10th tier club Harwich & Parkeston celebrate 75 years of their impressive stand with a special exhibition and tour of it.
Their grandstand, which was unveiled back in November 1948, will be celebrated this weekend, and has been throughout the season.
It will see an exhibition and guided tours. There won’t however be a match on today, following a pitch inspection on Saturday morning.
The Eastern Counties League Division One North clash against Dussindale & Hellesdon Rovers was postponed due to a waterlogged surface.
The exhibition of the history of the stand is still going ahead commencing at 1:30pm in the social club. So get yourself over to Harwich and Parkeston if not today, then at some point to have a look about…
Following a pitch inspection this morning. Today’s match vs @DussyRoversFC is postponed due to a waterlogged surface.
The exhibition of the history of the stand is still going ahead commencing at 1330 in the social club.
⚫️⚪️🦐 pic.twitter.com/attFv2voKp
— Harwich and Parkeston FC (@OfficialHarwich) November 18, 2023
📸 A lovely bit of @OfficialHarwich history here.
🖊️ Thanks to all the ex-players who signed this at the reunion for #RoyalOak125 earlier in the season.
👍 It will be on display at the #HPFCGroundhopperDay tomorrow and then, hopefully, put up permanently in the club. pic.twitter.com/sgGdAcrbit
— Harwich & Parkeston FC History (@HPFChistory) November 17, 2023
CLUB STATEMENT:
Harwich and Parkeston FC’s ‘groundhopper day’, to celebrate the 75th birthday of the Royal Oak’s famous grandstand, takes place this coming Saturday.
Prior to the Eastern Counties League game with Dussindale and Hellesdon Rovers on November 18, a guided tour of the ground will take place, explaining the stand’s history and that of the rest of the Royal Oak, which recently celebrated its 125th anniversary.
The tour will take place at 2pm ahead of the 3pm kick-off.
Shrimpers legend Micky Johnson, who played more than 400 games for the club, is among those expected on the day. He is currently back in the UK on holiday from Australia, where he now lives. Several of his former team-mates are also expected to pay a visit to the Oak to catch up with Mick.
In addition, a photo exhibition will also be on display in the social club featuring old photos of the stand – officially opened on November 13, 1948 by then-FA secretary Stanley Rous – and the ground.
Peter Lynn, author of ‘Football Crazy’ in which HPFC feature (including on the cover), will be selling copies of his book at the exhibition.
Admission is £6 for adults, £4 for concessions and free for under-16s. Cash payments are preferred.
As a special offer, the club is offering entry, a printed programme and club pin badge for only £10.
Programmes can be reserved by emailing harwichfc@yahoo.com.
Anyone requiring further details about the day is also urged to use that email address.
The club looks forward to welcoming new visitors to the Royal Oak on the day.
There is some good news today. Harwich & Parkeston Football Club legend Micky Johnson, who is back from Oz, is still coming down the Oak this afternoon.
🤝 Am sure he’d love to see some old faces!
📸 Photo exhibition still on from 1.30pm and ground tour will go ahead if there’s… pic.twitter.com/vrkWW0PtbU
— Harwich and Parkeston FC (@OfficialHarwich) November 18, 2023
Seen here from its opening in 1948 until 2018, the main stand at Harwich & Parkeston’s wonderful Royal Oak ground. Not long ago this ground was under serious threat but now the club is on the way back and they want some seats to refurbish the stand. Who can help?@OfficialHarwich pic.twitter.com/7TsmTmCplQ
— Paul Groundtastic (@paul_gtastic) January 26, 2019
Andy Schooler, a club historian who organised the event, said via BBC News: “The Royal Oak is the second oldest senior football ground in Essex. Only Saffron Walden’s is older. It once took in a record crowd of 5,649 for an FA Amateur Cup tie in 1938.
“The current grandstand was built in 1948 but was years in the making. It was initially part of a five-year plan for the ground, which was drawn up in 1936 but the war intervened – the ground was taken over by the Army and used as a base.
“After the war ended, the ground was in a right state, but the clean-up provided the opportunity to finally replace the old, smaller stand.”
Around £2,500 had been raised for the stand, £75,000 in today’s money, and it was finally built and opened by Mr Rous.
“By modern day standards, it’s pretty good – it’s probably the best average in Division One North,” he said on the club’s average attendance of around 200.
“In fairly small towns like Harwich, I think the football club is usually a big focal point.
“It’s had some tough times and came pretty close to folding early in the 21st Century – to lose it would have been a disaster for football in the town.”
Harwich & Parkeston currently sit 6th in their division, with 33 points from 17 games played, a point from the playoffs, with some games in hand.
They’ll be wanting to make up for missing out on promotion via playoffs last season, losing to Downham Town in the final.
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