As promised some time ago, I have written an account in English of the first organised football travelling in Denmark – during WW1. Read the article in Playing Pasts. Football Fans Crossing The Borders During WW1
Yearly Archives: 2016
Valley Parade, Bradford
Of all the horrible stadium disasters, the one that always has haunted me the most is the Bradford City fire in 1985. I remember watching the television news in horror, as they showed how the flames spread in seconds. 56…
Deepdale, Preston North End
Deepdale. The name has a romantic ring to it. Somehow reminiscent of Rivendell from Lord of the Rings. Home of Preston North End since 1875 (although admittedly the first years as a cricket and after that a rugby club), the…
Farewell Boleyn Ground
On Tuesday 10th May, West Ham United played their last ever league match at the Boleyn Ground by Upton Park. Next season they will move to the Olympic Stadium. I didn’t go to that match. But I went four weeks…
Tagged with: Arsenal, Boleyn Ground, Forever blowing bubbles, John Lyall Gates, Manchester United, Memorial, Upton Park, West Ham United
Posted in Football grounds, Uncategorized
Posted in Football grounds, Uncategorized
From “Pie and Pint” to “Palm trees and Paella” at Priestfield, Gillingham
I must admit that I didn’t really have any great expectations, when I made the trip to Kent’s only football league club, Gillingham. But being in London on work, I found out that there were two matches on this Tuesday…
Tagged with: EU referendum, Executive boxes, Gillingham, Gordon Road, matchday programme, paella, palmtrees, Priestfield, Rainham End, Rehman Chishti, Wallsall
Posted in Football grounds, Uncategorized
Posted in Football grounds, Uncategorized
Ewood Park, Blackburn
I went to my first match at Ewood Park the day after visiting Carlisle United’s Brunton Park. Comparing the two grounds, you really get a sense of how dramatically English football was transformed around 1990 in the aftermath of Hillsborough.…
Tagged with: Alan Shearer, Away support, Carlisle United, Ewood Park, FA Cup, Jack Walker, Memorial garden, Michael Knighton, Payet, West Ham United
Posted in Football grounds, Uncategorized
Posted in Football grounds, Uncategorized
The Hawthorns, West Bromwich Albion
When I started following English football, West Bromwich Albion were in the second division. Although they were promoted to the top-tier of English football in 1976, there have been a few ups and downs since then, and they have somehow…
Tagged with: autographs, Brendan Batson, Crystal Palace, Cyril Regis, Founding member, Jeff Astle, Lawrie Cunningham, Memorial garden, The Hawthorns, Tony Bomber Brown, West Bromwich Albion
Posted in Football grounds
Posted in Football grounds
Brunton Park, Carlisle
In his book on English football grounds, Simon Inglis describes Brunton Park in Carlisle as “A frontier post guarded only by sheep”. From the main stand, I can, indeed, to my left see sheep grassing on the other side of…
Tagged with: Brunton Park, Carlisle United, flooding, floodlight pylons, Michael Knighton, Standing terrace, wooden seats
Posted in Football grounds, Uncategorized
Posted in Football grounds, Uncategorized
 | Zara on Loftus Road, London |
 | Lawrence on Fratton Park – an iconic… |
 | Dale Hong on The Arsenal Museum |
 | Roy Andrews on Looking for Archie part 3… |
 | David Hutton on Tannadice – what gives a… |
Football and material culture 