Welcome to my blog covering clubs and stadiums in the English League System along with the wonderful people responsible for keeping them going and their maintenance.

Since I was a little lad, I've been fascinated in football and more so where games are played. With my love of travel and curiosity of the game I wanted to visit as many grounds as possible and see games wherever I could.

I was fortunate that my dad also loved the game and spent so much of his spare time taking me to matches. As I got older the boundaries widened owing to my location and increased wages to Europe and indeed the world. The sight of a stand or a floodlight pylon in the distance immediately heightens my senses and eagerness for a closer look.

I hope this site gives you the chance to share in my pleasure and experiences and set you on the road to adventure. If you get half as much out of the hobby as I've done, I can guarantee some great memories, good friends, and stories to pass on to future generations. Give your local club a try today. They'll be delighted to see you!

Everlasting thanks primarily to my late and very much missed and dearly loved parents; my dad, Bob Bernard, and my mum; Ann, who put up with endless years of football chat and my brothers Nick and Paul. Thanks to all my friends who offer encouragement along with my wonderful wife, Taew.

Please feel free to post any comments (please use sensible language - I want everyone to be able to enjoy reading) or ask any questions relating to visiting grounds or events. Make sure you keep having a look as the site is continually updated.

If you click on a lot of the pictures, you will get a larger version on your screen. I have also added links to video clips on YouTube where appropriate for those of you who are bored of reading or are filling in time at work. I haven't always gone for the most obvious choices, but items that will be in some cases unusual but always historically interesting.

Rob Bernard Sisaket, Thailand, May 2024

Saturday 13 May 2017

Wodson Park


Wodson Park FC was a non-league football club from the town of Ware in Hertfordshire who were formed in 1997 by John Murphy, moving  into the arena at the newly built Wodson Park Sports Centre. The men's side finished competing shortly into the 2019-20 season.

The club became members of the Hertford & District League where they were place in Division Three. Park won the title at the first attempt and won a further two promotions, from where they were accepted into the Herts County League for the 2006-07 season.

Wodson Park were placed in Division One, where they finished runners-up in 2007-08. Instead of accepting promotion to the Premier Division the club decided to apply to join the Spartan South Midlands League.

They were accepted and became members of Division Two in 2008-09. Around this time the club became tenants next door at Ware FC’s Wodson Park home. A fourth place finish in 2009-10 saw the team promoted to Division One.

The club played in the FA Cup for the first time in 2011-12 before moving back to their original home after the installation of a seated stand in 2013. The team finished towards the bottom of the table for their first four seasons in Division One before they made a marked improvement with a sixth place ending to the 2015-16 campaign.


This was followed up with a seventh place finish in 2016-17. Fifth place followed twelve months later, prior to Park ending in fifteenth in 2018-19. The side started the 2019-20 season, but their record was expunged after they resigned, not having enough players to fulfill their fixtures.

Various youth sides continued playing under the same title thereafter.

My visit

Wednesday 31st August 2016

My visit to the Wodson Park Sports Centre was to visit the home of Ware FC who were hosting the match between Hoddesdon Town and Edgware Town in the Premier Division of the Spartan South Midlands League, as Hoddesden’s Lowfield home was still in use by the cricket club.

As I arrived early I made use of my time and had a look next door and took some photos of the arena, which was in use by athletes doing their training. The venue had taken quite a bit of stick for its lack of facilities on various fans forums.

There was a single bit of cover by way of a modern seated stand beyond the athletics track on the sport centre side. It wasn’t any worse than some other venues I’d visited in the past at the same level of football. The near end had a grass bank behind the curve to offer a bit enclosure with 4G pitches atop.

I would imagine that the football club would struggle to collect admission fees as spectators had a free view of the pitch from several vantage points.

Although I’d see Wodson Park in action in away games against Edgware and Harpenden Town I had still to see a game at their home ground, which I vowed to put right when the opportunity arose.





Posted by at
Labels:

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)