What Are The Worst Grounds That You Have Visited?

[mrtoad]

Having been to a few grounds over the years, I was trying to think about some of the absolute shiteholes that have constituted Football League Grounds. Of course standards have improved, and some of the truly awful places are no more.

From my own experience a couple immediatley spring to mind as bad.

1. Newport County - Somerton Park. An absolute <deleted> hole and made worse by it being in Wales.

2. Bristol Rovers - Eastville. Anyone remeber the old ground by the M32, god playing surface, but other than that it resembled a desolate wasteground after all the fires that they had down there. Now, it is an IKEA store.

3. Wembley (1990 -2002) An absolute dump, overpiced,uncmfortable seats restricted views and possibly the worst catering ever. Was a much better venue when it was not all seated.

4.Wigan - Springfield Park. If you went there, you'd know why I included it.

5. Cardiff - Ninnian Park. What a bloody awful place, and made even wrse by the hostile reception that any English club supporter gets. Luckily, it's only got a other season or so left.

Anyway, sure there will be plenty of other places to add.

Edited September 7, 2007 by mrtoad

[chavy]

Hmmm...that's got me thinking...a few off the top of my head (but am not yet finished)

1, Derby County new & old stadiums (well I would say that being a Forest supporter)

2, Torquay United errr scrub that one MrToad

3, Serious, The Shay Halifax.. oh my god it's a speedway track.

4, Old Molinuex (sp) Wolves.. only one side open when I went !!

5, Barnet, Underhill.. No stands but temporary seating on scaffolding, my arse is still sore 8 yrs on !

6, Northampton Town (old) It was a cricket ground with two stands

I'll get my thinking head on for this one. Good post MrToad

[chavy]

Some more came to me during lunch, these were many moons ago & are probably (hopefully) improved by now.

Crewe......Had trouble finding the ground because the flood light pylons (what is it with me & flood lights) were wooden & the same as the British rail light pylons at the station, still, it was a dire place.

Kidderminster Harriers when they were in the league.......they must of thought they were still in the Southern league!

Hereford United...........still now wondering if a footy ground or a cattle yard

Macclesfield........just been promoted when visiting here, they obviously had never seen a league ground before

Mansfield......the old main stand was actually an old horse racing stand

Never had the pleasure of going to Somerton Park, I'll take your word on that one. Agreed about Ninian Park (I went there with a Welsh native, Cardiff v Swansea !!! No explanation needed I'm sure!

I'd been to the old Vetch field, Swansea & was pondering about adding that to the list. Wrexham I thought was alright.....for Manchester wanabies

[mrtoad]

Couplke of good one's there Chavy.

I remeber the Crewe floodlights to, with the telegraph poles. They actually had something similar at Exeter as well.

Chester City - Sealand Park, wasn't the greatest of places either, and I also had the fortune or misfortune to have a trip to Cold Blow Lane and the Old Den - that was a pretty gim ground in a grim place. I haven't been to the New Den, but it looks like a very good venue.

Wimbledons - Plough Lane was another bad one, but I remeber it in more of a fond way. Wish that Wimbledon had been able to stay there and then we would never have the joke that is MK Dons.

I'm not to keen on Yeovils New Huish either, but there isn't anything wrong with it, I just liked the old Huish with it's great slope.

I'm just trying to think of a few more, and trying to actually work out how many grounds I have been to, it's probably more than I think.

For the Oxford boys on the forum. The Manor Ground was an absolute shitehole as well, although you did have Captain Bob who was a great swimmer.

And very remiss of me to forget that other awful place called Selhurst Park, what a dreary, drab ground with an awful pitch. Still it will always be remebered for the great moment when Cantona Kung <deleted> kicked that foul mouthed moronic chav.

Edited September 7, 2007 by mrtoad

[true blue]

anfield

[Spit the Dog]

I went to Barnet's ground in about 1999 and I was amazed that a ground so run down could still exist in the Football League post Taylor Report. The ground was at a bottom of a hill in a park and it was one of those grounds that you would never be able to find unless you knew exactly where it was.

Growing up in Scotland, it's fair to say that I've visited a fair few shitholes during my youth. Most of these grounds have either been demolished or renavated.

Hibs - Easter Road

Hearts - Tynecastle

Hamilton - Douglas Park

Dundee - Dens Park

St Johnstone - Muirton Park

Raith - Starks Park

Alloa - Recreation Park

Dumbarton - Boghead

Albion - Cliftonville

[eddie11]

Luton Town - Kenilworth Road

Plastic pitch, no away fans and muppet home fans shit location

(and I'm from Luton)

[chavy]

Couplke of good one's there Chavy.

I remeber the Crewe floodlights to, with the telegraph poles. They actually had something similar at Exeter as well.

Chester City - Sealand Park, wasn't the greatest of places either, and I also had the fortune or misfortune to have a trip to Cold Blow Lane and the Old Den - that was a pretty gim ground in a grim place. I haven't been to the New Den, but it looks like a very good venue.

Wimbledons - Plough Lane was another bad one, but I remeber it in more of a fond way. Wish that Wimbledon had been able to stay there and then we would never have the joke that is MK Dons.

I'm not to keen on Yeovils New Huish either, but there isn't anything wrong with it, I just liked the old Huish with it's great slope.

I'm just trying to think of a few more, and trying to actually work out how many grounds I have been to, it's probably more than I think.

For the Oxford boys on the forum. The Manor Ground was an absolute shitehole as well, although you did have Captain Bob who was a great swimmer.

And very remiss of me to forget that other awful place called Selhurst Park, what a dreary, drab ground with an awful pitch. Still it will always be remebered for the great moment when Cantona Kung <deleted> kicked that foul mouthed moronic chav.

Sealand Road, yes I went there years ago when Chester were a struggling 4th div side (nothing changed there then) with Forest in a cup tie, we had Cloughie in charge then & just scrapped a 1 - 0 win, pretty grim place that was but the city of Chester was probably one of my favourite places along with Shrewsbury. I thought Shrewsbury was grim but decided not to put that one in because it was a quaint little ground but not much going for it...apart from the novelty factor of the bloke sitting in the rowing boat for the duration of the game ready to fish out footballs the got kicked out of the ground into the river straight behind the stand.

I think Blackpool would of got into my list because years ago I went to the old Bloom field rd but couldn't get in because the match was all ticket ! However, the up side was there's not too many places like Blackpool for entertainment venues !

[Jimjim]

Goodison Park

[taxexile]

elland road in the seventies , the overflow of beery p1ss from the tin hut that housed the latrines would run down the slope outside the door and accumulate in stinking puddles right in front of the exit turnstiles. unavoidable and unpleasant.

away fans were regularly tripped up right by those puddles ...... happy days.

[mrtoad]

Dumbarton - Boghead

I was always fascinated by the name of that ground

Does it still exist?

[Tootah]

2. Bristol Rovers - Eastville. Anyone remeber the old ground by the M32, god playing surface, but other than that it resembled a desolate wasteground after all the fires that they had down there. Now, it is an IKEA store.

As a very young lad I used to go with my dad to watch the rovers play there each saturday, but what a place, fantastic! I think we used to nick name it the 'Gasworks?' If I remember correctly? I remember being 8 years old, the pelting of coins from the away stand, the racist taunts and banana songs towards the coloured players, the fights outside afterwards, jesus. What memories! That place was f**king great! unfortunately I moved away as a teenager.

[mrtoad]

2. Bristol Rovers - Eastville. Anyone remeber the old ground by the M32, god playing surface, but other than that it resembled a desolate wasteground after all the fires that they had down there. Now, it is an IKEA store.

As a very young lad I used to go with my dad to watch the rovers play there each saturday, but what a place, fantastic! I think we used to nick name it the 'Gasworks?' If I remember correctly? I remember being 8 years old, the pelting of coins from the away stand, the racist taunts and banana songs towards the coloured players, the fights outside afterwards, jesus. What memories! That place was f**king great! unfortunately I moved away as a teenager.

Yep, it was by the Gasworks, hence the Rovers fans nickname "Gasheads". By the time Rovers moved out of there it was an absolute dump, although it remained open for a few years after as a dog track. Nothing remains of the stadium now, just a big Ikea store and an endless traffic jam around the area.

[true blue]

Goodison Park

tit for tat a

[Spit the Dog]

Dumbarton - Boghead

I was always fascinated by the name of that ground

Does it still exist?

No, it was demolished a few years ago.

[KhaoNiaw]

I'd been to the old Vetch field, Swansea & was pondering about adding that to the list.

First one that came into my mind - and that was from when they were in the First Division.

[mrbojangles]

Old Trafford. What a dump

[mrtoad]

Old Trafford. What a dump

City of Manchester Stadium

[mrbojangles]

Old Trafford. What a dump

City of Manchester Stadium

And don't tell me. Maine Road looks much better now

[mrtoad]

Old Trafford. What a dump

City of Manchester Stadium

And don't tell me. Maine Road looks much better now

Now you come to mention it....

Actually, I quite liked Maine Road.

[Sunderland]

In 5th place ... Ayresome Park, the former home of the smogmonsters from Middlesbrough. Horrible place, horrible people, horrible football club. The Riverside is barely an upgrade on what it followed.

In 4th place ... Somerton Park (Newport County). Still don't know what inspired me to take a train from Bristol to Newport on a miserable winter evening to watch Newport v Darlington in the old 4th division. Perhaps, I just wanted to feel better about being a Sunderland fan ... can't honestly remember. I do remember watching an awful game with around 1,700 other people in the pissing rain and wishing I hadn't bothered venturing into Wales. Went back a few months later and watched Cardiff City trounce Newport 4-0. Ninian Park wasn't much better.

In 3rd place ... Elland Road, Leeds. Not the worst developed ground in the country by a country mile, but worth 3rd place just for being the home of dirty Leeds.

In 2nd place ... Belle Vue, Doncaster (in 1987). Went there during Sunderland's one season in the old 3rd division. Memorable for the win and being the worst football ground I have ever paid to watch a match in. There was a crowd of 2,740 of which the majority were Sunderland fans and that consisted of a cage behind one goal and a collapsing terrace down one touchline. The rest of the ground looked like it had been hit by the German Luftwaffe during WW2. Should be #1.

But the prize for the worst football ground in the whole world goes to Sid James Park (Newcastle) affectionately known as Skunkville or the Landfill. Full of barcoded skunks who are imprisoned in their lopsided prison block. Afraid that nobody will come back, the gates are locked from both the inside and the outside. Unless you have ever been there, the stench is unimaginable.

[Sunderland]

Old Trafford. What a dump

City of Manchester Stadium

And don't tell me. Maine Road looks much better now

Now you come to mention it....

Actually, I quite liked Maine Road.

I quite liked Maine Road too, or at least after you got safely through Moss Side. The last time I was there was predictably another Sunderland relegation on the final day of the 1990-91 season. The last day defeat somehow softened by the incredible scene of 15,000 Sunderland fans staying on to cheer the team 30 minutes after the final whistle ... I've always wondered since that day what it would actually be like if we witnessed a degree of top flight success. Next life maybe ...

[Sunderland]

Luton Town - Kenilworth Road

Plastic pitch, no away fans and muppet home fans shit location

(and I'm from Luton)

Nothing like supporting your local team!

[KhaoNiaw]

That open away end at Forest was a horrible place - always seemed to go there on cold, wet winter afternoons.

[Sunderland]

Yes, the cold, wet away end was very popular in England until all-seater stadiums became more popular. Deliberately used to dampen the spirits and mute the atmosphere created by travelling fans. A cup tie at Reading wins my vote for the wettest match I ever attended. I think Noah started building another ark during that game.

[KhaoNiaw]

Yes, the cold, wet away end was very popular in England until all-seater stadiums became more popular. Deliberately used to dampen the spirits and mute the atmosphere created by travelling fans. A cup tie at Reading wins my vote for the wettest match I ever attended. I think Noah started building another ark during that game.

That reminds me of going to Sunderland one year with Liverpool. (Cold open away end, of course) The game got abandoned at half-time for ice on the pitch - though it couldn't have been any worse than at the start of the match. I remember that the Sunderland fans were of the opinion that the chairman had put pressure on the ref to start the game to avoid having to refund tickets. And gathered after the game to vent their feelings on his car.

[EastSaxCol]

I think that Layer Road (Colchester) is generally accepted as being the worste of all league grounds. But they're getting a new one and Layer Road has been something of a fortress for the 'U's'.

Ayresome Park with the f'ing ICI factory at the north end was pretty grim - as is the whole of Middlesborough from what I've seen of the place.

Hull City was pretty bad. I asked the way to it from a local, he said the he only knew the rugby ground.

It turned out to be just around the corner from where I asked.

My only time of going to Bradford City was when they were rebuilding the stand that caught fire with such tragic consequences. We were standing in bacsically a pool of mud and building materials.

Cold Blow Lane anybody ? Most Millwall supporters wouldn't park their caravans there.

Oh, and Newcastle with those friendly Geordie boys who threw a petrol bomb over the wall at us visiting supporters. Nice.

[ThaiPauly]

EVERY ground in Wales..

Well Cardiff and Swansea...absolute shiteholes....and as said previously the reception is less than freindly...but what else can you expect.

What makes it worse is that Cardiff supporters are animals when they travel...they once grabbed a girl steward from the sidelines at Elm Park, hauled her into their "Mob" and beat her up.....this was a 17 year old GIRL.

That particular game should have been postponed owing to a frozen pitch, but the Police did not want 2,000 Cardiff fans roaming the Reading until their bedtime...we beat them anyway..... but thats not the point!

[EastSaxCol]

EVERY ground in Wales..

Well Cardiff and Swansea...absolute shiteholes....and as said previously the reception is less than freindly...but what else can you expect.

Not a football ground per se admittedly. But when transformed into one for the day, the Millennium Stadium is absolutely ace.

Win and lose that is.

Give me there again over Wembley any old day.

[KhaoNiaw]

Notts County, with a brick wall behind one of the goals (and a freezing cold, open, wet away end - though, to be fair, I think it was mostly like that for the home support too).