Taking a Bostik bow: Hayes & Yeading United

With the expansion of our League (and the alterations which the FA have made to the pyramid) we have a number of clubs who are entirely new to us, haven’t been part of our setup for rather a long time, or are returning to us after some time away. We decided that the best way to introduce- or to reintroduce- them to Bostik League supporters was through the eyes of one of their own.

On this occasion the supporter is Corey Eaton, who mixes his football and his beer with panache!

How long have you been a supporter of Hayes & Yeading Utd?

I’ve been a supporter of the club, since the merger in 2007, and I’m now 21 so I’d say at least 12 years. I started watching Hayes FC a few seasons prior to their merger with Yeading but as I’ve grown older and I’ve grown more and more into supporting my local side and my local side only.

Tell us how you became a fan? What attracted you to the club initially?

I first went to watch Hayes v Yeading back in 2005. It was my first ever football match, little did I know they would merge together a few years later. The biggest attraction was that they’re local to me- and at the time we were a Conference South side, let’s hope we’re back there shortly.

And what is it about the club that has kept you there since?

The thing that has kept me at the club is the togetherness between fans, board members and even players/management. Everyone knows everyone by name, you can walk up to anyone within the club and have a conversation.

There may only be a few of us who go home and away on the train to most grounds, but you are always guaranteed an away day to remember. We always enjoy ourselves, and always find a nice pub to drink in before the game!

What does a typical home matchday look like for you?

The typical home match day for me, genuinely, starts at around 12 midday. Sometimes earlier. Some of us occasionally meet in the cafe by the station, then head to either the Crown, or the local spoons prior to the game and have a pre-match drink with some food. Any visiting fans from other clubs are more than welcome to join us for a pre-match drink in either Spoons or the Crown, we are a friendly bunch. The group would then normally get to the ground around 14:15 - then head to the club bar, where everyone usually has a drink before the entering the ground before the game.

Once entered the ground, I will buy a programme and some half-time raffle tickets, we do raise a lot of money for a club of our small fanbase and it’s good fun to participate in! We all then head to the main stand prior to kick-off and make an atmosphere which many teams will struggle to beat in this league.

Is there a moment in the history of your club that supporters always talk about? What would it be- and why is it important to you all?

As a merged club, we’ve not been around that long, but there are a few things our supporters will always talk about:

As Hayes & Yeading being in the Conference Premier was massive for us. We were one of, if not the smallest side in the league at the time and we were competing with Luton, Oxford United, AFC Wimbledon, Wrexham and many more huge teams historically. We still talk about beating Wrexham away, doing the double over Oxford.

From the era when Hayes FC & Yeading FC were separate clubs, things talked about are seeing Jason Roberts play for Hayes, and the Terry Brown era when we finished third in the Conference back in the 1990s. And, of course, the famous Yeading FA Cup run.

Describe the ground:

Our ground is not fully built and will take a few seasons to be complete, but we have a massive seated 1500 capacity stand that overlooks the whole ground.

From the outside it does look really impressive. We don’t have a covered terrace as of yet, the surrounding areas of the main stand are open terrace, but the view is good wherever you decide to stand or sit.

If an away fan was travelling to your ground for the first time, how would you recommend they got there? Tell us about parking and public transport.

Parking can vary; depending what is on. The club, however, does give notice of if and when there is restricted parking on the website and on Twitter. But there is usually space in the car park.

If you are travelling by public transport, you would have to get off at Hayes & Harlington Station by train and get two buses from the station to the ground. From the closest bus stop to the ground, it is a fair walk.

Are there any local sights or amenities you’d recommend they visit? Tourist attractions, pubs etc?

Honestly, no. The ground is a bit out of the way and there isn’t anything near it. There is nothing I can think of to put here!

Finally, pie, burger or pint? What would you recommend, and why?

It depends! Our burger van at the ground does a really tasty bacon and cheese burger with chips which I highly recommend. I haven’t tried anything else except this burger because it’s that good, but our hot dogs do look tasty as well!!

In the bar, we don’t have alcohol on tap as of yet, but there is usually a good selection at a reasonable price.