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…
Blog Archives
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
St. James Park, Exeter
Having visited Bristol Rovers, a “homeless” team on the Tuesday, I moved on to something almost just as extraordinary. Exeter City, a club saved, owned and run by a supporters’ trust. The story of the supporters’ take-over is quite remarkable.…
Tagged with: ExEC club, Exeter City, George Best, Kiera Gould, Manchester United, Michael Jackson, Pele, St. James Park, Stagecoach Stand, Supporters Trust, Uri Geller
Posted in Football grounds, Uncategorized
Posted in Football grounds, Uncategorized
Boundary Park, Oldham – or the SportsDirect.com Park
Telling people of my groundhopping project, many have adviced me to go to Boundary Park in Oldham. So being in Manchester on Good Friday, it was the obvious choice. Although some of the gloss was taken off my trip, as…
Tagged with: Boundary Park, Bristol City, groundhoppers, local support, Oldham
Posted in Football grounds
Posted in Football grounds
The County Ground, Swindon
The magic roundabout. One roundabout consisting of five roundabouts. That was what swayed me to prefer the longer trip to Swindon rather than the shorter one to Reading on a dark November evening. And to get the roundabout out of…
Tagged with: Bob Menham, Charlie Henry, County Ground, Don Rogers, John Menham, Lou Macari, Swindon Town
Posted in Football grounds, Uncategorized
Posted in Football grounds, Uncategorized
Kenilworth Road, Luton
Saturday morning in London. I come across hundreds of Arsenal supporters in their red “Emirates” shirts, on their way to an early kick-off against Manchester City. Finally, at Sct. Pancras, I also spot an orange “Easy Jet” Luton shirt. And…
Tagged with: Cheltenham, Daniel Gray, EasyJet, Hatters, Hungry Harry, Kenilworth Road, Luton Town, Oak Road End, terraced housing
Posted in Football grounds
Posted in Football grounds
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Football and material culture 