Old grounds - what's there now?

[Undercoverinwurzelland]

A few months back I visited Estadio Insular, the former stadium of UD Las Palmas. It’s now a public park with play areas and cafes, and you can sit in some of the stands which are still in place. This got me thinking about some of the many stadiums that no longer exist over here.

Ninian Park, as we know, is now housing, with the roads through it called Bartley Wilson Way and a small open space in the middle marking the site of the centre circle.

I knew about a couple of others but went online to find out more - what’s on the site now and details of any commemoration that can be found there. I thought I'd share what I found - some of you might find it interesting:

• Somerton Park, Newport County – now housing, roads called Somerton Park but nothing else to remember the ground
• The Vetch Field, Swansea City – was supposed to be housing but never built, now a park and allotments
• Eastville Stadium, Bristol Rovers – now Ikea
• Maine Road, Manchester City – now housing, small open space in the middle with a plaque marking the site of the the centre spot
• Boleyn Ground, West Ham – now housing, Boleyn Ground Memorial Garden in the middle, including inscriptions remembering deceased supporters and a plaque marking a memorial capsule containing tributes to fans
• Highbury, Arsenal – the listed building art deco parts of the stand have been converted into luxury apartments with the old pitch now its private garden, with a gym and swimming pool underneath
• Highfield Road, Coventry City – now housing, some of what was the pitch is now a park/play area
• Baseball Ground, Derby County – now housing, includes an open space with a commemorative sculpture on the site
• Roker Park, Sunderland – now housing, roads called Promotion Close, Clockstand Close, Goalmouth Close, Midfield Drive, Turnstile Mews and Roker Park Close, a mini-roundabout marks the old centre spot
• Griffin Park, Brentford – planning permission for housing, with a garden in the middle to honour the stadium
• Filbert Street, Leicester City – part of it now Filbert Village student accommodation, Lineker Road runs through it, other parts were to be developed as housing but cancelled due to financial crisis of 2008, currently just car parks
• The Dell, Southampton – now housing, road called The Dell, apartment blocks called Stokes Court, Ted Bates Court, Le Tissier Court, Wallace Court, Channon Court after former players, small open space in the middle where the centre of pitch was
• Ayresome Park, Middlesbrough – now housing, roads called The Turnstile and The Midfield, in the front garden of one of the houses is a bronze cast of stud marks marking the spot where Pak Doo-ik scored North Korea’s goal that beat Italy in the 1966 World Cup
• Goldstone Ground, Brighton & Hove Albion – now Goldstone Retail Park
• Plough Lane, Wimbledon – now housing, named Reynolds Gate after former player Eddie Reynolds with blocks also named after former players, managers and a chairman: Bassett House, Batsford House, Cork House, Lawrie House, Reed House and Stannard House
• Burnden Park, Bolton Wanderers – now an Asda, a plaque from the old stadium remembering 33 fans who were killed in a tragedy at the ground in 1946 is now inside the supermarket
• Manor Ground, Oxford Utd – now a private hospital
• The Old Den, Millwall – now housing
• Gay Meadow, Shrewsbury Town – now apartments
• Boothferry Park, Hull City – now housing, with roads named after the team and players including Tigers Way, Legends Way, Black and Amber Way and Jensen Mews
• Elm Park, Reading – planning permission granted for the stadium site and surrounding area to be housing, a hotel, convention centre and ice rink, looks like only housing built so far
• Victoria Ground, Stoke City – now a school and housing, with streets named after former players and managers including Paul Ware, Bob McGrory, John Ritchie, Frank Soo, Freddie Steele, Frank Bowyer, Roy Brown and Neil Franklin

It does seem a shame that there seems to be nothing to show that some of the grounds ever existed.

[splott parker]

Re: Old grounds - what's there now?

A few months back I visited Estadio Insular, the former stadium of UD Las Palmas. It’s now a public park with play areas and cafes, and you can sit in some of the stands which are still in place. This got me thinking about some of the many stadiums that no longer exist over here.

Ninian Park, as we know, is now housing, with the roads through it called Bartley Wilson Way and a small open space in the middle marking the site of the centre circle.

I knew about a couple of others but went online to find out more - what’s on the site now and details of any commemoration that can be found there. I thought I'd share what I found - some of you might find it interesting:

• Somerton Park, Newport County – now housing, roads called Somerton Park but nothing else to remember the ground
• The Vetch Field, Swansea City – was supposed to be housing but never built, now a park and allotments
• Eastville Stadium, Bristol Rovers – now Ikea
• Maine Road, Manchester City – now housing, small open space in the middle with a plaque marking the site of the the centre spot
• Boleyn Ground, West Ham – now housing, Boleyn Ground Memorial Garden in the middle, including inscriptions remembering deceased supporters and a plaque marking a memorial capsule containing tributes to fans
• Highbury, Arsenal – the listed building art deco parts of the stand have been converted into luxury apartments with the old pitch now its private garden, with a gym and swimming pool underneath
• Highfield Road, Coventry City – now housing, some of what was the pitch is now a park/play area
• Baseball Ground, Derby County – now housing, includes an open space with a commemorative sculpture on the site
• Roker Park, Sunderland – now housing, roads called Promotion Close, Clockstand Close, Goalmouth Close, Midfield Drive, Turnstile Mews and Roker Park Close, a mini-roundabout marks the old centre spot
• Griffin Park, Brentford – planning permission for housing, with a garden in the middle to honour the stadium
• Filbert Street, Leicester City – part of it now Filbert Village student accommodation, Lineker Road runs through it, other parts were to be developed as housing but cancelled due to financial crisis of 2008, currently just car parks
• The Dell, Southampton – now housing, road called The Dell, apartment blocks called Stokes Court, Ted Bates Court, Le Tissier Court, Wallace Court, Channon Court after former players, small open space in the middle where the centre of pitch was
• Ayresome Park, Middlesbrough – now housing, roads called The Turnstile and The Midfield, in the front garden of one of the houses is a bronze cast of stud marks marking the spot where Pak Doo-ik scored North Korea’s goal that beat Italy in the 1966 World Cup
• Goldstone Ground, Brighton & Hove Albion – now Goldstone Retail Park
• Plough Lane, Wimbledon – now housing, named Reynolds Gate after former player Eddie Reynolds with blocks also named after former players, managers and a chairman: Bassett House, Batsford House, Cork House, Lawrie House, Reed House and Stannard House
• Burnden Park, Bolton Wanderers – now an Asda, a plaque from the old stadium remembering 33 fans who were killed in a tragedy at the ground in 1946 is now inside the supermarket
• Manor Ground, Oxford Utd – now a private hospital
• The Old Den, Millwall – now housing
• Gay Meadow, Shrewsbury Town – now apartments
• Boothferry Park, Hull City – now housing, with roads named after the team and players including Tigers Way, Legends Way, Black and Amber Way and Jensen Mews
• Elm Park, Reading – planning permission granted for the stadium site and surrounding area to be housing, a hotel, convention centre and ice rink, looks like only housing built so far
• Victoria Ground, Stoke City – now a school and housing, with streets named after former players and managers including Paul Ware, Bob McGrory, John Ritchie, Frank Soo, Freddie Steele, Frank Bowyer, Roy Brown and Neil Franklin

It does seem a shame that there seems to be nothing to show that some of the grounds ever existed.

The Victoria Ground site must have a Matthews Rd/Drive/Close.

[the other bob wilson]

Re: Old grounds - what's there now?

West Ham’s old ground is barely remembered now it seems.

[Undercoverinwurzelland]

Re: Old grounds - what's there now?

The Victoria Ground site must have a Matthews Rd/Drive/Close.

The Britannia stadium is on Stanley Matthews Way, but nothing at the old ground as far as I can tell.

[Cowbridge Blue]

Re: Old grounds - what's there now?

The reference to Arsenal's Highbury reminded me of a visit there, maybe 2008 or 2009? to view one of the apartments. No intention of buying but we were staying at my son's apartment which at that time backed onto the Emirates which isn't far away.

The Highbury apartment we saw was something special, maybe not for its own sake but because of the view pitchside into the football ground itself which had been landscaped for the use of tenants / owners.

Maybe because I'm lifelong football fan, it was magical to look out on he scene of so many famous moments and imagine the lives and longings of so many Gunners' fans - hugely evocative and memorable.

In more recent times I've taken the tour of the Emirates stadium itself - well worth the money.

[A Quiet Monkfish]

Re: Old grounds - what's there now?

Seem to remember one of the floodlights at the Eastville stadium was left in situ..

[JamesWales]

Re: Old grounds - what's there now?

Millmoor is an interesting one. It's still there, albeit decaying.

I think there was talk of Rotherham RFC buying it, but it came to no avail.

Would be great if someone within football could buy it and restore it to some original features as a kind of living museum / community space?

It was never going to happen but imagine if Ninian Park had been retained as such. Of course, this is largely fantasy but it does surprise me how unappreciated the historic value of these places was.

Ninian Park was probably the most visited public building in Cardiff if not Wales. An extremely important historic cultural building and bang, disappears in a puff of smoke

[light up the darkness]

Re: Old grounds - what's there now?

Millmoor is an interesting one. It's still there, albeit decaying.

I think there was talk of Rotherham RFC buying it, but it came to no avail.


Ninian Park was probably the most visited public building in Cardiff if not Wales. An extremely important historic cultural building and bang, disappears in a puff of smoke

Is it the type of smoke that came wafting out from the Grange End smelling suspiciously like African woodbines

[Undercoverinwurzelland]

Re: Old grounds - what's there now?

The reference to Arsenal's Highbury reminded me of a visit there, maybe 2008 or 2009? to view one of the apartments. No intention of buying but we were staying at my son's apartment which at that time backed onto the Emirates which isn't far away.

The Highbury apartment we saw was something special, maybe not for its own sake but because of the view pitchside into the football ground itself which had been landscaped for the use of tenants / owners.

Maybe because I'm lifelong football fan, it was magical to look out on he scene of so many famous moments and imagine the lives and longings of so many Gunners' fans - hugely evocative and memorable.

In more recent times I've taken the tour of the Emirates stadium itself - well worth the money.

I was wondering how many of the houses and apartments on the sites of former grounds are occupied by fans who used to watch their teams there.

[MacAdder]

Re: Old grounds - what's there now?

I was wondering how many of the houses and apartments on the sites of former grounds are occupied by fans who used to watch their teams there.

Welsh League side Cardiff Civil Service's pitch in Sanatorium Road is now a large housing estate which I'd wager (if I was a betting man) has a few ex-players residing there