This is the first of many ‘Non-League Natters’ that I hope to write for you readers over the coming weeks and months.
I aim to get to as many games as I can and write about my experiences of non-league football and why games outside the Football League is in fact the best kind football experience.
On Tuesday 3rd November I made the trip to Fareham Town for their game against Alresford Town of the Wessex Premier Division. Originally, I had planned to attend Blackfield and Langley FC versus Tadley Calleva in the same league but following the postponement of that fixture, I had to think quick and find an alternative and decided this intriguing fixture.
General Information
Club name – Fareham Town FC
Nickname – ‘The Creeksiders’
Stadium – Cams Alders Stadium, Cams Alders, Palmerston Drive, Fareham, Hampshire, PO14 1BJ
Capacity – 4,500 (450 seated)
Founded – 1947
Division – Wessex League Premier division
The Gaffer – Pete Stiles
Before the game
We arrived at the Cams Alders Stadium around 6.45pm having travelled from Southampton and entered through the turnstiles into one of the more scenic grounds I have visited. Arriving in good time allowed me to sample all of what Fareham Town had to offer and I was not disappointed!
A lovely old-fashioned stand lies ahead of you as you walk through the turnstiles which was a perfect opportunity to take some photos of this lovely stadium. Following on from that the smell of the ‘Creeksiders Café’ grabbed my attention which gave me a chance for me to taste one of their burgers and I must say if you’re reading this and you are looking for a good burger in non-league then Fareham Town is the one for you! I would recommend the lovely bacon and cheeseburger but they have various choices on the menu with lots of condiments on offer too.
Post-burger tasting experience, it was now time to see what the bar had to offer! They boasted an array of discounted beers and ciders all at a good price, as per below. With time to spare I sat down to enjoy a pint and take some notes of my experience in this modern stadium – that has maintained traditional features – and to soak-up the pre-match excitement of what would be both teams last game for a month before we entered a period of lockdown.
Value for money?
Admission: £6 for an adult and £3 for a child/student/OAP. Great Value for this level – 4.5/5.
Burger: £4 for a bacon cheeseburger with burger sauce and onions. Beautifully toasted bun with a juicy burger and crispy bacon, but plastic cheese let the burger down – 4/5.
Beer: £3 for a Prahva – you cannot go wrong with a premium lager for £3! A good amount of head, great fizz and the taste was sublime – 4.5/5.
Programme: £1.50 – informative, provided statistics and club information and well presented – 4/5.
Stadium: Tidy little ground with quirky features and a lovely traditional stand overlooking the pitch – 4/5.
The match: End-to-end with lots of goals and some fiery moments – 4/5.
The support: Couldn’t fault the supporters at all! Vocal, kept singing and a good attendance – 5/5.
Facilities: Great set-up and made to feel welcome by the volunteers – 4/5.
Overall grade: I would have to give Fareham Town a solid 4.5/5 based on all of the above. A fantastic evening as well as game and one club that I would definitely recommend to visit.
The Match
This match was always bound to have goals and within 17 minutes we had our first one when the Alresford winger picked the ball up from his own half, dribbled through the defence and won a penalty for his side. Ashley Elson sent goalkeeper Dan Kempson the wrong way to convert to make it 0-1 Alresford. Game on!
A flurry of goals towards the end of the first half in the space of 12 minutes saw the scoreline at 2-2 and by the end of it I was left questioning just how many we would witness on this chilly Tuesday night in Hampshire.
On 33 minutes Fareham equalised when Josh Benfield side-footed home from close range for ‘The Creeksiders’ (1-1).
Six minutes later Alresford took the lead again when Louis Russell was left with an easy chance when Fareham failed to clear their lines leaving him to stroke the ball home from close range… (1-2 Alresford).
Within minutes though Fareham equalised again! This time it was Callum Benfield who found the back of the net after a backheel fell towards the goal, following a corner, and dropped to him to make it 2-2… A crazy final few minutes of the half at Cams Alders!
HALF TIME – A chance for supporters to catch their breath and enjoy a pint at half-time and catch up on other results elsewhere – or in my case to sit down and take notes on an entertaining half in the comfort of a cozy modern clubhouse!
The second half kicked off and after a quiet first 25 minutes, we once again witnessed more late drama when an Alresford defender handled in his box following a ferocious shot by Connor Messenbird. It produced the second penalty of the game but this time the Alresford ‘keeper guessed the right way to keep the scores level at 2-2 after 70 minutes.
With 78 minutes gone, I was questioning what else was left in store. And right on cue there was another goal as Alresford took the lead again when Elson was on hand to convert after a quick break from a Fareham corner.
A sin bin for an Alresford player, following some back-chat, led to the visitors being temporarily down to 10 men. And with Fareham now throwing bodies at the opposition they got caught on the break. This led to Messenbird being shown a red card for a ferocious tackle, and more chaos followed in the aftermath with Callum Benfield also managing to find his way into the sin bin.
With just a few minutes of time to play Tom Settle launched a free-kick from around 30 yards directly into the area which evaded every Alresford defender, and their keeper, before bouncing in the net for a dramatic equaliser at 3-3.
Alresford looked defeated, while Fareham celebrated like they had just won the game – who doesn’t love a last-minute equaliser! Incredible scenes for the Fareham supporters and heartbreak for the few Alresford fans who braved the trip on this chilly night.
Post match – Following on from this incredible game, it gave me a chance to gather my thoughts on what was a great spectacle for all supporters and neutrals who attended. Fareham are well supported with great facilities and people running this historic club. They have a very good side who will be pushing for promotion come the end of the season.
Fareham Town is a lovely club and I would definitely recommend attending a game to all fans of not just non-league, but all supporters.
By Ryan Lancaster
Follow @Ryanlancaster07
