No.39 - Sat. 16th February 2008; Midland Football Alliance                                  3.00pm at Knights Lane, Tiddington, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warks. (Att: 411; Prog: 44pp, £1)

View matchday images  01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 Stratford Town (0) 0  Barwell (1) 1 A Mid-Winter's Knights Lane dream  Watching the first ever game at a new ground is always an exciting experience. This is especially true for the officials, fans and spectators associated with any club as it marks a new era. For Stratford Town the Midland Alliance fixture against Barwell was an important occasion as the new ground at Knights Lane opened its doors for the first time. The club website (see address below) regularly provided updates with the latest information and images as the big day became a reality. For the enthusiastic traveller this provides an 'hoppertunity to add another tick to the growing list of grounds visited. And there have been quite a few in the last couple of seasons with the likes of Curzon Ashton; Harlow Town; Dartford; Doncaster Rovers; MK Dons and Shrewsbury Town joining the ranks. Out of those listed I personally enjoyed my visit to Harlow Town FC. Some will no doubt disagree having their own favorites and preferences. Others will completely disregard any such stadia feeling that they represent the sanitised, off-the-shelf, characterless, functional boxes that are commonplace in today's game. Each to his own. And so (without prejudice) it was off to Stratford Town FC to take a look and soak up the atmosphere... It's amazing isn't it how some grounds just don't reflect the character of the towns and cities they are in! Take one of our local clubs, Cambridge United FC, for instance. The club finds itself hemmed in between a row of drab industrial units off the Newmarket Road; it's a million miles from the famous spires and colleges up the road in this historical city. In truth the club could be anywhere in the country. The same applies to Statford Town FC. Think of the place and it paints a picture of an idyllic setting within Shakespearian England, thatched cottages; museums; tree-lined walkways along the banks of the River Avon. The new Knights Lane ground is out of town and has little ado with the great Bard! A sign of the times where hungry property developers make huge profits from their latest housing investments. Clubs inevitably sell up to survive but I suppose there is a loss of identity as they move out to some remote estate. Fans now have a bit of a walk or can take the bus to the ground which is in a semi-rural location in the village of Tiddington. I'm not sure whether they are really happy about this since moving from their old base in Masons Road - only time will tell. The images will provide a useful ground description. So what about first impressions? Here are a few comments.  I thought that the ground had a pleasant feel about it and was quite impressed with what I found. Unlike some new builds most of the work here has been finished (apart from some minor touches to bits of fencing and walkways). The social facilities are superb with an excellent club house, lounge bar and function room as well as terrific multi-use artificial games area complete with the latest in sports turf technology. The main stand (and only cover) has an open back to it similiar to the one at Garforth Town FC although there appears to be fewer seats in this one. Today most of the stand was given over to VIP's and sponsors with a few seats left for spectators much to the chagrin of the locals. The pitch has a smart perimeter fence with plenty of advertising hoardings attached to it suggesting that many local businesses are already supporting the club. A tea bar/kitchen adjacent to the clubhouse provided a wide range of hot and cold food on its menu (Mrs W noticed how hygienic this was) and was dispensed by a friendly, efficient team of helpers. Indeed everyone we spoke to at the club gave us a very warm welcome. The day was more about the occasion rather than the result. For the record Barwell took all three points back to Leicestershire after Stuart Spencer scored the only goal on 17 minutes (the first ground record). Town took control of the game after this but couldn't break down a resolute defence and find an equaliser. On a sunny bu very cold afternoon the crowd was given as 411 although my headcount was nearer 500. This included a number of well-known travellers including  messrs. Burt, Girdham and Molden who had travelled independently. A tidy 44-page programme complete with glossy colour cover was issued for the match, priced £1. Although this was a bit heavy on stats there was still plenty of club news and interesting articles to make it a good read. To reach the ground is easy from most directions. We approached from the A46 leaving the M6 at junction 2 near Coventry. From the town centre follow signs for Tiddington turning right into Knights Lane. Continue past the NFU Sports Ground and turn right into the club driveway before parking in one of the free (yes free) bays in the car park. For travellers intending to make visit this season, the club has several home fixtures (as listed in the programme and on the club website). These include: Wed 12/03 v FLAE; Sat 22/03 v Cradley Town; Sat 29/03 v Biddulph; Sat 12/04 v Studley; Wed 16/04 v Oldbury Utd and Sat 26/04 v Alvechurch (all MFA). Thoroughly recommended!!                                                                                           FGIF Rating: 5* Stratford Town FC Website (incl. directions)

edited on 27/02/08