Post by rustynail on Oct 4, 2015 9:47:02 GMT
After a couple of nights away in sunny Dorset the Eastleigh match was ideal for calling in at on the way home.
The Silverlake stadium is situated near a large road junction for the M3 and M27 motorways but to get there by car you have to drive past the ground then double back.
The stadium sits in a large expanse of ground and is a ramshackle of different types of stand and buildings from porta cabins to a large modern stand at one end of the ground.
I had an inkling that it wouldn't be an away fan friendly ground when I was directed to the away fans turnstile.
On entering the ground I was directed to one half of the new stand by one of the stewards whom had a large number on his yellow hi vis, was he one of the players I thought!
A hot food van was provided charging above average prices and some porta loos situated next to it.
When our fans bus turned up there was immediate disappointment as the bar was off limits despite some representation to the chief steward.
It was obvious that we weren't going to be a threat with our 40 fans in various state of match readiness.
So Eastleigh that's revenue you missed out on.
We watched the match (See report) spreading out in the stand to make our numbers seem massive!
Viewing the match was difficult as the pitch is a good way from the first row of seating the few chants seemed to be lossed in the massive stand.
In the second half the hard core of the Spitfire fans moved down to take up the other half of our stand, no restriction on movement for them then!
Their fans were noisy until we scored our second they didn't seem to get the joke as many got up to leave and we sang " Is there a fire drill?"! By this time the few were out singing the many and for a good ten minutes before the end the stand echoed to chants of "Iron Army"
At the final whistle fans and players went to the boards to thank each other.
You can find a picture on www.pitchsidephoto.co.uk/Season201516/Eastleigh-v-Braintree-Town/i-vTTX6SB/A
but which one is Rustynail?
The Silverlake stadium is situated near a large road junction for the M3 and M27 motorways but to get there by car you have to drive past the ground then double back.
The stadium sits in a large expanse of ground and is a ramshackle of different types of stand and buildings from porta cabins to a large modern stand at one end of the ground.
I had an inkling that it wouldn't be an away fan friendly ground when I was directed to the away fans turnstile.
On entering the ground I was directed to one half of the new stand by one of the stewards whom had a large number on his yellow hi vis, was he one of the players I thought!
A hot food van was provided charging above average prices and some porta loos situated next to it.
When our fans bus turned up there was immediate disappointment as the bar was off limits despite some representation to the chief steward.
It was obvious that we weren't going to be a threat with our 40 fans in various state of match readiness.
So Eastleigh that's revenue you missed out on.
We watched the match (See report) spreading out in the stand to make our numbers seem massive!
Viewing the match was difficult as the pitch is a good way from the first row of seating the few chants seemed to be lossed in the massive stand.
In the second half the hard core of the Spitfire fans moved down to take up the other half of our stand, no restriction on movement for them then!
Their fans were noisy until we scored our second they didn't seem to get the joke as many got up to leave and we sang " Is there a fire drill?"! By this time the few were out singing the many and for a good ten minutes before the end the stand echoed to chants of "Iron Army"
At the final whistle fans and players went to the boards to thank each other.
You can find a picture on www.pitchsidephoto.co.uk/Season201516/Eastleigh-v-Braintree-Town/i-vTTX6SB/A
but which one is Rustynail?