The Billesley "Slope"

[CJB1]

OK guys, just how severe is the slope? I usually sit amidships in the stand, and I really can't see much of a slope at all from end to end, plus I'd reckon we're near enough dead level side to side.

If you want a real slope, go to Goldington Road, Bedford, which slopes from the NW corner to SE on a pitch with east-west orientation, with the perimeter advertising boards stepped along the sides. Visiting teams require oxygen after playing up the hill, and the local fans refer to the "shallow end" and "deep end".

That, my friends, is a slope.

[markd]

On the old message board, I remember a quote of 2 metres (6+ feet) towards the scoreboard. Given the prevailing wind, it would have been good to the slope going down towards the bank end.

[Gerald the Fish]

I'm no expert, but the billesley slope can't be any where near 6 feet as far as I can see. If we've got a six foot drop thats barely visible, if at all, then Bedfords must be close to 50 odd.

[shaky]

IIRC it's a metre from site corner to site corner, therefore probably well under 20 inches straight down the pitch. If you run from halfway line to touchline the rise is about the same as a single household staircase step, or two at most. There is no real slope! The bank at the south end creates a bit of an illusion of one, but why we let Brian Dick keep on about it every week is beyond me, especially when some of the players have started believing it. I'd suggest any player caught mentioning the slope is made to run up the other side of the common (up from the stream) a couple of times every week. They'd soon notice the difference. Perhaps Brian could join them?