So the Ayresome park toilets had a hole in the roof,Icannot recall the old toilets near the covered end ever having a roof. I have always believed w.B.A. ground to be the highest in England a decent place even if it is in the grim sounding black ( industrial) country.
Used to love Ewood Park. That covered end and a leaburn goal in a 2-0 win, absolute quality and nearly always friendly up there. The Old Den too for a night game; the real deal - but maybe only that particular night where we got a 2-2 i think it was in 86. Enjoyed subsequent visits too for atmosphere and tensions of a distinctly football flavour.
For shit-holes, i suggest modern day Wigan, and Bolton. Also gone right off Middlesbrough as a football experience since their move to the Riverside. Ayresome Park- very friendly in the right crowd and very hostile otherwise, saw both sides of the coin in the 3-1 win there in 85/6 season.
There are too many grounds that have been changed beyond recognition or closed down where clubs have moved on. The whole experience is so different to what it used to be and not for the better. Too many grounds the same now. In addition to the above Reading is another example. Very sad to see Shrewsbury's Gay Meadow gone. The Valley in this category too for some.
I was at that game at Grimsby in 93 too....the locals were friendly to start with, but some retard thought it would be funny to lob a coin and then they all joined in......before that we had some friendly banter...I think England were playing Rugby that day and they kept asking what was the score as one of ours had a radio. Long old drive home....
Grimsby was and still is one of my favorite away games, first went there in 1993 just after cup game at Leeds,travelled by train instead of coach.Able to have a drink or two on the train.Sunny day in Feb the beach at Cleethorpes ,the pubs on and near the station real ale,whole end behind the goal and only the dedicated fans in attendance.Overall agood day out but we did go down 1-0 that day. Ayresome Park had no change made to it since world cup back in 1966,stuck in corner of ground,outside toilets with hole in the roof ,one main street ,shit pubs and industry that had seen better days everywhere,as for the locals.
First went up to Grimsby in 83....and had a good day out, though we did lose 2-0.
Cold Blow Lane.As a Charlton fan I have never known an atmosphere so poisonous.In the seventies and eighties it was an achievement to get out of there in one piece.The New Den is nowhere near as intimidating.
Oldham is the highest football ground in England I imagine very bleak on a December afternoon.
Even worse on a Tuesday night...
...in the fog ! Were you there that evening, Algarve ?
Yep...
Me too at the Oldham match. It was like a scene from Brigadoon, lol.
Saltergate took some beating in it's latter years. Hartlepool last season was sooo bloody cold. I bought a hot drink just to warm my hands. If we hadn't smashed them 4-0 and had an opportunity to do star jumps and hugging people, i'd have wondered about my sanity for sitting there that day.
Oldham is the highest football ground in England I imagine very bleak on a December afternoon.
Even worse on a Tuesday night...
...in the fog ! Were you there that evening, Algarve ?
Yep...
Me too at the Oldham match. It was like a scene from Brigadoon, lol.
Saltergate took some beating in it's latter years. Hartlepool last season was sooo bloody cold. I bought a hot drink just to warm my hands. If we hadn't smashed them 4-0 and had an opportunity to do star jumps and hugging people, i'd have wondered about my sanity for sitting there that day.
It was even colder then season before at Hartlepool, mid week if i remember and CP first loss as manager, that really was a game where you thought what am i doing here.
Went to watch Merthyr Tidfil play and have to say The whole place was Grim... went to A night game at Macclesfield vs Scunthorpe and a bit out the way but although it was freezing cold they sold a nice pie. Whitby Town is a nice non league ground but it's an outpost in terms of getting there.
Nothing wrong with Penydarren Park Merthyr Tydfil i used to live 5 mins from the ground and have seen quite a few games there.
My other great memory of the 2-0 at the old Ewood was the girl behind the counter on the pie stall, an absolute stunner...
In Blackburn? How many pints had you downed by then?
No, he's right you know. Years ago, but I remember it now he's mentioned it. Sure we bought three pies each that day just to go back and see her (NOT greed, honest)
My other great memory of the 2-0 at the old Ewood was the girl behind the counter on the pie stall, an absolute stunner...
In Blackburn? How many pints had you downed by then?
No, he's right you know. Years ago, but I remember it now he's mentioned it. Sure we bought three pies each that day just to go back and see her (NOT greed, honest)
A gorgeous girl working behind a pie stall in Blackburn, this just has so many comedic possiblities for double-entendres that I don't know where to start.
For what its worth I had a pie at Ewood in the 2007 relegation game and was distinctly underwhelmed, not just by the pie but by the Indian chap that served it to me, I didn't fancy him much at all!
The old Bolton Ground (Burden Park?) was pretty grim. There was a piece of waste land outside the away end which the locals thought was an ideal place to set up the reconstruction of a battle from the 1st world war.
My other great memory of the 2-0 at the old Ewood was the girl behind the counter on the pie stall, an absolute stunner...
In Blackburn? How many pints had you downed by then?
No, he's right you know. Years ago, but I remember it now he's mentioned it. Sure we bought three pies each that day just to go back and see her (NOT greed, honest)
Comments
For shit-holes, i suggest modern day Wigan, and Bolton. Also gone right off Middlesbrough as a football experience since their move to the Riverside. Ayresome Park- very friendly in the right crowd and very hostile otherwise, saw both sides of the coin in the 3-1 win there in 85/6 season.
There are too many grounds that have been changed beyond recognition or closed down where clubs have moved on. The whole experience is so different to what it used to be and not for the better. Too many grounds the same now. In addition to the above Reading is another example. Very sad to see Shrewsbury's Gay Meadow gone. The Valley in this category too for some.
Yes it was, we played them of the park that day. The celebrations were pretty mental haha!
Saltergate took some beating in it's latter years. Hartlepool last season was sooo bloody cold. I bought a hot drink just to warm my hands. If we hadn't smashed them 4-0 and had an opportunity to do star jumps and hugging people, i'd have wondered about my sanity for sitting there that day.
For what its worth I had a pie at Ewood in the 2007 relegation game and was distinctly underwhelmed, not just by the pie but by the Indian chap that served it to me, I didn't fancy him much at all!