African Sports Monthly Vol I. Issue II February 2018 | Page 40

-PARADE FIELD

FOOTBALL

Hallowed Grounds for Sierra Leone

Nestled at the foot of the east end of Tower Hill, at #79 Circular Road in Central Freetown; Parade Field is legendary and well known for being a breeding ground for some of the most talented footballers to ever put on the national colors of the Leone Stars; (Sierra Leone’s national team) alongside dominating the Rosters of the top football clubs in the country and regionally in West Africa.

If you are not a devoted football fan or are a visitor

to Freetown, the Parade Field could be a difficult place to locate but that is not the case with the true and diehard football fan in Sierra Leone. It is situated in a congested setting of central Freetown. The Field is 330 meters around, (170ft Length -x 160ft breadth) of ground space with mostly fine reddish brown gravel soil for a surface.

On the hilly side of Parade Field are some haphazardly constructed stands for spectators as well as some

makeshift pavilions constructed with boards and sticks. The field itself is fenced with wire mesh to prevent unauthorized persons from entering the pitch. Closer to the entry point into the pitch is a raised platform with a canopy serving as the commentary booth. In its full capacity, Parade Field could host up to 10,000 spectators on a typical match day.

Prior to its current use as a football pitch, Parade Field and its surrounding area