You can't beat a good quality carpet! After reading ace FGIF correspondent Paul Roth's expertly penned missive (see http://www.footballgroundsinfocus.com/TT910194.htm), following his visit to Haggerston Park last season, I was keen to follow in his learned footsteps and get to the ground myself. Although I knew it would be better to take advantage of the excellent 3G surface and save a trip here until the weather was more wintry, I just couldn't wait any longer to tick the artificially turfed ground off my 'to do' list. I know that many of you still planning to go here for your fix, will probably choose to wait, leaving it, quite rightly, until a cold snap hits this part of north east London come the winter months.

Having watched several games played on the new 'rubber crumb' technology surface in recent seasons, coincidentally all venues apart from one (at the Hitchin Arena) being used by clubs in the Middlesex County League including: Hayes United FC (Rosedale College); The Wilberforce Wanderers FC (White Hart Lane Community Stadium); Interwood FC (Memorial Park, West Ham) and Vallance FC (West Ham Community Sports Trust, Beckton), I must confess to increasingly enjoying the whole experience. Obviously it's not the same as playing the game on grass but the flat surface (notably different from one cage to another!) does lend itself to a much better passing game with potentially less room for error from an awkward bounce or bobble. The Premier Division fixture between Interwood and Copland was without doubt the best game of football I saw last season - the passing was significantly superior to most games I had attended in 2009-10.

Today Sporting Hackney Football Club was entertaining Singh Sabha Slough from er, wait for it...Berkshire. Since gaining promotion from Division 1 of this competition at the end of last season, the hosts have made a solid start to their campaign in the higher status Premier Division. Before play they had won two, lost two and drawn one of their previous five games, ocupying a mid table position as a result. Both sides had already met each other on the last Saturday in August, sharing the points in a 1-1 played at Eton Wick FC, a club with whom SSS are currently tenants in a groundsharing agreement this season.

It was no real surprise then as the teams fought out a 2-2 draw this afternoon. It was an exciting game in which Sporting Hackney were made to fight all the way, leaving it very late to earn a point. After a goalless first half Singh, wearing black and red striped shirts, opened the scoring moments after the re-start when Dwaine Clarke (46) picked up a pass on the left hand side of the box before rifling the ball home with a low shot beating home keeper Mark Chamberlain at his right hand post. Ravinder Sehajdal (53) added a second soon after, intercepting a poor back pass from Sean Bradshaw and then rounding Chambrlain to tap the ball into an empty net from close range. Sporting's Adam Sturdy (61) put his side back into the game just after the hour mark with a stunning volley that came from Marlon Sharpe's pin point cross. The hosts, dressed in blue and yelow, had a great chance to draw level but Chis Monahan's (76) penalty, awarded after Clarke's clumsy challenge on Ben Brown, was placed well over the bar. When it looked as though the visitors had done enough to win the game, Sporting pressed with one final counter attack, Monahan (90+3) stretching his leg out to toe poke the ball home at the far post, more than making up for his earlier penalty miss. The game played in front of 21 spectators, including a number of London-based hoppers, took place in bright sunny conditions interrupted by a few squally showers. Many present felt that it had also been a tremendous advert for Middlesex County League football.

So what's the 'ground' like? Haggerston Park is a veritable oasis in what is the urban jungle of E2 (in the London Borough of Hackney). It is bounded by Whiston Road (to the north), Hackney Road (south) and St Saviour's Priory, Queensbridge Road (west) and Goldsmith's Row (east). The park was originally created in the 1950s and extended in the 1980s. It was carved out of an area of derelict housing, a tile manufacturer, and the old Shoreditch gasworks.

As there is no dedicated car park at the ground and with it being difficult to find a suitable place in the adjoining streets, the venue is best reached by train from either Haggerston or Bethnal Green stations, both within half a mile (or ten minutes walk). Entry, off Whiston Road, is along a narrow path where a large and colourful 'welcome' sign gives you important local information and a map about the site. All the buildings here are really shoe-horned into the tight space. The modern pavilion houses a ranger's office, communal area and several changing rooms. A couple of floodlit tennis courts are found to the left. Behind here St Saviour's Priory makes or a splendid architectural backdrop. Indeed if you stand in the furthest corner of the cage you can even spot 30 St Mary Axe (otherwise known as the Gherkin), the 40 floor, 180 metre/581 feet tall skyscraper set in the financial area of the city which surprisingly is only a few of miles from here (as the crow flies).

A short walk leads (on the left) to the nearest side of the cage (where high wire net fencing surrounds the entire perimeter); a couple of warning notices for players and spectators are fixed to the netting near to the entrance gate. With the facility being a community MUGA (multi use games area), it has many pitches (catering for several different sports) marked out on the surface. Before the game today a couple groups had hired out the cage arranging the portable goals to play their own games alongside each other. The park itself is a busy centre for activity being used by locals and visitors for socialising, dog walking and BMX biking. Look out for the picnic seat in the shape of a dog bone next to the pond! Travellers will certainly find many distractions here, including the regular passage of planes using the flight path to/from Heathrow, which can frequently allow your eyes to wander from the action. 

As I mentioned earlier the type 3G surface found in these pitches can be quite different, not only in appearance and texture but also in affecting the playing quality, naturally dictating the bounce and roll of the ball. I couldn't help but notice that Haggerston Park tends to have a larger concentration of black 'crumb' in its composition which often brushes to the top surface during the game (particularly following tackles, dead ball strikes etc). Just like Paul, I decided not, on this occasion, to rub my forehead or step barefoot over the synthetic strands of grass. Had the weather been much warmer and the place been deserted then maybe I would have been  tempted to do it. There is no cover or dug outs pitchside here, so come prepared if the weather looks as though it could drastically change or affect proceedings. There is plenty of room on both sides of the pitch for spectators to stand and watch the game. Most of the playing staff, coaches and subs as well as visitors chose to stand along the on the side nearest to the entrance. 

Travellers to Haggerston Park will be pleased to learn that Sporting Hackney FC are issuing programmes for all of the home games this season. And a splendid effort it is too! We managed to obtain our copies from player/club secretary Marlon Sharpe who kindly brought them to us from the changing rooms. Complete with full colour cover showing the playing squad, 'The Sporting Hackney Review' contains plenty of reading material within its eight pages - check out the view from the dugout; focus on the visitors; form guide and a player profile as well as the team line ups on the back. It's Paper-chasing heaven here!

In summing up, I can thoroughly recommend a visit to Haggerston Park to all travellers. With Ben Watson and Marlon Sharpe at the helm, Sporting Hackney FC is a very friendly club that welcomes all hoppers. They certainly made our short stay a very pleasant one. So if you decide to attend a game soon or leave it as an alternative in the event of poor weather during the winter, you will certainly not be disappointed. With talk about the club possibly moving to a new purpose built site on the Hackney Marshes as part of the 2012 Olympic Games legacy, don't leave it too late! The joys of watching football on pretend grass continue...have fun!

FGIF Match Stats

Scorers: (H) A Sturdy (62); C Monaghan (90+3) and (A) Dwain Clarke (46); R Sehajdal (53)

Attendance: 21; Admission: None; Programme: Donation, 8pp; Match rating: 3/5; Ground rating: 4/5.