York Road

Maidenhead United have been playing there since 1871, which means they have not moved for a hundred and fifty years. That is the main thing. The club here stayed put. The land was originally cricket, but that has not mattered for a long time. The first football match took place on the grass on February 16 that year, and the game has been played there ever since.

It is not a modern arena. It does not have a hybrid pitch or undersoil heating.

The old name is Desborough Sports Ground, named after the man who sold the land to the club in the twenties. Most people call it York Road now. The record crowd came on March 7, 1936, for a cup game against Southall. That was a long time ago, and the number has not been beaten since.

It is not a big place, but it is not empty.