SLOUGH TOWN (Arbour Park)

SOUTHERN LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION, SLOUGH TOWN 2-1 HAYES & YEADING UNITED, ATTENDANCE: 1,401

I was witness to a small part of football history today as Slough Town played their first ever game at Arbour Park. This brought to an end a 13 year exile from the town after they left their previous home, Wexham Park, in 2003.

Slough Town FC first moved into Wexham Park Stadium in 1973, after vacating Dolphin Stadium and played there until 2003, when the lease wasn't extended due to disagreements over rent between the then Slough Town chairman and the owner of the Stadium.

This was a culmination of a events that began with Slough's ejection from The Conference in 1998. The official reason is the issue of the lack of seats, but there has been much conjecture that there were severe financial irregularities at the Club and that these were the real reason for the Conference expelling the Rebels. 

The old Wexham Park ground was left to rot whilst the club moved away and ground-shared at Windsor and, for the past 9 years, at Beaconsfield.

Plans for Slough's football stadium (and community sports site) were approved last year and construction began in late 2015. Today's homecoming was the culmination of phase one of the project which was the the installation of the pitch (which is 3G and FIFA approved) a covered stand for 250 spectators and the car park.

Phase two will feature the construction of the main stand, which is due to be finished before the end of the current season. The actual location of the football ground is on the playing fields of a local school, so part of the project is the building of a new sports hall and allowing the pupils access to the pitch.

The capacity of the ground will eventually rise to at least 2,000 but for today's sold-out-all-ticket affair the capacity was capped at 1,400. The is plenty of room for expansion and, despite the large crowd, it was easy to move around and was very comfortable in terms of space.

The teams entered the field to the strains of Thin Lizzy’s "The Boys are Back in Town" and, on a baking hot day, produced a fine spectacle.

Hayes and Yeading were quickest out of the block and took the lead after 10 minutes, the honour of the scoring the first ever goal at Arbour Park falling to Lloyd Macklin.

Slough were level after 20 minutes when Lee Barney was played in and he smashed his effort into the roof of the net. Cue celebrations.

The match was end to end and the scoreline could have been anything such was the chances both teams created. The respective goalkeepers, Slough's Mark Scott and Hayes' Louis Wells, were in fine form and pulled off some top saves.

The Rebels though were not to be denied their fairytale result and with 15 minutes remaining substitute James Dobson's low shot found the bottom corner of the net. Cue pandemonium.

Arbour Park is a very impressive set up, and I must have a revisit once all the work is completed. Hopefully being back in the town will mean the club will be able to go from strength to strength. Perhaps even a return to the Conference? I wish them good luck.

Celebrations at the final whistle