Here are some pictures I took of Vicarage Road before the game between Watford and Portsmouth.
This was the third time I'd been here but the first time I had walked around the ground.
The stadium has three main stands in use and a third (the East Stand) that is currently unoccupied. It's a little bit like Preston North End's ground (Deepdale) used to be like until the older stand was recently redeveloped.
The key thing here though is that a lot of residential building has taken place around the ground, in particular the Rookery and Rous Stands, meaning that you can see very little of the stadium from the outside. It doesn't look much like a football stadium from the outside to be frank.
However, I took the pictures anyway to give you a view. Enjoy! Oh, and remember don't be a litter rat! Be a cool cat! Page down and you'll see where I got that from!
Yes we really were in Vicarage Road!
A view of the Vicarage Road Stand.
Looking down the back of the Rous Stand from Vicarage Road.
Picture taken half-way along the Rous Stand looking back up towards Vicarage Road. You can see some people queuing up to go into Hospitality Reception.
Another view of the Rous Stand looking up towards Vicarage Road.
Residential block at the corner of the Rous Stand and the Rookery Stand.
A view of the residential block at the Rookery Stand end of the ground. This looks out on a set of allotments, which I remember walking through during my very first visit to Vicarage Road back in the early 1990s. The away fans were located at this end of the ground on that occasion. Is it me or does this residential block look a bit like it belongs more in Spain than Watford?
Another view of the residential block at the Rookery Stand end of the ground. The Stand is tucked away behind this, with entrances plus office suites along the walkway underneath.
The walkway underneath the residential block at The Rookery Stand.
The Watford FC office in the Rookery Stand.
The view up Occupation Road of the back of the East Stand (which is not used by fans on match days). This road is lined by an eclectic set of garages.
The view down Occupation Road. The Pompey fans are following the team bus which had to reverse down the hill to the players' entrance.
The Hornets Shop.
Programmes! This programme hut was located opposite the Hornets Shop. I like this, right up my street!
The Pompey team bus reverses past the visiting fans entrance.
The Education Centre in Vicarage Road.
View of the Rous Stand from the Vicarage Road Stand before the game.
View of the Rookery Stand from the Vicarage Road Stand before the game.
View of the East Stand from the Vicarage Road Stand before the game.
A plaque of sorts on the end of the Rous Stand with a quote from the man himself. It's almost been boxed in and covered up by the development on this corner of the ground.
It says:
"I don't want to look back instead of looking forward, but I do hope football never becomes anything other than a game." Sir Stanley Rous, CBE
Football remaining just a game? Ummm...
Finally, this bin in Vicarage Road made me laugh!
And here's the other side!
BlueThruAndThru
