The lure of great stadiums
Hi hope you are all well.
On the face of it, you might think there would not be any players wanting to trade places with those at Luton Town, given their position at the bottom of League Two. However, they have an event on the horizon that makes them the envy of most professional footballers.
On Sunday 5 April, they will take on Scunthorpe in the final of the Johnstone's Paint Trophy and, of course, the major plus in that for fans and players alike is that it will be at Wembley.
There isn't a player in England who does not include playing at Wembley on his career wish list, which is why the recent view of Everton manager David Moyes that playing FA Cup semi-final games at Wembley can de-value the experience of doing so in the Final - a valid point in my view - will probably have had a very mixed reaction.
No doubt there are some among football's elite who would go even further than David Moyes and argue that the Football League play-off and the JPT finals should not be staged at Wembley either. But just try telling that to the fans and players of clubs outside the Premier League - especially to ones like Luton.
It says much about the attraction of a trip to Wembley that Luton, whose average League Two gate is around 5,000, have been allocated 30,000 tickets for the JPT final, while Scunthorpe's allocation is 20,000. Last season's Wembley final between MK Dons and Grimby attracted a crowd of 56,000.
I could not help thinking that Luton's players had been motivated by the prospect of playing at Wembley when noting the hunger and desire they showed in their 2-0 win at Notts County on Tuesday.
The closest I ever came to a Wembley appearance was in my debut season at Coventry when we were knocked out of the FA Cup by Sheffield United in a fifth-round replay penalty shoot-out at Bramall Lane, so I will definitely among those casting an envious eye on Luton Town and Scunthorpe on April 5!
But I am proud of appearing in big games at other great stadiums, including the Millennium Stadium, Anfield, White Hart Lane, Villa Park and Ibrox. During the early days of my career, I was slightly blasé about appearing at such arenas, primarily for the deluded reason that I thought these would be the type of places where I would be playing my football for the duration of my career.
I have been proved wrong - inevitably - but I can take a great deal of comfort in the knowledge that many players only gain entrance into such places as spectators.
In terms of atmosphere, the stadium I enjoyed playing at the most was Anfield. I appeared there on two occasions, both when I was playing for Coventry City. The first was a fleeting substitute appearance, where the closest I got to the ball was when I was nutmegged by Michael Owen. I have since been nutmegged by many a player and normally I would not own up to such experiences. But in this instance, well it was Michael Owen!
In my second appearance at Anfield, I started the game alongside Carlton Palmer in midfield. The biggest problem for me was not so much the crowd and the noise they made - which was almost deafening - but the fact that big Carlton Palmer and myself were up against Steven Gerrard and Gary McAllister! It will come as no great surprise to you that we lost 4-1.
What struck me about Anfield, even as a young man, was just how instantly aware you were of the tradition surrounding the place. From the moment you walk in to the ground and past the famous "boot room", to the time of kick-off with "You'll never walk alone" echoing from the packed stands, you are left in no doubt that there is something special about this stadium.
The new stadiums that have been built in recent years have plenty of benefits, especially the modern facilities. However, while they are nice and shiny, the experience of playing at the modern-day grounds is nothing like as stimulating as that of appearing at Anfield and the long-standing homes of the other football giants as far as I am concerned .
I would like to hear your views on the new stadiums and how they compare to the likes of Anfield (or any other older stadium) for atmosphere.
One of my biggest regrets is that, because of injury, I have never played at Old Trafford - the "Theatre of Dreams" as it is aptly called - or Elland Road. It was particularly frustrating for me to miss out on playing at Elland Road, during my time at Coventry because this was the place where I watched the likes of Mel Sterland (now he could strike a free-kick!), Chris Fairclough and David Batty in the relative glory years of Leeds United.
During training on the Thursday before the match, it was looking as though I would be selected to start the game. However a groin injury during that training session (which led to a double hernia operation) put pay to that particular dream.
As I have said before, playing at the Millennium Stadium for Hartlepool against Sheffield Wednesday in the League One play-off final was a fantastic experience but it was all rather surreal. Former players and people who I respect told me to savour every minute of this experience but regardless of how hard I tried to do so, the whole day has unfortunately become just a blur.
The Millennium Stadium was a great arena to play football in. The atmosphere was incredible as were the facilities in the dressing rooms. I remember being pleasantly surprised that we all had our own individual lockers, which was a real treat considering that at lower league grounds, it is not unusual for you to have to share a peg with your team mates because some of the other pegs have fallen off which could lead to you going home wearing another players tracksuit!
Not that I am complaining, far from it. Players who drop down levels have to adapt to the different types of stadiums and facilities. It is something that has never bothered me.The quality of the pitch is more of a priority to me as opposed to the state of the players' tunnel.
Like most players, I am just grateful to be earning my living from the game, although we still have a bit of a laugh at some of the places we play at.
A tongue-in-cheek comment that is familiar in League Two when we play at a ground which is facility-challenged is: "This is not really what I dreamt about as a kid." There is one ground in particular, that has a changing room with one loo. That in itself is not a problem, except that whenever I play at the ground, the loo is always blocked. Not nice with 16 nervous footballers around!
Just imagine if there was only one loo in the dressing rooms at Wembley!
Hello, I'm Gavin Strachan. I describe myself as a "journeyman" player after 13 years in the game as a professional. I'm currently between clubs, having been released by Notts County. I'm also studying journalism and the aim of my blog is to provide an insight into the life of a footballer.
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I think we've all had to share a peg with team mates, or having to try and change in rooms with 14 other people, very few as trim or as fit as professionals, when the room can only hold about 4 comfortably.
End of the game next to the sweaty, hairy, beer bellied centre half walking round stark naked before getting into the showers are days I like to forget.
Anfield has an awesome atmosphere, gets the hairs on the back of your neck raised. Old trafford is a great stadium, but the atmosphere is killed by the singing contingent are housed behind either goal and the executive seating and 'one off visitors' in between. This means they can't get a good section of the ground singing. Poor planning by the people who run OT.
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Great blog again Gav, I always look for your blog to give an insight into a League Two football players mind, so I can try and understand what is going on with the players at my club, Luton!
I'm looking forward to having the opportunity to see my team play at Wembley on the 5th of May. For a fan, it's not the ground that you visit, it's seeing your own team play there. I've been lucky enough over the last few years to have been able to see the Hatters play at Anfield, Goodison Park, The Stadium of Light, Elland Road and the KC Stadium as well as the likes of The Victoria Ground (Dagenham) this season!
I also completely agree with David Moyes that semi finals shouldn't be played at Wembley, but must agree that ALL finals should be, including the playoff finals and finals of the lesser cups!
Keep up the good works on the blogs, and I wish you luck in making your Wembley appearance in the League 2 Playoff final or Johnstone's Paint Trophy next season!
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Even outside the UK playing at Wembley is seen as a must do just like Capello said the England Managers job is the biggest in the game.
Although a lot of footballers haven't or won't play at wembley the worst feeling must be for your team to get there and find you are not even in the squad. I felt so sorry for Jamie O'Hara last year in the Carling cup final, he looked distraught.
Another example is for my team Bristol Rovers when we got to the league 2 play-off final in 2007. Joe Jacobson who was on-loan to us had played amazinly in the run in to the end of the season and would surely of been in the starting eleven come the play-off final if it wasn't for his loan deal to have ran out a few days before the final. He also missed our JPT final apperance in the same season because he was cup-tied.
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Top blog as always Gav. I have a passion for stadia also and love visiting different grounds both here and abroad. Whether they are old and delapidated or new and pristine, they all have their own character. Although I am Scottish, I lived in England for a number of years and along with an avid blades fan, I followed Sheffield Utd. As well as taking us on a roller coaster ride of footballing emotions (ususally more down than up) it allowed us to tour some of the more colourful stadia.
For Atmosphere, the best stadium I have ever been in is the Millenium. When the Welsh sing Land of My Fathers it really does make you tingle and that is coming from a celtic fan who has witnessed big European nights at CP. Other stadiums with fantastic atmosphere are Loftus Rd and Tyncastle. Although much smaller than the Millenium, the tight stands enclosing the pitch produce terrific noise. In contrast the old Wembley lacked atmosphere - apart from when big Don scored in 1999! Old Trafford was also not great considering its size.
Of the others, the coldest was McDairmaind Park, the worst Brockville and the biggest the Nou Camp. The scariest was def Anfield! The Anfield rd end is a disaster waiting to happen. I would be interested to hear others views on the fav/worst stadia
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Your point about old historic stadiums compared to newer stadiums is especially valid for fans, the new Wembley holds nowhere near as much excitement as the old one in my eyes.
After the initial awe of walking down Wembley Way and approaching the arch the stadium does very little to help generate an atmosphere, the amount of leg room is pointless, who goes to Wembley to watch comfortably? If you want comfort, stick to your armchair. I'd much rather be crammed in with thousands of other hardcore fans who want to support our team.
Obviously i can't comment on the experience opf playing there which i am sure is as special as it always has been, but from a fans point of view i think the new Wembley caters more for the corporate fans who want to be entertained rather than the real fans who are there for the love of their team
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And now in response to post 4
As a regular at Old Trafford it pains me to agree that the atmosphere suffers, but i put this down to the day trippers and glory supporters which unfortunately dilute our stands. Old Trafford can produce a great atmosphere, most notably in recent times the match against Barcelona was electric, but unfortunately it does seem to be restricted to the bigger games and fierce rivalries
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Good blog as usual Gavin. With regards to older stadiums, I am a lifelong Shrewsbury Town supporter and we now have the shiny new Prostar Stadium which is a fantastic facility and can only bring credit to the club and the town.
However I still badly miss the old Gay Meadow.True it was a dump with woeful amenities both for the fans and, I imagine, for the players. But it had the one thing that new stadiiums take a long time to aquire and that was atmosphere. A big mid-week, mid-winter match was quite an ocaision
Having supported Town for 50 years since I was eight years oold I have many memories of the Meadow, some happy and some not so happy.
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In response to post 7, I also visited Gay Meadow for a 2-0 victory for Luton Town on the final day of the 2001-2002 season. It was the final match of a 14 match unbeaten run for Luton that secured us promotion to the then Division 2, where only Macclesfield has failed to lose to us. As I remember Shrewsbury were pushing for the playoffs and so the ground was full on all four sides. Unfortunately for Shrewsbury we scored our second in the 6th minute of 7 minutes of injury time, putting paid to any promotion hopes. However, Gay Meadow will always live on in my memory as a great day out, and in the same way if Luton were ever to get a new ground (we've been trying for well over 20 years now) I would miss the delapidated Kenilworth Road with it's second hand, wooden main stand. When full, it can generate an amazing atmosphere that a lot of modern grounds can't achieve, due to how close the stands are to the pitch. Although I'm still not sure abotu how many players want to come to Luton to play a match!
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I must admit all the Grounds look very similar these days & the all seater stadiums has affected the atmosphere.
I watch Match of the Day Revisted on a Thursday & some of the old Grounds were so much bigger.
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I was at that Coventry City game! I remember Kirkland had a blinder, probably the reason we signed him. Also David Thompson scored a screamer and most of the ground applauded it, with him being an ex red. If you think the atmosphere was good that day then imagine playing on a European night, like the ones against Chelsea or Real on Tuesday. I went to the semi final of the UEFA cup against Barcelona years ago and thought the ground was going to collapse it was that noisy! Will be a shame to leave Anfield with all the history behind it.
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Interesting that you mention Chris Fairclough with reverance Gavin. Have you met him in person this year? I thought you might have since you play for The Pies with his cousin (or nephew - not sure which tbh) Ben.
Also if you're up for suggestions for future articles i'd be interested in your thoughts on club ownership and supporters trusts from a players point of view. It's obviously a hot topic at Notts County right now...
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another enjoyable blog - keep it up. i much prefer the smaller tighter stadiums where it feels like your almost on top of the game
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As a Doncaster supporter I have good experience of watching my team week in, week out, in the old tired ground that was Belle Vue.. The other poster is right, the old sheds do have atmosphere - a certain Carling Cup Tie against Villa springs to mind..
Our new home is shiny and new, and has on occasions created some of the atmosphere of old..
But having never played at the old wembley, my team has experienced the Milennium Stadium and new Wembley in the past 2 seasons.. Yes I agree its more about the game and the team, but the stadiums are an experience in themselves - I suppose winning helps too.!!
I went to old Wembley as a neutral spectator, but that wasn't the same.. Sure the place had atmosphere, but it was in many ways as tired and out dated as Belle Vue was..
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The Nou Camp is a fantastic stadium. It looks a dump from outside, but the second you walk in you can feel its aura. The place reeks of victory, passion and history. It has such an amazing atmosphere, even when empty. Weird really. The San Siro in Milan is similar; just has such an immense presense. The Ajax Arena in Amsterdam is pretty cool, though fairly new so it doesnt have so much of a 'feel' around it, but an impressive stadium non the less. Ive been to Millenium Stadium twice to watch playoff finals with Lincoln City (and lost them both, bah). The first time the atmosphere was great, and was really loud and intense. The second time wasnt as good....
Id love to watch a big European game at Anfield though.
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As a Man City fan who unfortunately due to work can't go to many games nowadays the best ground for atmosphere that I used to go to was Loftus rd a stand behind the goal ,low roof and lots and lots of noise.As with most people on here I think the new Stadia just can't compete.
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I haven't seen any comments regarding the new Emirates compared to old Highbury. What do you Gunners fans think?
I'd love to be at Anfield for a big European night (such as last Tuesday's!!!)
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That League Two ground you mention doesn't happen to be Barnet does it? I was there as a youth team player in the early 90s. It was ropey then and I don't think it's been done up since - it's basically a non-league ground.
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Re: Post 7 and the old Gay Meadow Shrewsbury ground.
In the mid 70's whilst at school in Newtown (about 32 miles away) if we had been good during the year we were taken to see Shrewsbury in an evening match as a treat.
To even go to that ground for that once a year trip was like going to Wembley for a 12 year old bought up in the hills of Mid Wales. The atmosphere generated by the modest crowd in the small ground was superb and its one of my fondest young memories.
In fact it made such an impression on my that when I was old enough to drive I actually became a season ticket holder for 5 years before moving away.
Since then for the last 10 years I have followed Aston Villa all around the country and been to some very impressive stadia but I rarely experience the same buzz I used to get at Gay Meadow.
It was something special.
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As a kid in the late 70s, I used to love watching night games at Upton Park on the telly. Close to the pitch and a great atmosphere.
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Gavin I'm a Celtic fan and have experienced many great games at Parkhead.. European and Old Firm games.. I'm sure your Dad would say the same.. but if I'm completely honest Ibrox has a more cauldron like atmosphere during the big games. Think the steeper stands make it more intense.
I've also had the pleasure of seeing my team in a couple of European settings.. Camp Nou was unbelievable (we knocked Barca out of the Uefa Cup) the old Borussia Dortmund Stadium was great, Anfield a couple of times...
A poor workman blames his tools and no matter how you cut it.. its the fans that make the atmosphere so if a newer stadium isnt as good then its up to the fans to raise the bar.
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Funnily enough I was at the Liverpool Coventry game in December 1997 too! Funny because I've only been to Anfield that once. I am a Spurs fan and we went for a birthday treat for a friend who supports Liverpool. I don't remember much about it either but I still have the programme, ticket stub, and clip from the following day's newspaper about the game. I'll have to dig it out and read about the nutmeg :-)
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I've been to the Reebok when United and Arsenal have played and having only been to a few other stadiums up in the north west I think the Reebok came close to the noise level at Old Trafford which was pretty incredible as on TV they're usually quiet 'cuz the other teams aren't quite as big as them two, i'm a United fan but my mate is a season ticket holder for Bolton and usually gets me tickets for big games there which is always nice, just a shame these teams can't keep it up for the whole season as you can clearly see it gives their team a lift, Bolton even took the lead against Arsenal before dubious goals cost them!
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The dressing room he's referring to at the end is Accrington Stanley - youtube Accrington stanley meet the chariman and you'll see the "cosy" dressing room!
great blog as always
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Gavin, thank you for focusing on our situation. It's much appreciated. We're probably the ultimate 'anti establishment' team right now, with the FA making it clear how unwelcome we are; despite sorting our act out as soon as possible when it all came up in the first place. And it's fair to say we're pretty defiant in our beliefs, as the world will see at Wembley with our banners.
I'm sure I can safely say that all of us Luton fans, especially those of us that are lifelong supporters, appreciate your words and support.
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Where's Grimby? Sounds horrible! (sorry to be a pedant)
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I defy anything to compete with the atmosphere at the old Hampden Park particularly at Scotland v England games in the 60's. The huge open terraces at each end and the enormous terrace opposite the main stand producing a cauldron of noise.
I also remember seeing Celtic v Leeds there, European Cup semi final 1970, and again the atmosphere and noise was breathtaking. I think there were about 130,000 that night.
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Been lucky enough to go to a few grounds at both ends of the scale with Cheltenham and Arsenal.
I loved the Villarreal stadium, the atmosphere packed in is incredible. We had tickets in the home end and the noise was incredible, especially as a lot of it was open-air.
Santiago Bernabéu was good, with overhead heating in the roof!
Couldn't help but feel Old Trafford felt a little underwhelming - perhaps becuase we lost!
With Cheltenham, i loved Kidderminster's ground - it had one long away end with a low roof. Great for a 'local' derby.
The best though? Got to be the millenium stadium. just brilliant and proof that you can build a 70k+ stadium in town with good travel arrangements.
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The atmosphere really seems to be gone from modern stadiums. All you have to do is compare any anfield match to that of wembley. Why not bring back terraces the atmosphere at german games is immense, a party atmosphere almost with the home team getting involved at the end of the game its great.
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I will be travelling from Texas to support the Haters at Wembley for the JPT final. I know there are others coming from as far as New Zealand!! We all want to show the FA that we are not beaten.... I was at the 88 final at the old Wembley so it will be interesting to compare the two. I've always enjoyed Kenilworth Road, it's a hole but it's the hole I grew up in!!!
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Oops, that should have read "Hatters" not Haters! Although we're not to keen on the FA at the moment
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I think the atmosphere problem is caused by there being so many season tickets whereby you are assigned your seat, unlike the old days of having all of the like-minded "noisy" fans inhabiting the same end. There have always been the types of people at games that just like to sit and relax and enjoy the game, it's just that now, the so-called "noisy" fans are mixed in so much with the "prawn sandwich crowd". Fans should not have to put up with being told to sit down and be quiet. I do think that the loss of terracing has been a double-edged sword. Safety is important, but has it ruined the game to an extent?
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great blog again gavin, i would love to be a successfull sports journalist like yourself. im only 14 but ive wanted to be a journalist for as long as i can remember. keep up the good work, you're a real inspiration.
p.s i just bought you in fifa 09
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re 17 .... its funny , as I read your (yet again excellent blog) the first club that sprang to mind in L2 that might be "facility challenging" was barnet - I've seen notts play there for the last 4 seasons and record 2 wins , 1 draw and only lose 1 which was against the run of play AND an ex notts player scored both goals to cancel out our 1-0 lead AND he's now their manager !!.... so some motivation then !!
suggestion (if No.17 and I are right) - maybe McP should tape off all but 1 of the toilets at every ground we play at and maybe we would be consistent and W2 D1 L1 every 4 games .... promotion form , luvlee jublee
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Anyone who followed Scottish football in the early 70s could not forget the atmosphere at Hampden before they put down concrete. The ash would nearly choke you when the fans celebrated a (rare) goal.Old Firm games there was fantastic with Rangers fans at the covered end and Celtic's faithful out in the rain - no discrimination there then! The international games vs Brazil 0-1, Derek Johnston own goal and England 0-1, Allan Ball with the winner, spring to mind as chaotic sell-outs. Not quite as full but it was also of course the scene of Partick's legendery flogging of the 'tic in the League Cup final.......
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Hi Gavin
I've been lucky enough to see matches at most of the big stadiums including Wembley (Div 1 play-off 1998) and the atmosphere in some places is amazing. I've now got to visit clubs like Arsenal who've moved so it will be interesting to see if the Emerates is better than Highbury.
Great blog as always!
PS Does seeing "The Boss" at the Millennium stadium count? Great atmosphere there as well
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Great blog as always.
Im a Leicester fan so over the last few years I've been to a variety of different grounds as we've yo-yoed up and down the leagues, some absolute dives this year like bristol rovers and oldham but also MK Dons i was impressed with their big padded seats, and that will be premiership class when they put some seats on the upper tier.
I have to say that I enjoy going to some of the more 'traditional' grounds, as they have far more character than the soulless bowls that the likes of us, Coventry and Southampton have. Take our Carling Cup run last year, we started at Accrington Stanley on concrete terracing with no roof about 6ft from the goal line and ended up at Chelsea playing in front of 40,000 but each game were as enjoyable as the other. I find its nice to be able to get really close to the action every once in a while
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Gavin - great blog as usual, even for a L**ds fan!
I've actually played at the new Wembley albeit in front of 50 fans or so and I have to say, it's not all that. You've not missed much mate, the pitch is shocking, no wonder they dig it up and put racing cars on it each year.
The one area that is amazing is the changing rooms - you could play a decent 5-a-side game in just one of the many sections of the "England" dressing room - it's h u g e. It contrasts starkly with even most professional grounds.
BTW - I was 38 when I made my Wembley debut - so don't give up the dream too soon :-)
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It's more than just the surroundings that make the atmosphere at a match. I was at Anfield on Tuesday for the Real Madrid game and it was electric, however most European nights are like this. I also went to both legs of last years quarter final between Arsenal and Liverpool. Whilst I was impressed with the facilities and views at the Emirates, the atmosphere was lacking, especially compared with the return leg at Anfield, and the Arsenal ticket price was over £60
The flip side of the coin is all the times I go to Anfield against the so called "lesser" opponents and the atmosphere is much more muted. Much of this stems from not just the opponents but the cost of going to a match now changing who can afford to go. When I first started going to watch Liverpool I used to pay £8 to stand on the Kop. Now a seat is £38 (still cheap compared to much of the Premiership) and many of the grass roots fans simply can't afford it anymore. As the fan base grows, more people are attracted to the ground to savour the atmosphere seemingly without realising that they have to create it too.
I'm always struck by the visiting fans from the lower leagues at Anfield, as they are the life blood of the game. They show real passion and support for their team no matter what the result on the pitch mat be. Ask any Havant and Waterlooville fan what they thought of their day out at Anfield and you'll see their faces light up, from where I sat they were loving every minute whilst we home fans weren't quite as vocal on that day
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Santiago bernabue,great great stadium,incredible atmoshpere.
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As a Bournemouth fan I grew up on the old South Stand, which used to generate an amazing amount of noise and atmosphere. Although our new stadium was a necessity as all the standing sections were deemed unsafe, many of us wish we could have something similar. They have safe standing in Germany, why not over here?
Also, best stadium I've been to- old Wembley. The worst stadium for facilities, the Vetch Field, but for atmosphere, Adams Park, Wycombe Wanderers. Absolutely dead.
Good blog as ever.
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Hi Gavin, Just a little question...
Watching football over the many years as I have, I always seem to wonder what the coaches and managers are writing on pieces of paper - e.g when a player misses a shot or pass goes wayward. The Comemtators say that the coaches are making notes for training, so that player can practice the shot or pass back in training. Is this the correct thing that happens?
Regards
RoyalShahJee
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Must admit that my team, Chelsea, aren't renowned for a noisy stadium. However, the atmosphere against Barcelona when we won 4-2 in the Champions League in 2005 was electric, and some the best footie we've played too! I love the Bridge as it's fairly small (40k), so you feel closer to the pitch than you would elsewhere. However, for sheer magical atmospheres, nothing comes close for me than 1) an away trip to Anfield, 2) a Barcelona v Real Madrid grudge match at the Nou Camp, or 3) a Milan derby at the San Siro. Some of the most fanatical and crazy fans you will ever hope to meet. I was at an AC Milan game v Roma last year - the Roma fans set off so many flares the kick off had to be delayed due to the smoke! There were guys dangling off the upper tier with their shirts off leading the chants through their megaphones. I lived in Barcelona at the time that Figo had joined Real Madrid after being with Barcelona for years - I'll never forget the booing and whistling! Best atmosphere in the lower leagues was actually Alemannia Aachen in the 2.Bundesliga - at the time the yellow and black everywhere and being surrounded by cages made it feel like I'd walked into into a hornets' nest!
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Havent posted before, Gav, but always read - excellent - im a big fan!
I follow Yeovil Town and i know more than some fans about getting the thrill of new stadiums.
We used to have away days at Weymouth, Leigh RMI, and whilst there may be nothing wrong with those places, weve since had the chance to go to Elland Road, The Walkers, The City Ground in Notts and of course Wembley.
Following a little club like Yeovil gives you the chance to enjoy days out, like when we won the FA trophy at Villa PArk... that was incredible!!
With the way the championship is shaping up we could end up at SOuthampton, Watford, Charlton and such in the league... i love going to new grounds, big grounds, even ground that are small but have the atmosphere!!
Just out of curiosty, Huish Park ever been on your "to-do list" Gav!?!
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Hi Gavin
great blog again man!!
I have to say Celtic park has always been incredible on European nights namley because the only team to have beaten us in the Champions league there is Barcelona , Celtic on european level are by no means the best but it speaks wonders for the atmosphere and stadium that teams like AC Milan , Juventus , Bayern Munich , Liverpool , Porto , Leon , Manchester United and let us not forgot the Graeme Souness' mighty Blackburn...haha!(wee joke there , Celtic fans will know what im talking about). The atmophere is always electric but id imagine every ground as soon as the Champions League song starts the hairs on the back of your neck stand up the crowd go mental....pure footballing heaven!
Mon the hoops for sunday!
All the best mate!
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sorry my grammer is awful and i spelled Lyon wrong! woops!
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I must admit, that from the grounds I've visited from the likes of Sutton Utd to the new Wembley, it's the event and the fans themselves that make the atmosphere..
Sure the facilities at the Milennium and new Wembley are fantastic, but I'll bet that a league one play off final with 75K there has moew tension and atmosphere than an England friendly international in front of a full house?
I've been to between 60-70 grounds all over the UK, and wherever you go you can always find atmosphere if the fixture is ripe for it.. two examples spring to mind - first about 20 years ago towards the end of the season both West Ham and Sheff Utd were going for promotion from the (old, proper) 2nd division.. I was a neutral living in London, and for my evening's entertainment went to watch their game at Upton Park.. Although from South Yorkshire, I stood in the "home" North Terrace and oh boy what an atmosphere - helped by the Hammers winning 5-0 I must say...!!
My 2nd example was a cold damp evening in the Scottish 3rd Division.. same night as England famously drew 0-0 in Rome I believe.. However, this wasn't your typical 200+ attendance meaningless game, this was a Highland derby at Ross County vs Inverness CT.. A complete sell out at over 4500 fans, amazing atmosphere in a ground that would be the equivalent of a decent Conference stadium (at the time) and a great 3-0 away win for Caley.. Plus I got in for nowt..
What I mean is that sometimes, some grounds and fixtures just have that "special" atmosphere that is there and then only - I wonder Gavin if the players sense that too..?? Where a fixture to the rest of the world might seem mundane, but on the occasion is everything football should be..?
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"more" tension.. oops..
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Gavin, yet another great blog. Very interesting to hear peoples views on Stadia and their athmosphere. I have been to plenty in Europe and almost all Premiership Grounds and Championship grounds in England.
However, that said the best athmosphere EVER was at the Old Wembley Euro '96 prior to the Semi With the German's - Nearly had tears in my eyes when the whole crowd was singing that ol' famous tune "Football is coming home" - Even the Germans were joining in - Simple Fantastic.
That said in terms of athmosphere at Club grounds, in the UK and Europe Celtic Park is truly amazing, but I have to give Anfield the top spot in Britain, and in Europe it has to be Stadio Olympico in Rome (Roma vs Lazio) and Camp Neu in Barcelona (Barcelona vs Real Madrid) - Does not come much better. I would like to know what the buzz as a player must feel like at any of the mentioned grounds - WOW!
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Hi Gavin,
Great blog as usual. I've been lucky enough to visit lots of stadiums around europe following england, i dont think its the stadiums as much as the event or the moment. Memorable ones:
Russia v England in Moscow - stadium shaking, national anthem brought chills.
Italy v England in Rome - outsinging 85,000 Italians was great.
Sheff Wed v Sheff Utd at Wembley in 93 - obvious reasons. Waddles performance that day is still the best i ever seen.
England v Greece at Old Trafford - Just last minute and next 10 mins. Rest of game wasnt great.
Biggest disappointment - Barcelona v Espanyol... far too quiet for a derby.
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Hi Gavin
Coventry fan here. Great blog as always, loving the references to your time with us! Just one correction, I'm pretty sure the Sheffield Utd game was a 6th Round replay (quarter final) rather than 5th round.
http://www.thefa.com/TheFACup/TheFACup/Archive/headtohead.htm?t1=48258&t2=49883
Keep up the good work!
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Hi
One of the most impressive new stadiums is the Allianz Arena in Munich. Was able to go for a WC06 match between Ivory coast and Serbia/Montenegro. A totally dead match in terms of the World cup but the place was full and humming. What an atmosphere! Noise, good views of the game. close to the pitch with steep banking. Just looking at the stadium from the outside knocks the breath out. You come up out of the Underground system and there in the distance, is this multicoloured spaceship of a stadium standing by itself, not built in the middle of an industrial park like Wembley! The old iconic Olympic Stadium in Munich had a great atmosphere when full on a warm spring evening but try February, in the rain, on the open side, with only 30,000. Dreadful!
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It would be interesting to hear folks views on the opposite here..
For example, I once spent a restful sleepy 90 minutes dozing in the sun on a grassy bank whilst attempting to concentrate on Elgin city losing 0-5 at home to Keith in the Highland Football League.
Sitting on the rapidly emptying terraces at Belle Vue, in the sun, on the last game of the season having already been relegated weeks before..
I would like to ask Gavin how the players feel when there's something like a minute's silence etc..?? Does that affect you or are you mentally focussed on the game ahead..?? I remember the weekend following the Hillsborough tragedy, I was still living in London (see above) and this was when Chelsea dropped into division 2 for one season.. Anyway, after Hillsborough, the next fixture was Chelsea vs Leeds (always one for tension for the wrong reasons in the 80s) where victory would secure promotion (and as it turned out the championship) for Chelsea.. Chelsea vs Leeds - and a minute's silence for those Liverpool fans and their families - impeccapbly observed.. that still chokes me even now.. surely that sort of thing must affect the players - but in a positive or negative way..?
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As another Hatters fan, I too am looking forward to the JPT cup final, although I'm old enough to remember previous Wembley visits - and am having trouble thinking of the JPT as anything but a Mickey Mouse competition.
Still, beggars can't be choosers.
In terms of stadiums, I don't think I've ever been to a new stadium which is anything other than soulless. I too visited Gay Meadow to see the Town a few years ago - and that was a lovely little ground; a much nicer place to watch football than other stadiums I've since been too - including huge concrete edifices like Old Trafford, the Camp Nou, the Bernabeau et al (not, you may have gathered, to see the rip-roaring Hatters).
The Mestalla, in Valencia, now that is an impressive stadium with real character - but they too are planning to move out.
Obviously I'm biased - but I honestly can't think of anywhere I'd rather watch my, admittedly rubbish, team than Kenilworth Road. It's a dump, but we love the place. LTFC have been looking to move since at least 1959, but to do so risks throwing the baby out with the bath water.
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I was lucky enough to see Boca Juniors play at La Bombonera a couple of times last season. Even though Boca lost the atmosphere was absolutely phenomenal - if anyone ever gets the chance to go along I can't recommend it enough.
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post 42 . From my experience, the notes are usually to to tell the team where they are going wrong at half time or at the end of the game. Sometimes it can quite simply be to remind themselves to tell a certain player that he is playing rubbish!.
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post 44 . I have played there once for Hartlepool and we lost 2-1. I seem to remember it was a very good pitch a few years back.
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post 53 . Good question . Personally I try and switch off from the game and dedicate my thoughts in the minutes silence to the person or people being remembered and then re focus after the minute has finished.
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post 51 . My apologies . That makes it even worse knowing that we were so close to Wembley!.
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another great blog gav
my brother's team, whitley bay fc, might get a chance to play at wembley this year as they are currently in the semi final of the FA Vase and i know all their players are buzzing at the prospect of playing there!
i'm hoping they can make it too as it may be the only chance i get to go to wembley as i cant see newcastle getting there anytime soon.
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This was a great read ! I have been a Luton fan for 25 years and I now live in the greater Chicago area. I will be travelling to Wembley on April 5th. In order to continue some form of financial support for the club I have retained my season tickets at Kenilworth road and did manage to get back for the games over Christmas, the old place (as derelict as it is) still sends a tingle down my spine each time I go. It has a personality about it that new stadiums like the ones at Derby and Southampton have lost forever. At Luton we have had a terrible time over the last few years and I just can't wait to have a great day out at Wembley on April 5th ! It's a lift for everyone and is such a special opportunity to put all our troubles to one side for the day and enjoy the experience.
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#61, you are a true fan and people like you deserve a day out a Wembley ...I hope you enjoy it and I also hope Luton can win all their remaining games to stay up.. I am an "exiled" Leicester fan and dearly miss that same "tingle in the spine" and pre-match nerves you talk about
These blogs are always a great read and a real antidote to the normal stuff we have to put up with from some (not all) Premier League players who seem to have forgotten just how lucky they are...
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Stopped reading your blog a while ago but read this and was a good read.
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#62, Thanks for your kind comments and best wishes for Luton Town, it's appreciated.
You are so right about the majority of the premier league, whilst I crave success for Luton I also take it as a positive that I support a club who is still very much in touch with what football is and should be about....supporters !
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Read your blog for the first time Gavin. Very enjoyable.
I have been supporting Luton Town for 55 years so was very interested in your content. I thought you and your readers might be interested to know about some grass roots success acheived by LTFC. Earlier this month the Junior European cup was held and two under 11 teams were chosen to represent England. One was Manchester United, the other was Luton Town.
Man u did not make the last 16. Luton WON the competition by beating Bayern Munich in the final.I have not seen any publicity in the media about this but feel it is an incredible achievement.
This speaks volums for the coaching staff of the club and adds further questions regarding the unpresedented treatment dished out to our club by the FA and the football leage. What hope for the future of football when a club consistantly produces players of the highest quality, Mathew Upson and Curtis Davies to name a couple, are used as an example because they can't fight back.(Defence lawyers cost money) The Wembley final must surely be very embarrassing for the powers that be. !
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hi gav nice blog as per usual different slant each time but consistent every time.
what's great about your blogs are the enthusiastic responses they evoke.some great comments and replies to this blog some even give you the feel of actually being at the grounds and at the actual match.
be careful you may be creating some future competion when you go into journalism full time with your eloquent followers.
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OBVIOUSLY
yet again, uninsightful dribble from the @average' 13 games a season man
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Gavin, re post 58 - great to hear that you can give your attention to that minute for someone else, just prior to the most important 90 minutes of your working week..
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Hi Gavin.
You seem to have missed Hillsborough from he list of Big Grounds you have played at!
Still remember you runninmg the length of the pitch after that penalty......
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Good insightful blog yet again Gavin. Pity about nomarks like 'shevchenkslow' posting nonsensical comments.
Shevchenkslow, try to at least make sense the next time you post a comment. 'OBVIOUSLY' what? Obviously that you are a sad individual with a pathetic outlook on life, combined with a small appendage and even smaller brain?
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great read great blog. I do enjoy going to lower league stadiums in fa cup ties ie cardiff this year brilliant atmosphere
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