Anyone with a summary of today?

[Neil_Heaneys_Pace]

for the exiles.

what was the matchday experience like?

[darlo reborn]

Did`nt think the atmosphere was as good as bishop considering more fans there

[Spyman]

for the exiles.

what was the matchday experience like?

All in all a pretty good start in a new ground.

Things like toilets need sorting, 3 urinals (I think) for 2500+ men is obviously not enough. Will be less of an issue most weeks but can be improved.

Well done everyone for getting today on.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

[Feethams 1966]

For those who couldn't go, I'll try and give some first impressions. These are subjective; others will have different thoughts. I get to the ground early at 2pm. There are already a lot inside and plenty making their way. Turnstiles for home fans are easy to find - as instructed by the club pre-match; simply make your way inwards and they're to the left. No queues getting in and waved straight through with ticket.
The usual people immediately inside - programme sellers, 50-50 ticket sellers etc. Sun shining straight in to my eyes so I make my way through the tin shed to the opposite side, where the small new stand is (tin shed to my right). Get straight to the front, sun now behind, view perfect but oh- the wind. It's perishing. By kick off time I've decided that at 60 I am now a wimp and suffering from hypothermia. How does the linesman manage with bare arms?
The view outside the ground above the neat lines of fresh fencing is simply of bare trees tops in every direction. Skies are clear and I bet there could be lovely sunsets. The newly laid paving slabs are dead level and concrete is of an impressive paving mix quality and far from the crumbling edifices we teetered upon at Feethams. The floodlights are high up on slender poles and sway alarmingly in the wind (not like the solid pylon Feethams structures) but they work fine and are switched on while the sun's still shining in to the tin shed. Ah- the tin shed. It's full now and there's quite some atmosphere being generated inside.
Kick off, and after ten minutes we score! Whatever happens now, it got off right. Halifax in their bright orrange shirts with somewhat interesting hair styles don't look much of a team - we should beat them I think, but don't take advantage of our obvious better quality. Half time and it's 1-1; could be worse.
Second half and we smash in two great goals - right in front of the tin shed - that's how it was meant to be; the supporters go wild. We have the strong wind behind us this half and I'm sure it's making the difference. Getting quite dark now, the floodlights are clearly up to the job and from my view from the centre line - towards the tin shed - I suddenly feel a peculiar sense of having gone back in time. The ground is bathed in light and now somehow feels smaller and more intimate, I look at the tin shed and I know what it is - it feels like standing in Feethams! I half expect to see the Town Hall clock tower illuminated above and in the distance! I think I like this place, it feels like home. Blackwell Meadows doesn't sound right any more, I think I will consider it myself as The New Feethams Ground. The old one's only just up the road after all.
There's a young lad behind me with his dad - the lad looks about five. He's proudly telling everyone it's his first time watching Darlington. I remember a young lad like that at his first game in 1961 - me.
Wake up; Halifax have scored at the other end - it's 3-2; how long left? I don't get a good view - I think our keeper's saved it. No, they're heading to the centre circle, what the hell happened there?
But it's all over straight from the restart 3-2. Well at least we didn't fluff it in front of a big crowd. But it feels like we didn't get our game management right in the last few minutes. Anyway, time for a warm up if I can get out of the ground - hang on that's not going to be any time soon. The Halifax fans are being coralled at the other end so we have to pass through the narrow corridor beneath the Tin Shed. The crowd comes to a good natured stop and it's now clear to see why. The Tin Shed steps have barriers at each end so you can't jump up a few steps and use the empty space above to nip along. And the narrow funnel is getting clogged with wheelchairs and fans, so we wait and wait, and wait. Getting from one side of the tin shed to the other seems to take ten minutes - probably five, and as I pass the portaloos I notice there are no lights in there and people are having to pee in the dark, that looks tough.
Now the players have reappeared and they're coming to applaud the fans in the Tin Shed - that's a nice touch. Then it's out of the ground at a steady pace, past a few bored looking policemen with nothing to do, and a long walk back to the car and a 45 min journey back to Leyburn.
And 4 hours later my nose is still throbbing from the cold - or is it the miniture bottles of liquer I got given yesterday!
But all in all a successful day and I expect the club will be glad to get that one under their belt. I enjoyed it. And I shall return...
(Feethams 1966).

[Darlo_Pete]

For those who couldn't go, I'll try and give some first impressions. These are subjective; others will have different thoughts. I get to the ground early at 2pm. There are already a lot inside and plenty making their way. Turnstiles for home fans are easy to find - as instructed by the club pre-match; simply make your way inwards and they're to the left. No queues getting in and waved straight through with ticket.
The usual people immediately inside - programme sellers, 50-50 ticket sellers etc. Sun shining straight in to my eyes so I make my way through the tin shed to the opposite side, where the small new stand is (tin shed to my right). Get straight to the front, sun now behind, view perfect but oh- the wind. It's perishing. By kick off time I've decided that at 60 I am now a wimp and suffering from hypothermia. How does the linesman manage with bare arms?
The view outside the ground above the neat lines of fresh fencing is simply of bare trees tops in every direction. Skies are clear and I bet there could be lovely sunsets. The newly laid paving slabs are dead level and concrete is of an impressive paving mix quality and far from the crumbling edifices we teetered upon at Feethams. The floodlights are high up on slender poles and sway alarmingly in the wind (not like the solid pylon Feethams structures) but they work fine and are switched on while the sun's still shining in to the tin shed. Ah- the tin shed. It's full now and there's quite some atmosphere being generated inside.
Kick off, and after ten minutes we score! Whatever happens now, it got off right. Halifax in their bright orrange shirts with somewhat interesting hair styles don't look much of a team - we should beat them I think, but don't take advantage of our obvious better quality. Half time and it's 1-1; could be worse.
Second half and we smash in two great goals - right in front of the tin shed - that's how it was meant to be; the supporters go wild. We have the strong wind behind us this half and I'm sure it's making the difference. Getting quite dark now, the floodlights are clearly up to the job and from my view from the centre line - towards the tin shed - I suddenly feel a peculiar sense of having gone back in time. The ground is bathed in light and now somehow feels smaller and more intimate, I look at the tin shed and I know what it is - it feels like standing in Feethams! I half expect to see the Town Hall clock tower illuminated above and in the distance! I think I like this place, it feels like home. Blackwell Meadows doesn't sound right any more, I think I will consider it myself as The New Feethams Ground. The old one's only just up the road after all.
There's a young lad behind me with his dad - the lad looks about five. He's proudly telling everyone it's his first time watching Darlington. I remember a young lad like that at his first game in 1961 - me.
Wake up; Halifax have scored at the other end - it's 3-2; how long left? I don't get a good view - I think our keeper's saved it. No, they're heading to the centre circle, what the hell happened there?
But it's all over straight from the restart 3-2. Well at least we didn't fluff it in front of a big crowd. But it feels like we didn't get our game management right in the last few minutes. Anyway, time for a warm up if I can get out of the ground - hang on that's not going to be any time soon. The Halifax fans are being coralled at the other end so we have to pass through the narrow corridor beneath the Tin Shed. The crowd comes to a good natured stop and it's now clear to see why. The Tin Shed steps have barriers at each end so you can't jump up a few steps and use the empty space above to nip along. And the narrow funnel is getting clogged with wheelchairs and fans, so we wait and wait, and wait. Getting from one side of the tin shed to the other seems to take ten minutes - probably five, and as I pass the portaloos I notice there are no lights in there and people are having to pee in the dark, that looks tough.
Now the players have reappeared and they're coming to applaud the fans in the Tin Shed - that's a nice touch. Then it's out of the ground at a steady pace, past a few bored looking policemen with nothing to do, and a long walk back to the car and a 45 min journey back to Leyburn.
And 4 hours later my nose is still throbbing from the cold - or is it the miniture bottles of liquer I got given yesterday!
But all in all a successful day and I expect the club will be glad to get that one under their belt. I enjoyed it. And I shall return...
(Feethams 1966).

Thanks for your personal view, it's much appreciated.

[theoriginalfatcat]

Nice bit of writing Feethams66