|
|
1. Why you were
looking forward to going to the
ground (or not as the case may be):
This was an opportunity to go to a ground
that I was fairly unlikely to visit with my team
(Leeds). Also, the first ever game I
went to as a child was at Bradford
Park Avenue in about 1970 - since
then, I have always enjoyed watching
football in the lower leagues,
especially under floodlights.
2. How easy was your journey/finding
the ground/car parking?
The journey was pretty straight
forward - by tube from Stratford,
changing to the Northern Line and
getting off at the last stop: High
Barnet. The tube line runs past the
ground, which is set in a hollow so
is very visible, especially under
floodlights. Particularly noticeable
was just how few supporters
travelled to the game on the tube -
probably a sad reflection of the
choices available to football fans
in the capital.
3. What you did before the game
pub/chippy.... home fans friendly?
My decision to go to the game was
very last minute, so I had already
eaten. A half time tea and chocolate
bar was obviously no different to
anywhere else. The only home fans I
spoke to was on the tube after the
game - in common with many
supporters at this level I suspect,
they both also had 'other' teams.
But they regularly went to Underhill
for the quality of the entertainment
4. What you thought on seeing the
ground, first impressions of away
end then other sides of the ground?
The approach was along a residential
suburban street before cutting
between the cricket pitch and
pavilion, although the family stand
which I sat in was not 'double-sided
as was Park Avenue's in the 70s. The
stand felt like a semi-permanent but
very adequate structure. The rest of
the ground was the quirky
hotch-potch of seating and terracing
that epitomises lower league grounds
and make them so interesting.
5. Comment on the game itself,
atmosphere, stewards, pies,
facilities etc..
It was great to be able to hear the
players yelling at each other,
although perhaps not so much for
them when fans vented their
frustrations! Seeing the number of
players in the programme who have
turned out for my club, Leeds, in
recent years (Graham Stack, John
Oster, Curtis Weston, Michael
Duberry), reminded me just how far
Leeds have fallen from grace.
The game itself was far more
enjoyable than West Ham v Stoke,
which I had watched the previous
evening. An entertaining 2-2 draw in
torrential rain - the two highlights
were a chaotic Oxford indirect
free-kick on the edge of the 6 yard
box, and a last minute header that
hit one post, bounced along the
line, hit the other post and was
cleared, as the home fans watched on
in agony.
The Oxford fans were the main
contributors to the atmosphere, such
as could be generated by the meagre
1500 crowd.
6. Comment on getting away from the
ground after the game:
Back up the hill to the
tube...congestion not a problem.
7. Summary of overall thoughts of
the day out:
A great evening's entertainment, but
one wonders how these clubs manage
to survive on so little. All true
football fans of so-called bigger
clubs should take the trouble to get
along to grounds like Underhill from
time to time - football needs to
retain the diversity of the current
league system. I would genuinely
rather take in a game like this than
sit at home and watch the same old
Champions League games week in, week
out.
|
|
|