No.1 - Sat 4th August 2012; Midland Football Alliance;                                      3pm at the Loughborough University Stadium; Holywell Park; Ashby Road; Loughborough; Leics; LE11 3QF.

 

Matchday images (75) https://picasaweb.google.com/footballgroundsinfocus/LoughboroughUniversityFC02

Loughborough University (0) 1  Causeway United (0) 0

A First Class Hop!

What a great start to the new football season! For the self-confessed sports addict this has been a fantastic Summer celebration of non-stop acton. With Euro 2012 football in Poland and Ukraine; tennis at Wimbledon and now the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games upon us it really doesn't get much better does than this does it? It doesn't seem that long ago since the last season finished and here we are ready to start another.

With a handful of leagues starting their programme of fixtures today we decide (at the last minute) to pick a match in the Midland Football Alliance, incredibly a competition that I have never ever seen a game in before. We are in luck too as Loughborough University Football Club are playing their debut league game, in the brand spanking new ground at Holywell Park which has recently opened amid glowing reports since it was completed. It goes without saying that we can hardly wait to get there!!

It's been nearly thirty years since I first went to Loughborough when I attended the University as a young undergraduate PE student. I can still remember wearing that fetching African violet tracksuit to my lectures; feasting on high-cholesterol cornish pasties and chocolate bars at the over-priced Purple Onion snack bar and knocking back the beers at the Barley Mow pub in town. Ah those were the days! A trip back to my alma mater is always filled with such nostalgia as I pull off junction 23 of the M1 and head down Ashby Road once again. Although the town has changed little over the years the campus has grown at an alarming rate with new developments going up quicker than you can say Football Grounds In Focus!

I have a rough idea where to turn off and follow signs on the right hand side of Ashby Road (A512) directing me to Holywell Park. A security guard raises the barrier on the approach road (landscaped at intervals with an array of tall banners depicting students now representing GB in the Olympics!) and am told to park up at the area marked General Spectator Parking. Although the ground is not visible on the approach drive (being hidden by woodland) there is no need to panic as it is only a short walk from the designated bays marked Car Park W. A narrow path on the left takes you alongside a large sports field where two pitches (one completely railed off) are marked out on the right. Immediately in front are two full-sized beach volleyball courts used recently by the GB Olympic team for pre-Games training! A large sign welcoming you to Holywell Park featuring the distinctive torch logo (in purple of course) marks the entrance to the ground which soon becomes visible in the immediate distance. Access for the spectator is via a smart turnstile block found at the far end of the main stand.  

Wow! What a terrific stadium! Rather than offer a longer detailed account of the layout I will list the general features (as highlighted the the LUFC website) and allow the matchday photos serve as a more useful guide and description. To whet your appetite the fully enclosed Holywell Park (opened in Summer with the visit of a Tottenham Hotspur XI) can accommodate crowds of up to 3,500 people with a main two-storey stand providing seating for 300. There is terraced standing on all sides catering for 2700; 14 changing rooms under the main stand; floodlights (four pylons); a PA system and, uniquely for this level, a digital scoreboard in one corner. The club can offer smart conference facilities; a social area with a bar and kitchen space as well as a directors room/seminar room at the rear of the stand. Needless to say you will love it!!

The game saw the visit of Birmingham-based opponents Causeway United to the Lougborough University Stadium. Sadly the match did little to raise the spirits. The students managed to break the deadlock mid-way through the second half when a Liam Green (73) shot somehow bobbles under Causeway keeper Tom Turner. With few chances to score neither side can find the net after this and the hosts scrape a home win to earn three valuable points. And that's it...not a lot to shout about I'm afraid!!    

The match played in sunny, bright conditions punctuated with showers, attracted almost 70 spectators including, as expected, a large contingent of hoppers, to Holywell Park. A smart basic but over-priced programme (£2.40) with glossy outer news shell (edited monthly) and a small insert covering the line ups was issued for the game today. Although the matcday magazies had been sold out by the time we arrived owing to the larger demand I didn't miss out as Vicki Unwin, Head of Sport Fundraising, kindly managed to run off a couple of extra copies for us. What great service!

By full-time we all agreed that Holywell Park is certainly a cracking set up and one that is definitely geared to host football at a much higher level. It goes without saying that this is one stadium to savour. What is more we found everyone associated with the club to be friendly and welcoming ensuring we enjoyed our matchday experience. For someone with a soft spot fot the Uni I certainly hope that the club can match the superb facilities with similar ambition on the pitch and hopefully attract greater numbers to watch home games. If the University motto is anything to go by : Veritate, Scientia, Labore - truth, wisdom and hard work - it won't be long before this will soon be achieved! A great way to start the new season. Enjoy your trip to Holywell Park whenever you go!   

FGIF Match Stats

Scorers: (H) L Green (73) and (A) N/A

Attendance: 66; Admission: £5; Programme: £2.50; Match rating: 2/5; Ground rating: 53/5.

Links

http://loughboroughsport.com/football/

http://midlandfootballalliance.pitchero.com/

edited on 05/08/12