Today, on a very cold and cloudy Saturday in January, I made the short train ride from my hometown to Bell Close, home of Leighton Town FC (Leighton Buzzard) in their match against Potton United in the Spartan South Midlands Premier Division (tier 9), which was the first ground hop and stadium review of the year. Potton United, placed in fifth position at the start of the day, won the game 2-1 after going into the half-time period a goal down.
FACILITIES
The ground, which has a capacity of 2800 of which 400 is seated (according to Wikipedia, there seemed less seats than that) is comprised of a main seated stand located close to the pitch’s halfway line, a roofed standing section behind one of the goals as well as an unroofed terrace behind the goal closest to the turnstiles, as well as perimeter fencing all the way around the pitch meaning you can stand pretty much anywhere. There is also a very decently sized bar and hall which is seen just as you walk through the turnstiles
For this level of the game, this a very tidy ground which is slightly above average in its capacity compared to the other teams in the same league and the main stand is one of the biggest in the division.
I am a big fan of the main stand in particular as it looks appealing with its alternately red and white coloured seating sections and it offers a good, unrestricted view of the game while still being close to the action.
It is better than Tring’s stadium, who are in the same league, in my opinion, and for that I will give the facilities at Bell Close an
8/10
FOOD AND DRINK
Food and drink is served from a little hatch which is hidden away (took me a while to find!) in the far corner of the end closest the turnstiles. The typical items that you would expect such as burgers, bacon rolls and hot dogs as well as hot drinks like tea, coffee and hot chocolate are all on the menu, however, just like last week at Tring, there was no place for my match essential, chips, which may be a theme at football clubs of this level. Cold snacks such as crisps (which I ended up getting) and chocolate bars are also available and cost 80p.
The food is priced reasonably but at a rate that is just slightly higher than the same products at Tring Athletic, while I noticed that the bacon rolls are served with tiger bread instead of just normal, which is something I would rate if I had one.
Decent selection and price but lack of chips means it will only get a..
4/10
FANS
When I saw a fairly large group of fans gather behind the goal and unveiled a flag, I expected them to sing throughout the game, but this was not the case, unfortunately. Except for a couple of light-hearted attempts and the occasional “You’re Sh!t” to the opposition strikers and goalie, they made no noise during the match.
A decent number of fans did turn up for this game though however, and, although an official attendance has not been announced as of writing, I would estimate there were no less than their seasonal average of 109, which is amongst the highest in the division.
4/10
MATCH PROGRAMME
The match programme, which cost £1 from the turnstiles, is very basic and thin and, while it does contain good information on the history of both teams and limited adverts, the images used (which are in colour) are not of the best quality and it doesn’t feature the typical two page spread with the teams fixtures, results, attendance, starting line ups, goal scorers etc. which was a big disappointment as this an essential in my opinion.
Nowhere near as good as Tring’s efforts last week and cost a pound more, although it was only £1 still so I maybe can’t expect too much.
4/10
PRICES
Like last week at Tring Athletic (sorry I keep comparing too much but they are in the same league) the cost for an adult is just £6, with an even cheaper £3 ticket (as opposed to Tring’s £4) for concessions, although under 16s do have to pay a quid rather than getting a free entrance. Maybe these are the standard prices for this level of the game, but in my opinion, this seems very cheap to watch a full 90 minutes of football which is still of a reasonable standard.
The food and drink is also reasonably priced although is slightly more expensive than what Tring where offering, but you can still easily pay under £15 for your whole time in the ground, including getting a pint or two from the bar.
8/10
OVERALL
Overall, this a very tidy ground for a team at this level which will not cost you an arm and a leg. Some aspects can be improved upon, such as the match programme and atmosphere, but altogether this ground is well worth a visit if possible, with the train station, which is on the route from London to Birmingham, being a 20 minute walk or 10 minute bus journey away, as well as being located close to a main road and having good car parking if you are travelling by car.
28/50
Where does this rank on the official Football Ground-Low league table? Click here to find out!
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