Football stadiums and stands - the good and the bad...

Jelle1880

Al-Shamal SC Stadium, in Qatar.

Jayop

You'd do well to lose a ball there.

inforfun

Seeing that Qatari stadium.... now Zahir Belounis' story makes a lot more sense when he claimed he felt like a prisoner

SEANoftheDEAD

The Miyagi Stadium in Japan was used during the 2002 World Cup.
It always stuck in my mind as I remember looking at it and wondering if you could just walk up the stand and watch the game or run a road over the main stand :pac:

inforfun

Zerao, 1st half you are defending in the southern hemisphere, 2nd half in the northern...

Another zany stand, Molineux back in the day...stare at that roof long enough and it become an optical illusion... My father worked in Birmingham in the 1950s and went to one of the first floodlit games in England after they installed them in Molineux in 1953.

http://i53.tinypic.com/1038ro8.jpg

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/timwwfc2/OldMolineux55.jpg

salmocab

Deleted User wrote: »

Another zany stand, Molineux back in the day...stare at that roof long enough and it become an optical illusion... My father worked in Birmingham in the 1950s and went to one of the first floodlit games in England after they installed them in Molineux in 1953.

http://i53.tinypic.com/1038ro8.jpg

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/timwwfc2/OldMolineux55.jpg

I clicked into that thinking nonsense thats never a thing but as soon as I saw the picture it started flicking directions in my eyes, real freaky.

justshane

Gospin dolac is a stadium in Imotski, Croatia.


http://caredrogba.blogspot.co.nz/2012/12/stadion-gospin-dolac.html

inforfun

Vicious goalkeeper they have.

inforfun

Feyenoord - Manchester tonight.

topmanamillion

inforfun wrote: »

Feyenoord - Manchester tonight.

I think it's the sky that makes it impressive.
The stands seem to be miles from the pitch with the running track.

inforfun

Actually, my sig shows the stadium full capacity.
Seats closest to the pitch were covered due to Feyenoord walking on very thin ice with the UEFA after Feyenoord - Roma 2 years ago.
Stadium has 2 tiers and no seats are miles away from the pitch. It was all very well thought out when it was designed in the 1930's compared to what you have nowadyas in some new stadiums

- bo -

inforfun wrote: »

Actually, my sig shows the stadium full capacity.
Seats closest to the pitch were covered due to Feyenoord walking on very thin ice with the UEFA after Feyenoord - Roma 2 years ago.
Stadium has 2 tiers and no seats are miles away from the pitch. It was all very well thought out when it was designed in the 1930's compared to what you have nowadyas in some new stadiums

Still has proper floodlights too

inforfun

Been a bit modernised over the years, i reckon...

But there used to be the story in the past that if they turned all lights on in 1 go, all of the province Zuid - Holland would be in the dark.
Never happened as they did indeed switch them on a few at the time.



Used the be the landmark when entering Rotterdam by train from the south, those 4 masts.

dan1895

For those of you on Twitter, the Terrace Images account is a great source of old timey photos of football grounds.

inforfun

So, a lot of people in this thread enjoy the occasional browse on websites like worldstadiums and the likes.


Meet Bas Tukker who took it ot the next level 6 years ago when he bought a Nissan Micra that now has 400.000 km on the clock after visiting and taking photo's of 1299 stadiums.
Here is his log

It is 1300 now after Dutch football magazine vi.nl went with him to visit stadium no 1300

There are even "stadiums" i played in myself that havent changed at all since i was playing there as a kid.

I know you are all dying to see where i played my last match.
Well, that was here

Jelle1880

Krasnodar's new one looks nice.













That thing at the top of the stand is a 360° screen that goes all around the ground.

Won't be part of the WC in 2018 unfortunately.

SEANoftheDEAD

Great looking stadium on the inside. From the outside it looks like a college or a bank.
The screen is fantastic and gives the inside a unique feel to the all too common new stadium build look that everywhere is building these days.

Jayop

I really like the outside. Kinda has a Colosseum feel to it.

pappyodaniel

SEANoftheDEAD wrote: »

Great looking stadium on the inside. From the outside it looks like a college or a bank.
The screen is fantastic and gives the inside a unique feel to the all too common new stadium build look that everywhere is building these days.

It's very Stalinist looking from the outside alright.

inforfun

Friend of mine was at Kuban Krasnodar - Feyenoord(google maps) a couple of years ago.
This new stadium looks better.

Skylinehead

pappyodaniel wrote: »

It's very Stalinist looking from the outside alright.

Reminds of of Washington actually.

Third_Echelon

I've loved Goodison Park since my first visit way back in 1990! Lifelong Evertonian. Just something about that stadium, especially an evening game under the lights!

I've been to loads of stadiums around the world. Anywhere that I've been, I've always made a point to catch a game or do a stadium tour.

I'm living in the San Francisco Bay Area at the moment, and my closest MLS team is San Jose Earthquakes, so I've gone to their home games this season at Avaya Stadium.

It's only around 18 months old, but I really like it. Kinda like Croke Park in that it's a horseshoe with an open end behind one of the goals... but it has some rows of seating and an outdoor bar there (largest outdoor bar in North American apparently). Good spot to stand and sink a few beers while watching the match, if you're in that kind of mood... I've sat in most spots in the stadium and viewing angles are excellent.

The whole ground level section at pitch level contains the 'corporate suites' with everyone else in the main deck just above.

I'm also a bit of an aviation geek, so it's a double whammy for me. Football and Planes. It's right at the end of San Jose International Airport's runway :-)

CHealy

Thats a gorgeous stadium, I love the small little first tier that runs all the way around, unique.

Have to say I like what a lot of the MLS stadiums are going for. Yes they're corporate and yes they have no history but a lot of them seem to be trying to do something different and individual rather than picking from a process of Round/Square >> Capacity >> Colour.

BoJack Horseman

Deleted User wrote: »

Have to say I like what a lot of the MLS stadiums are going for. Yes they're corporate and yes they have no history but a lot of them seem to be trying to do something different and individual rather than picking from a process of Round/Square >> Capacity >> Colour.

Indeed.

To that end, the Orlando City stadium is one to watch.
Its still under construction... seen here

Its a twin-tier all seater on 3 sides and behind the goal is a single-tier standing area for the 'ultras'

Fr Tod Umptious

Deleted User wrote: »

Have to say I like what a lot of the MLS stadiums are going for. Yes they're corporate and yes they have no history but a lot of them seem to be trying to do something different and individual rather than picking from a process of Round/Square >> Capacity >> Colour.

Same has happened with NFL and MLB stadiums over the last 20 years or so.

Gone are the "cookie cutter" multi use, functional grounds and along have come very unique, individualistic ones.

That's what's happening for MLS stadiums but on a smaller scale, and they are really cool.

Third_Echelon

CHealy wrote: »

Thats a gorgeous stadium, I love the small little first tier that runs all the way around, unique.

Yeah it's pretty cool... Novel idea to have the boxes there rather than higher up. Actually gives the regular punter a better view.

They have both fancy indoor suites (you can see them around the half-way line in the first pic) and then the outdoor suites. The outdoor ones you can book for your work or team night out. Nice idea...

Third_Echelon

BoJack Horseman wrote: »

Indeed.

To that end, the Orlando City stadium is one to watch.
Its still under construction... seen here

Its a twin-tier all seater on 3 sides and behind the goal is a single-tier standing area for the 'ultras'

That Orlando stadium is coming along very nicely... Great idea with the standing terrace right behind the goal.

Lumbo

https://twitter.com/livechoefc/status/786994985723801600

Evertons top brass on a site visit today to the fans preferred location for a new stadium.

munchkin_utd

Tallaght now getting a 3rd stand.

Tallaght Stadium will become an 8,000 seater stadium if a new plan to build a third stand at the venue comes to fruition.

Owners South Dublin County Council have given the green light to the development of a new 2,150 capacity stand.
The home of Shamrock Rovers will be granted UEFA category four status and will be capable of hosting Champions League group and play-off games if the proposed redevelopment is approved.

The funds for the project will come from surplus funds from the 2015 and 2016 budgets.

http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/league-of-ireland/south-dublin-county-council-approve-new-19m-stand-at-tallaght-stadium-35139284.html

looking at other news articles this seems to have already been approved this time last year, but now it really really seems to be going ahead.

SantryRed

That's great news for the LOI, and obviously Rovers in particular.

Hopefully it can remove some of the wind tunnel that seems to generate at the games too, but I'd imagine it'll be put at the non car park end?

Alfa Quadrifoglio

Being built at the southern end of the ground which should reduce the wind impact from the Dublin mountains, Rovers need to be back in Europa League to fill it.

Has anyone mentioned Glentoran's The Oval?

A concrete bowl that once saw a crowd of 55,000, can currently hold 25,000...but for health and safety reasons restricted to 5,000! And that giant main stand which is not really...centred...

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Oval_(Belfast)

dan1895

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Has anyone mentioned Glentoran's The Oval?

A concrete bowl that once saw a crowd of 55,000, can currently hold 25,000...but for health and safety reasons restricted to 5,000! And that giant main stand which is not really...centred...

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Oval_(Belfast)

Fun times there back in 2005 for a Champions League qualifier with Shels.

NIMAN

Deleted User wrote: »

Has anyone mentioned Glentoran's The Oval?

A concrete bowl that once saw a crowd of 55,000, can currently hold 25,000...but for health and safety reasons restricted to 5,000! And that giant main stand which is not really...centred...

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Oval_(Belfast)

Saw my first ever professional football team there, Spurs, in 1981 when they drew 3-3 with Glentoran.

I can still remember walking up the steep steps to get the 1st glimpse of the pitch.....it just seemed so green!

Then we worked our way down to the terraces and we were at the front, a few metres from the wire fence, maybe a few more yards to the touchline. I was in awe of the professional guys from Spurs, they seemed so big. I remember saying to my older brother "look at the size of the legs on that guy".

Spurs played their full FA Cup winning team that day.

Its a pit though now, was up there for a Setanta final with Derry a few years back, the terracing is a death trap now.

diusmr8a504cvk

Brighton and Hove Albion's stadium is one of my favourites:

dan1895

Shout out to Stadion Galgenwaard home of FC Utrecht. Stadium was built as it is now in the late 80's making it one of the most modern stadia in the world at the time. Some proper lunatic fans there too.

Jelle1880

Minnesota's new proposed ground looks pretty nice:

https://streamable.com/jndk

Jelle1880

http://www.archdaily.com/800531/omas-masterplan-for-feyenoord-city-in-rotterdam-approved

Feyenoord's new ground has been approved.
The old ground will be kept (sort of) to include appartments, shopping areas, a park,...

NIMAN

Does anyone here miss the old days of stadia with character? Different designs, shapes?

I have been in plenty across Europe, and for me all the newly built stadia, once you are in them, they are all so generic looking.

I remember growing up when watching WC or whatever on TV, you could tell the stadiums by their look. Now once the advertising hoardings are all the same, its hard to tell what ground you're looking at.

The WC in Brazil for example, in the 70s or 80s, you knew when you were watching a game from Brazil. But on TV, they all looked like Euro ground, generic and bland.

Think of the latest grounds built in Europe? Likes of Emirates, the ArenA, Porto's Dragao, Benfica's SoL, Allianz Arena, Juve stadium. They are so similar in design. Its like there is a 3 templates and they are all picked from that.

At least stadiums like the Bernabeu, Camp Nou, San Siro, Calderon etc are unique. They have character, random shaped stands, don't match etc.

I prefer those.

Dirty Dingus McGee

NIMAN wrote: »

Does anyone here miss the old days of stadia with character? Different designs, shapes?

I have been in plenty across Europe, and for me all the newly built stadia, once you are in them, they are all so generic looking.

I remember growing up when watching WC or whatever on TV, you could tell the stadiums by their look. Now once the advertising hoardings are all the same, its hard to tell what ground you're looking at.

The WC in Brazil for example, in the 70s or 80s, you knew when you were watching a game from Brazil. But on TV, they all looked like Euro ground, generic and bland.

Think of the latest grounds built in Europe? Likes of Emirates, the ArenA, Porto's Dragao, Benfica's SoL, Allianz Arena, Juve stadium. They are so similar in design. Its like there is a 3 templates and they are all picked from that.

At least stadiums like the Bernabeu, Camp Nou, San Siro, Calderon etc are unique. They have character, random shaped stands, don't match etc.

I prefer those.

I think most people would agree with you.

LiamoSail

Most of the traditional British stadiums were probably more generic when built than the newer grounds are now.

Anfield, Old Trafford, Villa Park, Celtic Park, Ibrox and Goodison were all designed by the same guy, plenty of others too.

While it's romantic to prefer these, and I probably do too, they can be a bit **** too these days. The wooden seats in the Gwladys St end of Goodison or the old Main Stand in Anfiled, the restricted views in the Anfield Rd lower or North stand at Celtic Park. There's a lot to be said for the more modern stadiums designed with today's requirements in mind

Harry Palmr

Bowls must die. You need ends.

On Anfield I see the Anfield Road stand expansion is back on the agenda.

Fr Tod Umptious

There was no new football stadium buit in England between 1955 (Roots Hall, Southend) and 1988 (Glanford Park, Scunthorpe Utd)

So most of the grounds that people grew up with watching English soccer were old with the few extensions here and there.

But since the early 90s there have been a huge number of new and redeveloped grounds.

I think there was a bit of character missing from first wave of new grounds in the 90s and 00s but I also think that is changing.

Look at the Aviva stadium for example, that has character.

Jelle1880

NIMAN wrote: »

Does anyone here miss the old days of stadia with character? Different designs, shapes?

I have been in plenty across Europe, and for me all the newly built stadia, once you are in them, they are all so generic looking.

I remember growing up when watching WC or whatever on TV, you could tell the stadiums by their look. Now once the advertising hoardings are all the same, its hard to tell what ground you're looking at.

The WC in Brazil for example, in the 70s or 80s, you knew when you were watching a game from Brazil. But on TV, they all looked like Euro ground, generic and bland.

Think of the latest grounds built in Europe? Likes of Emirates, the ArenA, Porto's Dragao, Benfica's SoL, Allianz Arena, Juve stadium. They are so similar in design. Its like there is a 3 templates and they are all picked from that.

At least stadiums like the Bernabeu, Camp Nou, San Siro, Calderon etc are unique. They have character, random shaped stands, don't match etc.

I prefer those.

They're still there, just not in the massive leagues imo.

For example Russia is building some very special looking grounds.

inforfun

Say what you will about "bowls", at least nowadays they take people to the forest and shoot them when they suggest an athletics track in a football stadium.
German stadiums in the 70's/80's had them as standard.

The_Kew_Tour

Fr Tod Umptious wrote: »

Look at the Aviva stadium for example, that has character.

You know when I first saw it finished and saw that small end I thought" Oh great another good 3/4 done stadium", but have to say once the place is full(or near full house) it still has a tremendous atmosphere and the chants stay inside the stadium.

Its modern, but it feels like it has still that Old Way feel about it. Have to say I love Lansdowne Road as much now as I do before it was Built again

Zebra3

The_Kew_Tour wrote: »

You know when I first saw it finished and saw that small end I thought" Oh great another good 3/4 done stadium", but have to say once the place is full(or near full house) it still has a tremendous atmosphere and the chants stay inside the stadium.

Its modern, but it feels like it has still that Old Way feel about it. Have to say I love Lansdowne Road as much now as I do before it was Built again

As much as I love old grounds, the old Lansdowne was awful. Two open ended terraces, wind tunnel, the West Stand looked like it was about to fall down when a DART went by. The only thing it had going for it was location.

pappyodaniel

Zebra3 wrote: »

As much as I love old grounds, the old Lansdowne was awful. Two open ended terraces, wind tunnel, the West Stand looked like it was about to fall down when a DART went by. The only thing it had going for it was location.

It was a dump in fairness, but I used to love those 2 Tudor looking clubhouses in the stand, it gave it real character.