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Englands lost football grounds



mikeyjh

mikeyjh

Well-known member
Dec 17, 2008
4,489
Llanymawddwy
West Hoathly Seagull said:
What happened to the Baseball Ground, Mikey? I seem to remember you had one quite modern stand down one side, but one of the stands (was it the home end?) looked like a Lego block about to fall over. I don't know about old ground romance where the Baseball Ground was concerned; it seems to me the iPro/Pride Park is better in every way; lovely stadium with a good atmosphere, especially since you allowed your fans back behind the away end goal, easy to park and a short distance from the station and city centre. I think the Baseball Ground was quite a way from the station, wasn't it?

While we're on old grounds, does anyone know what happened to Rockingham Road, Kettering Town's ground? It was quite a decent stadium for a non league club, and considerably better than some lower league grounds. Also, has that white elephant that George Reynolds built for Darlington gone? I saw pictures of pre-season games involving them, and they were playing in a much smaller ground.
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The BBG was eventually demolished in 2003 and now, unsurprisingly, is housing. The Ley Stand (latterly Toyota Stand was built in about 1970 but the other 3 stands were pre WWII and as you point out, a little on the rickety side! I don't think the BBG was a terribly nice place for visiting fans, dare I say a little intimidating? It was about a mile from Derby Mainline station, so a bit of a hike. I have to nail my colours to the romance mast, when I last visited in about 2002, I genuinely had a little tear in my eye - It's probably because that's where my happiest times were growing up, I loved it.

Just prior to the Fortress iPro :D being built, there were plans to redevelop the BBG in to a 26,000 seater stadium and while I think the design would have been cracking, it was probably the right thing to do, I just feel sad that some people will never experience, for better or worse, the older stadiums. The iPro is clearly easier to get to, but again I miss the walking through the old terraced houses to the ground.

I think you're right about the fans behind the goal, the club have worked very closely with fan groups and this, along with the new fan park outside amongst other things, was a fan driven initiative. I think it's made a big difference to the atmosphere.

Anyway, I miss the BBG, I even miss not strolling to Hove and watching from the North Stand!!

What's not to like about this away end? View attachment 59481
 




G

Goring Gull

New member
Jul 5, 2003
6,725
Huddersfield
JJ McClure said:
Interesting article and its certainly impressive what they've done with Highbury. Working for Nuffield as I do I've visited the hospital on the site of Oxford's old ground on numerous occasions. I never went when it was a football ground but it must have been packed in pretty tight with the houses round there.
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My main memory of the Manor Ground (I think that is what it was called)was the little Alley way behind the away end an ambush waiting to happen oh and my Dad maoning about the price for kids being the same and the turnstile chap letting me squeeze through.
 


T

turienzo's lovechild

New member
Oct 25, 2003
23,964
West Hoathly Seagull said:
Also, has that white elephant that George Reynolds built for Darlington gone? I saw pictures of pre-season games involving them, and they were playing in a much smaller ground.
Click to expand...

still there. It's used by a rugby club. The new Darlington fc (darlington 1888 or something) play in Bishop Auckland.

as you say, it's a complete white elephant
 


Gregory2Smith1

Gregory2Smith1

J'les aurai!
Sep 21, 2011
5,476
Auch
when thinking about it i was surprised just how many defunct grounds I had been to

baseball ground & roker park being my personal favourites
 


J

jimbob5

Banned
Sep 18, 2014
2,697
Gregory2 said:
when thinking about it i was surprised just how many defunct grounds I had been to

baseball ground & roker park being my personal favourites
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Ah yes! Leicester City and Middlesbrough no less! ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. [lol]
 




L

Landgull

New member
Oct 30, 2009
522
turienzo's lovechild said:
still there. It's used by a rugby club. The new Darlington fc (darlington 1888 or something) play in Bishop Auckland.

as you say, it's a complete white elephant
Click to expand...

They are about to return to Darlington and share Darlington Rugby Club ground which is a mile away from their original Northern Echo Stadium which Moreton Rugby Club use.
They are top of the Evostik North Division or there abouts.
I think this is level eight on the pyramid.
 


mikeyjh

mikeyjh

Well-known member
Dec 17, 2008
4,489
Llanymawddwy
Goring Gull said:
My main memory of the Manor Ground (I think that is what it was called)was the little Alley way behind the away end an ambush waiting to happen oh and my Dad maoning about the price for kids being the same and the turnstile chap letting me squeeze through.
Click to expand...

It was indeed the Manor Ground, brilliant ground, had about 12 different stands IIRC, loved it.
 


A

AnotherArch

Northern Exile
Apr 2, 2009
1,180
Stockport & M62
The Manor Ground was perhaps the first 'theatre of trees' for us, certainly behind the open terrace of the away end, as being a precursor to the Withdean south stand.
 




Green Cross Code Man

Green Cross Code Man

Wunt be druv
Mar 30, 2006
19,720
Eastbourne
Goring Gull said:
My main memory of the Manor Ground (I think that is what it was called)was the little Alley way behind the away end an ambush waiting to happen oh and my Dad maoning about the price for kids being the same and the turnstile chap letting me squeeze through.
Click to expand...
Yes, that little alley. Surely against health and safety lol! My main memory there was cutting my hands on glass they'd embedded on top of the away end wall. I was simply trying to get a better view.😱
 


Man of Harveys

Man of Harveys

Well-known member
Jul 9, 2003
18,738
Brighton, UK
Landgull said:
They are about to return to Darlington and share Darlington Rugby Club ground which is a mile away from their original Northern Echo Stadium which Moreton Rugby Club use.
They are top of the Evostik North Division or there abouts.
I think this is level eight on the pyramid.
Click to expand...

Good stuff, great news. I loved my one trip to Feethams back in the '90s. What that crook of a chairman did to Darlington football club was just, well, criminal. Nice town too.
 


Barry Izbak

Barry Izbak

U.T.A.
Dec 7, 2005
7,326
Lancing By Sea
mikeyjh said:
The BBG was eventually demolished in 2003 and now, unsurprisingly, is housing. The Ley Stand (latterly Toyota Stand was built in about 1970 but the other 3 stands were pre WWII and as you point out, a little on the rickety side! I don't think the BBG was a terribly nice place for visiting fans, dare I say a little intimidating? It was about a mile from Derby Mainline station, so a bit of a hike. I have to nail my colours to the romance mast, when I last visited in about 2002, I genuinely had a little tear in my eye - It's probably because that's where my happiest times were growing up, I loved it.

Anyway, I miss the BBG, I even miss not strolling to Hove and watching from the North Stand!!

What's not to like about this away end? View attachment 59481
Click to expand...

I didn't enjoy standing below the home fans as they chucked stuff at you.

But for those who did like the BBG...

 






Pretty pink fairy

Pretty pink fairy

Banned
Jan 30, 2008
31,981
Cheshire Cat said:
Hull at Boothferry Park - in the 1980s the home end was a potential death trap, and the away end was the back of a supermarket. The rest was mostly shut.
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Train station next to side terrace that used to be for the away fans at one end, home end had seats above terrace:wink:
regards
DR
 








A

AlastairWatts

Active member
Nov 1, 2009
500
High Wycombe
I went to Bolton at Burnden Park in our last season in Div 2 (before promotion) and it was practically falling down. Dismal stand, wooden seating, broken windows.
 


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