Non-League 25/26

The highlights of that Hallam Vs Stocksbridge game 

Chelmsford v Braintree FA Cup today

Really good day

Chelmsford surprisingly good

Braintree astonishingly bad

Not the best pictures but hard to get any decent vantage point in what was their record attendance

Staveley MW vs Holiwell for me yesterday 

Ended 4 - 0 to Staveley with home side missing a penalty and a hat full of chances aswell and away team having one cleared of line and missing a one on one with keeper 

First time in a while ive been to Staveley and got to say I was really impressed by the set up they have there especially compared to a lot of the other teams in same division definitely worth a visit if you have a free afternoon 

Gainsborough are playing today. I like how the BBC have a photo of Big Kev up for the FA Cup games. Hope they win but it’s against Accrington LOLZ WHO ARE THEY so probably won’t.

Good to see you went to Chelmo, scram. I watched it on the TV.

Interesting bit here about them:

23 hours ago, westy365owl said:

Staveley MW vs Holiwell for me yesterday 

 

Ended 4 - 0 to Staveley with home side missing a penalty and a hat full of chances aswell and away team having one cleared of line and missing a one on one with keeper 

 

 

First time in a while ive been to Staveley and got to say I was really impressed by the set up they have there especially compared to a lot of the other teams in same division definitely worth a visit if you have a free afternoon 

Played a charity match there a couple of months back. Cracking little ground they've got. Came off at half time, had a couple of pints in the clubhouse. Then came back on for the last 15

2 hours ago, fredmciverslovechild said:

Good to see you went to Chelmo, scram. I watched it on the TV.

 

Interesting bit here about them:

 

That's a good video explaining what their plan is and the expectations after turning full pro. Was shocked he said 12 National League South teams are now full pro.

Lyle Taylor came across very well and has been excellent so far and the winger on loan from Hartlepool is a handfull.

Scram and I went to the game together - this level of football is very decent and enjoyable. Will be good when Chelmsford hopefully move to a new ground in the next 3-5 years. Hoping for a good tie in the FA Cup draw later!

I know it was only one game - and not the sort of fixture where you can reliably extrapolate to the wider picture

But I was impressed with Chelmsford- thought they had a lot of energy, really effective press, were expansive going forward and decent in transition

When I watch most games I can usually work out what teams are trying to do - even if they're not doing it very effectively 

I had no idea what Braintree's gameplan was supposed to be

It was just a ragged mess

The only thing I could guess at was to get the ball to Akinde and hope he could do something...

Regarding the progress of Chelmsford - they seem well placed to support a league club and their own stadium would probably be a necessity for them to sustain that

On 01/11/2025 at 20:59, scram said:

Chelmsford v Braintree FA Cup today

 

Really good day

 

Chelmsford surprisingly good

 

Braintree astonishingly bad

 

Not the best pictures but hard to get any decent vantage point in what was their record attendance

 

 

 

 

 

Not one of those tight little non league grounds with the crowd right on top of you, then. 

On 01/11/2025 at 20:59, scram said:

Chelmsford v Braintree FA Cup today

 

Really good day

 

Chelmsford surprisingly good

 

Braintree astonishingly bad

 

Not the best pictures but hard to get any decent vantage point in what was their record attendance

 

 

 

 

 

That looks a shocking place to watch football

Yes, it is a rented stadium and I've never liked grounds with running tracks as it can kill the atmosphere. They do have plans to build a new stadium and also a local population big enough to sustain a football league club - similar size city as Colchester just up the road.

But it's tough getting from non-league into the football league - I saw a video about the top player salaries in the National League for example, and Carlisle have 3 in the top 10 and I was shocked at the weekly wages (probably subsidized by the parent clubs of the players). They have 5 players on over £3k a week and an overall weekly wage bill of £54k!

As for Chelmsford, good to have ambition but it has to be within the structure of a sustainable plan so they don't recklessly chase the dream. Of course, a good FA Cup payday can make a dramatic difference!

6 hours ago, Daz said:

Yes, it is a rented stadium and I've never liked grounds with running tracks as it can kill the atmosphere. They do have plans to build a new stadium and also a local population big enough to sustain a football league club - similar size city as Colchester just up the road.

 

But it's tough getting from non-league into the football league - I saw a video about the top player salaries in the National League for example, and Carlisle have 3 in the top 10 and I was shocked at the weekly wages (probably subsidized by the parent clubs of the players). They have 5 players on over £3k a week and an overall weekly wage bill of £54k!

 

As for Chelmsford, good to have ambition but it has to be within the structure of a sustainable plan so they don't recklessly chase the dream. Of course, a good FA Cup payday can make a dramatic difference!

No wonder Carlisle have the ST prices they do with that wage bill.

Can't remember what they were but they they made my eyes water when I saw them.

9 hours ago, Daz said:

Yes, it is a rented stadium and I've never liked grounds with running tracks as it can kill the atmosphere. They do have plans to build a new stadium and also a local population big enough to sustain a football league club - similar size city as Colchester just up the road.

 

But it's tough getting from non-league into the football league - I saw a video about the top player salaries in the National League for example, and Carlisle have 3 in the top 10 and I was shocked at the weekly wages (probably subsidized by the parent clubs of the players). They have 5 players on over £3k a week and an overall weekly wage bill of £54k!

 

As for Chelmsford, good to have ambition but it has to be within the structure of a sustainable plan so they don't recklessly chase the dream. Of course, a good FA Cup payday can make a dramatic difference!

I've actually lived in Chelmsford for forty years now which means I've been watching Chelmsford City play for forty years! And the problem with the ground is not a new one; I would say it's been there for the last 38 of them.

When I first started watching they had a ground almost next door to Essex CCC in the city centre. That was a decent ground though in need of a bit of TLC but was certainly the equivalent of Fourth Division grounds of the time. If they'd stayed there and perhaps ultimately developed it into a 10 to 12,000 capacity stadium I'm certain they would have been in the EFL long ago. But, unfortunately, it didn't work out that way and the ground issue is definitely now holding them back.

The problems started with the storm of Oct 1987 which destroyed part of The Barn; the barrel-shaped covering down one touchline. Rather than re-build it costs meant they had to demolish the entire side so for seven years football was played with a 100 yard wooden garden fence down one side of the pitch. It was odd to say the least. Various proposals were put forward; one involved turning the pitch round by 90 degrees to create more space between it and the County Ground and building a hotel/leisure complex on the land in between but it never got past the initial planning stage. A little later, when thoughts turned to a ground move, sites at what became the university campus and the local park n ride at Sandon were suggested. I remember a programme from about 1992 with a mock up of the ground at Sandon but that came to nothing also. In more recent years the huge development at Beaulieu originally had a sports complex with new grounds for both City and Essex CCC in it; unfortunately that part was never proceeded with.

By the mid-90's the ground had to be sold but, a la Wealdstone and probably countless others, the money the club should have received never materialised. City were forced into ground shares first at Maldon & Tiptree (the coldest place on earth bar none) and hated rivals Billericay Town as attendances plummeted.

A move back to the City was an absolute essential and so Melbourne Stadium was a godsend. That happened in 2006 but it was only ever seen as a stopgap; unfortunately the stopgap has lasted 19 years. It is totally unsuitable for football as the pictures show. On one side you have two lots of running tracks plus the dug outs whilst on the other you have flat standing. Behind the goals you have small bits of metal terracing which are rolled in place for the football season and fencing everywhere. In decent weather like last Sat it's not too bad but the ground is so open that in bad weather it's for the hardy only. You are never going to get occasional fans in a stadium like that.

The current new owner seems to be pushing this new ground business a little more strongly than for a while but it's difficult to see, considering the pressure the local council is under to provide new houses, where this could be within the city. There are probably out of town sites which could be used but I don't think that would be popular with fans. The solution, I am afraid, is not an easy one.

Thanks for that background Fred, I remember the old ground with the nice big stand and right in the center next to the cricket ground. Shame they had to move, as I think they sometimes got 10,000 crowds there in the past. 

A guy behind us on Saturday said they could move close by to the current stadium, and pointed towards the remote end of what appeared to be Melbourne Park. I don't know how feasible it would be (very doubtful), but as you say, the new owner is making all the right noises, but a suitable site is not an easy find. He recently said it's going to be at least 5 years so there is no quick fix, sadly. 

22 minutes ago, Daz said:

Thanks for that background Fred, I remember the old ground with the nice big stand and right in the center next to the cricket ground. Shame they had to move, as I think they sometimes got 10,000 crowds there in the past. 

 

A guy behind us on Saturday said they could move close by to the current stadium, and pointed towards the remote end of what appeared to be Melbourne Park. I don't know how feasible it would be (very doubtful), but as you say, the new owner is making all the right noises, but a suitable site is not an easy find. He recently said it's going to be at least 5 years so there is no quick fix, sadly. 

I think the bit about a ground in Melbourne Park goes back to 2012 when City beat Colchester 3-1 (Clinton Morison and all!) in the First Round and there was talk then about the ground. There always is when they have a good cup run. The talk then was of a temporary ground; quite what the point of that would have been I can't imagine. 

Half the hope seems to be that the athletes might just bugger off leaving City free to develop. That would create extra space for parking and other facilities but it simply ain't going to happen.  

Anyway, I put some pics of the old, well loved, ground on here a while back. Page 60 if it's not the right one.