What happened to England's lost football grounds?

What happened to England's lost football grounds?

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Wacky Racer

Original Poster:

38,099 posts

246 months

Sunday 19th October 2014
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MrMagoo

3,208 posts

161 months

Sunday 19th October 2014
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Cheers for that, very intresting.

Such fond memories of Highbury that I struggle just walking past. Spent many weekends as a kid sitting outside listening to the fans to get a feel of what was happening.

GALLARDOGUY

8,160 posts

218 months

Sunday 19th October 2014
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Colchester United's old ground on Layer Road is now just a housing estate.

Black can man

31,816 posts

167 months

Sunday 19th October 2014
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Wimbledon's old Plough lane ground is all flats now too.

Bradgate

2,819 posts

146 months

Sunday 19th October 2014
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Derby's Baseball ground is now a housing estate. Not, as those who remember the state of the pitch in the 70s might imagine, a vegetable patch.

Leicester's Filbert Street is now student flats.

Forest's City Ground is still a dump wink

Edited by Bradgate on Sunday 19th October 13:44

stuartmmcfc

8,653 posts

191 months

Sunday 19th October 2014
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Never been able to go back and have a look at what Maine rd's like now.
Last time I went was for the last match againt Southampton when i left with tears in my eye, unable to look back.

TwigtheWonderkid

43,248 posts

149 months

Sunday 19th October 2014
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MrMagoo said:
Cheers for that, very intresting.

Such fond memories of Highbury that I struggle just walking past. Spent many weekends as a kid sitting outside listening to the fans to get a feel of what was happening.
As a Chelsea fan and a once a season away fan at Highbury, it should never have been allowed to close. It wasn't Burnden Pk or Ayrsome Park or the Baseball ground or some other non entity venue....it was fking Highbury. It was iconic, the marbled halls and all that. Being in the Clock End when Chelsea scored was amazing, and not something that can ever be replicated.

A tragedy for all true football fans when it was shut.

My fave memory from many years of away days at Highbury:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1bDQ6WoGGQ

towser44

3,472 posts

114 months

Sunday 19th October 2014
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Disappointed to see this doesn't include my home town club who used to play on what was purported to be the oldest ground in the world and is now a housing estate :-(

SaintsPaul

676 posts

166 months

Sunday 19th October 2014
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The old Dell is now flats.
Still feel fond memories whenever I drive past the place.

RammyMP

6,729 posts

152 months

Sunday 19th October 2014
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TwigtheWonderkid said:
As a Chelsea fan and a once a season away fan at Highbury, it should never have been allowed to close. It wasn't Burnden Pk or Ayrsome Park or the Baseball ground or some other non entity venue....it was fking Highbury. It was iconic, the marbled halls and all that. Being in the Clock End when Chelsea scored was amazing, and not something that can ever be replicated.

A tragedy for all true football fans when it was shut.

My fave memory from many years of away days at Highbury:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1bDQ6WoGGQ
I know what you mean, the old Forest Trent End used to have a great atmosphere. I used to go with a mate about 25 years ago when it was a standing terrace. I didn't even support Forest, I'm a Notts County fan!

Ki3r

7,806 posts

158 months

Sunday 19th October 2014
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SaintsPaul said:
The old Dell is now flats.
Still feel fond memories whenever I drive past the place.
Got one of the old chairs in my garden still from The Dell smile.

TwigtheWonderkid

43,248 posts

149 months

Sunday 19th October 2014
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anonymous said:
[redacted]
All grounds have history, but that doesn't make them Highbury! I've had many trips following Chelsea to Burnden Pk, Ayrsome Pak and the Baseball ground, plus the Dell, Vetch Field, Gay Meadow, Filbert St and numerous other long gone grounds. Surprised I can recall their names given my obvious lack of football knowledge.

All those places were special to their fans, just as the old Stamford Bridge was special to me. But I'm not arrogant enough to expect the old Stamford Bridge (same sight, rebuild ground) to be special to anyone else. It was a rathole. But Highbury was special, to all Arsenal fans and visiting fans who went there.

If you don't get that, then I suspect your football knowledge may be even worse than mine.

hidetheelephants

23,749 posts

192 months

Sunday 19th October 2014
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Clydebank played at Kilbowie park until they went bust and pheonixed into Airdrie United; it's now a shop unit with an Aldi, a Topps Tiles and some carpet place!jester

uk66fastback

16,452 posts

270 months

Sunday 19th October 2014
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anonymous said:
[redacted]
Why was Highbury THAT special to visiting fans? It was surely no different to any other ground - and I went there a lot in the 70s as a kid - although I wasn't an Arsenal fan - my old ma just happened to get a few tickets - just to the clock side of those little greenhouses the managers used to sit in ...

The away fans never actually saw the marble halls? They saw the liveried bloke outside the Art Deco frontage but that was about it and the marching band at half time who threw the stick in the air when he came to the goalmouth .... You speak tosh.


gpo746

3,397 posts

129 months

Monday 20th October 2014
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If your into this stuff my mate had a book about old grounds. Fascinating stuff remember seeing some pictures of a place with a thing in it called The Dolls House

TwigtheWonderkid

43,248 posts

149 months

Monday 20th October 2014
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gpo746 said:
remember seeing some pictures of a place with a thing in it called The Dolls House
Despite my complete lack of football knowledge as pointed out by Tonker, I'd guess that was Stenhousemuir.

GarryDK

5,670 posts

157 months

Monday 20th October 2014
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SaintsPaul said:
The old Dell is now flats.
Still feel fond memories whenever I drive past the place.
I lived there for 3 years in Le Tissier Court, there are a few nice nods to the ground there. football boots soles inprinted into concrete and pictures up in the gym etc.

Puggit

48,354 posts

247 months

Monday 20th October 2014
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How many enclosed old style grounds are there now? I'm pleased that my team still play in such a place - Vicarage Road (and thank god it's having the 4th side built at the moment!)

TwigtheWonderkid

43,248 posts

149 months

Monday 20th October 2014
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Puggit said:
How many enclosed old style grounds are there now? I'm pleased that my team still play in such a place - Vicarage Road (and thank god it's having the 4th side built at the moment!)
And it'll have it's own tube station too in a couple of years. Save that long march from the BR station.

uk66fastback

16,452 posts

270 months

Monday 20th October 2014
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anonymous said:
[redacted]
God yes, Posh played away there in their first foray into the old Div 1 as it was then in the 90s ... and I remember them well ...