Match: v Kidderminster Harriers - Blue Square Premier
Date: Tuesday, March 30th, 2010
Result: Kidderminster 1 Cambridge United 0
The Journey
Departure Time: 2.30pm
Arrival at Ground: Inclement weather during the journey veered between the odd spot of drizzle and rain heavy enough to make you wish you'd brought those blueprints for an ark. Fortunately, the weather had no detrimental affect on the journey and there was even time for a brief stop at Corley Services en route. Here, we encountered the rather surprising sight of a referee buying a road atlas. We thought at the time that he was perhaps looking for a fast track to the Premier League list, but it turned out that he was the referee's assessor for our game! I know you're getting older when policemen and referees start to look young, but what does it say when it happens to referee's assessors?
Having made the journey to Kidderminster last season only to get the message that the match had been called off shortly after I arrived at the ground, it was something of a relief to find that the precipitation had abated by the time I reached Aggborough, just before 5.30pm.
At The Ground
The Ground: If you park in the car park behind the away end, as I did, first impressions of Aggborough are less than appealing. The edges of the car park show distinct evidence that this is an area popular with the local dog walkers … and I don't mean that there are paw prints everywhere.
Once you've picked your way through the various piles of canine excrement, the front of the ground is much more edifying. Built beside a quiet side road on a hill overlooking the town centre, Aggborough is a tidy, red brick ground with a very welcoming bar beside the main reception area.
Once inside the ground, the neat and tidy impression you get from the front of the ground continues. As regular visitors to Aggborough know - and United fans certainly fall into that category - a low main stand runs the length of the road side of the pitch. Here, the only thing to spoil the general air of tidiness were the few pigeon-splattered white seats amongst the red ones in a red brick surround. A wide tarmac concourse runs along the front of this stand, while a narrower concrete one runs along the back. Here, cut into the back wall at the centre of the stand, a number of windows to executive boxes are raised so high above the back row of seats that it would take the Harlem Globetrotters, standing on each others shoulders, to see in.
Another low stand runs the length of the other side of the pitch. Again the only exception to the red seats were a few white ones although here, while you couldn't see whether pigeons had used them for target practice, you could see that they spelled out the word 'Harriers'. The Severn Valley Railways runs in a cutting behind this stand and, at some stages during the season, you can see the steam from the trains drifting above the stand. Not tonight though. Perhaps because the temperatures were forecast to plummet, the locomotives were wrapped, tea cosy style, in snug blankets to keep them warm. Bless!
Near-matching terracing is at either end of the ground. Although both terraces are covered and both have a wide walkway about halfway up, the away end - to the right of the main stand - is notable for having a scoreboard on top and segregation barriers about half way along. The latter means that part of or all of this end of the ground can be opened according to the expected away support. U's fans were given the run of this end.
It was a chilly night, not helped by a capricious breeze that swept unencumbered into the ground via the large gaps between each stand.
United Fans: U's fans started in fine voice, but flagged a little as the team went behind before returning to excellent vocal form for the last fifteen minutes or so.
Home Fans: Sporadically noisy, aided by relentless drummed accompaniment.
Tannoy: The tannoy man was in playful mood at half time, announcing that the FA Cup Semi Final between Chelsea and Aston Villa had been moved from Wembley to Edgbaston as they had a bigger scoreboard there.
Police/Stewards: The stewards were unfailingly helpful and friendly.
Programme: 52 pages for £2.50. Although there were a number of double page spreads of adverts, there was - more importantly - plenty to read in this well-edited and designed programme. Perhaps the only quibble was the advert for Kidderminster's forthcoming dinner, which included a large photo of a large character well known in the north of the county.
Food/Drink: For some reason, the Travellers' Tales taster went for a burger, which was a mistake. At £2.50 it was found to be decidedly unappealing … unlike the famous Aggborough pies which, although priced at a jaw-dropping £4, were a meal in themselves.
Afterwards
The Journey Home: We may be in a recession, but anyone who makes the temporary 50mph signs used at road works is coining it in.
Mileage: 257 miles
Total Distance for Season: 4,818 miles
Mark Johnson, with additional reporting by David Gray
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