25 Years On

A special evening.

In a corner of the ECG, in front of the flats at the Hayes Close End, are some ladies toilets. For reasons long since forgotten, these have become affectionately known as 'Nasser's Loos'. The steps leading up to 'Nasser's Loos' are rotten and, despite them being in this state for a number of years, have never been fixed. Some seats in the ground are covered in dirt and cobwebs - we've often joked about cleaning for our memberships - and the place where Tendo smashed a six into the media hut is still visible due to the fact the polyfilla has never been painted over.

And there's something deeply comforting about all these things. You can visit a Test ground on a county day and you will be greeted by swathes of empty seats and, in the case of some international grounds (coughhampshirecough), some fairly soulless surroundings. Walking into the ECG via the steep path and past the street art of the underpass of the River Gate, you're greeted by a shed. No fancy turnstiles, just a shed. Here, you scan your membership card/ticket, something that only came in at Chelmsford a couple of years ago. And it's as you walk past this shed that you get a sense of 'home'.