I love this ground! Helped by an exciting game, friendly fans and helpful club officials - those factors even made me (an Ipswich fan) overlook the yellow/green colours and Canary nickname!
Last weekend I had a great time in Belgium and visits to Antwerp and Union St Gilloise and I can see why UK fans are attracted there - beer, old school stadiums - but after visiting Hitchin I reminded myself that you do not have to travel far to get away from the money grabbing game that the top 4 divisions in England have become.
So what makes 'Top Field' so different? Wood - and plenty of it, not sure at first if they were benches to sit on but soon realised that the stands were made of wooden planks to stand on - with all stands variously different and then at one end some proper terracing.
Over the last seasons, 'Top Field' hase been under threat and those threats may have galvanised the club and town to come together to save their club.
It was great to listen to some of the older fans near the tea hut talk about former players who had played for Hitchin or other local non-league sides, you could see how much they would miss their weekly trips to 'Top Field'.
So make sure you place 'Top Field' on your 'must visit' list, and you may even be watching a higher standard of football as a play off place looks an almost certainty - thanked in this game by a brilliant 89th minute goal line clearance!
Great write up ! Thats why we all love it
ReplyDeleteThank you. Very kind. Can't beat Top Field!
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