Chichester City Reserves vs Ferring Reserves
Oaklands Park
SCFL Reserves Cup
March 5
Any football fan will have heard of The Theatre of Dreams. The name was bestowed upon Old Trafford, the largest club ground in England and one of the most recognisable stadiums in the world. But for non-league followers on the south coast there is a rival – in the serene surroundings of Chichester.
Many will know the county town of West Sussex for its grand cathedral which towers over the surrounding countryside, a relic of the key role the area played in Roam, Saxon and Norman times. A century on and it’s become a hotbed for lovies, the Festival Theatre being one of the best in the UK.
Just yards from the theatre though is Oakland’s Park, a tidy ground nestled in between a car park and tennis club which is home to Chichester City.
I took in the ground on a day of a double header. After dropping Mrs N off in Portsmouth I took in the village football of Sidlesham before heading back up into the city for, errr, City.
It took a little while to find the ground but after abandoning Nomad’s wheels in the Northgate car park and paying the couple of quid for the privilege, I headed up the tarmac road to the ground.
In front of me was a set of large green gates and a two storey clubhouse, both of which were installed in 2010 when a refurb of the site took place.
Sneaking in a side gate I arrived 30 minutes in to the big match, the reserve Lillywhites of Chichester taking on Ferring’s second side.
The game itself did not really matter.
Chichester City were by far the better side although Ferring did well to keep on fighting to the end. What mattered was that Nomad had ticked another ground off on the list. And a good one too – tidy, clean, a good stand on the far side of the ground, a nice covered area for those that didn’t want to trek round, decent food and a nice bunch of supporters. The clubhouse too was extremely comfortable and had Sky Sports on for those that way inclined
Nomad left just after full time to stroll back to the car in the adjoining car park with a rainbow overhead.
As I did, there were people arriving for the theatre. “Don’t bother with that,” I should have said, “you’ll have far more entertainment at a quarter of the cost in that theatre just over there”.
I made a note to make sure I return for when the first team are in action…
THE ESSENTIALS
Chichester City FC
Oakland’s Park,
Oakland’s Way,
Chichester,
West Sussex
PO19 6AR
http://www.chichestercityfc.co.uk
@chicityfc
Getting there and away
Half a mile north of the City Centre, Oaklands Park is adjacent to Festival Threatre. Turn into Northgate car park and entrance to ground is next to the Chichester Rackets Club.
Nearest Station: Chichester (20 min walk)
Clubhouse
Nicely done, the two storey clubhouse was built in 2010 to meet FA requirements. Inside was a nice bar and plenty of sofa seating. Would have been a bit tight on a busy matchday though.
Food and drink
Good offering on the food side. Chips were a little overcooked but they were hot. Nomad was so famished he couldn’t have cared less… The hot chocolate though was awful.
Programme
None on offer due to it being a reserve game.
Toilets
Very nice and as clean as they were when installed as part of the 2010 refit.
(*Ed’s note: no team news due to it being a reserve game)
Carry on up the Combi 