Friday Freebie: We can't like everything when it comes to football

Debate is always healthy

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What is there at a football stadium that you don’t like to see? Is it poor segregation amongst fans or perhaps poor sightlines to the pitch? Is it a lack of leg room or comfy seats in all seater stadiums?

Or even something simple like a lack of merchandise or no extension to the standard food fare on offer? Does it go further than that and the huge mascots get your goat?

My biggest gripe is running tracks. I like a running track for the runners but for me there is no place for it combined with football at the same stadium. I know it’s few and far between these days but it distracts so much for what you are actually there for.

I came across two this last season whilst watching games, both in Essex as it goes, the first at Chelmsford and the other at Hornchurch, Barnet also faced one twice with two trips to Gateshead.

I didn’t make either of the Bees trips up north but it’s one I don’t plan on doing because I don’t want to be in an enforced distance away from the pitch, if I wanted that I’d pitch up in the pub to watch the game!

What I can comment on is the two I faced watching games. The FA Cup took us to Melbourne Road Stadium for a replay against the Clarets, never been before but easy enough for the journey. I was aware before the visit of the running track around the pitch, but not aware of what exactly I was going to see once inside.

It's poor! I can’t offer much more than that without being impolite, how this ground fits National League South standard I’ll never know. The views from any area apart from the two small stands, one covered and one not behind each goal is as good as it gets, it’s plain awful for the rest wanting to watch, especially in a big crowd.

The main grandstand is so far away surely the ticket and seat should come with free binoculars, it’s a crazy view, or lack of! I would say I wasn’t too disappointed to see them crash out of the play-off’s, nothing against Chelmsford City FC but the ground it’s not for me at all.

The second one I came up against and ironically in the same county was in the Isthmian League play-off’s to watch Cray Wanderers take on Hornchurch. Their track didn’t seem as big as the one surrounding the Chelmsford pitch but still in the way enough along with the various other athletics event arenas etc. just off the sidelines behind each goal.

For me it kills the atmosphere, you should be as close as you can to the pitch, not almost marooned in some stand yards away from the action at a time when your team can be looking for support. A short term move is understandable for some, it can’t be helped for a bridging move in between, but as a long term option I fully disagree with it.

What’s your views on running tracks around a football pitch? Does it bother you? Does it spoil your enjoyment of the game? Or is it really of no consequence? Leave me your views in the comments below.