Woodhorn Lane (Ashington)

Depending on how into this blog you are, this one might count as cheating a bit. I didn’t have a gig here, but with a day off and the ground being a two minute walk from my house, it was far too tempting to turn down Ashington vs Berwick Rangers in a pre-season friendly.

I have gigged at Woodhorn Lane, home of Ashington AFC, before, and have attended plenty of games there in the past. The Colliers moved to Woodhorn Lane a couple of years ago in a move that I’m sure only really angered me, despite its convenience location-wise.

They previously played at Portland Park, a grand old stadium that was a product of a previous era, a thing of absolute beauty. Whilst the club will no doubt say it was necessary financially and while there’s no doubt the facilities have improved considerably, it’s still sad that what was previously a home of two fantastic old grandstands is now a big Asda.

As for Woodhorn Lane, there’s virtually nothing of note about it. Two virtually identical stands either side of the pitch, one houses terracing and the other seats. Pleasant clubhouse facilities behind one of the goals, the only thing of character I saw were two horses grazing at the main entrance. You don’t get that at Old Trafford.

I don’t find Woodhorn as offensive as this post may suggest. I’m well aware of the financial perils of clubs lower down the football ladder. I’m just sad that it doesn’t have the same swagger as its predecessor.