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The compact
Stag Ground is located at the heart of the historic little market town of
Kimberley, a town so well regarded that even the mighty M1 took sympathy,
and circumnavigate it.
The exact
year when Kimberley Town were formed is unclear. The earliest mention of
the Club was in the Nottingham Evening Post in December 1886,
when, as members of the Nottingham Football League, Town lost 7-0 to
Nottingham Forest in the Notts F.A. Senior Cup. There is also mention of
the Stags competing in the F.A. Cup between 1892-1908, their most notable
achievement was reaching the 3rd Qualifying Round, where they lost to
Leicester Fosse 3-0.
Success for
the town was
to continue under guise of Kimberley YMCA, forerunner of the modern day
Kimberley Town. YMCA were winners of the Notts Intermediate Cup in 1915, a
trophy which would not return to Kimberley for another 82 years, though it
was Town's westerly rivals of Kimberley Miners Welfare who were to bring
the silverware home on that occasion. Kimberley YMCA were disbanded in 1928 and were
upon reforming in 1947/48 they limited appearances to friendlies only until joining the
Notts Amateur League in the early 1950's. The years 1954/55 proved to be
YMCA's swag song years, and how beautifully they sang. YMCA captured the
Senior Knockout Cup in 1954 and were crowned Division One Champions in
1955. Promotion to the Central Alliance League Division Two signalled a new
start, retaking the original name of the present day Kimberley Town.
Despite the Club being founder members of
the Central Midlands Supreme Division, they found themselves forcibly demoted after
four seasons for failing to have floodlights at their Stag Ground home.
Fortunately, aided
by a �3,500 grant from the Football Foundation, and also the generosity
of a wealthy owner, the Club have been able
to invest in excess of �10,000 in recent years to enable it to bring the
standard of
the facilities on offer up to Supreme Division & F.A.Vase standards.
Along with hard standing, the most striking feature of the improvements are the vital addition of the floodlights.
There are three silver floodlights adorning either side of the
pitch, each containing two high powered clusters. Tall and modern in
design, these pole-style dominate the local landscape, serving as the perfect marker for
visitors.
A public footpath circumnavigates the east
and north of the ground. As part of the ground improvements,
the club have installed a sturdy, eight foot
high, steel fence. This serves to not only keep trespassers off the sacred turf, but also to
prevent the loss of too many precious footballs into the adjoining
residents gardens. There is no requirement for a security fence on the south side of
the ground due to the back gardens of Kimberley's Nottingham Road
residents acting as the perfect deterrent.
Further improvements have been made in the
shape of a Social Club that contains a modern tea room, as well as
offering darts and pool over a pint of Hardy
& Hanson's best bitter, as an alternative to the action on the pitch.
This green painted wooden construction occupies a third of the Noel Street
End of the ground. It is a porter cabin style building which has been
given a lick of paint and bears a sign on the side proclaiming 'This is
Kimberley Town', an Anfield-eque warning to opposing players. The sign
also bears the Club emblem, a stag. The nickname of the Club, and the
naming of the ground, derives from
a
venue just a few yards up the path onto Nottingham Road. Here you will
find the historic half timbered Stag Inn
public
house, which has been serving up
Kimberley's finest ales to the locals since 1737.
Also located at the Noel Street End
you'll find an unusual
shaped changing room with a high triangular roof.
This was refurbished in 2005 in order to meet Northern Counties East
League standards, a measure of the Club's ambitions.
In front of these changing rooms is the Stag Ground's only covered stand.
This is a flat based cantilevered stand which can provide cover for up to
250 spectators. Adorning the fascia of the stand
is a sign again spelling out the name of the Club.
On the half way line, directly facing each other,
are the two dugouts. Traditionally built in breeze block and painted
white, they both identically offer a fairly wide birth, if not the height,
for those warming the bench. The pitch is surrounded by a blue tubular
barrier held aloft by permanent white concrete posts. The shape of one or
two of these steel tubes look rather dented, hopefully not having been in
contact with an unfortunate footballer. Maintaining the general colour
code are the blue and white of goal nets.
It is interesting to note that The Stags Ground was
the opening venue for a world record in 2004, when it hosted the first of
six matches in the space of 24 hours between The Stags and Rainworth
Miners Welfare.
On a less positive note, in vast contrast to the unpleasant aroma one might experience
at Carlton or Gedling Town, you may well find at the Stag Ground that,
with a westerly wind, the air is full of the sweet scent of barley &
hops. This can be attributed to the nearby Hardy & Hanson Brewery,
Kimberley's famous independent ale producer whose origins date back to
1832.
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From M1 Jn.26 - Take third exit off the
roundabout for the A610(Ripley). After 3 miles take the sliproad exit for
Awsworth (you will see a large IKEA just ahead on the RHS). Take third
exit off the roundabout for B6010 (Eastwood). At next roundabout
take the third exit for Kimberley.
TrentBarton
- Rainbow 1 (Nottm Victoria Station - Eastwood/Alfreton/Ripley)
& No.125 (Derby Bus Station - Hucknall Library) both run regularly,
and passes by the Stag Inn.
Langley Mill - 3.1 miles