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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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