Herts Falcons return to Britain’s top league
After a one-year absence, Herts Falcons returns to the National Baseball League (NBL), Britain’s highest league. The Herts Falcons are now back in the NBL and there is a determination around the entire club to prove that Herts belongs in Britain’s top league. The competition at that level is fierce and it will be an enormous challenge to close the gap with the London Mets who have been NBL champions in seven out of the last eight seasons.
Bring your voice and bring your fighting spirit to help the Falcons swoop to victory.
Herts Falcons – The NBL Pilot Project
Herts Baseball Club launched its NBL Pilot Project which aims to take the club and the sport to the next level. We aim to increase the number of fans and spectators, provide a more immersive game day experience and build a competitive team that can go up against the very best in the NBL and in European competitions.
This is not a new concept in British baseball, which had a professional league that attracted as many as 10,000 spectators in the golden era of the 1930s. But it has not been achieved in the modern era, so this is an exciting challenge to see if it is viable and if there is demand in the market.
New look for Grovehill Ballpark
As part of that project, Grovehill Ballpark will look very different as it prepares to welcome ticket-buying spectators for the first time in the club’s 27-year history.
It will have a capacity for 196 spectators, which can be increased to 499 for high profile games such as the postseason playoffs.
Unlike the MLB ballparks, Herts will adopt the British tradition of providing separate spectator areas for home and away fans. Home fans will be on the third base side which can accommodate a greater number of people, while away fans will be on the first base side. However, friendly rivalry will be encouraged.
Food and Beverage
Expect to find traditional ballpark food and a few curveball specialties when you come to the games at Grovehill. After all, baseball would not be the same without its game day culinary delights.
Game Day Experience
Although the game takes centre stage, there will be much to look forward to throughout the day. From contests involving fans of the two teams, to competitions with prizes between innings, we have plenty planned for the 2023 season. Make sure to bring your glove to the ballpark. If you catch a foul ball during the game, you win a burger or a hot dog.
Activities for Kids
Boys and girls coming to the ballpark will want to get involved in playing baseball. Over the course of the season some of the game days will be themed specifically for children and they can look forward to activities such as batting, pitching, fielding, base running practice and contests. A special PlayBall diamond will be set up for those events.
We hope to introduce many more children to the game of baseball and, if they enjoy it, they can join the Herts Youth Baseball League teams. In a few years, we may even see those young Herts baseball fans put on the Herts Falcons jersey and play in the NBL.