Which grounds do you usually visit / look forward to going to? Thought of this due to Reading with Hampy. To me - both Sheffield clubs are special to me. Sheff Utd 4-3 fa cup loss my first town game live, and the ex was an Owl so both clubs I suppose mean something to me. Both proper stadia / pubs around etc great set ups. The Sheff utd games always had edge to them.
In the UK Old Trafford and Anfield have to top the list, City can have the best team but there is always something very special about those, and Wembley (for England games) the same. I am yet to visit the Etihad or Emirates (for fairly obvious reasons!). Hillsborough, also, always feels like an event and some fond memories at Ewood Park, which is a good ground with breathtaking surroundings so I always enjoy going there. Loftus Road is a bit unusual and a great atmosphere. Was lucky to visit many of the old stadiums before they were rebuilt - they were built in the middle of residential areas, on the tops of hills, drenched in history and turning up to a ground was often thrilling - now everything is 'out of town' or surrounded by car parking we are starting to lose that. I like away days at places like Posh, Cambridge, Swindon, Wrexham, Scunthorpe, where you're close to the pitch and the small stands make for a great atmosphere. The Keep Moat is a particularly nice ground for a chilled out away day with easy parking (contrary to above comments!) Portsmouth gets a mention for extracurricular activities by the sea. King Power for the best opposition fans. Bottom of the list are the Ricoh (an absolute dive) and St James' Park. The stand is so high you can barely see the action, the players look like ants. Overseas football can be a completely different atmosphere, and sometimes in a different climate there's not even any need for a roof! My visit to see Messina in 2004 stands out because they had just clinched promotion to Serie A so it was an incredible party atmosphere.
I always enjoyed going to Barnsley.. Not for the place or the ground, but because it felt like a bit of a throwback to olden days.. Of more simpler times (though that would be before I was born) but felt like a real old fashioned experience of football fandom. Never really enjoyed going to St. Andrews (We always seem to lose when I go) and not a great place. Having lived in Sheffield I tried to do all the 'local' ones and loved Scunthorpe, although we were dogshit that night (David Healy scoring his only goal for us) and sitting in the front row not sheltered from the sheeting rain coming straight at me for 90 minutes. Doncaster was always a treat and although a fair walk from the station it's a very nice ground that has some decent atmosphere
With you all the way with Barnsley Scowey, I've been there 4 or 5 times and always enjoyed the atmosphere and the best balti pies in the league.
That walk to the ground along the streets of terraced houses is one I always remember, not least for a Barnsely fan shouting "Get your rat out" at a 10 year old girl playing hopscotch on a street corner.
Yes it's in the backstreet alright, my first sight of Oakwell was on a dark winters day and it was just a black outline above the town, we always seemed to do ok there but it was an absolute bastard getting out of the visitors car park.
