With the country in the throes of a general election, it would be ridiculous not to feature a football ground that also doubles as a polling station.
Hirst Welfare Centre is the home of Ashington Colliers, the reserve team of Ashington AFC. It’s not the only football stadium to serve in that capacity, of course. Sandygate, home of Hallam FC, is one. And Coles Park, home of Haringey Borough (which has featured on this blog in the past), is another. But it’s a nice little niche group to be a part of.
In terms of the ground itself, there’s not an awful lot of it to discuss. There are a couple of dug outs, which have become the bare minimum for me when trying to define the difference between a football ground and a playing field.
The pitch is fenced off and spectators do come to watch the games, but it’s hard to see much if the gates are locked. It’s worth visiting anyway – it backs onto Ashington’s Woodhorn Lane. But it’s definitely at the lower end of the excitement scale.
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Woodhorn Lane Update
Coming along lovely now. The top of the stand looks like it’s being completed and I’m hoping to take a couple of snaps from the other side next week in the hope some seats might be going in. But the increased scaffolding presence definitely makes it look like a lot is going on.
Book? What book? Oh, this one? Yeah, there is that one. Please buy it.
Football Grounds I Can Be Bothered To Visit 