Great English grounds that are no more

Pride Park and Riverside almost identical I remember thinking when first went to them in the 90s. Lucky to have experienced all of them apart from Goldstone Ground.
 
I was visiting Shrewsbury once and walked over a bridge and there was Gay Meadow, there old stadium right beside the river. It had a tiny wee stand along its side, I was told when there was a game on they’d have a ‘ball boy’ in a canoe to try and fish out any match balls that went into the river.

The new stadium is a lot nicer but it’s out in the burbs as usual with these new builds.
 
Carlton The Bear said:
I was visiting Shrewsbury once and walked over a bridge and there was Gay Meadow, there old stadium right beside the river. It had a tiny wee stand along its side, I was told when there was a game on they’d have a ‘ball boy’ in a canoe to try and fish out any match balls that went into the river.

The new stadium is a lot nicer but it’s out in the burbs as usual with these new builds.
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Was it not one of those old Welsh coracles?
 
Carlton The Bear said:
I was visiting Shrewsbury once and walked over a bridge and there was Gay Meadow, there old stadium right beside the river. It had a tiny wee stand along its side, I was told when there was a game on they’d have a ‘ball boy’ in a canoe to try and fish out any match balls that went into the river.

The new stadium is a lot nicer but it’s out in the burbs as usual with these new builds.
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In the middle of nowhere the new one is it?
 
Lurch said:
Highbury and Upton Park were much more atmospheric than the grounds that replaced them. The Boleyn had only recently been rebuilt and was a great ground to visit. It's also the first place I saw Defoe play (and Lampard, Ferdinand, Joe Cole).
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I was down last week in Stratford for a show,I was having a few drinks in the big Westfield shopping centre adjacent to the Olympic stadium and got talking to a few hammer supporters as they were playing at home that day,they absolutely hate their new ground and would go back to Upton Park tomorrow the match day isn’t a patch on what it was before with plenty pubs on the road into tha old ground with great atmosphere
 
Roker Park 1936 reconstruction of the Clockstand opposite Main stand designed by renowned football architect Archibald Leitch.

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Part of the Leitch balustrade now situated in the car-park at the Stadium of Light.
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Bolton wanderers burnden park was a great atmosphere when it was full not like the new stadium I was lucky that over the years went to a few of the old grounds use to go to all the old boozers in and around the grounds all changed with the new stadiums all seem to be stuck out of town no atmosphere in them and the pubs around them they look good but you couldn’t beat the old grounds
 
Jimmy2shoes said:
Much prefer the old stadiums to the soulless new ones. You can feel the history oozing out of every pore at Ibrox. All these teams have lost that.
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There are some very good ones abroad, top of my head Dynamo Dresden and Schalke have proper bars in their standing blocks, K Block Dresden is immense how you walk out the bar and you are straight on to the terrace. Plenty that are soulless though but those two show how you can have character in a new build.
 
Beer Belly Loyal said:
Roker Park 1936 reconstruction of the Clockstand opposite Main stand designed by renowned football architect Archibald Leitch.

gm5.png


Part of the Leitch balustrade now situated in the car-park at the Stadium of Light.
gm5.png
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This is the ground which immediately came into my mind. First ground I ever saw Rangers play at outside Scotland, in 1993 for Gary Bennett's testimonial. Superb day out.
 
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Carlton The Bear said:
Could have been right enough, I was told a canoe on that day but now I seem to remember Football Focus doing a story on the guy in a coracle.


It’s out on the ring road so not right beside the town centre as Gay Meadow was.
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Thought about going years ago to see what the safe standing was like, sure they were first Club to have it in Britain.

www.shropshirestar.com

Shrewsbury Town's safe standing is Premier League stepping stone

Shrewsbury Town’s pioneering safe standing section has been declared a success – and is acting as a stepping stone to Premier League and Championship clubs.
www.shropshirestar.com www.shropshirestar.com
 
Virtually all of them replaced by housing developments. Interesting that Derby’s old pitch is now a park for new build residents.
 
Been to the Goldstone many times. What David Belloti did to the club was horrendous at the time and could have led the club to extinction
 
Wandering bear said:
Bolton wanderers burnden park was a great atmosphere when it was full not like the new stadium I was lucky that over the years went to a few of the old grounds use to go to all the old boozers in and around the grounds all changed with the new stadiums all seem to be stuck out of town no atmosphere in them and the pubs around them they look good but you couldn’t beat the old grounds
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I thought this would be in the list as well.
When I was in it, by that time it had lost the big kop and one end was sold to a supermarket.
 
Been to all those featured above except the Goldstone Ground
Highbury, Filbert Street, Main Road the Dell and Boleyn ground many times as an away fan with Chelsea, less often the old Sunderland and Boro grounds. Most of them before all seated

To be honest it’s true they were iconic but other than Arsenal and West Ham in later years they were not blessed with facilities etc.

I would say Highbury and Boleyn ground are sad losses but the rest the new grounds far better. Southamptons new ground just the right size for them and good atmosphere etc.
 
I used to love watching games at White Hart Lane in the seventies on TV. Also every game at the Baseball Ground was fascinating as the pitch would turn into a farmers field after about 10 minutes.

The league cup and FA cup semi’s always seem to be played at Villa Park and Hillsborough.
 
Been to a few in and around London I went to the Spurs Wolves League up semi in 1972, Spurs won 1 0. Hardly a blade of grass on the park.
 
surfbear said:
Been to all those featured above except the Goldstone Ground
Highbury, Filbert Street, Main Road the Dell and Boleyn ground many times as an away fan with Chelsea, less often the old Sunderland and Boro grounds. Most of them before all seated

To be honest it’s true they were iconic but other than Arsenal and West Ham in later years they were not blessed with facilities etc.

I would say Highbury and Boleyn ground are sad losses but the rest the new grounds far better. Southamptons new ground just the right size for them and good atmosphere etc.
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Went Griffin Park the last season they played there, stood behind goal which was good but the facilities were well dated. They've done really well to put the new one where they did, it just fits.

Personally I hate ones in middle of nowhere, at least the London ones haven't gone that way. I have never been but I picture a day at Reading to be crap given it's location.
 
stonewall Jackson said:
I used to love watching games at White Hart Lane in the seventies on TV. Also every game at the Baseball Ground was fascinating as the pitch would turn into a farmers field after about 10 minutes.

The league cup and FA cup semi’s always seem to be played at Villa Park and Hillsborough.
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One thing I miss about the FA cup were the semis being played at a neutral venue, it just made getting to Wembley that more special for the final.

I think with both semis now being played at Wembley it takes away that feeling.

I used to love going to the Piggery and watching us play in a SC semi final, the bears taking over the shithole and sashing it up made for a good day out.
 
surfbear said:
Been to all those featured above except the Goldstone Ground
Highbury, Filbert Street, Main Road the Dell and Boleyn ground many times as an away fan with Chelsea, less often the old Sunderland and Boro grounds. Most of them before all seated

To be honest it’s true they were iconic but other than Arsenal and West Ham in later years they were not blessed with facilities etc.

I would say Highbury and Boleyn ground are sad losses but the rest the new grounds far better. Southamptons new ground just the right size for them and good atmosphere etc.
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Forgot the old White Hart Lane used to love going their to 3 point lane as it became known though walk back to the tube or train often a bit crazy
 
Wandering bear said:
Bolton wanderers burnden park was a great atmosphere when it was full not like the new stadium I was lucky that over the years went to a few of the old grounds use to go to all the old boozers in and around the grounds all changed with the new stadiums all seem to be stuck out of town no atmosphere in them and the pubs around them they look good but you couldn’t beat the old grounds
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Trotters, King Bill, Waggon n Horses/ Churchills, Prince Bill, Bus Inn...Bolton Town centre like a Dodo now.
 
Barca Bear said:
I thought this would be in the list as well.
When I was in it, by that time it had lost the big kop and one end was sold to a supermarket.
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was one of those grounds you could see from a passing train en route to Manchester, and in post war times from a passing steam train behind one of the goals
 
Coventry City were my "English Team" in the 70's and 80's, I loved going down to Highfield Road, a decent old ground, falling to bits but just felt better than the Soulless Ricoh Arena that replaced it.
 
I took in Spurs v Bolton at White Hart Lane in 2010.

I thought it was a cracking wee stadium with a good atmosphere. Far too small for the Spurs of today however.
 
Attending a Leicester match { Walker Stadium] a number of years ago I was genuinely surprised at how close it was to Filbert Street, I'd say no more than half a mile. Leicester Tigers Rugby Unions'ground is in the same area,indeed we parked there for the game.
 
HowdenEnder said:
It was indeed. Good old Fred.

"When Shrewsbury play certain clubs, who'll remain nameless, Fred might spend the entire afternoon trotting round the ground."

:))

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Certain clubs??? Wimbledon perhaps? Also as a side note. Good old Fred was the shout that went up in the mess onboard ship when watching the classic Tom and Jerry and Fred Quimbys name came up on the credits!!!
 
On side note won’t be long till Goodson Park joins that list been down a few times and always loved ground and city Evertonians I met while down there had Rangers as their team.Saying that new ground looks cracking hope we are invited down.
 
bluebells272 said:
This is the ground which immediately came into my mind. First ground I ever saw Rangers play at outside Scotland, in 1993 for Gary Bennett's testimonial. Superb day out.
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I agree 100% , bus was booked into the roker working mans club , £1 to get in , £1 for your dinner, and strippers providing " entertainment".
 
The old Maine Road features on Noel Gallagher’s Council Skies album cover, the roundabout was the old center circle.
 
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