Blog Archives

Thirty-three football grounds in seven days – Day 3, 10th September 2022: Yorkshire

Posted on October 5, 2022 by Hans Henrik Appel — Leave a comment

7. The Shay, Halifax 8. Oakwell, Barnsley 9. New York Stadium, Rotherham 10. Millmoor, Rotherham 11. Keepmoat, Doncaster The main event of my tour should have been Barnsley FC against Portsmouth at Oakwell – with three tickets already bought for…

Tagged with: Archibald Leitch, Barnsley F.C., Doncaster Rovers, floodlight pylons, Halifax Town, Keepmoat Stadium, Memorial garden, Millmoor, New York Stadium, Nike and Hephaestus, Oakwell, Rotherham United, The Shay
Posted in Football grounds

“Not fit for modern-day football” – or “a magical monument for 119 years of footballing history”? – Blundell Park, Grimsby

Posted on April 23, 2018 by Hans Henrik Appel — 20 Comments

Within the same week in September 1899, five new football grounds staged their first match. Highfield Road in Coventry, Tottenham’s White Hart Lane, Sheffield Wednesday’s Hillsborough, Fratton Park in Portsmouth, and Grimsby Town’s Blundell Park. Having attended matches at the…

Tagged with: Blundell Park, dressing room, floodlight pylons, Fratton Park, George Best, Grimsby Town, Highfield Road, Hillsborough, Molineux Stadium, Stevenage, Victorian pitch, White Hart Lane, Wolverhampton Wanderers
Posted in Football grounds

Fratton Park – an iconic ground

Posted on March 12, 2018 by Hans Henrik Appel — 6 Comments

A couple of weeks ago, someone in the facebook group “Football Stadia & Grounds” asked members to name the iconic features still in existence at British football grounds. Most mentioned the cottage at Craven Cottage, others Goodison Park and the…

Tagged with: Archibald Leitch, Blackpool, Christian Burgess, floodlight pylons, Football history, Fratton End, Fratton Park, Portsmouth
Posted in Football grounds

Deepdale, Preston North End

Posted on October 22, 2016 by Hans Henrik Appel — Leave a comment

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…

Tagged with: Alan Kelly, away supporters, Bill Shankly, Deepdale, evening football, floodlight pylons, floodlights, Huddersfield Town, matchday experience, modern stadiums, National Football Museum, Preston North End, Tom Finney
Posted in Football grounds

Brunton Park, Carlisle

Posted on February 23, 2016 by Hans Henrik Appel — Leave a comment

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

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