Sporting Venues — CFFC

This week’s Fun Foto Challenge is bound to result in some terminological conflicts when it comes to Football as we explore Sporting Venues 🤣 While football is going to feature quite strongly, I’ve done my best to dig out a couple of unusual venues to bring some variety.

But we will start with football – This is Whitehawk’s ground on the downs outside Brighton…

…The pitch has a very pronounced slope and the home side prefer to play downhill in the second half when players are becoming tired – That’s called home advantage 🤣

Crystal Palace National Sports Centre…

…One of 5 National Sports Centres providing training venues for athletes in a variety of disciplines and also hosting major sporting events.

The Emirates Stadium…

…Home of Arsenal Football Club. Known as ‘The Gunners’, their fans are often called Gooners – My Son is one of these 😅

I guess it’s time to sneak in a train, albeit a distant one…

…The River Thames at Barnes. The Thames hosts the annual University Boat Race starting at Putney and finishing at Chiswick in which teams from Oxford and Cambridge compete. Barnes is in the final stretch just a few hundred yards from the finish and by this stage the result has usually been decided.

Sticking close to the Thames, This is Canvey Island FC’s ground…

…A rather unique ground where you can watch ships passing above you! The pitch is around 2 metres below high tide level. You can see the flood defences in the distance on the right.

The Royal Albert Hall…

…More usually known for the annual Promenade Concerts and as a music venue in general, it has also played host to major Boxing Fights.

Middlesex Cricket Club School…

…Initially, the whole building was used to train young cricketers but now it is shared by a gym. There, I’ve snuck in a bus too 🤣

Home…

…Wingate & Finchley’s Summers Lane stadium seen during a pre-season friendly vs Peterborough United’s U18’s. As my regular readers know tragedy recently struck here when a visiting player collided with the wall and subsequently died. The wall has now been replaced and we had our first home game in 2 months last Saturday – You can read about that in the Guardian.

Finally, a venue that is no longer there – Stanley Road…

…One time sports ground for local schools in Finchley – The grazed knees on the gravel surface are still a memory for me 😅 It had long been disused by the time I took this in 2009. Barnet Council wanted to build housing on it and there was a public outcry. Ultimately a compromise was reached where the land was used to build a new school, The Archer Academy. My Son attended that school so we can both claim to have been to Stanley Road 🤣