Step 3’s unexpected high-flyers have had a wonderful time in the Isthmian Premier League of late, but how did we rate their match day experience?
Wingate & Finchley have defied all the odds in the Isthmian Premier League with a sensational season after many had written them off as relegation favourites.
Despite being bottom of the average attendance table in the league with 187 fans on average at the Maurice Rebak Stadium this season, the club which was founded in 1991, with roots tracing all the way back to 1874 when Finchley FC was founded, have impressed many with their on-field performances last term.
Semi-Professional took a trip to watch Wingate see off rivals Potters Bar Town 3-1 in April to see whether their match day experience matched their unprecedented rise up the table…
Accessibility
On the tube, Finchley Central Station is almost a half an hour walk away from the ground which isn’t incredibly close, so the public transport route does lose a few marks, but luckily the mode of transport for the day was the car.
The drive into the Maurice Rebak Stadium from Hertfordshire was very straightforward, with no real traffic, can’t have any complaints about that.
Parking was also surprisingly easy, and for that reason, Wingate & Finchley get a great accessibility rating.
Rating: 8/10
State of the pitch
Yes, we were watching a game played at the start of April, but the weather this season has been frankly atrocious and was far from helpful for many sides at Wingate’s level.
That includes Potters Bar Town who they played on the day, who were forced to end their campaign playing some of their games on Haringey Borough’s 3G pitch.
The pitch survived a downpour and was at no stage was the game in any danger of being postponed on a week where rain had fallen almost every day in the area.
For that reason, the pitch gets a solid rating.
Rating: 7/10
Scran
Here at Semi-Professional, we do really want to try and praise every aspect of a club, and we’re really looking for reasons to give a team credit when we go out to their grounds.
This, admittedly, was tough.
Ok, Wingate play in London, and maybe it was a bit naïve to expect to pay any less, but £7 for a plain beef burger with no chips?!
The burger itself was fine, not much more than that, but we had to take points off for the price.
Rating: 4/10
Atmosphere
Part of the notes we wrote up from the day simply says ‘airhorn’.
That probably says it all, but the fact that they’ve tried to improve the atmosphere, as well as having a very charismatic man operating the Tannoy system, probably deserves some recognition.
Just before kick-off we realised that they had a flag in the corner of the stadium that said ‘more flags than fans’ and honestly, it was one of the best things we’ve seen at a football ground.
So, for the self-awareness, Wingate get more points for atmosphere.
Rating: 6/10
Facilities
This was an odd one to rate, because the Maurice Rebak Stadium is quite an odd yet endearing place.
Not many clubs can say they have a road which eventually forms a car park placed between the pitch and the main stand, but Wingate can, and for that it was tough to know whether to add or take away marks.
There aren’t too many covered areas to the stadium, meaning when it rained, standing fans were packed into the Jack Fisk Stand, which is situated along the far side of the pitch.
But, overall, the facilities were good for a Step 3 club, even if they were quite unique.
Rating: 6/10
Overall
Wingate & Finchley are a great club in a local area who are deserving of a bigger fanbase than the one they currently have access to.
Admittedly, the admission prices of £12 for adults and £8 for students and concessions can make it an expensive day out with travel and food costs combined if you choose to eat within the ground, but it is a great club with lots of potential.
The free entry for under 18s definitely gives the club the ability to become a great day out for families should their success carry on.