Doesn't it make a difference when the sun is shining! The exceptionally mild autumn weather had certainly attracted the local population to Promenade Park on the outskirts of Maldon. It really is a truly stunning location overlooking the River Blackwater and is a beautiful place to relax, making for a great family day out. According to tourist information literature an estimated 300,000 visitors come to 'The Prom', as it is known locally, each year to take advantage of the unique on site amenities. Scores of day trippers were busy enjoying themselves  down by the estuary with its ornamental lake and fountains; model boating and crabbing lakes; retail outlets and new skateboarding and BMX areas. A large playing field also caters for a number of different sporting activities with pitches marked out for football and cricket and nearby there are also facilities for floodlit tennis and crown green bowling. The place is definitely a hive of activity: it is also a surreal location for the traveller to spend an afternoon watching football.

After taking the Maldon Ring Road (A414) we soon arrived at the ground. A lengthy driveway leads from the main entrance in Park Drive to the designated parking areas, the largest I have ever seen at a 'non league' venue.  The casual visitor is allowed up to two hours parking for only £2 and from here it is only a short walk to the  playing fields. Maldon St Mary's Football Club use the pitch in the corner of the field closest to the riverside leisure complex. You will notice a brand new changing pavilion (funded by a Football Foundation grant) on your left hand side. Players make the short walk from here to the pitch which is fully enclosed by a blue perimeter roped passed through a series of metal stakes. Most spectators watched the game from the car park side of the pitch which is bordered by a row of conker trees whose branches hang over the playing area in several places. Today the golden brown leaves added a warm glow and beautiful backdrop to the matchday proceedings. A low hedge and more trees run behind the goal at the far end from where you can catch a glimpse of the boats on the River Blackwater in the distance. There are other pitches on the field used by a number of local teams. Indeed when we arrived another game was already in progress and initially gave us a few scary moments  thinking we had got the kick-off time for our match wrong, not unheard of before now I assure you!

Thankfully we arrived in good time and purchased a couple of programmes which were on sale at pitchside just before the 2.30pm kick-off. This season St. Mary's are issuing for all of their first team home matches! What a cracking effort this is too - editor Mark Wallis pens 12 pages for the princely sum of 50p! There is plenty of reading material inside this one: a colourful front cover carries all the important match details before moving on to the club histories (for both St Mary's and visitors Newham); player profiles; last match report; match stats for 2008-2009 with fixtures; results; appearances and scorers in a centre spread; current league table; sponsors page and finally the line ups which are conveniently listed on the back - a terrific effort!

Refreshments are available from several riverside retail outlets just behind the far goal line. We decided to patronise Big Al's Cafe and Ice Cream Parlour, buying a large portion of chips to go with our cold drinks. Business was brisk and we had to wait a few minutes until our ticket number was called out. We do like our fries but when we were given the number 88 I wondered if the lady behind the counter was trying to tell us something! For the real ale enthusiast the GBG listed Queen's Head is within a short walking distance. I hear that this well appointed establishment (one of the club's sponsors for 2008-09) has a fine reputation in the area.

On to the game. It was a fine end to end contest with chances aplenty for both club's. Although St.Mary's (dressed in maroon) did have the edge it was Newham (in royal blue) who came the closest to scoring and nicking all three points. With only two minutes remaining St Mary's 'keeper Craig Nice (described in the programme notes as 'eccentric') lived up to his extrovert character when he came rushing out of his area and fumbled a cross. Beaten, the keeper wearing the most garish pink top you will ever see outside a circus marquee breathed a sigh of relief as the ball struck the post before being cleared off the line by one of his team mates. The visiting 'bench', who couldn't believe that the ball hadn't gone in, let out a string of well-known expletives. Keeper Nice quickly composed himself once the danger had been averted and shouted over to the touchline: 'Your language is most unbecoming!' to which the United manager replied '...a bit like your shirt mate!! It was all in good spirit and just like the game underlined what a splendid advert it had been for Essex Olympian League football.

The draw means that St Mary's remain unbeaten, having won four of their opening six games this season, to consolidate their position at the top of Division 2. It's an amazing feat when you consider that the club played Mid-Essex Premier Division soccer last season (having gained promotion four times in the last six years).  Incidentally this was my second goalless draw seen so far this season. The previous occasion was in the Herts Senior County League Premier Division fixture between Mill End Sports and Knebworth played on August 16th 2008. From memory that match was also played on a lovely sunny day too!! 

With so many people walking to and fro alongside the pitch it really was difficult to accurately count the number of spectators who were watching the game in its entirety. Fran reliably informed me it was a resounding 41 and I'll go along with that! It was also great to bump into non league officianado and editor of the acclaimed Non League Digest, Steve King, who had made the relatively short journey by train from London to the Essex town.

A visit to Maldon St Mary's Football Club comes highly recommended. With the prospect of a programme; a chance to enjoy a pre-match pint at the esteemed Queens Head and to take a stroll along The Prom it makes for a cracking day out. To reach the club we followed signs for Maldon coming off the ring-road (A414) at Fambridge Road and continuing along Cross and Mill Roads before turning right into Park Drive. The park entrance is about 200 yards from here on the left hand side. Alternatively travellers can follow directions given on the excellent club website which advise coming off the ring road at the Morrisons roundabout where you can pick up signs to 'The Prom'. Follow these heading over three roundabouts and passing Maldon Town F.C. After the zebra crossing take the 2nd right through the iron gates and follow down to car park. Aaah, the joys of visiting new clubs at the start of the season continue...