The Charles Sports Ground

The Charles Sports Ground in Deal does not shout for attention. The first photograph captures its most distinctive feature. The Charles Sports Ground remains closer to its roots.

The ground is home to Deal Town Football Club, a team formed in the early twentieth century. It plays in the non-League system, far from the television screens that broadcast the top flight. The capacity is modest, around 1,000 spectators, a number that has been settled after earlier reports of 2,000. The playing surface is natural grass, and the track is gone, leaving the pitch open. The floodlights remain, casting a glow over the evening games when the sun goes down early in the south-east. The highest attendance was recorded in 1951, when a crowd of 4,263 watched a Kent League match against Dover. That number has not been approached since. The ground sits on St. Leonard's Road, a location that has seen little change in its immediate surroundings. The Charles Sports Ground is not a temple of football, but it is a place where the game is played without pretence. The track is gone, but the spirit of the place remains.