Match: v Grays Athletic - Blue Square Premier

Date: Saturday, January 19th, 2008

Result: Grays 2 Cambridge United 1

THE JOURNEY

Departure Time: 11.30am

Arrival at Ground: Heavy rain and spray on the motorways made much of the journey unpleasant but, unusually, the rain stopped as we got to Grays. I say 'unusually' because it's amazing how many times a dry day turns to rain just as you want to get out of the car - particularly so when you know you've got an open away end.

After negotiating the one-way system in Grays, we parked in one of the small, free car parks that seemed to crop up in most of the side streets off the main road by the ground. Just like trying to park in Cambridge then... or not!

AT THE GROUND

The Ground: Having arrived at about 12.45pm, there was plenty of time to track down a press pass... which was just as well. Picking up tickets was like being a contestant in Mike Read's 'Runaround' as we were sent from gate to window to steward in search of someone who had the tickets rather than 'knew' where they were. It was sorted out in the end by the Chairman's wife, who was working in one of the offices, and she did suggest that this might be the last time she let her husband deal with ticket requests. They weren't the only ones mucking in. Inside the ground we also met the Vice Chairman who was on his way to run the away turnstile.

The ground is cut into the side of a hill with the away turnstiles at its lowest point, which means visiting fans have the fewest steps to negotiate on their way in. However, the main entrance is at the top of a sweeping staircase so those of us entering via this gate could make a grand entrance in the style of a 1930s Hollywood musical.

The overall impression of the ground is more of blues than Grays. With seats, walls and even terraces painted in that colour all you needed were some performing killer whales or a dolphin or two to turn it into a Marine Theme Park.

The only seated area runs the length of the side of the ground facing the staircase entrance. Here, there are five rows of seats with blue (obviously) barriers at the front with colour-coordinated litter bins every few yards. One end of this is fenced off for away fans.

Opposite, covered terracing is to the right of the staircase (guess which colour the roof is) while to the left is a small stand for the directors, doors to the dressing rooms and another covered terrace. This side of the ground is overshadowed by the balconied windows of flats in the road alongside the ground. A pair of gentlemen of a certain age watched the match from one of these balconies like Statler and Waldorf in the Muppet Show.

Continuing round, the away end to the right of this side consists of an open terrace that runs a little over half the length of that end of the ground. Beside it, the turnstile block and catering building are constructed in (almost) white-rendered grey stone so they look like those 1970s toilet blocks you used to find on Cornish beaches - although the Grays variety do smell considerably sweeter. Completing that end of the ground is a corrugated building of indeterminate use and entirely predictable colour.

The remaining end of the ground consists of uncovered terrace, overshadowed by the social club. Brick built, the lower half had been painted - no prizes for guessing the colour - to a height to match the roofs of the side stands.

Which leaves the pitch - which was not blue. In fact it wasn't very green in places either. Actually the club looked to have done well to get the game on despite the rain and the muddy tractor tyre marks that rutted a couple of the corners. Even so, it was much better than some we've seen of late.

United Fans: Managed a make a lot of noise, despite there being no roof on the terrace. The 'bounce, bounce' at the start of the game was one of their most impressive to date while the way the support continued - and indeed increased - after Grays' second goal is also worthy of mention.

View from Away End: The terrace was adequately tiered, so the view was good - as it was from the away seats, if you avoided the segregation fence.

Home Fans: Half a dozen sat near the away fans and made some effort at singing.

Stewards: The stewards seemed more concerned with the players than the supporters before the game, one telling Danny Potter to get out of the goalmouth. He suggested that if he couldn't warm up in the goalmouth the other players shouldn't be able to warm up on the pitch.

Tannoy: Not quite as boomingly loud as some. One of the more amusing announcements of the season came at half time, when the winner of the draw was announced thus: "No need to check your ticket, it's me. I'm £65 better off, thank you."

Programme: £2 for 40 pages wasn't bad value. However, much of it seemed to be made up of adverts and match reports.

Food/Drink: 70p for a good cup of tea, although you had to add your own milk and sugar - the latter was stored in a huge chest - and £2.50 for a very tasty bacon roll that crammed in as much bacon as was humanly possible, were amongst the highlights.

State of Toilets: Less than vast facilities, with a suspended ceiling that made them seem even more bijou. However, they were clean enough and the hand driers were working.

AFTERWARDS

The Journey Home: We didn't get too far out of Grays before the heavy rain started again. So although some rain did fall on the away supporters during the second half, it could have been a lot more uncomfortable.

Mileage: 111 miles

Total Distance for Season: 4,051.8 miles

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

[Match report] [Fixture list]

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