Chell sports ground

**BereniceUK** · 5th June 2009, 17:36

This was originally a cricket ground - Great Chell played here - but became unusable in the late 1980s because it was too small. A football club - K Chell - was formed when the ground became available and existed for about 4 years in the early 1990s. Hasn't been used since then.

There were floodlights installed by the football club and there was also a Social Club on the ground which was unconnected with the sports clubs. It was called Kay's Club and was an unusual building. The ground floor had a ballroom,stage and bar and there was also a public bar. Above that were several much smaller floors (3 or 4),most of which seemed to be unused. I believe the sports teams had to walk up a couple of floors to get to the changing facilities. From the top floor there was a superb view of the surrounding area.

Maybe the upper floors were originally living quarters for the club stewards.

What's left at Uplands Avenue is a wonderful stand.

Chell FC

A small bit of hard-standing the opposite side of the ground to the stand

The raised ground in the distance was where Kay's Club stood

**BereniceUK** · 5th June 2009, 17:45

Next to the ground is the now-closed Westcliffe Hospital

Watching the action!

Bushes stopped play

**Indy500** · 6th June 2009, 20:11

She shoots...she scores!

Nice pics BereniceUK!

**fisha** · 30th June 2011, 17:34

nice post.

**Johnnyg53** · 30th March 2012, 13:57

I know this ground well as I was a junior cricket member when the clubhouse was built. Downstairs as you entered from the main entrance the toilets were on the right hand side and stairs leading upstairs on the left.

Ahead was the ballroom with the bar on the left hand side, there was also access to a lounge bar behind. To the right was the small stage. Behind the stage was the extensive kitchen area and behind that another large room. Usually used for other functions.

Going up the stairs there was a games room with a two snooker tables, a table tennis table and a dart board. Either side of this room was the cricket changing rooms. There was also a small committee room as well.

At the far end was a large viewing balcony taking in all the ground. As you looked out you saw the large stand to the left and just past that the radical electronic, for that time, scoreboard. Underneath this building was the groundsmans store. I knew this building well as for many years I was occasional scorer and worked in there every saturday.

The stand was built due to the large crowds the club was getting when we had pros of the likes of Wes Hall, Gilchrest, Trevor Goddard etc. Occasional county matches were played there and the two Rothmans Cricket league finals that North Staffordshire and South Cheshire won. I was in the scoreboard for both momentous occasions.

The cost of maintaining it became unsustainable and a local person, Graham Bailey, took over the running of it vowing to maintain a cricket pitch. Unfortunately he created a football pitch adjacent to the cricket pitch, the result being it was deemed unsuitable for cricket. The cricket section merged with Sneyd cricket club but soon died. The owner attempted to gain planning permission for houses but this was rebuffed. What happened to ownership after that was a mystery but as of today 30th March 2012 there is an academy being built on it to replace part of the James Brindley school next door.

There was also the old wooden clubhouse. This was later used by a scout group.

At the lower end of the car park there was the cricket nets and practice area.