My original aim is still on – at the outset of the season, I intended to visit a home game at every side in the Northern League (all 41 of them) and thanks to late fixture re-arrangements, I’m back on track. Previously, it looked like I wouldn’t be able to see a ‘Washey’ home game, and I thought I’d have to manoeuvre the goalposts somewhat to a ‘game at every ground’ (Washington sharing with Sunderland West End). The downside? Coming to this place twice.
My mate Molly had travelled the 100 or so miles up from Barnsley to see a game. I tried managing his expectations; the Ford Quarry Hub is the worst matchday experience in the Northern League. Plastic pitch, no terracing, a couple of ‘stands’ dumped by a passing lorry and crane…and you can’t even walk around all 4 sides of the pitch, as the dugout side is verbatim. Added to this, you have to gain entrance through a leisure centre where they’re still asking for a QR code (or you fill in your life’s details on a piece of paper) and once you’ve paid to go through the turnstile, you technically have to leave the ground again to use the catering facilities (basically, the leisure centre bar. I said last time I wouldn’t be back, little realising at the time that two sides play here. Hopefully Washington can return whence they came….rather than the edge of Sunderland. (Washington’s original home at Albany Park had its changing rooms burnt down in 2009 and they find themselves at the Ford Quarry Hub via Sunderland Nissan. No return to their hometown appears likely anytime soon.)
Luckily, it was a beautiful sunny day and ideal for leaning on the perimeter fence and chewing the fat with your mate. Things which annoy us in modern football: foul throws, throw-ins being taken from the wrong place, and timewasting by goalkeepers (unpunished by refs). That’s just 3 things before we veered off into other conversations. Why do poor people vote Tory? Why do people in the national media presume all football fans (apart from Forest) have sympathy for Derby County? (I’m convinced no-one in the Championship has any sympathy, let alone Wycombe Wanderers, whose place they stole last season.)
In the meantime, visitors Redcar Town (in their debut season in the Northern League) cantered to a 2-0 win. Ahead but for the opening 60 seconds, Redcar cemented their top half position, while Washington continue to look over their shoulders nervously at 2nd off bottom Esh Winning; 3 points behind, 3 games left….and potential relegation. (‘Potential’ being the operative word; all might hinge on end of season reshuffles of leagues’ memberships.)
The Damage:
£5 ent
£3.30 can of Stella
= £8.30
BBC 5Live
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