Dorset Premier League
Days Park, Swanage
Admission: £3.00
Programme: None
Attendance: 60 (rough head count)
I had long since been wanting to visit Days Park, as I had heard it to be a charmingly old fashioned ground in a very pleasant setting, but which had been falling into disrepair. But a combination of factors - including fixture scheduling, weather, Covid, and inconvenient public transport connections - have thwarted my previous attempts at getting there sooner. With extensive ground redevelopment already under way, I felt the need to make visiting an urgent priority, and with a warm and sunny day forecast to help really augment visiting a beautiful part of the world and an attractive looking ground, I decided to head down to the Dorset coast today.
A considerable part of the attraction of visiting Swanage was the final element of the journey getting there. After arriving at Bournemouth train station, I then caught the Purbeck Breezer 50 open top bus service for a route which is considered one of the most scenic in the country, once it leaves Bournemouth and its suburbs, as it makes its way via the Sandbanks to Shell Bay chain ferry and then through rolling countryside on the Isle of Purbeck before descending down to Swanage seafront. After spending some time in the pleasantly slightly old fashioned town and seafront, I then made my way up to Days Park, about a 15 minute walk. An eye catching club board indicates the entrance from the adjacent public car park, with the football club's own small car park just beyond and in front of the large clubhouse building, which also had the club’s name spelt across its front. The admission fee is taken at a black and white breeze block pay hut in one corner of the ground, and then spectators make their way along the hard standing path behind one end, which has some improvised seating provided by wooden planks attached to beer kegs positioned behind the path. The path then leads up some steps to behind the corner flag, and then along the length, the path leads downhill, past a row of fairly low white walled and black roofed buildings where the changing rooms used to be located, but having fallen into disrepair, the interiors are now out of bounds. Attached to these is a covered spectator area which has been renovated inside. The middle section now has a couple of rows of wooden bench tops positioned on a relatively new concrete base, and either side there is a flat gravel area. A tea bar is housed in a separate building attached to the stand, serving hot and cold drinks, crisps and chocolate bars. An elevated grass area leads to the corner flag, and around the corner, a flight of steps leads down to hard standing behind this end. It is also possible to stand on top of the grass bank, and there are also three memorial stone benches to sit on. Along the remaining length, up until earlier this year, there was a sizeable section of uncovered terracing, but this has been razed to the ground. A large sports hall building backs on to this length, but I understand that this has been condemned and is now out of use. It is attached to the two tier clubhouse building, with the bar on the ground floor, and changing rooms on the first floor. And indeed, players have to walk down a steep flight of stairs to take to the field. With trees and grass banking surrounding the pitch, steep hills and cliffs visible in the distance, plenty of grassy area behind one goal for children to have their own kickabouts, the facilities having a rustic charm, and a really friendly and enthusiastic feel amongst the locals, there is a lot to really enjoy about Days Park, and it will be interesting to see how the ground is transformed in the years to come.
After a difficult last season, finishing third bottom, Swanage have made a decent start to this season, winning two and drawing one of their four league games so far. Sherborne Town Reserves have won one and drawn one of their four league games.
On a warm but partly cloudy afternoon, Sherborne opened the scoring on nine minutes with a lovely goal, Ollie Crisp striking the ball from the edge of the area into the top corner. And they came close to doubling their lead on 12 minutes when a header looped over the keeper and came back off the post. The visitors were good value for their lead, but on 19 minutes, Swanage were awarded a penalty when the ball was played forward into the penalty area, which drew the Sherborne keeper out but he couldn't get to the ball in time without fouling Abraham Adesoji. Charlie Brassington converted emphatically into the right side of the net, despite the keeper going the right way. And in the 41st minute, Swanage took the lead, when the ball was played down the right for Adesoji to run into, the Sherborne keeper was tempted out, but changed his mind, and the striker showed good composure to take his time to bear down on goal before slotting the ball past the keeper. By now, it was a lead Swanage deserved, and which they held onto at the break.
The second half saw Sherborne come back into the game again, and within four minutes of the restart they forced a very decent fingertip save from the home keeper. But on 57 minutes, the visitors were temporarily reduced to ten men for a sin bin offence, yet despite being a man short, they still found an equaliser on 62 minutes when a corner was headed home by Aaron Binding. There was a feeling the game really could have gone either way in the remaining half hour, but in the end, no goals were forthcoming, and a share of the points was probably about right.
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