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.
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.
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