But the seats are sky blue - and that's because they came from Maine Road in 2005 after Manchester City had moved to bigger and better things at the Etihad. And I believe the floodlights came from Walthamstow Avenue - so if you're moving out of your ground and need to get rid of some odds and ends, you know who to call.

Behind one goal is a pair of side-by-side covered terraces - one sturdy and permanent, the other covered by corrugated iron held up by scaffolding, Behind are the changing rooms.

Apart from that is hard standing all round.

By all accounts the pitch used to have a big old slope on it, and that's very noticeable as you compare the height on one side of the pitch to the other.

Waltham Abbey have made a lot of progress in recent years and were eying a play-off place on the day of our visit.

Maybe this is a battle the team representing the town that is King Harold's final resting place will win.

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