Are revisits worthwhile?

By guest writer Matt Coughlan

I’m down in London for work, and Futbology tells me there are 51 games within a 30-mile radius of the office. I’ve been to 13 of those grounds, so surely I should use the opportunity to tick off a new one? There’s Molesey, which has a tempting profile pic. There’s Haringey Borough at Coles Park, which I’ve inexplicably yet to visit. There are several basic facilities with potentially interesting fixtures.

I choose to return to the Old Spotted Dog and see Clapton Community. The Tons feature in both of my books, and I’ve a particular fondness towards them. The appeal is an atmosphere reminiscent of the Serie C games I’d seen in my most recent football watching at the end of last season on the FIFA+ app. This also makes it a worthwhile game to attend for my partially sighted friend, Mark, as it’s more sociable than a 3G cage match.

We meet at a local pub, knowing they do a decent pint from a nearby brewery, before heading to the ground for more of the same in the clubhouse. It’s nice to spot a few improvements since my last visit. The narrow alleyway, where fans gathered to boycott the previous regime, has been landscaped. The new fencing invites passers-by to watch from Walter Tull Way, named in honour of the pioneering black player and war hero. There’s a recently unveiled memorial to the Newham International Brigades, paid for by sales of their distinctive away shirt (to which Mark adds another sale). There’s also a new toilet block.

Fusion foods are still there, and I know exactly what to order. It doesn’t have that photogenic appeal for Footy Scran, but it hits the spot. Signs in the Scaffold, which houses the most vocal support, point out it’s not an Instagram opportunity either. Standing there is about backing the team, which I wouldn’t be doing as a neutral groundhopper. Me and Mark have been a fair few times, so we feel at home beneath the giant flag that inspired the current home kit and join in the singing.

I may not have been singing from entirely the same hymn sheet after Clapton were successful in their appeal for a lateral transfer to the Eastern Counties, as from a groundhopping perspective there were more new grounds to visit in Kent rather than Essex. This was the Tons’ opening fixture against Basildon Town, and a couple of early chances fall to the player we once got chatting to in the pub after a game, which is mostly noteworthy to mention in commentary to Mark. He picks up much of what was going on from several of us bemoaning the visitors’ robust approach, which involves the sort of hostility we used to expect from a night out in Bas Vegas.

A version of ‘She’s Lost Control’ by Joy Division is directed towards the referee in an example of some inventive terrace chanting. Soon after, an attempted tackle is so wild it misses both man and ball. It allows winger Andre Odeku through on goal to slot home the opener for the Tons. The joy is short-lived, as the visitors look to play direct to their front two. Normally, I wouldn’t be averse to some old school tactics, but when a defensive header falls to Dylan Jones to equalise, it punctures the mood.

The half ends all square, despite the best efforts of Clapton’s wide men to change the scoreline, and some more fouls that prolong the first 45. A couple of fans helpfully remind the referee that he possesses a yellow card as he walks off, before their attention turns towards petting a lovable dog. I’ve no compulsion to go walkies around the ground, having explored it previously, so I get another beer and retake our position in the Scaffold.

We expect Clapton to retake the lead, but it’s the visitors who start brightest. A corner gives them the opportunity to get the ball in the box, and it eventually falls for Luke Winter to turn it in for 2-1. Our discontent is nearly compounded when another Basildon effort comes back off the woodwork soon after.

The Tons introduce subs Jake Wintour and James Briggs to give a well organised Basildon defence something to think about. Briggs sets the tempo while the Scaffold keeps the beat going. Wintour’s solo efforts create a couple of chances, but there’s no crescendo, with one last chance blasted over in stoppage time. It’s disappointing in a way that a new tick wouldn’t be. The home fans applaud the Basildon team before they go for a warm down. They congratulate themselves for the turnaround in front of a partisan crowd, which one admits ‘was quality’.

As a groundhopper, it’s great to find these quality experiences, and a revisit shouldn’t immediately be dismissed in favour of a new tick. New isn’t always better, although Molesey’s last-minute equaliser might have been a more satisfying end to a game. Sometimes it’s nice to return to a familiar ground and add depth to the experience. There’s a balance to be struck between racking up the numbers and remembering why we go to games. Plenty of groundhoppers follow a team, and there are always choices to make. To make that choice harder, I contend that some classic grounds deserve another look, either at a different time of year, under the lights, or for a big game. Some clubs deserve our repeat custom and I’ll be on the lookout for more opportunities to get along to Clapton Community in future.

Matt’s book Groundhopper: Tales from Football’s Equivalent of Trainspotting is available through Pitch Publishing.