A View From Norfolk

Some footballing views from a week spent in Norfolk, home to my favourite ground of all, the Wellesley, home of Great Yarmouth Town FC and the oldest surviving football grandstand in the country.

The public nature of the ground, just one street away from the seafront, means you can stroll around at almost any time and I always take the opportunity when I can even though my visits haven't coincided with a game for some years.

Next home game in the Eastern Counties League for The Bloaters is on Saturday 17 September when they entertain Haverhill Borough.

I was staying further along the coast at Sheringham where the Shannocks enjoyed one of the biggest wins in their history at the weekend, an FA Cup triumph at Lowestoft Town which earned them a place in the 2nd Qualifying Round and a trip to Needham Market a week on Saturday.

Cabbell Park in Cromer was the venue for an Anglian Combination Division 5 game between Cromer Youth OB and Sprowston Reserves, the home side taking a first-half lead from an excellent free-kick before a seven goal blitz from Sprowston after the break.

The ground itself has seen better days but it is good to see a long tradition (the plaque on the left is on display at the RNLI Henry Blogg Museum) of senior football in the town being carried on, and, more importantly perhaps, Cromer Youth FC is home to a large number of junior teams.

Head west along the coast road and you get to Wells-next-the-Sea and, just across from the harbour, the Beach Road home of Wells Town FC, a very pleasant spot to catch some Anglian Combination action.

Finally, all roads in Norfolk lead to Norwich and the same is true of the football club. The Canary Yellow is in evidence every where you go and it is pleasing to see a network of local buses heading off from the local villages and towns every matchday.