Arbour Park, Slough
Slough Town FC vs. Eastleigh FC
Friendly
"Every affair must take a starting time," writes Mary Shelley in her new Frankenstein. But as this offset was dorsum inwards 1994 we're going to start out somewhere in the center instead. 25 years later on as well as attending my 475th game of football seems the nearly logical home to commencement this weblog.
 |
| Outside Arbour Park, confirming the cite of the facility inwards example y'all didn't believe me. |
With a novel season on the horizon, my offset game as someone who decided to outset writing nigh all the games I go to when I'thousand bored, took me back to the site of my milestone 400th game as a paying customer (this figure is dubious, given that my dad paid for many of my earlier games together with I've been to a few costless ones also. But yous become the jist). It also allows me to set about inward Berkshire, which is fifty-fifty more than helpful given the title of this web log, as well as at a ground with facilities I hold so about and love to my eye, a 3G pitch.
The real bring up of 'artificial pitch' to the about stereotypical of football game fans causes them to recoil inward a mode that tin can only live replicated when Quint scratches the blackboard inward Jaws. They think the days of cheesegrater like surfaces leaving pare hanging off their knees whenever you lot attempted equally much every bit a kneel, the pitch at Loftus Road, too yeah, fifty-fifty the threat of cancer, equally all the bear witness they necessitate to come upwardly amongst the informed decision that "they're a load of shite".
 |
| View of the master stand up, too pristine playing surface. No waterlogged pitches here. |
Yet, having seen numerous games on 3G pitches over the final few years, the benefits are nearly noticeable at not league degree (plain, since the EFL treats them like the minute coming of Satan). Games aren't called off at the slightest hint of inclement weather, surfaces aren't ruined by habiliment and tear, clubs tin do good from using the surface at all times, and the measure of football improves once you lot don't have to endeavor together with navigate a terrain alongside all the flatness of a mount reach.
I've been a flavor ticket holder at Maidenhead for the terminal few years, and have seen many a game where the ball takes on a life of its ain, bobbling uncontrollably under pes in one case winter hits as if it were controlled past Dennis the Menace, too games are oft reduced to head tennis as well as long punts upwards as well as downward the plain. It gets deadening. Teams who phone call a 3G pitch their domicile have, at least inward my feel, been able to play at a much quicker tempo, too equally keeping the ball glued to the greenish stuff, and non the heart dorsum's head.
 |
| A closer look at the main stand. There'second a spacious bar area at the summit, complete alongside terraces. |
Arbour Park is a modern facility, which you lot'd hope for since it open inwards 2016. I'd been three times previously, having attended the first game at the new stadium when they hadn't got about to completing the spectator facilities, the 2017 infamous Berks & Bucks Cup last that took home long afterwards the season finished, too a 2018 Berks & Bucks Cup semi concluding betwixt Slough in addition to the MK Dons under-23 side.
Travelling to the ground can live an gamble. In previous attempts I'd gone via the train station, or parking inward the town centre. But every bit this was a preseason game and offered complimentary parking, I wasn't going to pass upwards the chance to green outside the ground.
 |
| View from atop the primary stand, looking across at the smaller seated stand. |
The side streets leading to Arbour Park offer fans of claustrophobia too those incapable of judging their auto'second width, something to sink their teeth into. Weaving circular tightly parked cars inwards streets besides narrow for fifty-fifty a pedestrian is the norm, just it'second slow enough to find.
There'sec never a bad place inward the household at Arbour Park. Views are not bad wherever you lot stand up or sit. And spending the offset one-half right adjacent to a bunch of hardcore Eastleigh fans allowed me to at least notice out who roughly of the mystery trialists were.
 |
| View of one of the sheltered standing areas behind the finish. |
I did go stumped past the steward's inquiry of "are you a fan?" at the entrance of the machine common. Why I felt the call for to order "no" (to be fair, it is the truth every bit I'thousand non a fan of Slough or Eastleigh) I don't know. Maybe had I brought my boots (I don't ain whatsoever) I could have joined the other names of 'Trialist' on both squad sheets.
Having spent last year suffocating in an unprecedented streak of non seeing a 0-0 for over yr (until Wantage Town too Brackley Town Saints pose paid to that streak), I was wondering if this game would stop the new streak I'd been putting together. I needn't take worried. Both sides decided they couldn't be bothered to treat this as a preparation practise in addition to I was treated to an exciting seven destination game which swung dorsum in addition to forwards, without the tension of the game being at all relevant to worry well-nigh.
Useless data nearly Arbour Park
Address: Stoke Road, Slough, Berkshire, SL2 5AY
Capacity: ii,000
Pitch Type: Artificial
Ticket Price: £six
Programme: £i, viii pages
