Middlesex County League Premier Division
London Marathon Community Track, Stratford
Admission: Free
Programme: None
Attendance: 11
With rain forecast throughout today, this was certainly a day to have back-ups planned, and so I scratched my original long distance options that I had pencilled in, at Wallingford Town or Risborough Rangers, fearing an abandonment even if the games did go ahead. Instead, I decided to play safe with a trip to east London, with the aim of visiting an intriguing ground located in the shadow of the London Stadium, but with the back up of a revisit to nearby Frenford, whose ground has been completely transformed since my last visit in 2018. Despite having a grass pitch, I never really thought that my first choice game was in any danger, and so it proved on my arrival.
The London Marathon Community Track is about a 15 minute walk from Stratford station, around or through the Westfield Shopping Centre, into the southern edge of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, past the Aquatics Centre and over a bridge, before reaching the London Stadium, home of West Ham United, and then walking down a flight of stairs next to the West Ham club shop, to the entrance of this facility. Entering the ground in one corner, all of the facilities are along this length, with changing rooms, a club room and toilets housed in a blue building below the club shop. Some overhang from this building provides cover, and continues along to cover a stand holding 300 seats, split into six rows, and a disabled area is also available at the front. A running track around the pitch inevitably makes viewing quite distant, although the elevation in the stand helps, and even more by walking up to the walkway around the London Stadium, which offers a great view looking down from one corner. But the standout appeal of this ground is most definitely the spectacular views, looking towards the skyscrapers of Canary Wharf from the stand side, whilst from the opposite side, the very close proximity of the London Stadium makes for an imposing and spectacular backdrop, and The Orbit is also a colourful and unusual feature. A spacious West Ham branded coffee shop is located just outside the entrance gate to the ground, underneath the West Ham club shop. Stonewall did produce an online programme once this season, but not for this game.
Stonewall are quite an unusual club in that they are the highest ranked openly LGBT+ club in the English pyramid, although it should be noted that the club is not exclusively open to LGBT+ players. Formed in 1991, no doubt the club is a force for good in the long battle to break down homophobia which still exists particularly in the men’s game, with the unbelievable situation that not a single player in the professional game at least has felt comfortable enough to come out as gay, and I imagine that one could count on one’s hand those who have down to step 6 in the non-league game - Thetford Town’s player-manager Matt Morton is the only male player I am aware of. So it is excellent that LGBT players have a club in Stonewall where they can feel comfortable in their surroundings to play football. Stonewall are having a steady season in mid table, coming into this game in eighth place in the 14 club division, having won four and drawn three of their 12 league games so far. Formed in 2015, playing their home games at Hadley’s Brickfield Lane, and with “ambitions to reach the professional leagues within 10 years”according to their website, NW London were two places and six points better off than Stonewall, having won seven and drawn three of their ten league games so far.
On a very gloomy afternoon, with frequent rain showers passing through, this was an entertaining game to watch, and that there were not more goals was mostly due to some very good defending, goal saving blocks, and some excellent saves from the keepers. NW London probably had more of the chances throughout the game, but it was looking like a goalless stalemate would be the inevitable outcome, until Stonewall scored the winner in the 87th minute, when the ball was struck powerfully from just outside the penalty area, heading for the top right corner, and although the keeper seemed to get good hands on the ball at full stretch to palm it away, it dropped into the goal. The visitors couldn't really threaten an equaliser in the remaining minutes, and the celebrations amongst the Stonewall players at the final whistle reflected how hard fought the win was for them.
No comments:
Post a Comment