Aveley v Wealdstone

Unbelievably this was the view from
outside the ground

Aveley v Wealdstone

Saturday 12th March, and for the first time it wasn't finger numbingly cold outside.  And so despite the truly awful game of football that unfolded before us, it was definitely one of the more positive non-league outings we'd experienced this season.

Unlike last weeks rush to Canvey, we gave ourselves plenty of time to arrive and soak up the atmosphere of our surroundings.  We already had half an idea about where we were going as Mill Field is merely a few minutes drive from where we had visited Thurrock earlier on our tour.  Not that you'd necessarily be aware of it though, as the tiny ground is tucked away out of sight and mind from the locals. 

If ever you're looking to get into non-league football and are looking for a team to follow, but are worried about the costs of a season piling up, then I'd recommend picking Aveley as your team.  That's got nothing to do with the ticket prices, prices here are the same as everywhere else in the area.  It's got more to do with the fact that the boundary of the ground is marked out with such low fencing that one could quite comfortably view all the action from the wrong side of the turnstiles.  Not us though, we were eager to get in and see in detail our 11th game of the season. 

Aveley have a strange ground, the pitch is flanked on either side by a large amount of unused grass, resulting in you feeling distant from the action no matter what side of the pitch you stand.  Behind one goal was proof if needed of Aveley's poor goals to game ratio at home this season, as the fence panels that were left had been completely annihilated by wayward shots.  For obvious reasons we decided we wouldn’t be viewing the game from here today.  Oh no, we had our hearts set on trying out the old fashioned wooden stand that we passed on the way in.  We ambled around the pitch passing the free-flowing named 'The Veolia Mardyke Trust Stand', wondering if any fan had previously attempted to incorporate such a mouthful into a terrace chant.



Appetising Food Menu



Before settling in our spot for the day, we headed over to grab a bite to eat.  The menu here was less than inviting, with no prices and seemingly very little in the way of edible food on sale.  It was basically a toss up between going for a 'Umbo Hot Og' or a 'Ham U' with perhaps some 'Soft Rinks' thrown in as well.  After much deliberation we slumped for the 'Umbo Hot Ogs and then took our seats.  The wooden stand we'd spotted from afar was complimented with wooden seats, and very uncomfortable wooden seats at that.   Still, we felt as if we were welcome here, we were not outsiders, there was no tension from other fans, it almost felt as if we weren't in Essex.  A huge part of this may well have been due to the warblings of Aveley's stadium announcer, the old lady making small jokes and entertaining the kids that obviously worshipped her whilst simultaneously annoying her at every home game. 



It was as we were trying to make out and mark down the teamsheets on the back of the matchday programme that we saw him.  A strange big headed fellow, wandering around the ground, waving aimlessly and at nobody in particular.  It was our very first matchday mascot!  Who knows for sure whether or not he is a regular here, he may well have just have been drafted in to help raise money for Comic Relief that week (not that he was doing a very good job as the bucket he was shaking looked as if it may have cost more than the amount people donated), but we were pleased to see him even if he seemed less than enthusiastic to be there.

Despite the distractions of the worlds worst mascot we did manage to jot down the full teamsheet, with Aveley opting to pair Salmon and Tuna up front.  We thought at first that there maybe something fishy going on here, but lo-and-behold the programme listed them, so they must be real. 

I'm writing a lot about the surroundings here because nothing much happened in the game.  There was one goal, an opportunist strike from Wealdstone on the half hour mark but that was about your lot.  Now there's coming out and covering your front post, and there's coming out and leaving the goal gaping.  Unfortunately for Aveley their 'keeper opted for the latter. 

To compliment the mascot and help raise money for Comic Relief next Friday, the teams were also to play with a red ball for the duration of the game. The ball itself though appeared very lightweight and difficult to control, floating as it did all over the pitch once the game was underway.

With the teamsheet jotted down in front of us, we were able to identify the players in front of us with ease, something that has been lacking from many of the games we have attended. Aveley's one flair player was Orlando Smith, but he spent much of the first half hugging the touchline and failing to create any chances for the the front two. In fact their best and only chance of the half came when the two strikers teamed up, Salmon, reeled in a couple of defenders and layed the red balloon on a plate for Tuna, who failed to gobble up the chance, blasting as he did high and handsome over the bar.
Half-time soon came around with very little else in the way of entertainment, bar a potential penalty appeal for the away side that was turned down flatly by an unimpressed referee.

The referee's next real involvement of the day would be to pull out the lucky raffle ticket on his way off the pitch at half time, netting a lucky recipient the £25 top prize.

As we waited for the teams to reappear we at last spotted the stereotypical man and his dog that is so often associated with football at this level. Great joy was also taken in seeing a group of kids invade the pitch to set up a game of 'Wembley', and due to the lack of stewards on hand, got away with a good 10 mins of play before the stadium announcer scared them off.

The teams were soon out for the second half, but Aveley couldn't provide enough quality going forward to get back into the game. To put it bluntly, both Salmon and Tuna looked like fish out of water as they continually struggled to breach the Wealdstone net, the latter being taken off before too long. Flair player Orlando bloomed as the half went on, but even his forays away from the touchline failed to spark life into a limited Aveley team.

*pictures to follow shortly