Although it's still early August and it was a World Cup year, the football
season has seemed to take an age to come around again. However, here we are, a
warm summer evening and the first ground-hop of a new season.
I made the relatively short trip up the M40 to Warwick and my first ever visit to Townsend
Meadow, home of Racing Club Warwick.
The ground is situated right next door to Warwick racecourse and, in fact, the racecourse car park is a handy place to park up. There is very limited parking at the stadium itself, but there is ample off-road parking opposite the entrance. I plumped for the racecourse at 50p for
an all-night stay (if you so choose). I paid my £5 entry and 50p programme
fee at one of the two old-style turnstiles and entered the ground.
There are two covered areas at Townsend Meadow. A small seated stand between the dugouts
on the Hampton Road side of the ground. On the opposite, racecourse side, there is a long, shallow covered standing area. Behind the car park end goal is the clubhouse and parking for players and officials. The officials changing is situated just inside the ground, whilst the players changing is housed in two portacabin structures on the opposite side of the officials car park and club house.
Hot food is available from just inside the club house building whilst other refreshments are available from the bar. The tea and coffee system at RCW is certainly different to any I have seen at other grounds. You make your purchase at the bar and are given a cup and milk cartons. You then serve yourself from a table that has tea, coffee, sugar and hot water urns. This actually works very well because you get to put make the drink exactly how you
would want it.
On the pitch Warwick, kicking away from the clubhouse, started well and controlled the majority of the early play. However, they rarely posed any serious threat to the Nuneaton goal. Nuneaton, on the rare occasion that they broke, did look quite dangerous and after 35 minutes had probably had the best chance of the game.
Still, it remained 0-0 until normal time was pretty much up. Then Warwick finally took the lead through number 10 Daniel Pitt. So, 1-0 to the home team at half-time and you have to say that, on the balance of play, they deserved the lead.
Both teams started the second half with more urgency than the first half. Nuneaton, especially, were knocking the ball about with a lot more assurance in the opening encounters. They got their reward when Aden Moore smashed home a lovely volley from the left hand corner of the
box.
For 10 minutes after the equaliser, Nuneaton appeared to be getting on top slightly. However, Warwick gradually started to impose themselves on the game again and, for the bulk of the second half it was pretty much honours even. Warwick slightly edging it in terms of chances made. Then, with the assistant referees alarm ringing for full-time, a through ball caught out the Nuneaton defence and Warwick striker Jamie Corrigan found himself in the clear. With just
the keeper to beat he conjured up a cool finish, in the process giving Warwick their first win of the campaign and Nuneaton their first defeat.
It was great to get back to watching football again and this was a pretty good start to the
season. A decent game between two committed sides. Well worth the entrance fee.
Racing Club Warwick - @RacingClubFC
Nuneaton Griff - @NuneatonGriff
season has seemed to take an age to come around again. However, here we are, a
warm summer evening and the first ground-hop of a new season.
I made the relatively short trip up the M40 to Warwick and my first ever visit to Townsend
Meadow, home of Racing Club Warwick.
The ground is situated right next door to Warwick racecourse and, in fact, the racecourse car park is a handy place to park up. There is very limited parking at the stadium itself, but there is ample off-road parking opposite the entrance. I plumped for the racecourse at 50p for
an all-night stay (if you so choose). I paid my £5 entry and 50p programme
fee at one of the two old-style turnstiles and entered the ground.
There are two covered areas at Townsend Meadow. A small seated stand between the dugouts
on the Hampton Road side of the ground. On the opposite, racecourse side, there is a long, shallow covered standing area. Behind the car park end goal is the clubhouse and parking for players and officials. The officials changing is situated just inside the ground, whilst the players changing is housed in two portacabin structures on the opposite side of the officials car park and club house.
Hot food is available from just inside the club house building whilst other refreshments are available from the bar. The tea and coffee system at RCW is certainly different to any I have seen at other grounds. You make your purchase at the bar and are given a cup and milk cartons. You then serve yourself from a table that has tea, coffee, sugar and hot water urns. This actually works very well because you get to put make the drink exactly how you
would want it.
On the pitch Warwick, kicking away from the clubhouse, started well and controlled the majority of the early play. However, they rarely posed any serious threat to the Nuneaton goal. Nuneaton, on the rare occasion that they broke, did look quite dangerous and after 35 minutes had probably had the best chance of the game.
Still, it remained 0-0 until normal time was pretty much up. Then Warwick finally took the lead through number 10 Daniel Pitt. So, 1-0 to the home team at half-time and you have to say that, on the balance of play, they deserved the lead.
Both teams started the second half with more urgency than the first half. Nuneaton, especially, were knocking the ball about with a lot more assurance in the opening encounters. They got their reward when Aden Moore smashed home a lovely volley from the left hand corner of the
box.
For 10 minutes after the equaliser, Nuneaton appeared to be getting on top slightly. However, Warwick gradually started to impose themselves on the game again and, for the bulk of the second half it was pretty much honours even. Warwick slightly edging it in terms of chances made. Then, with the assistant referees alarm ringing for full-time, a through ball caught out the Nuneaton defence and Warwick striker Jamie Corrigan found himself in the clear. With just
the keeper to beat he conjured up a cool finish, in the process giving Warwick their first win of the campaign and Nuneaton their first defeat.
It was great to get back to watching football again and this was a pretty good start to the
season. A decent game between two committed sides. Well worth the entrance fee.
Racing Club Warwick - @RacingClubFC
Nuneaton Griff - @NuneatonGriff
RSS Feed