TT No.117: Andy Molden - Sat 2nd March 2013; Bristol Academy (0) 2 v Cheltenham Saracens (1) 1; Gloucestershire Senior Trophy Semi Final; Att 74; Programme £1 (20 pages full colour).

 

 

Matchday images (20) https://picasaweb.google.com/footballgroundsinfocus/BristolAcademyFC

 

Not sure about the ground, a running track within a University complex and today no pitch side facilities, plenty in the campus but none near the track. Parking was a bit of a problem as Bristol City's Academy is now based in the complex and they were playing Cardiff so there was still the cars and coach from that one when I arrived, in fact there is a pitch side tea bar for those games but it shuts before the main event kicks-off . There was an American Football game being played on the nearby 3G pitch. There was also a roller derby or so I was told taking place inside

one of the main buildings.

 

This was a first for me, six Atcost stands and not one facing the the pitch, some would say that was an improvement. It was a nice sunny day so they were not needed. Good views of the railway line and the junction just west of Parkway Station could be seen, so those with a bent for ticking their Ian Allens would have been in heaven.

 

Food was found in the bowels of the main building and likewise toilets or you could use the ones one the Bristol Academy pitches.

 

The game was good, the 1st period belonged to Cheltenham who should have been 2 or 3 up at the break, the homesters only having a bit part. The only goal of the half came from a penalty when the home keeper brought down an on rushing forward, he was not shown yellow or red. The 2nd period was so different as the Students got on top and got a deserved goal. It then became end to end stuff and the homesters got the vital goal. It then became frantic but the underdogs held on to go through to the final.

 

I know this ground is used for Ladies Premier League games but for the men's it is slightly lacking, thankfully I got a good game. For the PC brigade the programmes were a bit hard to hunt down, a few appeared 15 minutes before kick-off but no real effort was made to sell them and strangely for a cup semi final no gate was taken. The toilet block in the ground was locked.

 

The referee who on the field was very good managed to kick the game off 3 minutes late despite everyone be present an hour before kick-off and then managed to have a 17 minutes half-time. As with last week we had a 4th official, who held up 4 minutes at the end of the 2nd half but we played 3. As a bonus for those who like paper a fellow traveller who was present had been to the Bristol City v Cardiff Youth game which he had no problem in watching also he said teamsheets were available.

 

contributed on 03/03/13