Barnet

Town’s latest League Two fixture saw them hit the road once again, this time to the capital as they faced lowly Barnet at Underhill. Here is how I saw the game.

Journey– I was on Soccer AM this week, so all my travel was sorted by Sky Sports and paid for by them too! The train journey down was fine and had no hitches and the cars picked us up from Euston to take us to the hotel to the studios and finally to Underhill. Everything went without a hitch, so we were pretty happy with it. 7/10

Parking – Mainly street parking, or behind the one goal at Underhill. One of my mates parked at the Red Lion Pub just by the ground, but only about 4 cars can fit in there! 5/10

Stadium – Not great at all really. It is made up of about 7 individual stands and the away end is littered with supporting pillars. It is a typical lower league/non-league ground and the sooner Barnet can get a new ground the better, although I understand they are having some issues with their council over that. 4/10

Home crowd – Only just over 1,500 home fans were present for this, although Barnet have never been blessed with strong home attendances. Their location doesn’t help them with being surrounded by some much bigger clubs. I have to give a special mention though to the four or five hardy souls who remained on the open North Terrace for the entire game despite seeing some of the worst rain for a long time. For that, they get an extra point! 5/10

Away crowd – There were 457 Town fans in the away end and were rewarded with a long awaited victory at Underhill. We made a bit of noise too, although one or two fans had clearly had a couple of shandys too many! 6/10

Atmosphere – Not bad from the Town fans, we had decent spells of noise but similarly long spells of quiet. The Barnet fans were disappointing, the group next to the away end usually make a lot more noise with their drum but they were non-existent this time. 5/10

The match – Excellent result for the Town. The first half was fairly even but we went in one goal up thanks to Matt Richards’ excellent whipped free kick which was glanced into the top corner by a Barnet defender. The home side came out strongly after the break and equalized early on but from then on there was only going to be one winner and James Collins ensured that was the case! 6/10

The stewards – Literally didn’t even notice them! 6/10

Food – I went for a ¼ pound burger this week and it cost a reasonable £2.50. The burger was ok but nothing special, but at £2.50 you can’t expect much else. There was a wide range of food on offer and at decent prices. 6/10

Ticket price – It was £16 for everyone on the terrace on the day, Barnet don’t do their concessionary discounts on the day of the match which is a little strange. However, I don’t think the price is too bad anyway and it feels like even more value for money when your team win! 7/10

So, in total, Barnet score a total of 57 out of 100.

Torquay United

Town had a long trip to Devon for their next away adventure in League Two as they came up against in form Torquay United at Plainmoor.

Journey – We left Shrewsbury at about 8.45am and we made good progress down the motorways as the weather wasn’t as bad as we expected. There was even time for a half an hour stop at a services before arriving at Plainmoor to watch most of the Manchester United vs. Liverpool game. We didn’t leave Torquay until about 8.15 because we went into Paignton for a while before heading to the Grosvenor Hotel, the one featured on Channel 4’s “The Hotel” and met all the staff and had a drink! 7/10

Parking – There is a very small club car park which we had a space reserved in, but not much else except for street parking around the ground. You have to get there quite early to park anywhere decent. 5/10

Stadium – Small and compact, but some redevelopment is taking place. The one side of the ground is currently a building site, where a new main stand is slowly taking shape. The current stands consist of two small terraces and an all seated end behind one goal. It isn’t overly impressive but it is a neat and tidy lower league stadium and will be improved on completion of the new main stand. 6/10

Home crowd – For a team with a 100% record in January and who have just seen their manager and centre back win the manager and player of the month awards, you would have been forgiven for expecting a decent turnout. However there were only just over 2,000 home fans which was quite a surprise to me considering how well they are doing. 4/10

Away crowd – 266 Town fans made the long journey. We normally have a healthier following to Torquay but with the weather and the time of year the fixture fell not so many supporters spent the weekend in Torquay which may explain the smaller attendance. 5/10

Atmosphere – Very poor. Not until the last ten minutes did the home fans really start making any noise despite dominating most of the game and the Town fans had little to sing about. 4/10

The match – It was far from a classic, but I think the result was about right. Both sides had a couple of efforts but Torquay saw more of the ball and created a few more chances. The goal was very scrappy which just about summed up the game for me. 5/10

The stewards – Very good and very helpful. They weren’t zealous and were more than happy to have a chat and a laugh with all supporters. 7/10

Food – I had a tray of chips and I also saw Town fans with chips cheese and various sauces! Decent food but a little pricey, it was £3 for the chips! 6/10

Ticket price – I was on Media duty so didn’t pay, but I am lead to believe that the admission was around £17 for an adult which is becoming the average in this league. However, the fact the away end is a terrace is a bonus!  7/10

So, in total, Torquay United score a total of 58 out of 100.

Hereford United

Salop had the relatively short journey down the A49 on Saturday to take on Hereford United at Edgar Street, looking to make it 5 consecutive wins over their local rivals.

Journey – I let the train take the strain for this one, a journey of approximately 45 minutes. The A49 can be a nightmare sometimes so the train was a good option. Plenty of Town fans did the same thing and it was a good trip apart from the heavy police presence at the station and in the city. 7/10

Parking – I obviously didn’t need parking, but there is plenty available. There is a decent sized pay and display right next to the ground and there are many other places you can leave the car. 6/10

Stadium – Poor at best! The place is falling down and even the temporary stand erected in the Blackfriars end of the stadium is falling apart. Some say it has character, whereas I would say it needs knocking down! 3/10

Home crowd – Just over 2,000 home fans for a local game. Even though some of them say they don’t care about Shrewsbury, it is a lie! They can’t stand us and would love to beat us, so this turnout, despite their poor form, is not very good. 4/10

Away crowd – 1,256 Shrewsbury fans made the trip, out of our allocation of 1,300. There were a few in the home end too, so a good turnout overall. 8/10

Atmosphere – Very poor. The home fans claim the Meadow End is vociferous and intimidating, yet we didn’t hear a peep all game. Town fans tried to make some noise but with no roof on the temporary stand and the support effectively being split between four different stands was not conducive to a good atmosphere. 4/10

The match – We killed the game after half an hour. 2-0 up and limiting them to long range efforts, the three points were never in danger. Second half we never got out of second gear and in truth didn’t need to! 6/10

The stewards – The stewards were fine. Didn’t even see them for the majority of the game! The police overkill was disappointing though, but at least they all managed to watch the game too! 6/10

Food – I didn’t eat, but from the people I was with, there were mixed reviews. One had a cold “hot” dog and someone else claimed they had the best pie in the Football League! So I will give it a middle of the road mark. 5/10

Ticket price – Only £14 in the temporary stand for an adult, excellent value for money! Especially for a local game where some clubs often bump up their admission prices.  8/10

So, in total, Hereford United score a total of 57 out of 100.

Bradford City

Town had another away trip on Saturday with the trek to Yorkshire to take on former Premiership club Bradford City. Here is how I rated the day.

Journey – Once we had finally dragged the last member of our travelling party out of bed, we made rapid progress once again, so much so that we had a 30 minute stop and still arrived at the ground at about 1.20. Had it not been for a nasty accident on the motorway on the way home, we would have got back just as quickly too. 7/10

Parking – Not much parking available but we found a car park right by the ground that charged £3 per car. Not the greatest car park as it was more of a grass patch! Was ideal for its closeness to the ground though. There is also some street parking available. 6/10

Stadium – Awesome. Obviously with it being an ex-Premier League ground it is going to be impressive, but even though I have been there four times I am still impressed each time. If it wasn’t for the poor stand behind the one goal then I would have given it full marks. 9/10

Home crowd – About 10,000 home fans were inside the ground for this game. They have their well reported cheap season tickets to thank for their healthy crowds but it is still impressive for a struggling League Two side to pull in those crowds! They were also louder than I have heard them before. 8/10

Away crowd – 412 Town fans made the trip, which was a good effort considering we had been to Cheltenham just days previously. They tried to make some noise but the performance didn’t help and there were one or two unpleasant comments from a very small minority of fans. 6/10

Atmosphere – Bradford fans were much louder than I have experienced them in my previous visits to Valley Parade, although the fact they were thrashing us probably helped! Town fans tried, but were deflated by the lackluster performance. 6/10

The match – From a Bradford point of view – excellent. From a Shrewsbury point of view – terrible. Not much more to say. My mark is awarded on the balance of entertainment for the neutral! 6/10

The stewards – Decent enough. It was quite funny when it started to get a little heated between the two sets of supporters seeing them run from the bottom of the stand all the way to the top, only for everything to have died down by the time they got there because it took them so long! 6/10

Food – Rather expensive and bland. Over 3 quid for a beer and just under 3 quid for a burger that tasted a bit like cardboard! 5/10

Ticket price – Was meant to be £20 for me to get in, so I handed over two ten poind notes. As I tried to go through the turnstile, the operator gave me £8 change – he had presumed I was an under 16! So I had only paid £12 to get in! As it was their error, I thought ‘Happy Days’ and carried on! 6/10

So, in total, Bradford City score a total of 65 out of 100.

Cheltenham Town

Shrewsbury began their festive programme of fixtures with the trip to the Abbey Business Stadium (Whaddon Road) to face third place Cheltenham Town. Here is how the day rated.

Journey – We left Shrewsbury at about 10.45 and flew down there. We had very few hold ups apart from one section of motorway with road works and made it to the ground by just after 12.15 so we headed to a pub. 8/10

Parking – Permit only at the ground but there is quite a bit of on street parking. We however parked in a community centre about a two minute walk from the turnstiles which was handy if not slightly expensive at £4 per car. 6/10

Stadium – Small and compact but I like it. There are two modern looking stands which are obviously relatively new, one behind the goal and one along the side of the pitch. Then there is a shallow covered terrace behind the other goal and a Main Stand on the other side with terracing either side of it. 6/10

Home crowd – Around 4,000 home fans turned out for this Boxing Day clash which I believe is a decent attendance for Cheltenham. 6/10

Away crowd – Over 1,000 Shrewsbury fans made the trip and were also in decent voice. Located behind the goal we also had a good view and enjoyed the game. 7/10

Atmosphere – Now, both sets of fans thought they were decent but say they couldn’t hear each other on respective message boards. However, I know for a fact that we made a racket, I couldn’t talk once I left the ground! So I think I will put it down to acoustics because you could also see their fans jumping and clapping but not hear them that well. A 15 minute rendition of Graham Turner’s Barmy Army from the Shrewsbury fans was impressive and the highlight of the atmosphere. 7/10

The match – For a 0-0 draw it was highly entertaining. Chances for both teams, good saves by both goalkeepers and a ruck in one penalty box following a late challenge, the game had everything but a goal! Kept the fans on the edge of their seats and provided some good entertainment. 7/10

The stewards – Tried to enforce the allocated seating by looking at your ticket as soon as you walked in but not many Town fans appeared to stick to that where I was. Once the game started they were decent, let fans enjoy the game without being hassled. 6/10

Food – I didn’t eat inside the ground but a friend had a burger and the hot drinks were reasonable. 6/10

Ticket price – £21 for an adult, as this was one of Cheltenham’s “premium” games. They did have discounts for students and juniors so the value wasn’t too bad. 6/10

So, in total, Cheltenham Town score a total of 65 out of 100.

Aldershot Town

Town had another away trip this weekend with the visit to the EBB Stadium to take on Aldershot. I was called in as a late replacement to do some media work for the club so this week we have a guest blogger giving their views on the day.

Journey – Having left Shrewsbury in plenty of time, we had no delays and were able to take a 45 minute stop at Oxford Services, arriving at the Recreation Ground around 1.45pm. 8/10

Parking – As I went on the coach, the parking was reserved off Redan Road, a short walk away from the ground so it was all very easy. 7/10

Stadium – The ground is in a pleasant setting, surrounded by trees which means a nice walk through the park to the away turnstiles. Only three sides of the ground are occupied though. The majority is covered and a mixture of seating and terrace. The view from the away end is obscured by many pillars which do detract from the ground. 4/10

Home crowd – Just over 2000 home fans, a small minority made a decent amount of noise for most of the game with the help of a drum. Most noticeable was the constant boos when Marvin Morgan touched the ball (not that this happened very much). 5/10

Away crowd – A small following from Town fans based on other attendances this season of only 255, also accompanied by a drum. Sang for a lot of the first half but faded a little in the second half, especially after Aldershot scored. 5/10

Atmosphere – In the East stand where away and home fans are situated there was some decent atmosphere in some parts of the game; however the rest of the ground was silent throughout the majority of the match. 6/10

The match – A deserved win for Aldershot, one of Shrewsbury’s poorer performances of this season. Overall not a great match won by a single scrappy goal. 3/10

The stewards – Didn’t notice the stewards too much, but seemed friendly and pretty easy going, no problems occurred. 6/10

Food – Didn’t eat any myself, but it smelt nice and from what I saw looked appealing, was reasonably priced as were the drinks. 7/10

Ticket price – Average priced tickets for a league 2 ground, with reasonable discounts for students and juniors. 6/10

So, in total, Aldershot Town score a total of 57 out of 100.

Northampton Town

Town had another away trip this weekend with the visit to Sixfields to take on Northampton. The Cobblers had just dispensed with the services of manager Gary Johnson and were looking to respond with a bang.

Journey – Another away supporters game this week so another early departure for us. Despite a change of driver due to a sever hangover, we left promptly and arrived in Northampton in good time. It is a decent journey down there, mostly motorway so there was little in way of delay.  7/10

Parking – Plenty of official club parking around at what seemed a reasonable cost but we parked in the retail park that Sixfields is located in and used a fast food restaurant on site. 7/10

Stadium – Three small sides and an impressive main stand make for a slightly lop sided feel to the ground and the corners are quite open. However, there are no supporting pillars and the roof is quite low enabling a decent atmosphere. 6/10

Home crowd – Not too bad considering their dismal run and recent sacking of the manager. Just under 4,500 of them turned up. They didn’t make much noise consistently but on a couple of occasions offered up a song. 5/10

Away crowd – 619 Town fans packed into the away end and created a decent atmosphere, although the score line helped with that! Shocked to see so many turn up, but pleased at the same time. 8/10

Atmosphere – The Town contingent made a healthy racket throughout the game, even when we weren’t scoring for fun! Northampton fans, when they bothered singing made a bit of noise but it was nothing special or intimidating. 5/10

The match – What is there to say?! Seven goals away from home, being three goals to the good at half time and looking like scoring every time we went forward. An excellent display of attacking football and despite Northampton’s poor performance, Shrewsbury were superb. 9/10

The stewards – Dealt with the healthy away following well and hardly noticed them. 6/10

Food – I didn’t get to the buffet but a friend of mine had a coffee and chocolate bar and said that the choice of food and prices was average. 5/10

Ticket price – I managed to get my hands on a complimentary ticket for the game so I didn’t have to worry about paying for entry! However if I did, it would have been £19, which is about average these days. For once I wouldn’t have complained though due to how the game panned out!! 5/10

So, in total, Northampton Town score a total of 59 out of 100

Dagenham & Redbridge

Shrewsbury continued their league campaign with a trip to the capital to take on the struggling Dagenham, who had lost six games on the bounce. Here is how I rated the day.

Journey – It is a fair trek down to Dagenham and we had to leave at 7.30am in order to be there for our away supporters game. Despite the distance, we managed to arrive in plenty of time, the journey taking around three hours.  7/10

Parking – Not much of an official car park at the ‘London Borough of Barking and Dagenham Stadium’ so we had to look for street parking. Thankfully, there was plenty of it available so we were parked up and into the social club in no time! 7/10

Stadium – It has a distinct non-league feel about it, except for the away end, which is a smart all-seater stand. Small and compact, it is more than adequate for Dagenham but nothing special. 5/10

Home crowd – Very sparse! The crowd was only just over 1,600 and there was no figure given for away fans, so there can’t have been many Daggers there. 3/10

Away crowd – No official figure was given for the away contingent, but it looked relatively healthy. I would have guessed between 300 and 350 Town fans were there on a cold November day. 6/10

Atmosphere – No noise whatsoever from the home fans and the Town fans were quiet until referee Darren Deadman decided to try and be the man of the moment and got plenty of stick from the travelling fans. The tunnel was handily placed under the away end for a noisy exit for the man in the middle!! 5/10

The match – An early goal from Terry Gornell meant Town were always in control, despite the early sending off of James Wallace on debut. The performance wasn’t pretty, but very effective and it was a valuable three points. 6/10

The stewards – Hardly came across them except for a friendly female steward on the gate who welcomed us in and said goodbye to every Town fan on the way out. The little things make a good impression. 6/10

Food – A big selection and at great prices. I had a ¼ pounder burger and chips for £3.60. Tasty too! 6/10

Ticket price – I paid £13 for a student ticket. The advance ticket prices weren’t too bad but I am led to believe that on the day prices were quite high. 5/10

So, in total, Dagenham & Redbridge score a total of 56 out of 100.

Rotherham

Town had a second away trip in succession this week as they travelled to Sheffield to take on Rotherham United. Here is how I rated the day.

Journey – Easy trip again and not too much traffic until we hit the M1 where we were held up a bit. Quite a few sets of traffic lights once in Sheffield made it a bit stop start but a decent trip overall. 7/10

Parking – Had a space reserved in the car park again, which always makes it easier! The car park wasn’t the biggest, but we found a space near the exit for what we thought would be a quick getaway. There is plenty of street parking around the ground for other fans. 6/10

Stadium – Well, what is there to say, it is the Don Valley Stadium! Built for athletics, it should only be used for that! I know that Rotherham had little choice but to play there, but it is an awful venue for football. 2/10

Home crowd – 3,200 home fans, which normally I would think is a poor turnout. However, with the home side’s poor form and having had to put up with 4 years of the Don Valley Stadium, it is a decent effort. Very quiet. 6/10

Away crowd – 325 Town fans made the trip to Sheffield. We tried to make a bit of noise, but that stadium is just not built for atmosphere! Hard to rate the fans of both teams considering the setting. 6/10

Atmosphere – Dreadful, but understandable. Little else to say! 3/10

The match – Well, far from exciting! Rotherham took the lead with a goal that can only be described as a “worldie” while Town equalized from a set piece. Other than that and a few half chances, it was far from a good spectacle! 5/10

The stewards – Inside the ground during the game, they were fine. However, at the end of the game, they tried to make us walk all around the stadium to leave the ground despite being parked a few metres from the turnstiles. One of our travelling party also has a heavy limp due to past illnesses, so you would have thought some common sense would have prevailed. Apparently we were causing trouble, which brought about an appearance from several “heavies” before finally being allowed through the exit gate straight into the car park by the head steward, who himself was fine, but many of his team let him down. 2/10

Food – Not a great selection, but again, facilities dictate. Average prices for Pukka Pies etc, so an average mark. 5/10

Ticket price – £18 for an adult to sit in an athletics stadium miles away from the pitch is dreadful value! I got in for £10 which is better, but an adult price is relatively expensive considering the facilities on offer. 5/10

So, in total, Rotherham score a total of 47 out of 100, but this result is a little bit skewed because of the predicament Rotherham found themselves in when they left Millmoor! I am sure it will be a better away day once they move into their new ground.

Crawley

Shrewsbury made the long, long journey to Crawley on Saturday as they continued their League Two campaign. Here is how I rated the day.

Journey – We departed at about 9.45am and it was a pretty easy journey, motorway pretty much all the way. One stop on the way down and a bit of traffic apart, there wasn’t too much hold up. 7/10

Parking – We again had a space reserved for us in the car park, even though the steward tried to say we weren’t on the list even though we saw our name on it! The car park was a bit small and it took a while to get out because of the fans just walking in the road too. 6/10

Stadium – I wasn’t keen. There was one all seater stand that ran three quarters of the length of one side, two small terraces at either end and then an open terrace along the other side. We were put right in the corner too which wasn’t the best view. There was a very distinct non league feel about the whole place. 6/10

Home crowd – A shade over 3,000 home fans turned up for what was their biggest crowd of the season. Their fans were exceptionally quiet though, even when they scored. Not overly impressed, and the bloke that rings that bell is a right pain in the backside! 5/10

Away crowd – 415 Town fans made the long trip down and we also made some good noise. Went a bit quiet when we went two down, but when the team showed a bit of fight in the second half the noise levels increased too. Fairly impressed and better than the last few trips. 7/10

Atmosphere – Very quiet from the home fans. Couldn’t believe how quiet they were when they scored either! Away fans were ok, but overall it wasn’t the best atmosphere in the world! 6/10

The match – First half, Shrewsbury were poor and could have found themselves three or four goals down. A couple of mistakes and some poor defending saw us two down but we put in an improved performance second half and could have maybe nicked a point in the end. 6/10

The stewards – Didn’t notice them too much, apart from one right in front of the away end who took some banter from the away fans. One or two took it a bit further than they needed to but he didn’t seem to get offended until he was likened to Buggs Bunny, at which point he got his rule book out! 6/10

Food – Decent selection of burgers, pies and chips and at half decent prices too. I ate at the services so didn’t buy anything at the ground, but a friend had a burger and rated it highly. 6/10

Ticket price – £16 for an adult isn’t too bad. However for the view we had and being stuck in a little corner of the ground wasn’t the best value for money, but overall not overly expensive. 6/10

So, in total, Crawley score a total of 61 out of 100.

Port Vale

Shrewsbury had another away game on Saturday, this time making the short trip to Staffordshire neighbours Port Vale. Here is how I saw the day.

Journey – We left Shrewsbury at 7.45am as we were playing for the Away Supporters at half 9. Travelled in a mini bus and made decent time, arriving just after 9am. A few lorries etc on the road but they were easily passed thanks to some confident driving! 7/10

Parking – We didn’t want to give any money apart from ticket prices to Port Vale, so we went for street parking. There was plenty of it, although in narrow back streets and a few minutes walk from the away end. 7/10

Stadium – Big but empty. And the majority of it feels old and a bit run down. Not to mention the one stand is half finished. If it was nearer capacity then I think it would be a good ground, but nothing special really. 6/10

Home crowd – Just under 5000 home fans were present, around 2500 down on the corresponding fixture last season, yet they had the nerve to mock our away following! They were also a lot quieter than I remembered them being, so not overly impressed. 5/10

Away crowd – Numerically, not very good. Just 595 for more or less our closest away game. However a combination of factors such as £20.50 for a ticket, Arsenal away for a tenner on Tuesday and the trouble that we have encountered on previous visits probably kept plenty away. The Town fans were in good voice though, offering plenty of support to the boys even when we were on the back foot, even though the Vale fans said we weren’t vocal despite it coming across loud and clear to people listening back home on the radio. 7/10

Atmosphere – Not much from the home ends, but the away fans made a good effort. Whether it carried much or not I don’t know, but I certainly left the ground with very little voice left and a headache. 6/10

The match – From a Town point of view, excellent. To be 2-0 up inside 15 minutes on a ground we haven’t won at for donkey’s years was amazing. Despite a goalkeeping error to let them back into it, we looked liked scoring every time we went forward and they couldn’t cope with us. Excellent performance from Shrewsbury. 7/10

The stewards – The stewards were ok, although there was a complete Police overkill for the game. Plenty of SIA stewards too. The only real criticism is none of them seemed to want to talk and just stared at you! 6/10

Food – Having been at Uni in Stoke, I know how good the Wrights pies are so I had one of them. Good pies, standard price. The rest of the lads had a beer, £3.10 for a bottle. Pretty standard facilities at a standard price. 6/10

Ticket price – £20.50 for League Two football is scandalous. Coupled with no student discounts, this was an expensive away day for people. 4/10

So, in total, Port Vale score a total of 61 out of 100.

Bristol Rovers

Town continued their away day programme with a Tuesday night trip to Bristol Rovers. Below I rate the away day.

Journey – Left Shrewsbury with my mate just after half three and we were 30 miles from Bristol by half past five so we stopped for a while at a service station. Progress to Bristol was swift but the last few miles towards the ground were slow, what with traffic lights and rush hour traffic. Overall it was a decent journey. 8/10

Parking – Again, my mate had a space in the official club carpark, but there was also plenty of on street parking available and it was a pretty hasty exit following the game too, so it was a good away day for parking. 7/10

Stadium – Well, it is a Rugby ground. Not much else to say. One decent covered terrace behind the one goal and then the rest of the ground is very patchy and odd looking. Wasn’t a fan of the place and wouldn’t want to watch my football there every other week. 5/10

Home crowd – Following claims on the Bristol Rovers forum of an intimidating atmosphere and plenty of stick for the couple of ex Gas players now in the Town team, their fans were surprisingly flat, especially considering they were leading for the majority of the game. There was one good rendition of club anthem “Goodnight Irene” but not much else other than that. 6/10

Away crowd – Again it was a disappointing numerical turnout from the Town, with 201 away supporters in attendance, although I was a little shocked by that figure at the time as I had estimated around 300 from on the open terrace. Very little noise again, but no roof again makes it difficult. Hopefully the away fans are saving themselves for Arsenal away next week and then our league followings will improve again. 5/10

Atmosphere – Not very good. As I said, the home fans were claiming they were going to intimdate us and give loads of stick to their ex players, but it was very flat. Several open parts of the stadium doesn’t help the atmosphere, but I was expecting a bit more. 6/10

The match – How we didn’t get a point out of that game is beyond me. OK, we didn’t create endless chances, but we had loads of possession, got into many good positions and had several half chances. Rovers didn’t have that many clear chances either, and the majority of their shots on target were comfortable saves for Ben Smith except for the goal. Only a world class Scott Bevan save in stoppage time denied Lionel Ainsworth an injury time equaliser. For a game with only one goal and not too many clear chances, it was quite enjoyable though, except for the freezing weather! 7/10

The stewards – They didn’t have a clue where pre-paid tickets and complimentary ones were being held before the game, so the ones outside the ground let them down. However, once inside the ground, they were decent, having a laugh with the away fans and also going unnoticed apart from the humerous interaction. 7/10

Food – I am skint at the moment, so I didn’t eat, but I did have a large cup of tea which was only £1.30 which isn’t bad. Friends of mine had the Chicken Curry pie and Cornish Pasties, which again were reasonably priced and came highly recommended, so it sounded like the food was good. One thing I did find funny was that they served “bottles” of water in a polystyrene cup! 7/10

Ticket price – No student prices, so it was an adult one for me. I pre booked it so it cost me £16 to stand on the terrace. Not too bad, but it rose to £18 on the night if you paid on the turnstile. Unfortunately it is an open terrace in the corner of the ground or temporary seating behind the goal, but the cost isn’t too bad. 6/10

So, in total, Bristol Rovers score a total of 64 out of 100.

Gillingham

Shrewsbury continued their League Two campaign on Saturday with a long trek South to face Gillingham at the Priestfield Stadium. I even managed to take my camera with me this week and got several pictures, but I have now managed to lose the camera, so once I find it, pictures will be included! Here is how my day rated.

Journey – Well, where do I start? 4 of us met up at 9.45am to start the long journey, and all seemed to be going well until we hit the M25. The traffic was gridlocked and we didn’t move much for a good 45 minutes. Then, to make things worse, we somehow managed to miss a junction and ended up approaching the Dartford crossing from the wrong side, meaning we had to pay to go through the tunnel to then pay to come back over the bridge! If the time was now not 2.15pm and still another 20 miles to go, it would have been funny! Eventually we arrived at the ground at 2.45pm! 6/10

Parking – Again I travelled with my friend who works for STFC so we had a parking space reserved for us in the official club carpark. It was a bit cramped but there was a space and it was a two minute walk to the away end. It was also an easy exit so we were away quite hastily after full time. 7/10

Stadium – I quite like the Priestfield. The Rainham End and the Medway stand are two modern smart stands with the corners filled in and they are usually fairly well populated. Then there is a small shallow older stand on the opposite side to the dugouts that shows the Priestfield has some character. However, the less said about the excuse of an away end the better. 7/10

Home crowd – A lot more disappointing than I was expecting. Less than 5,000 home fans turned up despite sitting in the top 7 before kick off. The end behind the goal was pretty full centrally but the wings of the stand were quite bare, while the two side stands were also quite sparsly populated. Oh, and all the mouthy little chavs giving us abuse as we walked out really painted a good picture for the club! As I say, disappointed, especially after my two previous visits. 5/10

Away crowd – Again, this was disappointing. Only 168 Shrewsbury fans made the trip to Kent. However, with away games coming up at Bristol Rovers, a local derby at Port Vale and a Carling Cup tie at Arsenal, I can understand why many fans may have settled for a cup of tea and Radio Shropshire for this one! Town fans were generally quiet too, apart from spells in the second half, although the uncovered golf stand of an away end made it almost pointless trying to create an atmosphere anyway! 5/10

Atmosphere – Poor. I remember Gillingham as having a half decent atmosphere from my previous trips, where the Rainham End used to belt out plenty of chants throughout the game. However, on Saturday, they were very quiet and of course there wasn’t much noise coming from the away end either. All in all a very poor effort. 4/10

The match – From a Shrewsbury point of view, it was excellent. The first half was quite even, Danny Kedwell having a penalty saved for Gillingham while Marvin Morgan blazed over the bar from two yards out for Shrewsbury. Yet, in the second half, we were dominant. If it wasn’t for Ross Flitney in the Gillingham goal and some wayward finishing from our lads, it could have been another 7-0 scoreline! Alas, a retaken last minute penalty from Nicky Wroe was enough to give us the three points and a scrap of revenge for what happened at Wembley a few years ago. 8/10

The stewards – Once again, didn’t really notice them which is always a good sign. The ones around the carpark were helpful too, so pretty decent by and large. 7/10

Food – Having had a sandwich or two on the way down, I wasn’t hungry in the ground, but two of my travelling companions both had a hot dog. I don’t know how much they cost, but I do know they were fairly pink in the middle, so quite happy I didn’t bother with any food! 6/10

Ticket price – A Student price of £13 is good value, even with the state of the away end. Adults were around the £20 mark, which seems a standard figure for the league these days. However, with the away end being temporary and no roof etc, perhaps that was a little steep. 6/10

So, in total, Gillingham score a total of 61 out of 100.

Oxford United

Shrewsbury had their second away trip in a week last night when we made the trip to Oxford.

Journey – Me and a friend left very early as he had a meeting with somebody behind the scenes at Oxford. After overtaking Christophe Berra on the M6 toll, the journey down was smooth and took us hardly any time at all. 8/10

Parking – There is a large carpark behind one end of the ground where there is no stand, so the availability of parking is not an issue. However, getting out of the ground is. It can take AGES! Luckily, we were in the actual club carpark not the supporters one, so we weren’t too bad, but Ive been sat in there for over an hour before. 6/10

Stadium – For a start, it only has three stands! The one end is just a fence, which can make it quite cold! The three stands that have been built are pretty decent and of a good size, the capacity is over 12,000. Unforrtunately it is similar to our ground in being quite lego like, but it isn’t bad. 6/10

Home crowd – Good turnout. Around 5,800 of them came to watch their side get their first win of the season. They made some decent noise too at points, so quite impressed. 7/10

Away crowd – Not a bad following from Shropshire for a Tuesday night, with 317 making the trip to the Kassam. In terms of noise though, dreadful. Not a single song throughout the game, although the awful performance on the pitch did very little to encourage any vocal backing! 5/10

Atmosphere – Home fans made quite a racket in all fairness. However, the continuous anti-Swindon songs got a little tiresome! Was impressive when the whole ground was joining in with a song, and the end behind the goal looked good when they were all stood singing. 7/10

The match –From a Shrewsbury perspective, awful! Oxford passed the ball better, pressed the ball better, tackled better, had more desire to win the game and just looked the better team by a mile. Coupled with several mistakes by Town players, this was awful! 5/10

The stewards – Again, hardly noticed them, which is definitely a good thing! Some of them didn’t seem up for a bit of banter though, so they lose a point for that! 6/10

Food – Me and my mate went for an all you can eat Indian buffet before the game, which was superb! However, this meant I didn’t eat anything in the ground, but looking at the options and pricing, it was quite bog standard. 6/10

Ticket price – Very similar to our own pricing structure. I got in for £14 and an adult would have paid £18 in advance. Still too expensive in my opinion for League Two football but that is the way things are going these days. 7/10

So, in total, Oxford score a total of 63 out of 100.

Burton Albion

So, Shrewsbury had their first away trip of the season yesterday when we travelled to face Burton Albion at the Pirelli Stadium.

As I said before, I will be rating each Shrewsbury away game on a number of categories, with the results tallied up to see which away day I thought was best.

Normally, I will include pictures, but I forgot my camera at Burton – I was jetlagged, leave me alone!

Journey – One of the easier trips from Shrewsbury, just over an hour, no holdups and we were in Burton before 10am for our Away Supporters game, which incidentally was played on one of the worst pitches I have ever played on! 8/10

Parking – Nice big carpark at the ground so this wasn’t an issue, especially as my lift had a space reserved for him for press duties. Even if he hadn’t though, the large carpark opposite the ground offers plenty of parking for a couple of quid so there are plenty of options. 8/10

Stadium – Well, it is small, compact and simple. Nothing to really write home about, apart from the fact three sides of the place are terracing, which is always a winner. A decent enough venue and more than adequate for a club like Burton. 6/10

Home crowd – Sparse in numbers for their first game of the season, with around 2,000 making their way through the turnstiles and apart from a few songs throughout the ninety minutes, they didn’t make too much of an atmosphere either. Surprisingly quiet when they scored too, and any club’s fans that sing along to goal music lose a few points too! 5/10

Away crowd – Relatively decent turnout from Shropshire, although no official figure has been announced anywhere. Started loud, before fading out towards the end of the first half when Burton were on top. Quiet second half apart from the last 15 minutes, when to be fair our fans were pretty loud. 6/10

Atmosphere – Not great. Nothing more to say really! About as much effort writing this category as there was in the atmosphere. 5/10

The match – End to end for the majority, with Town starting brighter, going close after just 15 seconds. Burton created a few good chances too, and it could easily have finished 3-3 at the end. Quite an entertaining first game back for me. 7/10

The stewards – Didn’t really notice them all day, which is definitely a bonus. Had a good chat with one outside the ground before the game, and some good banter with the one who searched my bag of dirty football kit from the morning’s game! 7/10

Food – I didn’t eat anything myself, but from what friends had, it looked decent. Chips, big burgers, sausages, plenty on offer. 7/10

Ticket price – A pretty decent £12 for me to get in, which I was pretty happy about. Too many clubs are making a day at the football too expensive these days, so to get some decent change from a £20 note was pleasing. 8/10

So, in total, Burton score a total of 67 out of 100.

In a quick review of other results in League Two this week, Torquay secured what I believe to be the best result of the day with a 2-1 win over Bristol Rovers while Rotherham thrashed Plymouth 4-1 at Home Park.

While it is still early days this season, Crawley are showing why they are favourites for the league with a 2-0 win over Macclesfield and AFC Wimbledfon got their first ever win in the Football League at Dagenham.

My next away day review will be on the blog on Wednesday, after the Town travel to Oxford United.