MERIDIAN VP v LEWISHAM BOROUGH

MERIDIAN SPORTS AND SOCIAL CLUB

LONDON SENIOR TROPHY

NOVEMBER 22, 2019

GROUND No 222

MERIDIAN VP's shirt sponsors are Eurocar Auctions - but maybe Ronseal would be a more suitable choice.

The Southern Counties East League club based in Charlton had promised me a good game and a programme I wouldn't be disappointed with,

They were right on both counts. The hosts turned this South London derby on its head, winning 4-2 after trailing 2-0 at the break (two of the goals came from debutant former Charlton and Wycombe man Paul Hayes who, it transpires, went to school in my home town) and the feature on the War League Cup in the programme was particularly interesting.

So there - they do exactly as it says on the tin. Or in this case on the social media feed.

Meridian VP first dipped their toes into the pyramid as recently as 2003 but have ambitions to keep on moving up through the leagues.

To that end the Meridian Sports and Social Club - established in the 1920s as a social club of the Siemens factory which was then located nearby - is the ideal home base.

For now the facilities, though neat and tidy, are basic with, dugouts aside, the only structure inside the perimeter walls being transportable 160-seat stand.

But there is plenty of room along that side of the pitch and behind the goal at the far end for the club to take things further if their ambitions bear fruit.

With the sizeable clubhouse majestically standing watch over the ground in one corner, the trees that line one side of ground (made even more atmospheric by the late autumn covering of golden leaves) and the imposing Docklands skyline in the background, you can imagine what this would be like in a few years' time when Meridian are further up the pyramid with a much bigger fan base.

I stood on the tree-lined side for a time during the second half and thought I'd stepped into a Fast Show sketch as the Lewisham coach encouraged his team by constantly telling them they were "brilliant". It was going pretty well for them at that point to be fair - he wouldn't have been quite so impressed by the second half though.

I'd amused myself walking to the ground along Ha-Ha Road thinking that if it had been built and named today it would have probably been called PMSL Lane or LOL Street.

Although a ha-ha is another name for a ditch, of course, and that's where it got it's name so I guess I wasn't being funny at all.

Inside the sports complex groups of kids were having coaching sessions on the 3G pitches. When they're older, maybe they'll be good enough for a game on the main pitch on the other side of the car park. Or if they're even better, a mile away at The Valley.

Once inside the ground I'd noticed a party was in full swing on the top floor of the sports and social club - although the DJ clearly wasn't doing it for some and a gaggle of revellers appeared on the balcony to get a bird's eye view of the action.

At half-time I found myself in the same building as them, albeit on the lower level.

The one small turnstile block had long since been closed, however, so any spectator wanting to warm up on a chilly night had to follow the players and officials in, past the changing rooms and into the bar. It's things like this that make non-league so special.

The café, also situated in the bar area, seemed to have a good selection of food and hot drinks but I'd left the car behind on this occasion and treated myself to a Jack and Coke.

I made a prompt exit after the game but I'm sure there will have been a few drinks ordered at the bar post-match to celebrate a remarkable victory.

AVRO v RUNCORN TOWN

THE VESTACARE STADIUM

NORTH WEST COUNTIES LEAGUE
PREMIER DIVISION

NOVEMBER 2, 2019

GROUND NO 221

WHEN the players officials and spectators fell silent for 60 seconds to remember those who gave their lives in conflict, it was particularly poignant at Avro FC.

For this is a club that was founded for real-life wartime heroes - as the works team of the nearby AV Roe aircraft manufacturing plant which built the mighty Avro Lancaster bomber - a formidable flying machine that proved a big headache for a certain German with an odd moustache and 50 per cent less than the rest of us in the down below area.

The aircraft company is long gone, of course, but Avro FC are playing at the highest level they've ever appeared at - a feat made possible by their move to the Vestacare Stadium in Oldham, also home to the town's rugby league club.

The ground - known as the Whitebank Stadium before being renamed in a sponsorship deal - had been used for amateur sports for more than five decades before the now defunct Oldham Boro started calling it home in 1992.

The words "major refurbishment" can often send a shiver down the spine of the discerning groundhopper, but it was win win they splashed the cash here in 2017.

The ground got its upgrade - a 3G pitch included - but it's still a delightful place to visit.

Avro are certainly a forward-thinking club. That much was already evident from their move to the Vestacare Stadium which enabled them to step up from the Manchester League.

They've also got a good social media presence and seem full of of ideas to keep the club moving in the right direction. One of these was the APPP deal which I was offered at the turnstiles - admission, a pie, a pint and a programme for just a tenner.

Sadly I was driving and had already eaten lunch as well as a beast of a breakfast (my bribe for joining everyone else in the house in watching England's peanut huggers fail in their mission to bring glory to the nation) so I gave it a miss.

When you enter the Vestacare Stadium you quickly notice that, were in a speedboat, the front end would be up in the air, clear of the waves, while the back end would be almost down to sea level, the water occasionally lapping over the side.

That's because everything is at one end of the ground.

Next to the turnstiles is the smart, modular Vestacare Louge, which looked a very cosy and comfortable place to be on a wet, miserable day such as this.

Adjacent to that is a small, elevated area of covered standing which very much reminded me of a much bigger version of the shed my dad built for me in our back garden when I was a little kid and into which I decided I was going to run away to and live in after an argument with my parents about not eating my greens or something (I. obviously, didn't stay there for more than a few minutes because it was cold and wet and I hadn't packed anything except socks).

And on the other side of that is a concrete standing area in front of some temporary buildings housing the loos.

The main stand stretches out from that corner towards the dugouts and faces a small covered bus shelter-type covered area with tilt-back seating at the rear.

Both of those structures were pretty essential on a rainy day such as this - as was a half-time cuppa, available by walking out of the main entrance, across the car park and into the bar/function room.

Things are really taking off for Avro. They've already been promoted since moving into the NWCFL, they've moved to a new home and invested in it and they reach out to supporters through social media. And they've still got a ground that's worth a visit for any floating fan.