Loop Meadow Stadium

The Loop Meadow Stadium does not present itself as a monument. The club moved here in 1999 after selling their old pitch on Station Road to pay for the development. This background separates it from every other ground in the country.

On the face of the main stand, the signage is local and unassuming. Advertisements for Didcot Plant and Pryor’s Taxis sit alongside the club name, suggesting a tight relationship with the community. Inside the covered areas, the space is tight, but it holds the history of the relocation. The club has played here continuously since the turn of the millennium, building a reputation over time rather than through flash. The atmosphere is not loud, but it is consistent, held together by the people who travel at weekends and the directors who watch from the reserved section.

The ground is small, with a capacity that fits the town rather than exceeding it. There are no executive boxes or luxury suites, just a function room and a bar named after a former manager. It is a place where the players can hear the shouts from the terraces and the wind can be felt even when the sky is clear. That is what makes it different from the identical grounds down the road; it is not just a pitch, but a piece of the landscape.