Match: v Stafford Rangers - FA Cup QR4

Date: Saturday, October 27th, 2007

Result: Stafford 1 Cambridge United 1

The Journey

Departure Time: 9.50am.

Arrival at Ground: For some reason there was a distinct feeling of déjà vu to this journey. But things didn't seem to be exactly the same as when we made the very same trip just two weeks previously. For a start there seemed to be more wind turbines alongside the A14 than there had been a fortnight ago, although it was suggested that there were fewer leaves on the trees making the same number of turbines easier to see... which led to a debate as to whether the leaf depletion had been caused by the progress of autumn or the efficacy of the turbine blades. Obviously two trips to the same away ground such a short space of time can mess around with your head!

The services on the M6 weren't quite as packed as last time (see, I told you it was different!), so there was time for refreshment before getting to the ground at about 12.45pm.

At The Ground

The Ground: Having received a warm welcome from club officials two weeks ago, we were greeted like old friends when we rolled up to collect press passes for this match, and that welcome continued as I broadcast from seats in the midst of Stafford supporters, some of whom had once again emptied the pick 'n' mix counters of seemingly every sweet shop in Staffordshire.

You might think that a football ground couldn't change much in two weeks, but Marston Road would disabuse you of that notion. Admittedly U's fans were still allocated much of a long terrace that ran the length of one side of the pitch, with three quarters of its length under a roof that undulated like a relief map of Switzerland, but the mesh-encased scaffolding towers left by Setanta that had obscured the view for all but those at the front the terrace last time had been removed as a result of comments from visiting fans. I can't think of many clubs that would react so quickly to comments from supporters - particularly visiting ones - so Stafford Rangers are to be congratulated.

Having written a Travellers' Tales article following our last visit, I won't waste your time by wittering on at length with another fulsome description of the ground. Suffice it to say that the tall main stand, with its steep rake and wide, comfortable seats faced the central section of the away terrace, while the Victorian bus shelter that served as a disabled enclosure was to the left of the main stand.

Awning-covered stands were at either end, one filled with green seats while the other contained metal-stepped terracing. A lengthier description of the assorted stands can be found here. In summary (or should that be 'in autumny'?), while the ground isn't entirely tree-lined, there is enough of an arboreal backdrop to give Marston Road character aplenty. Who's up for a return visit in the FA Trophy or Setanta Shield?

United Fans: A little subdued at the start of the match, but they were noisier in the second half when the rain forced them closer together as they sought shelter under the roof.

View from Away End: The view was much improved by the removal of those Setanta towers. If United fans had needed to shelter from inclement conditions two weeks ago most would have been able to see very little of the match, but this time there was no need to make a choice between watching and staying dry.

Home Fans: Stafford fans made a little more noise than they had a couple of weeks ago. This may have been due to them staying at the end closest to the U's fans throughout the match and not changing ends en masse at half time as previously.

There was a particularly boisterous group of sponsors in the main stand. A rum bunch, some of them gave the impression of having been squeezed into a suit for the first time in a while, one was wearing a Pete Doherty-style hat at a jaunty angle. At least they were there at the start of the match. They suddenly disappeared about ten minutes before half time and it was not clear if they had gone home, been abducted by aliens or simply remembered the location of the nearest bar!

Police/Stewards: Lots of police were in evidence from the time we left the M6 but neither they nor the stewards seemed to have much to worry about during the match.

Programme: £2.50 for 48 pages, Stafford Rangers' programme was confusingly called 'The Boro'. For a while it looked as though the reason behind the title might prove to be what Sherlock Holmes would have called 'a three pipe problem'. But the mystery was solved when a little investigation found that the club used to be known as 'The Team from the Borough of Stafford', a name that would have been a little tricky to squeeze into a league table.

There wasn't a massive amount to read inside the programme, and most of the articles suggested that neither side would want a repeat of the 1-1 score line from our previous visit, but the United pen pictures had been freshened up with photos from that match two weeks before.

Food/Drink: Queues were extremely long just before the match and at half time but it was time well spent as the £4 burger and chips, the latter of which were available in a cone or in a tray, was extremely tasty while the large cup of tea or coffee (70p) was very good again.

State of Toilets: After the horror of the facilities last time, fans paid a visit with a degree of trepidation. However, things had improved here too with the addition of some corrugated sheeting over the top to keep the leaves and the rain out but still left room for the very small toilet area to 'breathe'. A coat of paint had also been added inside, and this helped keep the smell down.

There was a portaloo for ladies' convenience - a structure that was, without any apparent sense of irony, pea-green - while those fans that paid to upgrade into the seats of the main stand had even more acceptably clean facilities.

Afterwards

The Journey Home: A crepuscular departure from the ground began the journey home, and with the clocks changing early the following morning it will be a while before we see daylight driving back from an away match. With two more cup competitions still to come, the question is 'have we seen the last of Marston Road for the season?'

Mileage: 275.4 miles

Total Distance for Season: 2,655.1

Mark Johnson, with additional reporting by David Gray, Paul Johnson, Ryan Johnson and Gordon McMillan

[Match report] [Fixture list]

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