DIRECTIONS BY CAR (FROM HASTINGS)
The irony of visiting Sittingbourne these days, is that once you�ve navigated your way around the large Eurolink industrial park in which the ground is situated (don�t worry, it�s well signposted), you still have to pass through the huge gates proclaiming �Bourne to Win� that guard the equally capacious car park that fronts the old Central Park ground. Sadly however, these days one has to drive through the car park and down a hill to the Brickies� old training ground, which they now share with Maidstone United.
Everything about the old ground was BIG (see picture of the stand above), but sadly also an indication of what can go wrong when a club embarks upon a quest for Football League status, but unfortunately doesn�t have the financial commonsense to match that ambition. It�s hard to believe that Sittingbourne once owned their own ground in the town, sold it for several million but then found themselves having to pay to use the facilities they themselves instigated. It�s doubly ironic that having built a greyhound track to help finance the running of the stadium, the Club had to pay the company that runs the greyhound racing, who in turn lease the stadium from the local Council.
Hopefully now, Sittingbourne will be able to start again, and perhaps it�s no bad thing that playing in such close proximity to their old premises, they are constantly reminded of their past delusions.
The current facilites are frankly, barely adequate for Southen League football. The stand is a very basic construction mainly consisting of scaffolding poles at the moment, although I was informed that this will be replaced with a more permament structure in time for the 2003/04 season. Opposite is a separate small covered area. There is also space behind the far goal for development.
Refreshments are still provided in �The Cabin� just inside the main gate. This is comfortable enough, with the standard football fare of burgers, bacon rolls etc. available. However, it now represents quite a hike back up the hill, until the Club relocate it to the new ground.
The match day programme, like the Brickies� very well put together website is very much the domain of the Pitt brothers (John, Peter and Graham), and remains of a very high standard. I�ve lost track of who exactly does what but the programme is pretty good and good value. Printed on glossy art paper, it can�t possibly pay for itself but is well put together.
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