Princes Park vs Watling Street

[Kebabus]

Good day one and all, this is the kind of topic that Forums are made for:

I have fond memories of our old home Watling Street, like its Grass banks those outside toilets , the tea hut, the club shop where you could book on the ever popular coach, bar, great side covered terrace - it was quite big, don't you know?

Anyway, I'm more than happy with our new home but with a couple of draw-backs - although covered you get wet when it rains and for me directly behind the goal it should have been double the amount of steps.

Looking forward to reading the memories....

[Ozymandias]

When the television camera's were up at WS, filming something about violence and hooliganism supposedly in South American football. It had been snowing from my recollection and the fans were beating each other with rolled up programmes. Never did make the telly as most fans were rolling around laughing.

[Trevor B]

Good memories Greg,
One I do recall is back in the early 50's I was 6 and as we lived by the London Road bus stop a few doors along from Brent School my dad had been taking me to the games at Watling Street and we would walk down the alleyway at the side of the school along the back of it and the school field and into the bottom turnstile.
Needless to say i didn't always behave and watch all of the games so dad refused to take me on a couple of occasions so I had to revert to plan B.
Whilst at school in the playing field that backed onto the ground one lunch time I discovered that in the far corner there was a loose corrugated fence panel and on those odd occasions when i needed to I managed to squeeze through this loose panel and run quickly up the steps close to the turnstile and watch the match for free.
As yet I haven't found a loose panel at Princes Park

[M1 South]

Try the Boardroom??

[Llamaman]

I can remember walking along Watling Street with the sound of a tinkling Russ Conway tune getter ever closer. 'Sidesaddle' was his big hit I believe, & he was a regular on tv mainly in 'The Billy Cotton Band Show', they don't make programmes like that any more (complete this sentence as you see fit). For those too young Mr Conway was a popular pianist who bashed out many a tune, which strangely all sounded very nearly the same.
Another thing about Watling Street for the young supporter was the space for play if interest on what happening on the pitch waned. Two banks to run up & down, a bit of balancing along the narrow 'path' behind the shelter & even a kick about on the Watling Street end grassbank, or on the bit of ground between the main turnstile & the carpark gate.
A policeman to oversee the traffic post kick-off and 2 or 3, sometimes more, Football Specials to take the crowd away. There were even extra services from the town pre k.o. turning round at St. John's Road. They were London Country green double deckers.
I remember the early even kick-offs in the pre-floodlight days at the start and end of a season. All k. o. times from about 5-15pm, matches on Christmas Day & 3 games over the Good Friday to Easter Monday weekend.
Princes Park is better for me now, except for when the wind blows the rain into the seating area. The old shelter at Watling Street did keep the rain off, unless you were unlucky enough to find yourself under one the holes that grew in number until the Maidstone makeover.

[babylon]

My 1st game at WS was March 1958.
I have so many memories
The abandoned game against gravesend when there was fighting
going on all over the pitch
beating Aldershot and Exeter in the fa cup
Winning 11-1 in the ksc against Faversham.
Alf Ackerman punching in the winner against Chelmsford
Alf also knocked out a Poole town player and got away with it
The 73/74 season when we won the Southern league and reached
Wembley in the trophy
Tommy Huckstepp scoring 50+ goals two seasons running.
Chelsea opening our new floodlights in the mid 60s
Happy happy days!!

[Capricorn25]

Jeeeezzzz!!! : and i thought i was old???????????

[Trevor B]

Barry (babylon)
You have highlighted stories I have told to many friends when talking about supporting The Darts in those earlier years.
Alf A. decking a defender not long after the game kicked off and getting away with it
Tommy H. and his incredible goal scoring
That G & N Xmas game that was abandoned around half time with us having scored from 2 penalties and the punch up involving almost every player.(We went on to win the replay as well)
Chelsea and the game to open the floodlights
Thanks for reminding me of those magic moments

[PeteSamson]

Babylon, your post almost exactly replicates my memories of Watling Street. But there are other things to add, which are the sound of rattles, some bought and some homemade and of course the treat of the Match when a youngster of a bag of unshelled peanuts in a paper bag for 6d. (6 old pence at 240 pennies to the pound for the younger generation!)

The most disappointing aspect at Watling Street, at a time when I was living far away from Dartford, so not seeing matches, but seeing photographs of the ground with yellow and black signage of Maidstone colours dominating and desecrating OUR ground!!

[Charlieboy]

My 1st game was on the 16th September 1967 we beat the Fleet 4-0 at home in FA cup. I only got interested in football after England had won the world cup. That season we missed out on promotion to the SL Premier on goal difference.
Fleet finished bottom, times change as they say. Had many happy years after this following the Darts home and away with my Dad. He was presently surprised at my new interest in the game, remembering the times when I was very young and got bored and wanted to come home at half time when he took me to watch Charlton and the Fleet a few times.