Hosts: Consett AFC
Venue: Belle View Stadium, Delves Lane, Consett, Co. Durham DH8 7JP
LOCATION REPORT
SatNav: DH8 7JP
Parking: on-site parking for c101 vehicles, incl accessible spaces; overflow on adjacent service road plus on-street in local area
Public transport: buses along Delves Lane or to/from Consett bus station (8 mins walk)
Public transport: buses along Delves Lane or to/from Consett bus station (8 mins walk)
Cycling: Coast2Coast cycle route passes onsite
Entry: adults £7, concessions £5, kids £2
Programmes: £1.50
Programmes: £1.50
Refreshments: pitchside kiosk (£1.50 hot choc, £1.50 chips, £2.00 hotdogs)
Licensed bar: full-facility social club onsite; opens onto pitchside patio
Toilets: main building, incl accessible
PA system: yes; clear and audible to all areas; music/welcomes/teams/info
Licensed bar: full-facility social club onsite; opens onto pitchside patio
Toilets: main building, incl accessible
PA system: yes; clear and audible to all areas; music/welcomes/teams/info
Covered seating:
(S) main stand = c140 seated, flip/plastic; accessible wheelchair space
(S) main stand = c140 seated, flip/plastic; accessible wheelchair space
(S) clubhouse patio = 4 x wooden picnic benches & tables/chairs leading from bar area
(N) opposite stand = c100 seated, flip/plastic
Covered standing/terrace:
(S) clubhouse patio = space for c100+ outside clubhouse patio doors
Open viewing:
(all sides) tarmac hardstanding; lean-on barriers all round
(all sides) tarmac hardstanding; lean-on barriers all round
Floodlights: 6 (3 per flank)
MATCH REPORT
Kickoff: 3:00pm Saturday 3 August 2019
Competition: Ebac Northern League Division One
Weather: mostly raining (drizzly/showery), overcast with short sunny spells, light breeze, mild
Competition: Ebac Northern League Division One
Weather: mostly raining (drizzly/showery), overcast with short sunny spells, light breeze, mild
Team colours:
Consett = all white
Consett = all white
Northallerton Town = all purple (away kit)
Final [h/t] score:
1 [0] Consett
0 [0] Northallerton Town
1 [0] Consett
0 [0] Northallerton Town
Sent Off: 0
NORVENMUNKI's COMMENTS#
Arriving at Belle View for the first game of a brand-new season, the car park is pretty busy but I'm just about able to squeeze into a space between two badly-parked SUVs. This whole venue here is only a couple of years old and the facilities are excellent; it's very clean and well-maintained, evidently very popular, and the clubhouse is thriving.
I queue at the kiosk behind a guy who's tried to get his umbrella through whilst open and is now hurriedly trying to collapse it whilst inside the turnstile.
As you pass through the turnstile, which even though it's new still has that delicious traditional squeak of metal-on-metal, and walk past the tall perimeter fences, you get to the large pitchside area which is buzzing with activity.
To the right is a covered stand which, on a drizzly day like today, is going to be well-used. For years, I worked daily in Consett: it's a place with a unique microclimate, shall we say?
To the left is access to the clubhouse, via a side door to the WCs or round via large glass doors that empty out from the bar onto the pitchside, with an array of wooden benches and tables in the fresh air under the canopy of the building. It's all excellently designed and nice and busy.
The pitch itself is 4G synthetic turf, as modern as it comes, and it's dressed in places with bundles of tied-back net curtains that get pulled out for use with junior and community footie on the versatile pitch.
Rain had started to fall upon my arrival (that's meteorological rather than figurative) and throughout most of the afternoon it does not relent. There are umbrellas everywhere. The sky is grey but the floodlights are not switched on. Flags draped in the outfield are waving joyously in the breeze.
I queue at the kiosk behind a guy who's tried to get his umbrella through whilst open and is now hurriedly trying to collapse it whilst inside the turnstile.
As you pass through the turnstile, which even though it's new still has that delicious traditional squeak of metal-on-metal, and walk past the tall perimeter fences, you get to the large pitchside area which is buzzing with activity.
To the right is a covered stand which, on a drizzly day like today, is going to be well-used. For years, I worked daily in Consett: it's a place with a unique microclimate, shall we say?
To the left is access to the clubhouse, via a side door to the WCs or round via large glass doors that empty out from the bar onto the pitchside, with an array of wooden benches and tables in the fresh air under the canopy of the building. It's all excellently designed and nice and busy.
The pitch itself is 4G synthetic turf, as modern as it comes, and it's dressed in places with bundles of tied-back net curtains that get pulled out for use with junior and community footie on the versatile pitch.
Rain had started to fall upon my arrival (that's meteorological rather than figurative) and throughout most of the afternoon it does not relent. There are umbrellas everywhere. The sky is grey but the floodlights are not switched on. Flags draped in the outfield are waving joyously in the breeze.
The teams emerge to the saxophonic vibrancy of One Step Beyond. For the visitors, who sneaked promotion from Division Two this summer, this truly is one step beyond what they had become used to. Let's see how they fare. For the hosts, they were a good consistent top-level side last season and will themselves be hoping that more of the same might take them one step beyond and up into Step 4.
Handshakes. Game on. The turf is already glistening, so will the weather have an impact?
I take a walk around to grab some photos. There's an asphalt perimeter path all round the pitch, with people rooted in sporadic spots, grasping brollies or just getting wet, and a wide grassed outfield. All ages and generations are here, many locals sporting club fleeces and other merchandise, along with pushchairs and well-behaved dogs on leads. It's all very homely and nervously expectant.
I take my seat at the edge of the main stand, which is not as dry as I'd imagined given the rain being blown in from an angle.
On the pitch, the first half is busy with plenty of endeavour from both sides. There are chances made but too many shots are off-target or else the respective keepers are taking charge.
At half-time, it's still goalless. And it's still raining. I stay under cover.
As the second half gets underway, maybe it's my imagination but the sky seems to lighten up a bit, yet it's still raining lightly, of course.
Just before the hour mark, there's a breakthrough: a goal for the home side. A neat passing move carves a path through the purple defence and the shot is tucked away into the far bottom corner: 1-0.
As if cosmically connected, the rain stops too.
I take this as a good sign to go for some refreshment. The hot chocolate is superb, with multiple scoops of powder and nice and fluffy! Now it's not wet, I opt to watch the end of the game from the opposite side.
With six minutes left, another breakthrough: the sunshine arrives at last! I actually find myself squinting and wishing I'd brought my sunglasses.
The full-time whistle goes. One-nil. The locals are relieved and some are a bit unconvinced. The away fans are generally content that they didn't get disgraced (a few of whom are smugly comparing their result with the scores of the other promoted sides!).
As we exit, the sky brightens again and the blue finally pokes through.
The car park empties slowly, thanks to the volume of traffic. Curiously, I rather like the notion of a bottleneck: in a good way, I've not seen this kind of traffic jam at this level so far, so hopefully it augurs well for a upsurge in spectator numbers.
It's been a long summer without a game, and I'm back in the swing again.
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