A pictorial guide of Southbury Road - by Neil Avey

At the start of the 1999/2000 season I attended the final few games at Southbury Road with my spanking brand new digi camera. For those of you who know me, you'll remember how I contrived to lose my last one on the way home from Walton & Hersham last year, and boy was I peed about that. So now I had a new camera, and with this I recorded the final few moments at Southbury Road. I took the photos below mostly at the final game against Basingstoke Town. Any contributions received will be credited. The images are all thumbnail (well sort of) for now. If there's any interest I'll load them onto Crosswinds in full and you can do with them as you wish. They all clock in at 640x480. Neil

	Woah, where did the crowd come from? This is looking directly up into the main stand. It's got some good views as you will see.
	Take a seat. Actually there were a few spare a few months back. These particular ones came all the way from Stamford Bridge. Helps to play in blue I suppose. Would look real silly for instance if we get a new ground and install those crappy ones from Underhill when they get booted out, hahahaha!
	Look to your left at the Town End. Unbelieveable to imagine it's just rubble now.
	Lean over the side - watch out for the pigeons, and there in front of you is the terracing. Not your usual terracing, mind. This was thick and chunky terracing. Bet it was fun trying to knock this lot over...
	Don't go and get vertigo on me as we look towards the Cambridge Road. And look, there's the press box in front of you.
	Down the steps now to terrace level look towards the Cambridge Road end (also known as the School or Gents Bog End. Happy memories of going for a slash after consuming a large amount of alcohol, and missing vital goals.
	Don't forget to look back up into the stand.
	Close up now. This was my favourite end of the ground. Why? It was shallow in depth and I think this was a better place to generate some noise. So why did it have to be the away end for all-ticket games?
	If you move to right behind the goal and look to your right, you'll see what was the remains of the North Stand. More like a walkway when Enfield FC, vacated the ground, the story behind the demolition of terracing and cover has been well documented on this website. This was once a popular side vantage point before you-know-who had it removed for temporary seating.
	And if you looked to your left you had a good view of the main stand. Always a treat to see the ground full for vital matches.
	Moving to the far end of this terrace now, here's the old Kid E's hut. My chief memory though was of Rob Brassett and Bubbles doing the tea hut here in the Conference days. 'One burger for you and two for me'.
	Next to the ex burger stall at the end, here's the bloomin' scoreboard. Used only a few times for football. This was a parting gift from Saracens when they upped and left us in the lurch. Anyways - the scoreboard once had us beating Aylesbury United by 20-0. We wish.
	Talking of FOOD. Used for one season and then abandoned. Now why was that???
	This was Fruitbat's vantage point when Enfield were kicking towards the school end. He would invariably unleash a volley of abuse at any linesman who dared to come within earshot. Fruitbat has now deserted us and gone to Cheshunt, which is a very sad state of affairs I can tell you.
	Looking towards the Town End at the other end of the ground.
	The flat ex North side of the ground looking - well - flat.
	Forget about the flat side and walk right to the end. Right under the gaze of the floodlight you'll see what for a short time was the new Kid E's hut and the BSM school of motoring. Would you believe that one of the ideas our chairman had to earn some extra money was to allow BSM to open up a hut for learner riders, who happened to come into the ground on their bikes towards the end of the second half at the School end, then ride down the flat end to their 'home'.
	Directly behind the goal at the Town End (OK, a bit to the right then).
	Now look back towards um... Lazarou's folly
	Shuffle a few more paces along and look to the right. It's the main stand again. See the floodlight? They have been scrapped, so I'm told. And after all the money and effort by the Supporters Club in getting them there in the first place.
	Now imagine a crowd (this was a Hendon match so you'll just have to use your imagination REAL good).
	Before leaving the Town End, take a look back...
	... then look at the club shop and the Supporters Club hut. It's not until you have to groundshare that you realise how important these huts actually were. Poor old Hicksy and Farmer have to stand out in the cold now. And as for selling travel club tickets, that's only available on the coach or by phone. Oh, for a club base.
	And now we're back at the start again. I hope you have enjoyed this tour of the old Southbury Road ground. Now dispose of your litter carefully and I'll see you outside.