Grier's Guide to Finchley
When: Tuesday 13 August 2019, 7.45pm kick-off
The town: Finchley (Wingate is not a place at all but instead is the name of a British Army Officer after whom Wingate FC was named) is a North London suburb where Charles Dickens wrote Martin Chuzzlewit and Margaret Thatcher was the MP from 1959-1992. Wingate FC and Finchley FC merged in 1991.
The ground: The Maurice Rebak Stadium, Summers Lane, Finchley, N12 0PD. The art deco main stand offers a good view despite being set some distance back from the pitch, while one of the goals has a compact, covered terrace behind it.
Directions: Just off the North Circular on the other side of London. For those coming by rail it's a mile's walk from West Finchley (Northern Line, just over half an hour from Waterloo) down quiet residential streets, or you can get a bus from either Finchley Central (382) or Highgate (263).
Our record there: Wins on our previous two visits - 4-0 last season including a brace from Delano Sam-Yorke, and 1-0 the previous season when Muhammadu Faal grabbed the only goal of the game.
Players to watch: Veteran Ahmet Rifat, who briefly played for Ks way back in the 2004-05 season, remains at Wingate although Ola Williams has just departed after playing 279 times. Goalkeeper Shane Gore is always a hard man to beat and midfielder Olu Oluwatimilehin played twice for us under Leigh Dynan.
Recent form: They've struggled for goals during pre-season but will be looking to find the net when it matters. Last season they avoided relegation thanks to a win on the last day of the season.
Crowd: An average of 150 placed them bottom of the Isthmian Premier attendance table last season but it's always a friendly place to go.
Drinking: The Elephant Inn, a Fuller's Pub that also does Thai food, is worth a short detour if coming from West Finchley. At Highgate the Woodman is a gastropub with a large beer garden that shows big screen football - a good choice if the weather is nice.
Food: The Great North Leisure Park multiplex has a few fast food options round the corner from the ground.
