Silverlake Stadium

Ten Acres sits at the end of Stoneham Lane. The main structure is a single-storey building with a flat roof and a row of windows that run the length of the pitch side. The exterior is painted a pale grey, and hanging baskets of flowers soften the edge where the building meets the artificial grass used for the café terrace. A fence lined with banners reading Sherwoods separates the seating area from the car park. The ground does not look like a working football stadium; it looks more like a leisure centre that has hosted a match.

Eastleigh F.C. have played here since 1957, when they moved from Walnut Avenue. The site was originally developed for cricket and rugby before the football club took over. The ground has no heritage in the traditional sense — no timber stands or brick arches — but it has a practical solidity. The Silverlake Stand, named after the automotive recycling company that sponsored the rename in 2006, holds just under a thousand seats and sits opposite the East Stand, which was brought from Exeter Chiefs RFC. The Mackoy Community Stand, a blue corrugated structure visible from the car park, houses the away fans and the hospitality suites.

The surface is natural grass, seeded into a fibre-sand base with a drainage system installed during a reconstruction by Inscapes. Undersoil heating is not fitted, so the pitch can be slow in January. The floodlights were installed in 1976, marking the ground’s shift into evening football. The capacity is 5,192, a figure that reflects the mix of covered terracing and seated areas. The record attendance of 5,075 was set on 16 January 2024 against Newport County in an FA Cup replay, a match that played out in driving rain and saw the team keep their heads. The ground also hosts non-football events, including the Playing the Field Festival and the Silverlake MotoFest, which brings a different kind of crowd to the lanes.