The Recreation Ground

Bath Rugby 19-22 Glasgow Warriors

10th December 2022

Glasgow Warriors just edged this European Challenge Cup tie to register their first win at The Recreation Ground in four visits, courtesy of Duncan Weir's penalty with just seven minutes left on the clock.

The home side, whom I felt looked the better side for much of the match came to rue a slow, slow start which saw them trail 12-0 before a quarter of an hour had been played - Lewis BEAN and George TURNER going over for the Scots lads.  

Bath gradually came to life, and by the half-hour had levelled the score.  They must have been feeling rather pleased as the half-time whistle approached, with the way they had inexorably taken the first period by the scruff of the neck.  But, in the dying seconds, Huw JONES found a hole in the home defence and scampered, then rolled, over to restore Glasgow's lead.

Bath gained parity once more just on the hour, when Matt GALLAGHER crossed in the corner - the winger receiving a painful looking knee in the back from Ollie Smith for his troubles.  I was a touch surprised the Warriors' full-back got away with that one and, coincidence or not, the unfortunate Gallagher was replaced minutes later.

I rather felt Bath would go on from there and take the win, but the flood of replacements by both coaches ended up disrupting the flow of the match.  Either side could have stolen it in the final ten minutes, but it was Weir's boot which did so, after Bath were penalised for disrupting a maul.  Or something.

A view of the temporary seating from Johnstone Street.

Behind the East Stand were loads of food and retail outlets.

The Recreation Ground East Stand.

Bath v Glasgow (December 2022)

Bath v Glasgow (December 2022)

I liked this big building just over the River Avon on Grand Parade.
Frampton's restaurant it is these days.

This, I suppose, would be the South Stand.

The beer tent was still a cold, cold place.

Time up

These are unused turnstiles, erected in the 1930s

Now, this looked an interesting place.  This large stone building near to the Cleveland Bridge was (according to Bath-Heritage.co.uk) built in 1845, as a charitable institution where medical advice was given advice and medicines dispensed (free of charge, one assumes).  A plaque above the main entrance tells us a local worthy, 0ne John Ellis esq. put up much of the dish (or pecuniary support) to build the place.

Nowadays the venue appears to be some sort of meeting place-cum-creative space for hire.  Quite what the wonderful art deco sign on the wall to the left of the entrance stating simply RADIO means, I have not been able to ascertain.

But it sure looks good.