By Tony Incenzo
In the first instalment of his groundhopping series for nonleaguedaily.com, non-league nomad Tony Incenzo visits Wimborne Town of the Southern League Premier South to take in what the Dorset-based club has to offer.
The outside of Wimborne Town FC's stadium
What's the low-down with Wimborne?
A 260-mile round trip awaited me to a brand new, recently opened stadium known as the New Cuthbury. I had previously been to the old Cuthbury ground way back in April 1988 when Wimborne were a small club in the Wessex League. The attendance that day was 118 for a local derby against Christchurch.
One of the seated stands inside the Wimborne Town FC stadium
However, Wimborne were boosted immensely by winning the FA Vase at Wembley Stadium in 1992 beating Guiseley 5-3 and this created the momentum for the Magpies to progress to a higher level, with them now having spent 11 years in the Southern League.
Where was it played?
Based in a market town with a population of over 15,000 people, the stadium is located at the end of a new housing estate and is sponsored by the local branch of J & Bs Plumbing & Heating.
Sign outside Wimborne Town FC's stadium, displaying sponsorship details
Wimborne have secured a long lease to protect their future. The well-appointed main stadium has a grass pitch, two nearly identical grandstands along one touchline to provide 300 seats and extensive covered standing areas behind both goals.
The newly built clubhouse is a plush and inviting facility that is open throughout the week. In addition, there is an outside 3G artificial pitch that provides Wimborne Town with extra income from rental fees.
What's in the programme?
I understand that Wimborne started the season by producing an online digital programme only, but they recently reverted to a printed match programme and they were on sale for £2.50 just inside the main gate. I welcome this move as an old fashioned football traditionalist.
A standing area behind one of the goals at Wimborne Town FC
In effect, I like to obtain a printed programme as a souvenir from every ground I visit. Some clubs say they will only publish digital versions due to falling sales of printed paper. However, I believe that picking up a hard copy programme is very much part of the matchday experience at non-league level.
And the match itself?
High-flying Farnborough racked up a host of chances as they dominated from start to finish. Influential player Sam Deering provided the breakthrough with a deflected shot from outside the box on 33 minutes. Then with 12 minutes to go, Nic Ciardini hammered in a glorious free-kick to settle matters, which proved a setback for the side targeting a place in the National League South.
Wimborne have a dedicated bunch of volunteers that gave me a very friendly welcome. I had a long chat with club secretary Wayne Jones who quite rightly spoke with great pride about the excellent facilities at the New Cuthbury.
Score: Wimborne Town 0 Farnborough 2
Where: The J & Bs Stadium, New Cuthbury, 16 Ainsley Road, Wimborne, Dorset. BH21 2FU
Competition: The Pitching In Southern League Premier Division South
Attendance: 628
You can follow Tony on Twitter at @TonyIncenzo
