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On Saturday 28th I visited Hythe and Dibden's new ground as they entertained Cowes Sports (0-4) in a Wessex League Division One fixture. Nothing unusual in that you might think for a regular groundhopper!
I'll leave the ground details for someone else to describe as it's a fairly basic yet pleasant rural venue.
Just for a change I parked my car in Southampton and took the Hythe Ferry over Southampton Water to Hythe Pier and took the ancient rickety train ride along the pier to Hythe village centre.
I looked upon this as a bit of a local derby, the two places being about eight miles apart as the crow flies!
There were a group of Cowes fans on the ferry and I previously hadn't thought for such a 'short' trip what a bizarre journey they had undertaken!
A ferry from Cowes to Southampton across the Solent. Then another ferry, the Hythe ferry, doubling back on themselves over to Hythe. From the Ferry terminal in Hythe the Pier train to Hythe village and then it started raining so some chose to catch the bus from Hythe village centre to the Clayfields ground, a journey of about a mile! (I chose to walk and get wet!).
That's two ferries, a train and a bus! It sounds like a trip to a European match not a local derby in the Wessex league. What a great bit of groundhopping!! Now that is loyalty!
I assume none of them had cars or had chosen to do it this way as one can do it a bit easier by driving from Cowes to Yarmouth on the IOW and catching a car ferry to Lymington and driving up to Hythe that way. I assume some of the players went this way but some are based on the mainland anyway apparently.
Incidentally H & D's old ground is still there but from what I could see the railings, floodlights and covered areas have gone. The covered area looks to have been transferred to the new ground and is situated behind the goal.
This venue is a mere two minute walk from the ferry but the extra mile walk to the new ground was a pleasant one BACK, in dry weather! |