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Rose tinted specs


wintonfan

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Following on from the new stadia thread, 30 years ago when i started going to football here was a typical day. Get into ground and walk over rough gravel or mud to terracing, this was either slippery old wooden railway sleepers or ash/mud and gravel. Covered terraces usually had leaky roofs and the rake of the terrace was shallow, rare grounds with seats had wooden benches and pillars so obstructed views. The pitch come winter was soft so high ball game or play anywhere but the ground. Half time you went for a pee against a wall, need a shit or female fans ask to use the dressing rooms. Food was pie and bovril or tea. No cafe to enjoy your food inside, apart from whitletts at the old dog track, they had decent toilets too.

Now, well thats covered in the new stadia thread. Okay the new grounds are pretty lacking in identity but they are more pleasant places to watch football, they are also a lot safer and accessible for disabled fans. Sometimes to look forward you have to look back

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Was thinking similar at Vale of Leven today.

I had never been here before and it's very much the sort of place I love visiting but there's no hiding from the fact it's in need of upgrading. I don't really like being overly critical of specific venues because the clubs will already know full well what needs done, and VOL deserve enormous credit for getting the pitch playable on such a honking day when a lot of "modern" places couldn't, but looking at the bigger picture you have to wonder what a ground like this will be like in 10-15 years time.  

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13 minutes ago, Shanner said:

Was thinking similar at Vale of Leven today.

I had never been here before and it's very much the sort of place I love visiting but there's no hiding from the fact it's in need of upgrading. I don't really like being overly critical of specific venues because the clubs will already know full well what needs done, and VOL deserve enormous credit for getting the pitch playable on such a honking day when a lot of "modern" places couldn't, but looking at the bigger picture you have to wonder what a ground like this will be like in 10-15 years time.  

I enjoy my visit to VoL, despite it being a good 50 miles away.   As for 10-15 years time?  It has a good grass park which I would have any day over an artificial surface which may or may not still be here in 10-15 years time.

 

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5 minutes ago, bc57 said:

I enjoy my visit to VoL, despite it being a good 50 miles away.   As for 10-15 years time?  It has a good grass park which I would have any day over an artificial surface which may or may not still be here in 10-15 years time.

 

So would most people, but we can't always get what we want. however that's been done to death in the other thread and the broader point is that crumbling, overgrown  terraces and ankle deep mud doesn't really make for an attractive setting for the majority of football fans these days, so good pitch or not the place needs upgrading and isn't alone in that regard in the Junior grade. 

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You can still piss against a wall at the Winton if that's your thing, the view is limited from certain seats and you pick your way through gravel and puddles to get to the turnstiles. I enjoy your ground to be honest but times are changing [emoji52] how did the meeting go?

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As someone whose main hobby is going to different grounds, the very attraction of the hobby is the character of great places such as Millburn Park where I was yesterday. Another bloke had come up to do the ground as a day trip from London (and nearly missed his train home after problems on the Balloch-to-Glasgow line). Give me a place like VoL over the sterility of a new box as identical as the next, every time. Stand atop the banking at Craighill Park Lesmahagow and tell me the view of the ground laid out before you doesn't stir the heart and you'd rather watch your football at (new) Petershill Park. No, no, no ! If Junior grounds aren't shiny enough for you, there are padded-seat SPFL clubs ready and willing to fleece you.

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Pat, my post was all about how football has moved on over the last 30 years yet a lot on here are so against change. Yes awr have led the charge in ground improvements and yes winton park is a credit to all those involved. 

As for me coming back, well thanks for the kind invitation but being at football brings the worst out of me as a person, it turns me into a bigger twat than i am normally. I made a promise to 2 females currently snoring away beside me (1 canine and 1 human) that i wouldn't go back.  Besides the club is better off without me

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1 hour ago, LeedsPhil said:

As someone whose main hobby is going to different grounds, the very attraction of the hobby is the character of great places such as Millburn Park where I was yesterday. Another bloke had come up to do the ground as a day trip from London (and nearly missed his train home after problems on the Balloch-to-Glasgow line). Give me a place like VoL over the sterility of a new box as identical as the next, every time. Stand atop the banking at Craighill Park Lesmahagow and tell me the view of the ground laid out before you doesn't stir the heart and you'd rather watch your football at (new) Petershill Park. No, no, no ! If Junior grounds aren't shiny enough for you, there are padded-seat SPFL clubs ready and willing to fleece you.

ave always said that my favourite place to go watch a game, apart from Lanark with its view of the Tinto Hill, is Lesmahagow.  I drive many miles to watch games at 'traditional' grounds rather than the modern facilities which are being created ( through necessity).  I'll be long gone before my preferences are all phased out. 

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I love a well maintained traditional ground, as long as it has decent toilet facilities, a pie hut, and a non leaky roof I'm happy.  There's plenty room in the game for traditional and new build, although 3G "cages" bring nothing to the game.

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eade09f068e90a233ae7b497813a191b.jpg
We have what i would call a good old fashioned ground , and i love it , but i think certain clubs can get a good balance between old and new , Renfrew being a prime example , really well done in my opinion , not so petershill or according to others the new rossvale ground , but when clubs are trying to stay alive and keep themselves sustainable its hard to argue , as for some clubs with older grounds alot of them are trying there best to modernise with the limited funds they have , and commited committee men deserve huge credit for all the work they put in .

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Love duncansfield as a ground, proper old school

Another thing, pre internet awaydays in the Scottish were a big adventure, pack the pieces and liquid and away you go. Sometimes the club would supply directions to the ground otherwise it was haw jimmy.

Now you put a post code into satnav having previously looked up the ground on non league Scotland, recced the pubs on tripadvisor and checked the takeaway menu on just eat. 

Changed days

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6 minutes ago, wintonfan said:

Love duncansfield as a ground, proper old school

Another thing, pre internet awaydays in the Scottish were a big adventure, pack the pieces and liquid and away you go. Sometimes the club would supply directions to the ground otherwise it was haw jimmy.

Now you put a post code into satnav having previously looked up the ground on non league Scotland, recced the pubs on tripadvisor and checked the takeaway menu on just eat. 

Changed days

Might as well watch the game on SJFA 18. ( that's 1918 according to Fixture man)

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stoater of an enclosure in that Kilsyth pic. didn't realise they had that. 


It is a cracker, but It's a hike round the pitch to get to it so very few people actually go in it. Any time I've been there I've only seen about 3 people actually in it with the rest of the crowd all on the open side.
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It is a cracker, but It's a hike round the pitch to get to it so very few people actually go in it. Any time I've been there I've only seen about 3 people actually in it with the rest of the crowd all on the open side.

Lol a can assure u peter when it's pissing down it's full , u must bring decent weather over from ruglen [emoji16]
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Lol a can assure u peter when it's pissing down it's full , u must bring decent weather over from ruglen [emoji16]


Kilsyth really must be one of the most understated grounds in the juniors , I love it's character , it's pitch and just how unique it is , big thumbs up from me.

As for winton park it's a cracking wee ground and it's working its way back to its best which was in the 90s when it was the best junior ground in Scotland for me .
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