TT No.67: Mike Latham - Tuesday 25 September 2007: Loosemores League Cup (Welsh Premier League) Group Stage: The New Saints 1-0 Newi Cefn Druids.  Attendance: 307; Admn: £7.50; 32pp programme: £2; FGIF Match Rating: 3* 

 

 

View matchday images  01 02 03

 

“If you end up at the ‘revamped’ TNS, prepare to be under-whelmed,” warned a traveller friend of mine as we discussed our options for Tuesday. “It's still a pleasant setting,” he added, “but there's something of the ‘utilitarian’ about the facilities. If only they could have laid that pitch at Treflan.”

 

Another warned: “Very disappointing.  It’s an artificial pitch on the other side of a leisure centre miles from anywhere, the food’s expensive and there’s no atmosphere.”

 

So, with something of a heavy heart I negotiated the rush-hour traffic around Chester and Wrexham and headed south on the A483 towards Oswestry. Treflan had been a favourite ground of mine and the friendly locals added to the sense of a true village club, albeit one with a superb football team that consistently plays the best football I see each season. And, moreover, the lady behind the social club bar always asked, “Usual?” when I wandered in.  Maybe I was something of a Friday night regular.

 

The New Saints now play at Park Hall, formerly used by Oswestry Town in their WPL days. The background to the move and the fact that it was sanctioned by UEFA despite being located across the border in England is expertly detailed by James Bond in the web sports pages of BBC Radio Shropshire.

 

A superb leisure facility, named The Venue at Park Hall, has been built to incorporate ten-pin bowling, a health and fitness suite, gym, sauna and beauty therapy rooms together with a bar and eatery and a myriad of other facilities. On the side is a football pitch, built as a footprint to Oswestry’s old ground incorporating the latest technology in artificial surfaces.  The redevelopment, brainchild of TNS owner Mike Harris, cost £3.5m and was completed in just over ten months.

 

It’s easy to find- turn off the A5 (a continuation of the A483) and follow the Whitchurch Road. Take the first left down Burma Road and follow the road with Oswestry Rugby Club on your left till you reach The Venue. Parking is available in a large field just before the ground and it soon becomes evident that most of the friendly TNS stewards have made the short journey from Teflan.  But without a car the journey would take a considerable walk from Oswestry town centre.

 

As a football ground the project is very much in its infancy. You enter via a small turnstile block and the pitch, surrounded by a railed fence looks immaculate.  The floodlights are superb and, with dusk falling, it’s a pleasant location set in a natural bowl surrounded by trees.  The leisure complex runs virtually the length of the near side of the ground.  Upon entering you then go up some steps to enter the complex and a steward stamps your hand to enable you to go back outside.  Once inside, the facilities really are superb and it’s well worth arriving early to sample the food, which though a bit pricy looks excellent, while the bar facilities and big screen are impressive.

 

There’s a nice buzz about the place and the atmosphere is friendly.  A table is set up to provide football fayre, pies, coffee and soft drinks etc during the game but as yet there’s no club shop.  As regards the ground, apart from a small covered, temporary stand near the corner flag there are no other facilities so, if it rains, bring a brolly.  But doubtless soon more stands and facilities will soon be added.  There is a balcony on the side of the leisure complex but this seems the reserve of sponsors.

 

The pitch is just superb and players with lesser technique are soon found out.  It certainly suits TNS’s passing style, even though they re-jig their side for this league cup tie and are well below their best.  At one stage they string together approaching 40 passes without Cefn Druids touching the ball.  But despite dominating possession they make very few chances and the game is decided by just one goal- a 12-yard shot by Barry Hogan after a neat build-up.  Once TNS get used to the pitch, it’s not difficult to imagine them becoming near invincible on the surface.  The games against good footballing sides like Llanelli and Rhyl will be well worth watching.

 

I knew where my friends were coming from with their comments but I really enjoyed the evening.  It was stress-free, friendly and there was a feeling about being in at the start of something growing. The club are to be commended on their enterprise in setting new standards for the WPL and will soon develop a fine small stadium with excellent facilities.

 

I wasn’t under-whelmed or disappointed- in fact I found the evening quite stimulating. The pitch was a world away from the plastic disasters of Preston, Oldham, Hyde and so on of 20 years or so ago which ruined any hope of good football.  TNS also produce a good programme, full of information and excellent photographs.  Treflan it wasn’t but I’ll be back. 

contributed on 28/09/07