Groundtastic GT23 | Page 71

Dutch Tour Estadio If you ever thought that the grounds were close together in Dundee, then the football grounds of SVVSMC and that of neighbours Hermes DVS are literally in each others pockets. Hermes DVS were founded in 1884 and they are one of the oldest clubs in the country. They also fell victim to the big 1971 clean-up and now languish in the fourth division of the amateur ranks. Their delightful ground has a long main stand with wooden bench seating and angled end walls. Along the opposite side there is a pitch-length block of terracing which rises to nine steps. It is well kept and weed free and is wonderfully undulating in places - a sure sign of age! Behind the goal at the far end the terracing is one step taller. In one corner a broadcasting hut is hidden behind a hedge that now cuts off the view it once had of the pitch. It’s not as if the ground has been let go, more that the need for the hut no longer remains. Hermes DVS In Rotterdam is the famous ground of Sparta, Het Kasteel (The Castle). This ground has been home to six times League champions Sparta since their formation in 1888. A recent rebuilding p r