Many years ago a group of us used to go to the away games armed with the Good Beer Guide. We'd usually get steaming, so I'm not sure what grounds we went to. I'm pretty sure Stevenage ws one, probably a pre-season friendly.
Mine are- The valley Highbury Emirates Craven Cottage White Heart Lane Wembley (new and old) Ninian park (Cardiff's old ground) Memorial Stadium Millenium Stadium Brisbane Road Griffin Park Kingsmeadow New Den Galpharm Bescot Stadium Underhill Kenilworth road St Marys Huish Park Boundary Park Gigg Lane Lamex Stadium Thats what i can think of off the top of my head As for a stadium plus iconic match there are a few but I'd love to go England vs Germany in Munich, also as i grew up with a Dad as an Arsenal fan i have a soft spot for them and I'd like to go to a NLD at white heart lane in the away end
Prem Man City Old and new Man Utd Tottenham Arsenal Old and new Chelsea Newcastle Liverpool Norwich Sunderland Old and new Everton Fulham Current and QPR Stoke Old and new West Brom Aston Villa Wolves QPR Blackburn Bolton Old and new Championship Southampton Old and new West Ham Reading Old Blackpool Birmingham Brighton Goldstone and Gillingham Middlesbrough old and new Hull New Leeds United Leicester Old Crystal Palace Barnsley Derby Old and New Ipswich Watford Millwall New Nottm Forest Coventry Old Portsmouth League 1 Charlton All 3! Sheff Utd Sheff Wed Huddersfield New Bournmouth Bury Orient Oldham Tranmere Rochdale Chesterfield (I am going tomorrow) League 2 Swindon Southend Oxford (old) Port Vale Crewe Gillingham Wimbledon Selhurst Park Bradford Dag & Red I make that 63 diffrent grounds? Plus York City, Halifax, Welling, Bromley Town, Luton, Grimsby, Luton and Stockport who aren't currently in the league. Plus Wembley including to see Charlton twice. Oh and tenerfe and Bewrick Rangers
My list is awful compared to you guys! The Valley. St James Park. (Exeter) Dean Court. Loftus Road. Fratton Park. Home Park. Pride Park. Wembley. (Does that count?) I have been to a couple stadiums abroad though, which has been a great experience. Nou Camp. Olympic Stadium in Barcelona. (England v Andorra). Amsterdam Arena. (England v Holland - travelled from London on the bus with England fans, what a great journey that was!)
Ha! I have been to Berwick Rangers. I was up in Northumberland writing a review on Bamburgh Castle and decided to take in Berwick's home match with Elgin City. The ground gets swallowed up in the shadows of that huge industrial area and the main turnstiles are situated in a muddy field. I loved it, though! I shall have a count up, but I have probably visited close to 500 grounds in all leagues across the world. I have a memento of all of them including grass from the Nou Camp, napkins from Grasshoppers of Zurich and a tie from Boca Juniors' La Bombonera. I can add another to the list when I enter Chesterfield's new ground tonight. Perhaps I will nick a ketchup bottle or a lightbulb?
"If I make it to Chesterfield tomorrow night, that'll be 70..." Well, I won't be making it - my meeting is now running a mind-numbing 90 minutes overtime and I'd have to travel at Warp Factor 10 to get to the game. Work/Life Balance - one of the great Urban Myths...
Tewkes, do what i do - all of a sudeen, i get this stinking head-ache from nowhere and HAVE to go home - i'm sure its caused by the Air Con. !
Wow Ponders, what other grounds of the 500 have you been to? - there must be many stories behind some of those ?
If the Regional Director hadn't been there, Stu that would have been a serious option - just finished, almost two hours late - guess my visit to Chesterfield will have to wait.
Wow Ponders. How old are you? 500 grounds is roughly 1 a week over ten years, 1 a fortnight over 20 years etc etc. On the assumption that you are at the Valley about 20 times a season that's either a hell of a lot of grounds the rest of the time or you are about 90!!! Impressive record me old mucker.
I am only 33, but have been visiting other stadiums since I was around twelve years old. Included in the 500 are non-league grounds, both in England and abroad, plus the likes of MK Dons' hockey home, Gateshead's athletics stadium and such like. Some of the grounds were not actually hosting a match when I visited; but I have always managed to get in to take photos and grab a souvenir. Once I climbed over a six foot fence to see the main stand at Eastbourne United's Oval Ground and snagged my nutty-slack in doing so. Ouch!
Ah! That explains it. I did the same thing with the Olympic stadium in Munich in 1983 when I did a student inter-rail trip. Climbed over the fence, got on the pitch, had the photo taken and then learned German for "nice doggy" very quickly indeed!
Great stuff, jimbo. The German stadiums are well secured by man and his best friend. If you are thinking of sneaking into the home of Fortuna Dusseldorf, carry a large piece of steak in your coat pocket. And it was being demolished at the time!
