Saturday 18th July 2009
Pre-season friendly
Recreation Ground, Aldershot
Attendance: 859
Admission: £10
Programme: £1.50
Pre-season friendly
Recreation Ground, Aldershot
Attendance: 859
Admission: £10
Programme: £1.50
I'm not usually too keen on pre-season friendlies, as they are usually such tepid, pedestrian encounters that I prefer to wait for the real thing to start up. However, I was tempted to this pre-season friendly as I have been particularly missing my Saturday afternoon excursions, and the Recreation Ground, Aldershot is a ground that I've been wanting to visit for some time.
Having paid my £10 for a seat in the north stand (standing was also £10, and I was to watch the second half from the covered terrace on the East Bank), I felt quite impressed with this ground. Not of its standard or quality...it's more non-league than league standard, with facilities very basic, and is only three sided, but it makes for a pleasant change these days to visit a ground with old fashioned grandstands and large banks of terracing. Give me a traditional stadium over one of the modern identikit stadia anyday. One negative point was a traditional gripe regarding pre-season programs. £1.50 for a programme containing a page of manager's notes, a couple describing the history of Brentford FC, a couple of pre-season training photos, a team sheet and fixture list...the rest just advertising..truly derisory. I don't have a problem with that per se, but to charge £1.50 for it is just not on in my opinion...
Both teams were mostly first teams with 3 or 4 triallists, and with Aldershot of League 2 and Brentford newly promoted to League 1, I was hoping for an entertaining game. I was wrong. This was a typical pre-season friendly, generally played at a very pedestrian pace and with precious few shots on goal and misplaced passes aplenty, although Brentford shaded the first half. In the second half, Aldershot were probably the better side and squandered some guilt edged chances. It was no surprise the game ended goalless on a cool, damp and cloudy day in northern Hampshire.
The crowd was a disappointing 880. I would certainly recommend a visit to this ground if you like to visit old-fashioned grounds with terracing and character, but not if you're wanting the creature comforts of a new stadium (apparently the food and drink was appalling...I didn't try it). The ground is also conveniently located less than 10 minutes walk from the train station.
Having paid my £10 for a seat in the north stand (standing was also £10, and I was to watch the second half from the covered terrace on the East Bank), I felt quite impressed with this ground. Not of its standard or quality...it's more non-league than league standard, with facilities very basic, and is only three sided, but it makes for a pleasant change these days to visit a ground with old fashioned grandstands and large banks of terracing. Give me a traditional stadium over one of the modern identikit stadia anyday. One negative point was a traditional gripe regarding pre-season programs. £1.50 for a programme containing a page of manager's notes, a couple describing the history of Brentford FC, a couple of pre-season training photos, a team sheet and fixture list...the rest just advertising..truly derisory. I don't have a problem with that per se, but to charge £1.50 for it is just not on in my opinion...
Both teams were mostly first teams with 3 or 4 triallists, and with Aldershot of League 2 and Brentford newly promoted to League 1, I was hoping for an entertaining game. I was wrong. This was a typical pre-season friendly, generally played at a very pedestrian pace and with precious few shots on goal and misplaced passes aplenty, although Brentford shaded the first half. In the second half, Aldershot were probably the better side and squandered some guilt edged chances. It was no surprise the game ended goalless on a cool, damp and cloudy day in northern Hampshire.
The crowd was a disappointing 880. I would certainly recommend a visit to this ground if you like to visit old-fashioned grounds with terracing and character, but not if you're wanting the creature comforts of a new stadium (apparently the food and drink was appalling...I didn't try it). The ground is also conveniently located less than 10 minutes walk from the train station.
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