The Sporting South East

Sport and London go arm in arm. Whether it is the copious amount of football teams or the fact that London held the best Olympic Games the world has ever seen in 2012, the capital has a real love affair with sport. However, whilst many people come over here to watch the likes of Arsenal and West Ham ply their trade in The Premier League, the truth is that hidden away in South London are some of the best and historic sporting venues around. Here is a list of these brilliant places and a few reasons of why you should go and check them out on your visit to London.

Blackheath Football Club.

A ‘football club’ that is actually a rugby team, Blackheath is the third oldest Rugby club in the world and are one of the beating hearts in the British sporting legend. They even call themselves The Club -capital C to reinforce this - much to the chagrin of their competitors. One of the founders of both the Football Association and The Rugby Union, Blackheath is a club steeped in history and well worth a watch on a spare Saturday afternoon. The fans are loyal and can tell you plenty of interesting stories about The Club’s history and what they have come to represent. As with most sports at this level, the games are fast and furious and the drinks and food are reasonably priced making it a great place to spend a few hours with family or friends. Now in their new home in Eltham, an area of South East London, easily accessible from both Blackheath and Greenwich - if you’re looking for things to do after the game. After 158 years at the Rectory Field, The Club needs all the support they can get in order to create some more history in its new surroundings. Whether you’re into your rugby union or not, head on down to Blackheath to watch a true focal point of sporting history begin its new life. Make sure you check out the club’s website to see when they are playing, games are usually a 15:00 kick off on a Saturday and during the summer the pitch plays host to Blackheath Cricket Club.

Herne Hill Velodrome

Let’s face it, when it comes down the track cycling, Britain is pretty special – which makes places like The Herne Hill Velodrome even more important. A bit of a Mecca amongst the cycling community, for a long time The Herne Hill Velodrome was the only track in London. The track has recently had a refurbishment and is now in the best condition it has ever been, making it a ‘must see’ for any sports enthusiast whilst visiting London. With yearly events featuring cycling legends such as Chris Hoy and Bradley Wiggins as well as plenty of amateur races happening regularly, The Herne Hill Velodrome is a great place to take a look at the heroes and heroines of today and potentially those of tomorrow. Who knows, you may even spot a potential Olympic Gold Medalist? If you’re feeling extra adventurous, the velodrome offers riding courses with bike hire available free of charge, allowing you to emulate your heroes and pretend that it is you who is collecting gold. Herne Hill itself is a fantastic area and boarders the wonderful East Dulwich and the extremely hip Brixton making The Velodrome a great place to begin a day out.

The Oval

Cricket. Is there anything more British then sitting around in the sun, drinking Pimms and enjoying some good old fashioned cricket? Cricket has to be one of the only games in the world where they have a legitimate tea break. That is why for the above reasons and many others, everyone should go to a cricket game at least once when they’re visiting the UK. The Oval is one of the most famous cricket grounds in the world and is now home to Surrey County Cricket Club. However, if you are visiting London during the summer months, you will be able to catch the England international team at this historic venue. As they usually are at cricket, expect a friendly, welcoming and raucous crowd who love a drink in the sunshine. One of the most beautiful things about London is that its incredibly multicultural, however if you’re looking for a real bit of British culture – head on down to The Oval.

Dulwich Hamlet

Quite possibly the most hipster football team in the world, Dulwich Hamlet’s recent boom in popularity is in part due to the soaring prices of tickets in the Premier League but is mainly due to it being one of the most welcoming crowds you will find in London. Sam Taylor, a Hamlet regular describes the club atmosphere and aura as: ‘The atmosphere there is great with a real community feel and perhaps most importantly - this is proper football, reminiscent of a time before the modern game became awash with cash-rich oligarchs and oil giants’. Situated in leafy Dulwich in their home ground of Champion Hill (or ‘Tuscany’ as they call it), the diehard Hamlet fans – known as the ultras – masquerade around with a flag of a well-known right wing politician getting what they feel is his just desserts, representative of the liberal nature of the club. The crowd is a mixture of families, lifelong fans and art students from the nearby Peckham and Camberwell making it a pretty eclectic affair and Sam thinks this, as well as the location is part of what makes it so special. ‘I actually took my housemate along to a game and he loved it. He's from Italy and had never seen anything like, but he thoroughly enjoyed it. Aside from the footballing aspect, it also opens up an excellent area of London that is often overlooked to the detriment of those who haven't explored it’. With several beers on tap, including their own brew and Bratwurst being served from a stall inside the ground this is a football club with a twist. The club regularly attract over 1,500 fans for a match compared which is well over the average within their league, where most teams are lucky to draw in over 400. At £10 a ticket, get on down to Champion Hill on a Saturday and become part of a community of fans hoping to get their team as high up the league as they can go.

So there you have it, a few fantastic places to watch sport South of The River. A lot of these teams are little local clubs and could use all the help and support they can possibly get so by going to the games and buying a ticket you’re helping with the upkeep of these wonderful, historic clubs that are often the centre of their communities.