Old Football Stadiums - Photos

[barrheadbear]

I was at that game as well. Absolutely mobbed as you say. Was that the game when Gordon Smith smashed a shot which bounced back down and just crossed the line? The Thistle players stating that it hadn’t crossed the line, when the ref went to consult his linesman I noticed that Brian Whittaker (remember him? I sure that he has passed away), anyway he had the ball in his hand talking to Alan Rough, so it would have been a penalty to Rangers...anyway it didn’t matter as the goal was given.

Yeah the Thistle players were adamant the ball hadn't crossed the line (as you would expect from any side when it is such a close call).

 

[Bobby Russell's Perm]

Yeah the Thistle players were adamant the ball hadn't crossed the line (as you would expect from any side when it is such a close call).

Brian Whittaker died in 1997, he was only 40. Very sad, far too young.

 

[barrheadbear]

Sat in the old north stand for my first game at hampden.A replay against Patrick Thistle in the scottish cup.We won 1-0 and I was 8 years old.Mind my dad wasn’t to happy all game as he kept shouting and bawling.

The original game was goal less and was a cracking end to end game. We missed a pile of chances but it wasn't all one way traffic. Thistle had the ball in the net with a few minutes to go but fortunately the flag was up for what can only be described as a very close call.

 

[Artful Dodger]

The original game was goal less and was a cracking end to end game. We missed a pile of chances but it wasn't all one way traffic. Thistle had the ball in the net with a few minutes to go but fortunately the flag was up for what can only be described as a very close call.

Think my dad was at the first game and the replay was a Tuesday night as I was up for school next day and was goosed.

 

[bigy]

 

[huistrasleftpeg]

I much prefer football grounds in the heart of a community, instead of those in the middle of nowhere. Would like to go to Bramhall Lane one day; once saw a photo of it, floodlit, and these houses surrounding it. Football has a certain "magic" about it that is about community and relationship, it's not on the margins of life, but the heart of it, and those type of grounds reflect that better than anything else.

 

[huistrasleftpeg]

That terracing in the second photo looks steep as feck - imagine being on that on derby day when a goal goes in

 

[Coopers left foot.]

You are kind of right and wrong about The Valley.

Whilst Stamford Bridge once had just shy of 83k for a football game compared to The Valleys record of 75k, I believe well over 80k saw The Who when they played their in the 70s

Loudest recorded gig at the time.

 

[Slayer]

Founding member of EFL




A near neighbour...Once the longest name in UK football.

Pretty sure the top one is Burnden Park (saw a couple of semi-finals there).
Not sure of the bottom one, Accrington maybe?

 

[Conlig Loyal]

It was also a Yorkshire county cricket ground until the seventies (I think), just two or three stands near the pitch.
You can still see the footprint of the original ground in that pic, all the space to the right and behind the stand at the top of the pic above, that's now used for car parking by the looks of it.

EDIT:

 

[das]

Pretty sure the top one is Burnden Park (saw a couple of semi-finals there).
Not sure of the bottom one, Accrington maybe?

Definitely not Accrington

If it's near Bolton then possibly Horwich RMI would be my guess

 

[Diego Maradona]

Most interesting thread on the board.

I was at that Rolling Stones concert at hampden. What a dump.

 

[billybluehat]

I much prefer football grounds in the heart of a community, instead of those in the middle of nowhere. Would like to go to Bramhall Lane one day; once saw a photo of it, floodlit, and these houses surrounding it. Football has a certain "magic" about it that is about community and relationship, it's not on the margins of life, but the heart of it, and those type of grounds reflect that better than anything else.

Arsenal's old Highbury stadium was fantastic for that. It could feel like you were going down someone's garden path going into certain parts of the ground.

 

[huistrasleftpeg]

Hill City’s former ground, Boothferry Park. Apparently held 50,000 supporters in it’s heyday before becoming really dilapidated in the 80’s / 90’s.

That’s some queue to get into the ground in the second photo!

 

[Tommyhlrsc]

Pretty sure the top one is Burnden Park (saw a couple of semi-finals there).
Not sure of the bottom one, Accrington maybe?

Aye Bolton, Railway ran at the back of the Embankment end.

Other one, 7 mile from Bolton.
Horwich RMI (Railway Mechanics Institute).
Due to a dodgy owner/board ground is now a housing estate. Team moved to Leigh before going out of business altogether.

 

[jim_baxter1960]

That terracing in the second photo looks steep as feck - imagine being on that on derby day when a goal goes in

Proposals for development of the fourth side are even steeper as the footprint (pitchside to rear) is much narrower. Think there were also proposals to put a fourth teir on. Uprating the stadium as it stands will reduce capacity to circa 30,000 so something needs to be done. Huge pressure to do something with the existing site as the fans are adamant that they want a Bombanera where it stands.

 

[Fingers1872]

I was at that game as well. Absolutely mobbed as you say. Was that the game when Gordon Smith smashed a shot which bounced back down and just crossed the line? The Thistle players stating that it hadn’t crossed the line, when the ref went to consult his linesman I noticed that Brian Whittaker (remember him? I sure that he has passed away), anyway he had the ball in his hand talking to Alan Rough, so it would have been a penalty to Rangers...anyway it didn’t matter as the goal was given.

I think Whittaker died in a car accident.

 

[Simply a Bear]

No old stadium photos thread is complete without Hampden. I used to love listening to my fathers stories (some scary) of cup finals or Scotland v England matches. Granted it was a dump.
A terrible decision to renovate instead demolishing, survives on its name and nostalgia only now:


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They should have demolished it and built a modern stadium. It just looks tatty and old, even after renovation.

 

[Ronnietheranger]

https://imgur.com/AiM0G86

Ashton Gate 1967, new stand under construction.

 

[Ronnietheranger]

https://imgur.com/rEIjb0n

Bloomfield Road

 

[Ronnietheranger]

https://imgur.com/eDHFGkQ

Home Park

 

[Ronnietheranger]

https://imgur.com/MxkBkcZ

Hampden in it's heyday.

 

[Ronnietheranger]

https://imgur.com/U0qtnVP

Sadly, another proper football ground which will soon be history, Goodison Park 1966.

 

[Ronnietheranger]

https://imgur.com/fCz1kSv

Loftus Road

 

[Ronnietheranger]

https://imgur.com/p0Mn8fC

Maine Road

 

[Ronnietheranger]

https://imgur.com/dYqW73K

Old Trafford

 

[Ronnietheranger]

https://imgur.com/3qYfbTq

Roker Park

 

[Ronnietheranger]

https://imgur.com/6aWEtZs

St. Andrews

 

[Ronnietheranger]

https://imgur.com/2VMZgr1

Wembley

 

[Conlig Loyal]

The Oval Belfast 1950s.

2020s.

 

[Slayer]

Kenilworth Road, Luton Town - completely boxed in on 3-sides

The Away Fans' Entrance -

Away Fans then go through a tunnel and up some stairs overlooking neighbouring houses & gardens -

Not much privacy for residents! -

 

[perthtruebluetwo]

I love Lutons ground, the way an old fashioned stadium should be.

 

[Slayer]

Not quite on the same scale/grandeur as the Main Stand & Enclosure at the old Ibrox, but these 2-grounds were also Archibald Leitch gems:

Roker Park 1966 (The Clock Stand is on the right) -

Goodison Park 1964 (Goodison Road Main Stand & Terrace). This was unfortunately replaced with a triple-decker stand/paddock in 1970 although Leitch's Bullens Road & Gwladys Street Stands remain to this day -

 

[Slayer]

Spent quite a bit of time in South America in 2012/13 and was actually told by a River fan that, whilst River v Boca is easily the biggest derby in Argentina, the craziest was a toss-up between the Newells Old Boys v Rosario Central derby in Rosario, or the Racing Club v Independiente derby in Avellanada.

The Avellanada grounds are just 300-yards apart (Racing on left, Independiente on right) -

Sergio celebrating scoring the winner for Independiente at Racing in 2006 -

 

[Slayer]

Bank Street, Man Utd (closed 1910). The National Cycling Centre Velodrome now occupies this land -

Bank Street location -

 

[Slayer]

Camp de les Corts, Barcelona (closed in 1957 when Nou Camp opened) -

Estadio Vicente Calderon, Atletico Madrid (closed in 2017 when Wanda Metropolitano opened) -

 

[Slayer]

Vetch Field, Swansea (closed in 2005) (Swansea Prison is on the bottom left behind the big wall) -

 

[Roger Daltrey]

I feel that way about most grounds. I much preferred the old stadiums, and I think a lot of atmosphere went with them. It also feels like the old working class fan culture was ditched with them to pay for the new state-of-the-art grounds

Begs the question, have any new grounds got it right? I know for example spurs have got a massive single tier stand behind the goal with rail seats set up for if their ever allowed terracing again. Agree with you though I think British grounds in particular , the way they evolved over the years added to the character so much

 

[Roger Daltrey]

Camp de les Corts, Barcelona (closed in 1957 when Nou Camp opened) -

Estadio Vicente Calderon, Atletico Madrid (closed in 2017 when Wanda Metropolitano opened) -

never realised how close to the river atleticos ground was!

 

[Slayer]

never realised how close to the river atleticos ground was!

There was also a dual carriageway which used to run underneath that riverside stand.

 

[Roger Daltrey]

There was also a dual carriageway which used to run underneath that riverside stand.

Was always rated as one of the best atmospheres in spain I think? Only been to a couple of grounds over there but they're pretty good, basic but atmospheric, proper football grounds

 

[Roger Daltrey]

Pacaembu Stadium in São Paolo. Corinthians’ former home. Still occasionally used for games and hosts a brilliant football museum. An Art Deco masterpiece. Bench seating. Was briefly the biggest stadium in South America until the aforementioned Maracana was built.

thats stunning never seen that before. Currently reading a bookk about brazilian football and that gives some of the stuff in it a wee bit context

 

[TheDerryend]

Kenilworth Road, Luton Town - completely boxed in on 3-sides

The Away Fans' Entrance -

Away Fans then go through a tunnel and up some stairs overlooking neighbouring houses & gardens -

Not much privacy for residents! -

Must have been eventful when millwall came to town that night

 

[huistrasleftpeg]

Watching the Italy versus Switzerland piqued my hero interest as to how the Stadio Olimpico used to look. In it’s heyday, held a reputed 100,000.

 

[keep_believin84]

Here's one that very few will get

The ‘Broch’, Fraserburgh!

I’ve played there.

 

[keep_believin84]

The ‘Broch’, Fraserburgh!

I’ve played there.

Not the Broch!

 

[Ali59]

That was taken the week after Dunfermline won the 1968 SCF.

We lost to Aberdeen at the same time as the cup final.
The only defeat in the league that season , handing them the title before going to Dunfermline the following midweek.

 

[huistrasleftpeg]

The ‘Broch’, Fraserburgh!

I’ve played there.

Definitely not, no terraces at the Bellslea unless it’s of the grassy variety!

 

[Brian Laudrup]

Wembley in the 1920’s i believe



out in the middle of fields

Wembley now

 

[RangersForever]

https://imgur.com/MxkBkcZ

Hampden in it's heyday.

Rangers end doesn't look as big as the other end. Suppose it would be pay at the gate in those days and Rangers fans would just wrap further round the stadium.