I live next to world’s oldest football stadium – there are crazy benefits but I often get soaked when I sit in my garden
IT is thought to be the oldest professional football ground in the world.
And residents living next to Mansfield Town‘s One Call Stadium are having a ball – even if it means one occasionally lands in their garden.
In the heart of the Nottinghamshire town’s former mining community, the historic ground – formerly known as the Field Mill and dating back as far as 1850 – is slapped bang in the middle of tightly-packed Victorian housing.
It means that on match days, locals can hear 6,000 fans celebrating a goal from their back yard – and face the double threat of rogue balls and water from the pitch sprinklers ruining sunbathing sessions.
But there are also unique benefits, including free match tickets in seasons past and the annual spectacle of a dazzling fireworks display.
As part of our summer series, Life’s a Pitch, which looks at life next to Britain’s weirdest and most wonderful stadiums, we took a trip down to the League Two side’s home turf.
Tracey Anne Pepper, 56, lives on Lord Street, where houses back on to one side of the One Call.
The resident of 30 years says: “I absolutely love living here. We are quite lucky because although we are right next to the ground, we don’t get big crowds of people walking up here.
“But on most match days you will get a handful of away fans wandering around looking a bit lost as they think they will be able to get in.
“It’s also fun when balls come over during a match. They bounce down the road and people have been known to grab them before anyone comes around to collect them then pretend they didn’t see anything.
“In the past you used to get a free match ticket if you handed back a match ball, but that ended a while ago.
“But the best thing is probably the atmosphere. If you are a Mansfield fan like me it’s great when you hear a goal go in. The roar is so loud and it really lifts you. You don’t even need to check on your phone or the radio if there has been a goal.”
Last season Mansfield Town finished eighth in League Two, narrowly missing the play-offs, which would have given them the chance of getting promoted.
The Stags’ only cup win came when they lifted the English Football League trophy back in 1987, but their loyal fanbase has stuck with them through thick and thin, with a record 5,000 season tickets sold ahead of the upcoming season.
‘Like it’s raining’
Mandy Connolly, 49, lives right next to the ground, and her back garden is just 30 yards from the away stand, with just a fence separating them.
She’s so close that the pitch sprinklers reach her garden – ruining sunbathing sessions.
Mandy said: “If you’re not into football, I can see that it might be a bit annoying. But I like it – although I am a Leicester City fan, not Mansfield – so I find living here really interesting.
“There are loads of funny little things you get when your house is next to a football ground. I can sit in my garden and see the fans in the away end leaping up and down if they score.
“I have been here six years and had four balls in my garden in that time. Any that aren’t collected I give to local kids, which absolutely delights them.
“When they water the pitch with the sprinklers it comes into my garden – sometimes it’s like it’s raining, and I have to get my washing in off the line.
“The pitch is also used as a helipad at times, which must be the owner flying in and out. It’s fascinating to watch the helicopters as they land and take off.
“And we get a free firework display every bonfire night as the club always hosts a really spectacular one.”
While parking can be an issue for those living close to other stadiums on match days, Mansfield locals insist it’s not a problem.
Lord Street is a cul-de-sac, meaning there is no entrance to the stadium, and since it is so close to the town centre, the council has imposed a residents-only permit system.
Hotel worker Lesleigh Butler, 36, said: “I’ve been here seven years and have never had a problem.
When they water the pitch with the sprinklers it comes into my garden – sometimes it’s like it’s raining, and I have to get my washing in off the line
Mandy Connolly, local resident
“The only thing I actually don’t like is the firework display, because the street is left covered in firework casings.
“Other than that the atmosphere is good and if Mansfield are doing well in the league or cup there is a good feeling on the street because you all feel part of it, living so close.
“So really we have a lot of the benefits of living next to a stadium, without the negatives like traffic, crowds or litter.
“A few years ago they were talking about buying up all the houses at the top end of the street so they could redevelop the Bishop Street Stand – but that seems to have gone quiet.
“A lot of them are owned by people who have been here for years though – which shows it is a nice place to live.”
Mandy Tolley, 52, works in the Sandy Pate sports bar at the ground.
She said: “It’s perfect for me because I can roll out of bed and get straight to work.
“I’m not a Mansfield fan – you have supporters of all different teams living on this street. But everyone gets on, and overall it’s a pretty happy place.”