Which English grounds are still intimidating

[crodonilson]

The Walkers Stadium when Leicesters support gets going can be electric, and severely intimidating for away fans, I'd also chuck Swindon into the mix.

 

[Buzzer]

Maine Road used to be. No idea if their new ground still is. West Ham still is, I reckon - just about. Derby's Baseball Ground was effing horrible, there's nothing like that now in their new gaff. The walk back to Fratton Park station to and from the ground when we played them first game back in the Championship was a bit lively and I reckon that if we played them tomorrow it would also be.

Is Millwall intimidating? The old ground was horrible. Proper scary horrible. Nowadays it's a cab to the ground which is half-full at best and then Coward's Way on the way back is only ever bravado. Not really seen any aggro there and I reckon I've done Millwall away more than any other ground.

 

[Pretty pink fairy]

Newport
regards
DR

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

Madejski Stadium. A cauldron of noise and colour, sends a shiver down the spine.

Agreed.

One for the older listeners.

 

[LU7 RED]

Probably Pompey - but when we (AFCB) played them it was fine, as expected - apart from some bottle throwing in Old Portsmouth (started by them - as you would expect )

Cardiff away at Ninian was scary - unfortunately we played them in Aug 2001, they were on a run of thuggishness culminating in the Leeds cup match that xmas. Older meatheads in the side stand to the left, younger idiots to the right...coming back to 2-2 from 2-0 down didn't help! bottles and coins coming over the fence and a few welsh slaps given out the car park after!! Lovely.

At the time I remember hearing that yourselves and Wycombe had got grief off them too at that time? Think they calmed down a bit after the Leeds match..

 

[mlg57]

The Walkers Stadium when Leicesters support gets going can be electric, and severely intimidating for away fans, I'd also chuck Swindon into the mix.

Never found Leicester intimidating at all, though have only been there 3 times. Nice ground though pretty good views.

 

[Pretty pink fairy]

Maine Road used to be. No idea if their new ground still is. West Ham still is, I reckon - just about. Derby's Baseball Ground was effing horrible, there's nothing like that now in their new gaff. The walk back to Fratton Park station to and from the ground when we played them first game back in the Championship was a bit lively and I reckon that if we played them tomorrow it would also be.

Is Millwall intimidating? The old ground was horrible. Proper scary horrible. Nowadays it's a cab to the ground which is half-full at best and then Coward's Way on the way back is only ever bravado. Not really seen any aggro there and I reckon I've done Millwall away more than any other ground.

went too Maine road on a football special, buses from the station to the ground DROPPED US OFF AT A BIG PARK WITH A PUB next to it which emptied as soon as we arrived GOT A NICE FRIENDLY ESCORT TO THE GROUND, stood in the kippax right next to their mob ,after the game just walked out with no ob and were left to walk back to the buses , loads of small alley ways well dodgy, GOODISON PARK AS WELL IMHO
regards
DR

 

[Pretty pink fairy]

Probably Pompey - but when we (AFCB) played them it was fine, as expected - apart from some bottle throwing in Old Portsmouth (started by them - as you would expect )

Cardiff away at Ninian was scary - unfortunately we played them in Aug 2001, they were on a run of thuggishness culminating in the Leeds cup match that xmas. Older meatheads in the side stand to the left, younger idiots to the right...coming back to 2-2 from 2-0 down didn't help! bottles and coins coming over the fence and a few welsh slaps given out the car park after!! Lovely.

At the time I remember hearing that yourselves and Wycombe had got grief off them too at that time? Think they calmed down a bit after the Leeds match..

the dirty dozen had no problems
regards
DR

 

[Buzzer]

went too Maine road on a football special, buses from the station to the ground DROPPED US OFF AT A BIG PARK WITH A PUB next to it which emptied as soon as we arrived GOT A NICE FRIENDLY ESCORT TO THE GROUND, stood in the kippax right next to their mob ,after the game just walked out with no ob and were left to walk back to the buses , loads of small alley ways well dodgy, GOODISON PARK AS WELL IMHO
regards
DR

Yep - those little alleyways were suicide notes in the waiting. Good call on Goodison Park too. Spurs should have been too, what with the long walk back to Seven Sisters but I guess we were never on their radar.

 

[LU7 RED]

Never found Leicester intimidating at all, though have only been there 3 times. Nice ground though pretty good views.

Agree. We went there a few weeks back - no problems at all.

 

[Pretty pink fairy]

Yep - those little alleyways were suicide notes in the waiting. Good call on Goodison Park too. Spurs should have been too, what with the long walk back to Seven Sisters but I guess we were never on their radar.

77/78 we were , REV WILL TELL YOU ALL ABOUT THAT ONE AT WHL I'M SURE
regards
DR

 

[Pretty pink fairy]

agree. We went there a few weeks back - no problems at all.

are you saying you're a problem
regards
DR

 

[Taybha]

Funny this thread cropped up , i watched the 3-3 game with Leeds when our ground was still restricted to 20k last night , the atmosphere that night was electric and we seemed to stick with the team even though we were 2-0 down at half time , Vicente came on at half time and we cranked up the volume and it worked , Leeds became nervy and gave us the ball time after time , probably the only game i can remember thus far where the crowd at the Amex played a part in getting us a result , if thats possible .

We now have another 8k in the ground and i can honestly say it has done very little to improve the noise , yep now and then we make a row but not as fervant as that game , strange but it seems the more people are in modern day stadiums the less the atmosphere , whats the answer ? a designated standing area would help but still no guarentee of a crackling atmosphere .

Cant remember being intimidated by a opposing teams crowd , but i remember the din at Anfield years ago just before kick off was quite impressive , soon shut them up though

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

I found St Mary's very unpleasant a couple of years back, but that was probably the scum fans being right in our faces the whole game, rather than the ground itself. Very little segregation and a large number of people giving it large as they went 3-0 up.

 

[LU7 RED]

are you saying you're a problem
regards
DR

Me? Never a problem! Although the pub I stumble on always seems to be featured in Real football factories! Viaduct in Leeds, the one near Sheff Weds - and Exeter too. 'Thats the pub we went in!!

Dangerous talent to have...

 

[BlockDpete]

Any ground in Stoke...

Certainly Port Vale when we won the League 1 title there a few years ago. I remember being held back by police in a street, whilst they dispearsed a number of the local hot heads.

 

[Leighgull]

Nowhere in the championship or above anymore. Cowards way at Millwall used to be interesting as was the station where, bizarrely, home and away fans mingled. Lower league grounds can still be lively...Prenton park, the Priestfield and possibly Southend come to mind as quite hostile in the town centres but not so much around the grounds these days.

The Police have got it in hand these days.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Any ground in Stoke...

Certainly Port Vale when we won the League 1 title there a few years ago. I remember being held back by police in a street, whilst they dispearsed a number of the local hot heads.

Stoke police used to give us a free lift back to the station many years back. Not exactly the best taxi service ever but free.

 

[BlockDpete]

Well seeing as its quite an old ground, with side streets all around it, I wonder what Craven Cottage would be like if we playing Fulham there.

Haven't been for a while, so I can't remember.

 

[Leighgull]

Well seeing as its quite an old ground, with side streets all around it, I wonder what Craven Cottage would be like if we playing Fulham there.

Haven't been for a while, so I can't remember.

Not intimidating in the slightest. Fulham are a very placid lot these days. I lived very close to craven cottage...never saw anything more than the odd shove on match days.