Tims 92

Graham Street Prims

The Asterdale Sports Centre

When it comes to grounds close by each other, then there can’t be too many that beat Borrowash Victoria and Graham Street Prims, who both share the Asterdale Sports Centre in Spondon, Derby. A long goalkick could see the ball fly out of one ground and into the other, about 50 yards separating them at the nearest point. Prims are the older club, but Borrowash moved here first in 1983, developing their own ground on one side of the site, where they still play today. It was them that I’d come to visit, for a Derbyshire Senior Cup match against Heanor Sports, however that match had fallen victim to the weather, but I was still able to have a look round the two grounds before heading home.

Prims were founded in 1904, before disbanding ten years later at the start of the First World War. They reformed in 1953, playing mostly in the Central Midlands League, before once more disbanding in 1991. 1995 saw them back again, and at the turn of the millennium they made the decision to leave their old Railway Ground in the city (close to the Baseball Ground) and move to Spondon and the Asterdale Sports Centre.

The centre’s main building itself has since fallen into a state of disrepair and been targeted by vandals, but Prims’ ground stands next to it, fenced in behind the overgrown bowls club. After entering through the turnstiles, the Main Stand sits in the near corner, little more than a shelter with seats underneath. The near side is fenced off from fans, but hard standing runs around the other three sides, with not a great deal else to mention other than the bright red dugouts standing out on the far side against the dull backdrop beyond.

Overall, it’s not as built up as Borrowash just over the way, but apparently more capable of hosting a game in bad weather, Prims having played the previous night, albeit probably wishing they hadn’t, having suffered a 7-1 demolition by Gamesley!