7.30pm 7 December 2013
Leinster Senior League, Senior Division One
Arklow Town 3 Verona 0 (att 77)
These days it's rare to visit a football ground without having a good idea in advance of the facilities you're going to find. Even rarer to make a surprise discovery of a proper football ground with a massive covered terrace running the length of the pitch.
I knew Arklow had floodlights, the 7.30pm kick off in December being a clue, but the ground was far better than I'd expected for a team in the second level of the Leinster Senior League.
The terrace, seven steps with crush barriers topped by a high angled roof, is at the top of a grass bank above the pitch and dominates the ground. To the right are turnstiles, unused tonight, and a raised open standing area with some seats bolted onto the wall.
In the right hand far corner is a clubhouse, housing the bar and changing rooms, and with a few more open seats nearby, while there are dugouts on the far side opposite the stand, with open flat standing and car parking behind.
The vehicle entrance, which doubles as the spectator entrance with the turnstiles shut, is to the left of the terrace, and as you enter the ground you pass shrubs in neat pots each with ATFC painted on. A wooden hut in the far left hand corner is the place to go for teas and coffees.
The pitch itself is enclosed by a combination of brick wall and wooden fencing. Beyond the entrance driveway to the left is a full sized floodlit all-weather pitch. There may even have been another pitch beyond that, but it was difficult to tell in the dark.
The ground's traditional name appears to be Lamberton, but a sponsorship deal with a local shopping mall means it now has the less romantic name of Bridgewater Centre Park.
With so much to admire off the pitch the game had a lot of live up to. It wasn't bad, with Arklow pleasing their supporters with a convincing and deserved win. They were relegated from the Leinster Senior League's top division last season, and are involved in another relegation battle this time. Hopefully the club's fortunes will soon be on the rise, as as the ground deserves to stage a decent level of football.
Leinster Senior League, Senior Division One
Arklow Town 3 Verona 0 (att 77)
These days it's rare to visit a football ground without having a good idea in advance of the facilities you're going to find. Even rarer to make a surprise discovery of a proper football ground with a massive covered terrace running the length of the pitch.
I knew Arklow had floodlights, the 7.30pm kick off in December being a clue, but the ground was far better than I'd expected for a team in the second level of the Leinster Senior League.
The terrace, seven steps with crush barriers topped by a high angled roof, is at the top of a grass bank above the pitch and dominates the ground. To the right are turnstiles, unused tonight, and a raised open standing area with some seats bolted onto the wall.
In the right hand far corner is a clubhouse, housing the bar and changing rooms, and with a few more open seats nearby, while there are dugouts on the far side opposite the stand, with open flat standing and car parking behind.
The vehicle entrance, which doubles as the spectator entrance with the turnstiles shut, is to the left of the terrace, and as you enter the ground you pass shrubs in neat pots each with ATFC painted on. A wooden hut in the far left hand corner is the place to go for teas and coffees.
The pitch itself is enclosed by a combination of brick wall and wooden fencing. Beyond the entrance driveway to the left is a full sized floodlit all-weather pitch. There may even have been another pitch beyond that, but it was difficult to tell in the dark.
The ground's traditional name appears to be Lamberton, but a sponsorship deal with a local shopping mall means it now has the less romantic name of Bridgewater Centre Park.
With so much to admire off the pitch the game had a lot of live up to. It wasn't bad, with Arklow pleasing their supporters with a convincing and deserved win. They were relegated from the Leinster Senior League's top division last season, and are involved in another relegation battle this time. Hopefully the club's fortunes will soon be on the rise, as as the ground deserves to stage a decent level of football.
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