9 Jan, 2023 | Barker Francisco | No Comments
Overview of the Oldest Football Stadiums in the World
Football has become the most popular kind of sport more than a century ago. So the first football stadiums were constructed sometime in the 19th century. Many of them have been destroyed or renovated. We will try to cover the oldest football grounds in the world.
Portman Road (1884)
Ipswich Town’s Portman Road is nothing but home to the Tractor boys. The stadium went through serious renovations in the early 2000s, which enhanced its capacity to 30,311 seats. It was rewarded by hosting its first senior international tournament in 2003 when England net Croatia.
Anfield (1884)
Anfield is the center of the current Premier League champions. Interestingly, Liverpool’s famous stadium was initially home to their fiercest rivals Everton. A dispute with the club made the Toffees move slightly away and settle into Goodison Park. How different the football environment would be if people could just stand together?
Turf Moor (1883)
Turf Moor has been the home for Burnley for more than one century. The team has played there since 1883, just a year after the club was officially established.
Turf Moor was initially meant as a cricket ground before the football club took over the space. In fact, it was visited by a member of the Royal Family when Prince Albert Victor, which made it the first football ground that received such an honor.
Ewood Park (1882)
Ewood Park saw Blackburn rise in the Premier League. Burnley’s Lancashire rivals Blackburn Rovers became owners of Ewood Park in 1890. But the stadium was still used for athletics and greyhound racing.
Rovers won their only Premier League trophy in 1994/1995. This happened when Jack Walker invested in the renovation works, which made Ewood Park have a stand named after the former owner.
Deepdale (1878)
Deepdale saw the events of the very first matches for the English Football league. It actually remains the oldest stadium that serves the purpose of football only. Thus, Deepdale is a local gem that should be remembered by football fans. Its history can be fully checked at the local museum. So the stadium is worth visiting if you want to see one of the longest-reigning teams-to-stadium relationships in football history.
Stamford Bridge (1877)
Chelsea Football Club has been calling Stamford Bridge since 1905. At that time, the club struggled for many years to complete renovations due to financial problems. Eventually, Chelsea planned to leave their historic home in recent years when further expansion plans were put on hold. Nothing has happened so far. So you still have a chance to follow football events on this famous ground.
Tannadice Park (1870)
Tannadice Park was the home to Dundee United. The stadium has been the team’s primary arena since 1909. Interestingly, Tannadice Park isn’t located far from city rivals Dundee Football Club’s stadium, Dens Park. Both grounds happen to be the closest senior football stadiums in the United Kingdom.
Field Mill Stadium (1861)
Field Mill Stadium has been home to Mansfield Town for more than a century. It’s currently the oldest ground in the English Football League that has seen many great events throughout the years. It is often used for other purposes like Westlife’s ‘Where We Are Now’ Tour in 2010. The music event was a huge success. So a clause stopping the stadium from being used for non-sports events was inserted until 2032.
Bramall Lane (1855)
Sheffield United’s Bramall Lane is considered to be the oldest among the oldest stadium in the world. It used to be a cricket ground but eventually was adjusted to football matches. Its attendance reached the record in 1936 after the Blades hosted Yorkshire rivals Leeds United in the FA Cup. Its capacity covered almost 70,000 seats, which is much more than its current capacity of 32,000 seats.
Over the last century, football events have become an integral part of the human experience. Whether it comes to a live or online experience at https://onlinecasinoaussie.com, its popularity remains absolute among football fans.
Stadiums have always served as a space where people could share their emotions and experiences with each other. No wonder, developers took great effort into creating the most fantastic architectural designs. Some of their works happen to be a reminder of great football events. You could see some of the oldest football stadiums above. But there are many of them. Feel free to continue discovering the pride and greatness of past events.