Awesome

The big day: Jane Cable lets the pictures do the talking.

Jane Cable gets a little emotional...

There have been many times when following Hampshire has brought me close to tears,  but never before when the team themselves have been many miles away. But today – the first day our new stands are open for business – made me so proud that I had a very large lump in my throat.

The stands glistening white in the sunshine, the cool open spaces in the inner concourses, the smell of new carpets in the hospitality areas and press box. Helpful stewards; smiling cricket fans; an unrivalled view of the South Downs, hazy in the afternoon warmth.

The naming of a suite after Shaun Udal made me smile. The Atrium being a members’ only area made a lot of people smile. Even the media were finding it hard to find something to grumble about.

But the best thing of all is the vision that everyone associated with The Rose Bowl has being holding dear for the last four or five years is taking shape before our eyes and it is better in the flesh than it ever could have been on architects’ plans or fly-through videos on the website. It’s real, it’s warm and it’s very alive.

Best let the pictures do the talking. More will be added as the game progresses.

 

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