Football grounds that you have driven past (and otherwise seen/entered IRL)

Following on from the discussion about Villa Park in the driving thread.

I have seen from the road Villa Park, Bolton Wanderers ground (just down the road from here) and Celtic Park (I drive right past that often when in Glasgow).

I have entered Portman Rd (Ipswich), Carrow Rd (Norwich) and Layer Rd (Colchester Utd).

Countless ones.

I shall start counting them after I've had a nice cup of tea.

I'm principally interested, btw, in grounds belonging to clubs that were in Divisions 1-4 in 1978, or the contemporary equivalents of those at the time of sighting.

From the top of my head:

Wolverhampton Wanderers
West Bromwich Albion
Walsall something or other
Aston Villa (I think I've driven UNDER part of that!)
Birmingham City
Stourbridge Town
Bilston Town
Manchester Disunited
Manchester Sh*tty
Bolton something or other in the distance
Leeds wotsit from the motorway
Glasgow Keltic
Glasgow Rangas
Edinburgh something with a random name that I'd never heard of before but was pointed to it from the ascent to Arthur's Seat which we didn't reach
Wembley new one with the arch from the train
The rugby stand in London whose name escapes me
Chelsea Village
Harrogate Town
Darlington something or other
One of the Bristol ones.

I should also add that the only one I've *almost* been in is the Wolves one - twice - more than 30 years ago my dad took us to the old on-site shop, which was in a portakabin on the car park, then about 15 years ago a friend of mine forced me to go into the new shop which is incorporated into the stand things. I was mildly impressed with the cat beds with Wolves logos on them. I'm sure this isn't unique to this particular football team.

That reminds me that I too have walked round the outside of Wembley, the old proper one with the towers.

I've been in the old Wembley, several times.

What a dump it was.

Butterfield wrote:Aston Villa (I think I've driven UNDER part of that!)

I thought as much

So...

Been in in

Wembley (the old one) - status: demolished
Old Trafford - MUFC - status: barely still standing
Highbury - Arsenal - status: turned into luxury flats
White Hart Lane - Spurs - status: demolished
Stamford Bridge - Chelsea - status: still standing
Upton Park/Boleyn Ground - West Ham Utd - status: demolished
Selhurst Park - Crystal Palace - status: still standing
Craven Cottage - Fulham - status: still standing
Loftus Road - QPR - status: still standing
Vicarage Road - Watford - status: still standing
Champion Hill - Dulwich Hamlet - status: still standing
The Valley - Wimbledon - status: demolished
Manor Ground - Oxford Utd - status: still standing
Abbey Stadium - Cambridge Utd - status: still standing
Portman Road - Ipswich Town - status: still standing
Goldstone Ground - Brighton & Hove Albion - status: demolished
Filbert Street - Leicester City - status: demolished
Carrow Road - Norwich City - status: still standing
The Dell - Southampton - status: demolished

Cricket Grounds

Lords
The Oval
Fenner's

Been past or outside of of

The Emirates - Arsenal - status: still standing
The (New) Den - Millwall - status: still standing
Brisbane Road - Leyton Orient - status: still standing
Underhill Stadium - Barnet - status: demolished
St. Mary's - Southampton - status: still standing
County Ground - Swindon Town - status: still standing
Ricoh Arena - Coventry City - status: still standing
Ashton Gate - Bristol City - status: still standing
Brunton Park - Carlisle Utd - status: still standing
Vetch Field - Swansea City - status: demolished
Ninian Park - Cardiff City - status: demolished
Huish Park - Yeovil Town - status: still standing
Parc de Princes - PSG - status: still standing
Stade Pierre-Mauroy - Lille OSC - status: still standing
Stade de Genève - Servette - status: still standing
La Rosaleda Stadium - Malaga CF - status: still standing
Ferenc Puskás Stadium (the old one) - Hungary nation team - status: demolished

Other sporting venues

Twickenham (rugby)
Croke Park (various Irish sports)
Linford Christie Stadium (athletics)
Crystal Palace National Sports Centre (athletics)

Nightjar wrote:Twickenham (rugby)

That's the one I couldn't think of the name.

Twickers () is quite good inside...



...but outside it's a veritable eyesore.

Where they did all heart-ripping-out sacrifices?

Nightjar wrote:So...

Been in in

Portman Road - Ipswich Town - status: still standing
Carrow Road - Norwich City - status: still standing

That makes us double football ground siblings!

Cricket Grounds

That reminds me I have driven and walked past Essex's ground in Chelmsford millions of times. And also watched part of a match from the top of the multi-story car park which overlooks it.

Other sporting venues

Twickenham (rugby)

I have driven past Twickenham, when I took a wrong turn at the Crooked Billet roundabout and got on the A30/A4 instead of the A308/A316 for Richmond. I had to plough my way down through the rush hour in Hounslow and Isleworth, past Twickenham, to get back to the A316.

And when I did park in Richmond I still had my 4¼ mile walk to Hammersmith. I had to jog most of the way, and I made it to my appointment on time, covering the distance in 64 minutes. An athletic feat comparable to any performed inside Twickenham, I'll wager.

The Call of the Wendigo wrote:I like it. I like stadium exteriors that look like they were designed by Aztecs.

Like this one?