[centralparker]

Which teams play at proper grounds and who plays on public parks?

By proper ground I mean railed pitch, perimeter fencing, pavillion etc. Something like a typical junior venue.

[boardroomshuffler]

Preston Athletic,Gala,Hawick,Edinburgh City,Vale of Leithen,Annan Athletic and Spartans.

[centralparker]

boardroomshuffler, on May 16 2007, 17:27, said:

Preston Athletic,Gala,Hawick,Edinburgh City,Vale of Leithen,Annan Athletic and Spartans.

That's only seven clubs. Half a division.

So everyone else plays on open playing fields? How do you fit your pyramid structure around this HibeeJibee?

[Waspie]

kennadice, on May 16 2007, 18:05, said:

You can add Dalbeattie Star to that list.

Peebles play in a public park but their corner of it has a trim wee stand and pavillion (or it did when I was last there many years ago) so could probably be classed as a proper ground. Almost.

[HibeeJibee]

I would class the venues as follows (obviously this is just my personal view on classifications):

PROPER STADIUMS (with seats)
Annan Athletic, Edinburgh City, Preston Athletic, Spartans (when finished), Dalbeattie Star, Gala Faireydean, Hawick Royal Albert, Peebles Rovers
PROPER STADIUMS (without seats)
Edinburgh University, Lothian Thistle (athletics arena), Whitehill Welfare, Vale of Leithen
NOT 'STADIUMS', BUT WITH FENCING, PROPER CHANGING ROOM FACILITIES,
Easthouses Lily MW, Heriot-Watt University, Selkirk, Eyemouth Utd, Kelso Utd (dubiously so)
LITTLE MORE THAN PUBLIC PARKS
Civil Service (is roped off), Craigroyston, Coldstream, Edinburgh Athletic, Tynecastle

I don't know anything about Ormiston - apparently fenced off park, with small covered terrace.

Peebles are an ex-SFL team. Their ground is similar to Stranraer i.e. in a bigger municipal park area, although in Peebles case only railing and a fence bound the ground from the public park. Also, note that Edinburgh City, Gala Faireydean, Heriot-Watt University, Lothian Thistle, Preston Athletic, Hawick Royal Albert, and Edinburgh University (sort of) all have match-suitable floodlights. Spartans will have them at their new ground. None have artificial turf.

[cmontheloknow]

HibeeJibee, on May 16 2007, 19:49, said:

I would class the venues as follows (obviously this is just my personal view on classifications):

PROPER STADIUMS (with seats)
Annan Athletic, Edinburgh City, Preston Athletic, Spartans (when finished), Dalbeattie Star, Gala Faireydean, Hawick Royal Albert, Peebles Rovers
PROPER STADIUMS (without seats)
Edinburgh University, Lothian Thistle (athletics arena), Whitehill Welfare, Vale of Leithen
NOT 'STADIUMS', BUT WITH FENCING, PROPER CHANGING ROOM FACILITIES,
Easthouses Lily MW, Heriot-Watt University, Selkirk, Eyemouth Utd, Kelso Utd (dubiously so)
LITTLE MORE THAN PUBLIC PARKS
Civil Service (is roped off), Craigroyston, Coldstream, Edinburgh Athletic, Tynecastle

I don't know anything about Ormiston - apparently fenced off park, with small covered terrace.

Peebles are an ex-SFL team. Their ground is similar to Stranraer i.e. in a bigger municipal park area, although in Peebles case only railing and a fence bound the ground from the public park. Also, note that Edinburgh City, Gala Faireydean, Heriot-Watt University, Lothian Thistle, Preston Athletic, Hawick Royal Albert, and Edinburgh University (sort of) all have match-suitable floodlights. Spartans will have them at their new ground. None have artificial turf.

Is Easthouses not just a public park? Certainly was last time I saw it.

[HibeeJibee]

Well ish - it is roped off/fence can't quite remember, but it has a mini-kind of Spartans bowl to it, and the adjacent changing facilities are similar to many Border clubs. I think more than a park.

[Waspie]

HibeeJibee, on May 16 2007, 22:37, said:

Well ish - it is roped off/fence can't quite remember, but it has a mini-kind of Spartans bowl to it, and the adjacent changing facilities are similar to many Border clubs. I think more than a park.

Ive played football up there a few times and it wasnt roped off back then. Always f*ckin freezing too

[cmontheloknow]

HibeeJibee, on May 16 2007, 22:37, said:

Well ish - it is roped off/fence can't quite remember, but it has a mini-kind of Spartans bowl to it, and the adjacent changing facilities are similar to many Border clubs. I think more than a park.

Plenty of public parks out there that have banking. I can think of two off the top of my head that have banking but they're still public parks! A public park surely by definition is a venue that anyone can wander into without restriction.

One East of Scotland venue that was definitely a public park was Campbell Park in Colinton where Lothian Thistle at one time played (until late 1990s). On matchdays they'd rope the playing surface off. Best view was probably from the swings!

[GalaKev]

Gala Fairydean

Attached File(s)

•  Gala_Fairydean_1.jpg (122.53K)
  Number of downloads: 20

[BerwickMad]

Coldstream

[boardroomshuffler]

Nice facilities

[fitbadaft]

 DSC00045.JPG (377K)
Number of downloads: 7

Edinburgh Athletic

 DSC00087.JPG (169.71K)
Number of downloads: 16

Annan Athletic

Both from www.fitbadaft.blogspot.com

[SelkirkSaint]

Would class Eyemouth, Kelso and Peebles as only slightly better than public parks. You can just wander along and watch to suit yourself.

Selkirk's Yarrow Park is completely enclosed. Just a wooden fence but so is most of Gala Fairydean. Would rate the Borders grounds as follows Gala, Vale of Leithen, Hawick, Selkirk, Peebles. Eyemouth, Kelso and Coldstream are all pretty open. Wear 5 layers, 2 scarves and a hat if you ever go to watch Eyemouth.

[cmontheloknow]

SelkirkSaint, on May 21 2007, 06:07, said:

Would class Eyemouth, Kelso and Peebles as only slightly better than public parks. You can just wander along and watch to suit yourself.

Selkirk's Yarrow Park is completely enclosed. Just a wooden fence but so is most of Gala Fairydean. Would rate the Borders grounds as follows Gala, Vale of Leithen, Hawick, Selkirk, Peebles. Eyemouth, Kelso and Coldstream are all pretty open. Wear 5 layers, 2 scarves and a hat if you ever go to watch Eyemouth.

Peebles might have a stand but it's still unenclosed unless that's been done since I was last there.

Maybe the question to ask in this thread is what East of Scotland grounds are fully enclosed?

This post has been edited by cmontheloknow: 21 May 2007 - 06:17

[boardroomshuffler]

Eyemouths ground location is the worst by far.They would be better moving to the top end of the town .

[cmontheloknow]

boardroomshuffler, on May 21 2007, 11:35, said:

Eyemouths ground location is the worst by far.They would be better moving to the top end of the town .

Is it not on top of a cliff?

[HibeeJibee]

Basically. Like the golf club, the football club are goal-kick (or 5-iron drive) from the North Sea.

[Adamski]

This is Islecroft Stadium, home of Dalbeattie Star.

[cmontheloknow]

Border Boy, on Jun 29 2007, 15:11, said:

Annan's stand looks fairly decent. Whats in the rest of the ground?

A social club and flat hard standing, from memory.