Grantham 1 - 1 Belper

It was a fine morning on Saturday so we decided to make the trip to watch Belper at Grantham.

The game was unremarkable with a below par performance from Belper. A draw, whilst disappointing, was better than losing which we could easily have done.

I managed to take a half dozen pictures inside the ground during the warm up before a jobsworth in a yellow jacket told me I had to put the camera away since I was not the official Belper photographer. When I told him I'd never been refused pemission anywhere else his justification was "It says so in the programme." (Since then I've re-read the programme from cover to cover and there's no mention of any such restriction.)

This is the South Kesteven Stadium:

Strange place to watch football this. The pitch is so far away because of the running track and the stadium so "open" that it just didn't feel right! With a steady wind blowing diagonally across the ground and a playing surface which although well-grassed, was like concrete, this was never going to be a classic.

What really ruined the day for me (apart from the jobsworth) was the behaviour of some of the Grantham support. When one of our players went down with what was obviously a very bad injury and as the stretcher was being called for, these morons decided it would be funny to sing "The Funeral March".

After the game, they hurled abuse and hatred at the Belper players, calling Danny Hudson a cheat. Danny had been hurt when he was, basically, assaulted by the Grantham No. 4 who got a second yellow card and dismissal for his trouble. Our kit man also told me that the same fans actually spat at the players as they came off the pitch.

So much for the FA's "Respect" campaign!

Won't be going to Grantham again!

Oh and by the way, the "Official Photographer's" efforts are here - as good as ever! (Wish I was an "Official" Snapper!)

http://www.timharrisonphotography.com/NailersAction/GrnthmA0809/album1.html