Match: v Forest Green Rovers - Nationwide Conference

Date: Saturday, August 13th, 2005

Result: Forest Green 1 Cambridge United 0

THE JOURNEY

Departure Time: Shortly after 9am

Arrival at Ground: It was sunny, warm and almost August-like when we set off, but that had changed with a vengeance by the time we parked at the ground shortly after 12.30pm. Our arrival coincided with the first serious rain in the area for almost three months, and the precipitation was making up for lost time.

Fortunately, the ground was at the top of a steep hill, otherwise the road would be been impassable due to the number of animals lining up two by two to reach the sanctuary of the club offices. In fact, the hill from the town centre to the ground was so steep that it's rumoured that, in 1953, Sir Edmund Hillary took one look and decided to try an easier climb in the Himalayas instead.

AT THE GROUND

The Ground: If ever there was a ground with 'Welcome to the Conference' figuratively written all over it, it was The Lawn. Having said that, a move to a new ground 200 yards away is due later in the season but, in the meantime, what they lacked in facilities, they more than made up for in friendliness. What a shame then that some so-called United fans abused that hospitality.

Set atop the aforementioned precipitous hill, the clouds occasionally lifted enough for those in the stand to get a great view of the rolling Gloucestershire countryside, including the country estates of Princess Anne and Prince Charles. That stand, which ran along the central section of one side of the ground and was the only seated area, had a small terraced area on either side. The green seats were all labelled, and closer inspection revealed one reserved for 'A. Duncan' behind another for 'Davros' - I didn't see any for the daleks, but I imagine they sit pretty much where they like.

Opposite, the other side of the ground had been given over to away fans. One half of this side terrace looked reasonably new and had a roof, while the other half contained less steps and a noticeable lack of cover. There were covered terraces at either end of the ground; one shared an end with the social club while the other was surrounded by the groundsman's store on one side and a wall, built from local stone, on the other.

The tannoy operator gave the United fans a very warm welcome, although his murdering of 'The Wild Rover' - with words changed to give a Forest Green Rovers slant - were a little cringe-worthy. Then again, he only seemed to have a couple of CDs to play as an alternative.

United Fans: While the majority seemed determined to make the best of the Conference experience and gave the team decent support, a number were equally determined to drag the club's name through the mud. The imbecile who got involved in a verbal and then physical confrontation with Paul Wanless (who was the innocent party) is beneath contempt and, hopefully, will not be welcome at the Abbey again, while those who caused damage inside the ground and the social club should also be identified and banned. It should have come as no surprise that United fans were refused admission to the club after the match but, incredibly, it did to some.

View from Away End: With just one small floodlight pylon to avoid, the view wasn't bad.

Home Fans: Became more excited as the final whistle approached. Make no mistake; they considered the U's a big scalp.

Police/Stewards: Not many were about and the stewards were very reluctant to get involved in the unsavoury Wanless incident, leaving it to the police to eject the idiot.

Programme: £2.50 for 52 pages, this was a programme produced with an eye to keeping the costs down. Pre-printed section and limited colour meant that you had to work hard to find the articles, which were not helped by a limited amount of information about the U's.

State of Toilets: Inadequate for the following we took, with only room for four people at a time. They were even less adequate after they had been vandalised by United 'fans', as people were only let in one at a time at the end, with a PC guarding the entrance - is this the first time a PC has guarded a WC?

THE NUMBERS

Mileage: 348.8 miles

Total Distance for Season: 348.8 miles

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

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