Final Score: Wealdstone 2-8 QPR
Date: 20/07/2022
Venue: Grosvenor Vale, Ruislip (HA4 6JQ)
Competition: Pre-Season
Admission: £10 (Online booking)
Attendance: 2,505 (Official figure) (Sell out)
After an agonisingly long break of 4 days it’s back to watching live pre-season football, and this time, it’s Wealdstone at home to QPR. This fixture is quite a unique experience for me because I have a lot of affection for both clubs. As it is only a short journey, for when QPR have not been in action at home, I have been down The Vale cheering on the Stones. That being said, I have been a QPR season ticket holder for 16 years and supported them through some amazing times and some bloody awful times.
Getting To Grosvenor Vale
In terms of public transport, Grosvenor Vale is well connected. The ground is within walking distance of Ruislip, and Ruislip Manor on the Metropolitan and Piccadilly Lines, and Ruislip Gardens on the Central Line. Ruislip station is also served by many local buses. If you are a wheelchair user or travelling with someone who is, then I would recommend driving and parking at the ground, as there’s limited wheelchair access at these stations. I would further suggest contacting the club in advance regarding match-day disabled parking (contact page here)
There is general parking at the ground but it will cost you £3 (cash only) and spaces are limited; even more so in wet weather as the parking field can get rather boggy. You could possibly park on the streets surrounding the ground. However, these can get rather busy and restrictions apply, so you will need to get yourself to the area well before kick-off, especially when a big crowd is expected.
Facilities
If you were to ask me to sum up Grosvenor Vale in two words, I would say: “old school”. There are a couple of parts that very much look like they’re made of scaffold and it’s definitely a ground that has evolved over time. Behind one goal there is the seated Tecknuovo Stand and adjacent to that is the standing only, Couch Corner; this end is normally occupied by the away fans if segregation is in use. Right next to Couch Corner is a rather mysterious unused structure: reflecting the area’s history, this unique feature is a grade-two listed, decommissioned World War Two gun turret. For more information about the turret, here is an article from amatuer historian and Wealdstone fan, Roger Slater (article here). Behind the opposing goal stands a pair of modern metallic standing terraces and the players’ tunnel. Along one touchline is the traditional (and seated) Ruislip Windows & Doors Stand. This stand is used by club officials and the press. There is limited standing either side of this along the perimeter fencing, but spectators must not occupy the yellow hatched area. Opposite is a whole mish-mash of covered and uncovered standing, the rather precarious looking commentary box, digital scoreboard, the dugouts and the Gordon Bartlett Suite. There is a PA system at the ground and I was able to hear everything perfectly, including a fantastic playlist, pre-game and at half-time.
There are food outlets inside the ground with a ‘Stones Burger Bar’ next to both of the seated areas. There is also the Half-Way Tea Bar just under the scoreboard. Most importantly, the food outlets are cash only. If you need to withdraw money before the game, cash points can be found inside Waitrose, near Ruislip station, and the Post Office on the walk down from Ruislip Gardens.
On the approach to the ground there is the small club shop where you can buy this season’s shirts and training wear, adult football shirts are £44.99. If you enter this rather small cabin, be sure to mind your head, I smacked my head on its door shutter when leaving before the game against Charlton U’23. Ouch! To the left of the shop was the Alforno Caffe mobile pizzeria. I’m not sure if this will be a permanent fixture for the forthcoming season, but the pizza looked good and you can’t complain about a whole Margarita for £8. Then you have the clubhouse, itself. I have had many great nights here before, supporting the Wealdstone and Tropic of Ruislip gig nights. Unsurprisingly, this evening, it was very busy (naturally for a sell out crowd), but it had a great atmosphere both before and after the game. There are plenty of large TVs around, including a projection screen which was great for the last moments of England v Spain, Women’s Euros Quarter-Final. If you find the environment too busy for your liking, you can always sit at one of the tables outside. The clubhouse can boast two bars with a wide selection of beers. Payment is easy as both cash and card are accepted. Please bear in mind that with Wealdstone being in the National League, you can’t take your beers pitchside.
Food Review
The burger bars inside the ground have a very good selection of hot food. Being a vegetarian I just went for chips and they were superb. When I ordered them I did have to wait 5 minutes which is fine, because it means they were fresh. On the outside they were beautifully crispy and cooked to perfection, and I got a decent sized portion of them, as well. Well worth the wait, well worth the £3.
The Match
It didn’t take QPR long to open the scoring. Two minutes in, Andre Dozzell dispossessed his defender inside the box, his close range effort was saved by Sam Howes only for Sam Field to follow up for Ranger’s first. Four minutes later it was 2-0, Ilias Chair slipped in a pass to Kenneth Paal inside the box who then sent the ball across the face of goal to be met by Lyndon Dykes who tapped in from close range. On the half-hour mark it was time for Sam Field to be the provider, his cross from the edge of the box met the head of Dykes at the far post who nodded in his second of the game and Rangers’ third. Thirty-eight minutes in, Ilias Chair scored arguably the goal of the evening, Chair picked up the ball just outside the centre circle, ran the ball past one defender, turned another inside the box and finished into the bottom corner. A couple of minutes later it was five for the Hoops, Olamide Shodipo had his close-range effort saved by Howes, the ball looped up to the back post and Kenneth Paal headed home comfortably. There was still time for one more, just before the half-time whistle Olamide Shodipo was judged to have been brought down unfairly by the trialist defender inside the box, despite Sam Howes diving the correct way, Dykes dispatched his penalty and the Scotland international sealed his hat-trick. Half-time Wealdstone 0-6 QPR.
The visitors brought on an entirely different eleven for the second half, and it didn’t take long after the restart for Rangers to extend their lead even further. Two-minutes into the half, Sinclair Armstrong latched onto a beautifully weighted through-ball, beat his defender on the edge of the box, and served the ball to the onrushing George Thomas, who tapped in from close range. Not to miss out on the fun Wealdstone pulled one back, Dominic Hutchinson picked up the ball inside the penalty area, scooped the ball over defender Joe Gubbins, and Nathan Ferguson got a foot to the ball in acrobatic fashion to send it past Joe Walsh. Wealdstone were not done there, fifty-five minutes in, a trialist striker latched onto an incisive through-ball by Tarryn Allarakhia and calmly finished into the bottom corner. Rangers would regain their six-goal cushion shortly after Macauley Bonne found himself with time in the box after George Thomas played him in, sending the ball into the bottom corner for the tenth goal of the evening. Armstrong looked impressive in the second half and nearly scored in spectacular fashion in the eighty-second minute, on the counter attack Albert Adomah crossed in a ball from the right-hand side of the box, Armstrong’s bicycle kick connected cleanly with the ball, but equal to his efforts was Sam Howes who pulled off an outstanding save to scoop his shot over the bar.
Final Thoughts
In all honesty, my thoughts of Wealdstone were always going to be positive before a ball was even kicked. I have been coming to Grosvenor Vale for a few years and I always have a great time and have a lot of affection for the place. However, the biggest takeaway for me was the number of QPR fans who came away from The Vale with a positive impression of the club. Maybe the scoreline did help, but the vast majority seemed to have really liked the ground and the clubhouse. My hope is that many of those who came for the pre-season return at some point this season, especially when the Championship stops for the World Cup, and give this great club a boost, both in attendance and in turn, finances. It’s a club with a friendly and welcoming atmosphere, and on Wednesday it definitely showed.
Come on you R’s. Come on you Stones.
View From The Kit Room 