Friday 14 October 2011

Bly Spartans

Bly Spartans compete in the new, for 2011/12, step six league, the Kent Invicta League. I visited them last season, on a Sunday morning, when their youth team were playing, as I happened to be in the area, staying over at a mates, who lives in nearby Chatham.

The ground was very basic then, I'n not sure if any improvements have been made since, when I was there in November 2010 the floodlight pylons had just been erected.




The club grounds, from the main road.



The sign by the entrance.



This is the only way in, main pitch down to the left.



Hmm...not exactly welcoming! (As it happens they weren't either!)



From the path at the access point you can see the main pitch in the distance.



There is a smaller training area before it.



We will start from the corner of the pitch, as you follow the 'path' to the car park. Straight ahead is the club house & changing rooms.



From this corner we look over the pitch.



Railed off behind the goal, with some mesh netting to provide a 'barrier'. We are going to head round the ground toward this end, in a clockwise direction.



Behind the goal we turn right to the club building.



The other direction is the open dugouts side.



The rail & mesh continues to the next corner.



Another view over the pitch from this corner.



Railed off down the side too, but no hard standing.



Moving behind the first of the two dugouts.



This was the away one, seen here from the front.



Now opposite the bar & changing rooms.



Directly over the halfway line.



Walking on, past the other dugout.



Railed off to the next corner.



Nothing at all behind the goal though.



Turning to see back along the touchline.



And the next 'corner flag' shot.



Personalised corner flags.



Game about to kick off..this is the only 'action' shot I got, as a home official came up to me & told me to stop, as it was "against child protection & FA regulations & they were an FA Charter Mark club, & I would need to be CRB checked". I decided it wasn't worth arguing, even though a woman with a posh camera was taking snaps, but that was ok, because 'she was one of the mums'. Hmmm...wonder if she's been CRB checked? Very much doubt it...



Back along the dugouts touchline, looking pitchside.



Now behind the goal.



And directly behind the net, looking up the pitch, with the building in the background, on the left.



The last corner flag picture.



Behind us,set right back, is a storage shed.



Shale standing down this, the main side, railed off once more.



The path continues all the way along.



The front of the club buildings has an overhang, which constitutes some sort of cover.



Here we look toward it, from the path where the players come onto the pitch.



Club name on the roff of the overhang.



A row of seats under it could be construed as a 'small stand' by some!



Tea bar at the end, hatch closed, but stuff on sale inside the bar.



Moving on past the building, & taking a sideways snap of it.



Ahead, to the end where we began.



The rails goes up to the end, the shale hard standing forming the car park in this part of the ground.



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