Elland Road. Known best for being home of Yorkshire's biggest club, Leeds United, and their fanatical support, and not for being the site of a mass fatality caused by inept design and implementation. And we've even averaged over 30,000 there on a regular basis since the 60s, would you believe (it's unlikely you will believe it because that kind of crowd has only been the standard for you for three seasons in the last 52 years, but still, try and compute it.) Laters.
I'd have to agree with you there. Elland Road is definitely the best stadium, can't think of another that comes close really
In all my time travelling to other stadia, nothing compares to Elland Road, it's hard to describe the buzz as you come up to pitch level,even after all this time it takes my breath away, wonderful place. Just thinking about the great players who have played there and the great european nights, sometimes I wish the smaller clubs like Sheffield United and the other team from Sheffield could understand and experience such events.
Agreed. If they'd had any sort of proper glory whatsoever in living memory, I'd probably feel less pity and sorrow for them. Poor bastards. Feels harsh that we're hogging all of Yorkshire's footballing might to ourselves, but que sera sera.
More chance of it happening to you, provided the likely course of action takes place and Warnock gets funding after us getting a takeover/investment. As for Hull, a tactically-clueless manager and a football-clueless Chairman with a squad who can't cough up the end product for love nor money... hmm, brilliant combo. Hey, at least you can buy a load of scum reserves again and pretend you've got 'top Premiership talent' which will make your mid-table mediocrity feel less like the crushing inevitability you know it is and always will be for the rest of your club's miserable and non-descript existence.
Jerel, do you really want to go there??? How do you measure the best stadium? Lets try the following: Highest Capacity - Top 3 would be Hillsborough (39,812), Elland Road (38,900), Riverside (34,998) Most trophies won by team - in this season championship this would put the top three as Blackburn (10), Forest (9) & Wolves (9). Wednesday would be 4th (8) and Leeds would be 5th (7). Highest ever attendance - Charlton (75,031) - got to admit I didn't know this!!, Wednesday (72,841), Bolton (69,912), Leeds would be 9th with 57,892. Highest All Seater attendance - Leeds (40,287), Wednesday (39,640) & Boro (34,836). Most FA Cup Semi Finals - Hillsborough (34), Molineux (10), Elland Road (10) Of course all this is pointless as we all think ours is the best. At the end of the day its the 11 players on the field that count, not the stadium they play in, if that was the case then Man Utd would win everything every year, unless of course you think OT is a crap stadium!!
How do you judge it? A mixture of capacity, atmosphere and aesthetics. Elland Road is 2nd in the former, probably 2nd in the middle and very near the top in the latter. I don't think any other club has a stadium as consistently high-rating in those criteria as Leeds. Attendances and silverware are another discussion altogether. And I don't think Old Trafford is a crap stadium, but it fails badly in the atmosphere category so should only be ranked as just above average for the top flight.
Now you are talking some sense!!! I agree about OT, great stadium, too many plastic fans!! I think the atmosphere is a key attribute and I would agree that you guys are right up there, but that is testament to the fans as opposed to the ground is it not?? We have a good atmosphere, especially last season and I am hoping it will improve now we are back in the championship. This will be a tough league this year!!
The acoustics and design of the ground have a major influence on the atmosphere though. Ninian Park had pretty much the same fans going to it five years ago that go to the Cardiff City Stadium today. Likewise the Emirates, the Keepmoat, the King Power and Eastlands. Even in the relaxed era of the 90s and 00s, the old-fashioned grounds were invariably more conducive to a good atmosphere, because they're designed off-the-cuff and evolve over the years unlike rigid, spectator-focussed modern projects with larger, more cushy seats, more space between fans, larger distance from the pitch, roofs designed to contain noise so nearby residents aren't disturbed (awwwwww) and specially designed away areas so banter is minimized. The Emirates is a prime example of that. Atmosphere is of course largely down to the nutjobs that fill the ground - Lazio and Roma play at an awful stadium yet still sing their hearts out - but the stadium itself can have a big influence, and can improve or damage the amount of passion based on how it's built.
Very true!! I still prefer the old traditional stadiums, fours stands, one on each side, than the bowls that seem to get built these days. Used to love going to the Baseball Ground or Filbert street, always a good atmosphere, but then that was in the days of standing and that has had an effect as well. Was amazed when West Ham said they wanted the Olympic Stadium and were going to keep the running track, that would kill the atmosphere and Upton Park has always had one of the best!!
Never been to Upton Park, probably never will. Couldn't justify paying around £40 last season just for the match ticket. I'll doubtless see them in that athletics stadium in the future though, 20 metres away from the pitch and bored as buggery while 10,000 proper West Ham fans stand at the other end of the stadium with 30,000 schoolkids they gave free tickets. Great vision from Karen Brady and the porno cartel. The thing that saddens me most is hearing Leeds fans saying that if we start to challenge at the top of the top flight again, we'll need to move away from Elland Road. Notwithstanding the fact that there's almost unlimited room around it to extend, there's too much to lose from moving. Rather have 37,000 at our true home than 50,000, 75,000 or 100,000 in a new-build borefest. I'm sure there are some who'd propose the same at your end.
The room you have around ER means you should never move anywhere. You have one 2 tier stand (I think) so there is plenty of room to build upwards as well, which is a damn site cheaper than building a new stadium!! Problem w have at Hillsborough would be room to expand, the ground is pretty hemmed in. Having said that we have a near 40,000 capacity now, wouldn't take a lot to get it to 45-50k and realistically we would not fill that unless we really made it back to the top, which will be tough in this day and age!!! Really never been any mention of us moving, the ground share idea with the Blunts comes up every so often but not for a while now. Now we have some stability and a bit of money the key is to get the club running on an even keel, keep pushing forward and when we reach the promised land be in a position to stay there!!
More chance of it happening to you, provided the likely course of action takes place and Warnock gets funding after us getting a takeover/investment. This "Takeover" is all wishful thinking by L***s fans. It's probably not even going to happen. As for Hull, a tactically-clueless manager and a football-clueless Chairman with a squad who can't cough up the end product for love nor money... hmm, brilliant combo. Tactically clueless manager yet he's managed to have more years in the Premier League than Warnock who is famous for getting teams up and then straight back down. Bruce made WIGAN finish 8th at one time. Football clueless may well be the Allams, but backing the manager is something we have and you don't . Hey, at least you can buy a load of scum reserves again and pretend you've got 'top Premiership talent' which will make your mid-table mediocrity feel less like the crushing inevitability you know it is and always will be for the rest of your club's miserable and non-descript existence. Those scum reserves as worth twice as much as some of the ****e you had at your Club last year. Those reserves managed the 2nd best defence in the league and an 8th place finish... Where did you finish again? At least we can get young talent and keep them to benefit the Club's position.
My favourite ground in the Championship was the Hawthorns - it just felt like a proper football ground (in some ways sad to see them in the Premership) When i went to Elland Road (season before last) half of a stand was empty because it could not be filled - despite that the atmosphere was quite good. To fair to the Sheffield clubs and Hull - those are all good grounds as well.