Bramall Lane & The Riverside

Kevster

Hey guys,

I moved to York in England 5 weeks ago (Im doing a PhD at the university) but went to Sheffield last weekend and got a free tour around Bramall Lane (Sheff. Utd.), and I went to Middlesbrough today and got a free tour around The Riverside Stadium too! There were no official tours for Bramall Lane but I just walked in and asked the security guy if I could see the pitch. He seemed very bored just sitting there and decided to bring me around. He locked the main entrance and brought me up to the executive boxes only though.

At the Riverside Stadium today, I arrived but had missed the only tour that they have on Sundays. The guide still brought me around though (for free) and I saw the dressing rooms and walked out onto the pitch! The away team's dressing room was noticealy smaller and made of 'dodgier' equipment than the home team's. The guide said that all teams do this as a psychological tactic. I'd never have guessed that this goes on behind the scenes...


Kevin

DerekD Goldfish

"Sportsmanship" like this has always gone on from poorer facilitates and no hot water for showers to the ridicules like sending prostitutes to the opposing teams hotel to try cause trouble

zAbbo

L shaped rooms were another common one. As well as placing the dressing room near the home fans or piping in noise.

Kevster

Hmm, I notived that L-shape alright in the away room. The home team one had tactics boards on the walls too and was just one big open area. There was a drinks machine too that the 'Boro players [apparently] recently had installed! The treatment benches too were noticeable: In the 'Boro room, they were reclinging and were sturdy; but in the away room, they were just flat and weren't very sturdy (as the guide demonstrated).

Still, all of this didn't do 'Boro any good last year, did it.

orourkeda

Kevster wrote: »

Hmm, I notived that L-shape alright in the away room. The home team one had tactics boards on the walls too and was just one big open area. There was a drinks machine too that the 'Boro players [apparently] recently had installed! The treatment benches too were noticeable: In the 'Boro room, they were reclinging and were sturdy; but in the away room, they were just flat and weren't very sturdy (as the guide demonstrated).

Still, all of this didn't do 'Boro any good last year, did it.

I cant see what reclining treatment benches have to do with fielding a motivated team either

thomond2006

In my opinion, as a manager if you believe in your team, you don't need all this bull**** to upset/annoy the opposition.

Kevster

It's the psychological aspect of having inferior equipment than the home team. Then again, I can easily see how all of this bull**** could go against the home team.

everdead.ie

Do modern stadiums use these methods anyone been to OT or the emeriates?
Clubs like these might not feel the need to mess with people's heads because they are able to play better football then smaller clubs like middlesbrough and sheffield wed.

ArmaniJeanss

everdead.ie wrote: »

Do modern stadiums use these methods anyone been to OT or the emeriates?

The top grounds can't do this anymore as far as I know - the likes of The Emirates and OT put themselves forward for hosting UEFA finals and World Cup games etc, and as part of this must have identical home and away dressing rooms (though I suppose the staff could kit out the away dressing room badly for home club games, and switch off the hot water ).

Done the Santiago Bernabeu tour and they only allowed you into the Away dressing room but they said that its identical in size, design and equipment to the home one.

Kevster

ArmaniJeanss wrote: »

The top grounds can't do this anymore as far as I know - the likes of The Emirates and OT put themselves forward for hosting UEFA finals and World Cup games etc, and as part of this must have identical home and away dressing rooms (though I suppose the staff could kit out the away dressing room badly for home club games, and switch off the hot water ).

Done the Santiago Bernabeu tour and they only allowed you into the Away dressing room but they said that its identical in size, design and equipment to the home one.

I did the Bernabeu tour too but never came across the dressing rooms. When did you do it? I was there back in 2003 just after they won their 7th Euro Cup (I was on a stopover to Buenos Aires!).

everdead.ie

everdead.ie wrote: »

Do modern stadiums use these methods anyone been to OT or the emeriates?
Clubs like these might not feel the need to mess with people's heads because they are able to play better football then smaller clubs like middlesbrough and sheffield wed.

Munsters new stadium has pillars put all over the away dressing room so that the coach cannot talk to the whole team,or at least they cannot see each other.

civis_liberalis

DerekD Goldfish wrote: »

"Sportsmanship" like this has always gone on from poorer facilitates and no hot water for showers to the ridicules like sending prostitutes to the opposing teams hotel to try cause trouble

Remember that nonsense about Man United having heated seats and not providing it for the opposition.

Absolute nonsense to be going on about.

ArmaniJeanss

Kevster wrote: »

I did the Bernabeu tour too but never came across the dressing rooms. When did you do it? I was there back in 2003 just after they won their 7th Euro Cup (I was on a stopover to Buenos Aires!).

December 30th last year. It was a year to the day since I'd done the Nou Camp tour so it was a bit weird.

(Real's stadium is better in every tangible way, but the Camp Nou has more soul.)

gucci

Lexi Hot Cervix wrote: »

Munsters new stadium has pillars put all over the away dressing room so that the coach cannot talk to the whole team,or at least they cannot see each other.

Sounds like an excuse for appalling architecture rather than sportsmanship in that case! :eek::eek:

Neil3030

everdead.ie wrote: »

Do modern stadiums use these methods anyone been to OT or the emeriates?
Clubs like these might not feel the need to mess with people's heads because they are able to play better football then smaller clubs like middlesbrough and sheffield wed.

Now that you mention it, United DO win a lot of their home games...

Mr Alan

the one place they don't show you in Old Trafford is the referees room!

now i wonder why that might be.......

_blank_

You bitter little man

Mr Alan

it was a joke Des :rolleyes: