Favourite grounds before the Premiership

jonnreeks

I remember going to QPR's Loftus Road to watch them play West Ham, small ground but proper football stadium.

I also enjoyed a visit to Ipswich's Portman Road and Leicester's old Filbert Street Ground.

Anyone care to add their own choice!

pavb2

i liked the old Clock end at Highbury but my first matches were on the grassy bank of the Witton Lane End at Villa Park also most memorable was standing on the Holte End in 1978 with over 20,000 fans to see us play Barcelona and Johann Cruyff.

jacool

Highbury - the way you couldn't see it until the last minute, even though the crowds were milling around everywhere.

Haven't been in any of the "new" grounds yet, couldn't bring the young fella in case he changed allegiances from his chosen club, so brought him to "new" Wembley instead. Off topic, but I prefer new Wembley to old!

The_Kew_Tour

Old Wembley for me.

Was in Boundary Park and was one my first away games with my dad

Used to go to Highbury every other week as a kid despite being a united fan (step dad was an arsenal season ticket holder) really brilliant stadium, couldn’t beat it for a night game.

QPR as mentioned is nice, the valley, Leyton orients stadium feet old school, Leyton orient in particular has a good feel about it.

Luton, Premier league now but stadium looks the same on the TV at least, when I was there (late 80’s early 90’s they had an artificial pitch too)

Different times and maybe it’s just the nostalgia but it did feel better then…. Not the standard obvious but everything else.

waywill1966

Great seeing the old grounds on The Big Match Revisited every Saturday morning on ITV4!

pavb2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121024473#Comment_121024473

Yes, I think a lot of the newer grounds get bad press for lacking atmosphere but to name a couple Rotherham.’s New York Stadium and Preston’s are fine and have their own distinct character. On the other side Palace is awful, facilities at Leeds are Poor and Leppings Lane at Sheffield Wednesday should have been knocked down years ago. On my last visit to Hillsborough you were served refreshments through a rough hole knocked through a brick wall.

Ewood park was a great away day. They even us a nice pub beforehand.

Fr Tod Umptious

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121026835#Comment_121026835

Yes, I think a lot of the newer grounds get bad press for lacking atmosphere but to name a couple Rotherham.’s New York Stadium and Preston’s are fine and have their own distinct character

There was a spate of stadium building in the late 90s early 2000s by smaller clubs that ended up all being the same.

The likes of Sunderland, Middlesbourogh, Leicester, Southampton etc

They all are more or less the same, which is grand, they were all built out of necessity by clubs that are/were not very rich and replaced very outdated grounds.

But I think things have moved on and newer stadiums are being built with a bit more character, the AMEX in Brighton being an example.

Also retrofitted older grounds rather than brand new ones keep their character.

Fr Tod Umptious

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058310747/favourite-grounds-before-the-premiership

I was in Loftus Rd the second ever match day of the premier league, a midweek game in August 1992.

Does that count ?

artanevilla

Dalymount Park.

jonnreeks

Turner Cross

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121028567#Comment_121028567

The greenfield stadium was fashionable around the time too but the naysayers were proven right on this one and rebuilding on the old site seems to be the done thing now.

adaminho

My first English game was standing on the shed end of Stamford Bridge. This was in the early 90's when disabled drivers could park behind the goal. Went to Highbury 2 days later and it was a lovely ground as well. Anfield in the mid 90's was a very old school ground but wasn't a fan of Old Trafford back then.