Saracens
Saracens are one of those clubs that seem to inspire unusually strong opinions. There is certainly no shortage of people who love to hate them, but putting all that to one side, they remain one of the most successful clubs in English rugby in recent years.
I'm rather more mixed about their home, StoneX Stadium.
The biggest problem is the athletics track. The pitch sits inside it, which means that supporters in the two main stands are a fair distance from the action. If you're used to a traditional rugby ground where the spectators are almost on top of the players, the difference is noticeable. It takes away some of the intimacy and atmosphere that you get at places such as Welford Road or Franklin's Gardens.The ground itself is also rather odd. Two of the stands are substantial modern structures, while the other two are temporary stands which appear during the rugby season and disappear again in the summer. It gives StoneX a slightly surreal appearance — part permanent stadium, part giant Meccano set.
Then there's the location.
StoneX is, to put it politely, in the middle of nowhere. It's up in Hendon, surrounded by the rather less glamorous side of suburban north London, and on-site parking is limited. Driving there for a big match isn't necessarily the relaxing experience you might hope for.To their credit, Saracens recognise the problem and do something about it. The club lays on free shuttle buses from Edgware, Mill Hill Broadway and Mill Hill East stations, taking supporters to within about a ten-minute walk of the stadium. It's a very useful service and certainly makes getting there without a car considerably easier.
There is another feature of a Saracens matchday that deserves praise. You won't find the usual army of stewards wandering around in fluorescent jackets. Instead, Saracens use Pioneers, volunteers who act as the club's matchday hosts.
And they are generally excellent.
Rather than simply directing people where to go and telling them what they can't do, the Pioneers tend to give supporters a genuinely friendly welcome. They are approachable, helpful and seem to actually enjoy being there. It's a small thing, perhaps, but it makes a surprisingly big difference to the atmosphere around the ground.Once inside, StoneX has all the facilities you'd expect from a modern professional stadium, and when Saracens are playing an important game the atmosphere can be very good. The problem is that the athletics track and unusual stand arrangement make it difficult for the ground to feel quite as intimate as some of its Premiership rivals.
So I'm left with mixed feelings. Saracens themselves are an interesting and successful club, but StoneX Stadium isn't one of my favourite Premiership grounds. The athletics track puts too much distance between the crowd and the rugby, while the temporary stands give it an unusual appearance.
But credit where it's due: the free shuttle buses are a sensible solution to an awkward location, and the Pioneers are a genuinely good idea.
Perhaps every rugby club should have them.
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