10 Old English Football Stadiums THEN and NOW

Ten old/ demolished football stadiums and what they looked like then and now. Enjoy!
Music: Silver . Riot
Made with Video Show

[@johnraftery7447]

I used to sell programmes at Highbury in the mid 80s. Although a Chelsea fan (I had no choice where I worked being a desperately poor student) I enjoyed the atmosphere on the crowded terraced housing streets in the build up to kick-off. And there was a great chip shop nearby serving jumbo sausage and chips (it was all I could afford). I also sold programmes at White Hart Lane and eventually at Chelsea but I made a lot more money at Highbury as attendances were higher and the selling pitches were better given the restricted approaches to the ground. Happy days!

[@chrisevans5259]

It brought a tear to my eye to watch this,...so many famous grounds, with their proud heritage and history.....disappeared , and unrecognizable, from their former glories,...where generations of loyal fans once watched and cheered , now lost into the annals of history and a once better country

[@charliebuttocks2400]

Highbury what a fantastic stadium ffs ,there never been the same since they left no heart or soul anymore

[@chrish2359]

Charlie Buttocks Exactly, looks identical to the benfica stadium. Money has taken over...

[@goonerjake4021]

During 2020 corona virus I have been watching old 60s 70s and 80s matches on you tube Old grounds Muddy Pitches A lot less preening madonas Wonderful

[@peterharrison8756]

I'm not a Villa fan but I think that they got it spot on mixed the old and the new still looks traditional.

[@scousebusters1989]

Classiest development by a country mile is Highbury. Not only have they kept the east and west stands which are listed buildings intact, the old pitch is now a communal garden. The flats that overlook the old pitch are amazing. Would love to live there.

[@kyotocoversjimanderson782]

I miss the old stadiums. But then again, I miss my old life in general.

[@idkwattosay7578]

It's sad to see what stadiums became.

[@pauldart8548]

Vetch Field not Fetch......SMH

[@groovo1]

1997...bad year for football grounds :(

[@opi7488]

Early 2000’s too (we can almost say under 1995-2005)

[@lewis72]

As a result of the Bradford Fire in '85 and Hillsboro Disaster in '89 I imagine. I understand the sentiment but crowd safety has to come first.

[@alanbratt3022]

So glad West Brom still play at the Hawthorns. Want my ashes scattered in the center circle when i kark it.

[@peterdeas3907]

Er....Swansea’s old ground was called Vetch Field not Fetch Field! 😂

[@ColinH1973]

Actually 'The Vetch Field'. Errr

[@JPSGorilla]

It was only fit for dog park anyway.

[@jamesmarriott3667]

@@JPSGorilla who do you support

[@JPSGorilla]

Guess.

[@MrWoodstock2009]

Jonathan Smith Cardiff

[@glockymc4611]

Back when stadiums had a bit of character, sad to see really

[@rohithraman6488]

60 years from now - Oh the Emirates and Etihad had so much character, the new stadia will never be as good as them

[@Historianphil]

Visited many of those grounds, especially Highbury. They were all great opponents and their grounds reflected their culture. Derby was a crapper in the 70s but they won the league in it. We have lost so much since the Premier League - sad.

[@The.Last.Guitar.Hero.]

Yes to watch the saints at the Dell. Use to be able to shout things at players and they could hear it

[@je3compilations125]

Great video, can't wait until this channel hits 5,000!

[@TopTenWTF]

+FactActical thanks mate. I appreciate the support! 👊

[@oddities-whatnot]

So the moral of the story is, if you want to find somewhere to build new houses and flats, go visit your local football club !

[@2ndEndingVintage]

Yup. Their owner will gladly sell the pitch out from under the fans...

[@owen.j.hightower]

By far the best video you have made

[@TopTenWTF]

+Jules thanks man!!

[@owen.j.hightower]

Top Ten FTW can you watch my video

[@bramleydragon]

Jules by far the best football badge you use for your profile. I love the Sparta badge, it looks so retro.

[@johnnyfrisco5354]

Really fascinating watch... best watched with the sound off though

[@paulgroves3115]

The pitch at the Baseball Ground looks better now than it did when in use, definitely less sand.

[@freddielm7381]

I like how they kept a bit of vetch field. Sad to see others turned into shopping centres or residential areas

[@alanmolyneux5957]

I went to Vetch Field when Liverpool played there in the FA Cup in January 1990. It was a cold wet day but the chippy close to the away end was one of the best chippys I have ever been to.

[@rossi6113]

Really enjoyed that thanks for posting.

[@lippyfrybender4622]

Miss the old baseball ground my heart is lost memories you can never take a way I hope if there's a heaven it's the popside for me.

[@paulanderson1962]

May I ask where in the blue blazes is Roker Park???

[@crazyscarlettworld8489]

Sunderland

[@jamisbillson4872]

Seems the vast majority of real fans prefer their old stadiums. It’s only chairman and CEOs who seem to love plastic soulless IKEA stadiums. So sad.

[@themickster6775]

Totally agree

[@keithrobinson9077]

Any chance they have of selling off the grounds/the fans/the badge/the name/the shirt, they will take, because its all about the money, not for the clubs interest, but the shareholders

[@markjohnson8276]

No Highfield road, take me back there any day after the Ricoh.

[@michaelgreene7041]

Highfield Road was one of my favourite away stadiums, a mere stone's throw from the city centre. Sad to see them having to play their home games in Northampton and Birmingham since it shut. I won't even mention the other "home" venue as it's still a sore point with many of their supporters. Hope to see them return to their roots and past glories before long.

[@johnathanryan2117]

When you use the tills at Asda Burnden Park, you're standing on the spot where 33 people lost their lives in 1946. Asda have had the good sense and decency to commemorate this with a plaque and name board. Miss Burnden Park though, it was a reet dump, but knocked the Reebok ( University of Bolton Stadium) into a cocked hat.

[@shulupayaface]

What about man city ?

[@ClassNav]

No Coventry City . Highfield Road

[@jackstratts2569]

Really interesting vid I much prefer West Ham's old ground

[@TopTenWTF]

+Jackstratts Afcb thanks man. Same here, the atmosphere looked 10 times better

[@makeitsonumberone1358]

@@TopTenWTF it was, many a happy time spent in the south bank, and the only ground i think in the football leauge with a chicken run.

[@johnraftery7447]

Tbh, the new ground just isn’t a football ground. Crowd is too far away from the pitch. A bit like the old Stamford Bridge - now there’s an old ground that was much improved by its redevelpment. And thankfully the club is staying put there.

[@Pansyboyify]

Arsenals original ground and their spirit really lays in Woolwich, South East London. That's where they should be

[@imaenglishman5471]

That's the first time I've seen what they did to the old Highbury :-) I don't like looking to see to what the old grounds became, very sad :-(

[@TopTenWTF]

+JIm Bro agree with you there, especially when they're completely knocked down

[@eaglelegend1]

They did a really good job of it to be honest

[@2ndEndingVintage]

actually at least with Highbury the architects still maintained a reference to the old stadium...that is sorta brilliant. The others - parking lots...shopping centres....condos...disgusting.

[@gregkiteos1936]

I think it's the only former stadium in the world where part of the structure has been incorporated into new housing.

[@gregkiteos1936]

You can't take the passion, atmosphere and experiences from an old ground to a new one. While it was heartbreaking to leave Highbury, it was necessary to do so because of the really long season ticket waiting list at the time (which I was on). In fact, Arsenal had been looking to move to a new stadium since 1995 - before Wenger took over and made the club so successful. They wanted to expand Highbury but Islington Council wouldn't allow it. It's just such a shame that the Arsenal board doesn't reward the fans for their loyalty, but instead charges them ridiculously high prices to go to games. As for other clubs moving homes, it's not always about being able to bring in more fans. Sometimes it works out cheaper to build a new stadium instead of having to keep on repairing and renovating the current one. As well as Coventry's fans, I feel really sorry for Darlington. Their chairman built a stadium that was too big for them, right in the middle of nowhere and with no good transport links to it. Long story short, the club went out of business and had start again. Now they're groundsharing with another non-league club.

[@johnwilliamknox7156]

So sad to see great grounds die.Thanks for the view interesting.

[@cadynrobinson4035]

Ok 1st - Swansea City is from WALES! Though we play I'm the english football league you never call anyone from Swansea English... we are Welsh and proud. 2nd - Swansea Citys stadium was called the Vetch field not the Fetch. field. Yours Sincerely A very annoyed Swans fan

[@dennissamuelmathews7493]

Noone gives a fuck if your annoyed or not

[@gogsmkt4622]

Would be interesting to see what Maine Road and Upton Park became.

[@rhys8813]

Upton park is becoming flats.

[@CONSIDERABLYMORE1]

Ayresome Park? Roker Park? Both worth of being 1966 WC venues but not of this arbitrary, so called top 10?

[@walboyfredo6025]

At least both ground had Premiership matches on then unlike Millwall's Old Den!

[@melvyntee]

Good video but Swansea's ground was Vetch Field not Fetch

[@sawleyram7405]

The Baseball Ground (Derby) actually carried on being used until 2002 for training, the youth team and for some events.

[@JoeAriminvm]

Sad really. A mate of mine lives in one of Highbury's flats and they kept a lot of the old ground character. At least it's not a fuckin Asda!

[@vvmmuu]

Missed a chance...!! Could have shown black and white pencil drawings of Evertons old ground in the 1890's and then the twist of showing Liverpool F.C. Anfield Road now.

[@derekblythe6143]

Can't believe Highfield Road wasn't on the list,wished they just refurbished it instead of knocking the grand old stadium down.Like many other's

[@johnraftery7447]

Plough Lane has improved!

[@Ivor_Windybottom]

Leeds rd with the massive slag heap overlooking

[@matthewdixon1564]

What a video gg dude!

[@TopTenWTF]

+TheBaconatorTDL cheers mate!!

[@1964cohibas]

Spurs new ground has kept the feel of the old ‘Lane’ Just bigger

[@oscillanftw9502]

I love you Swindon town FC !!!!!

[@clivehenry5750]

Arsenal done it right,you can still see Highbury there with the right imagination ,wonder if any of that grass is from the pitch ?

[@DA-dw5zn]

The Baseball Ground was my favourite ground. I hoped when they moved it would be turned into the reserves stadium or training ground or even just a community museum/garden for the fans to visit & chat about old times.

[@marcusjohns5166]

Every time I go back to the Ding, I plan on going up to see what's happened to Elm Park but can never make myself actually do it (And I don't mind the Mad Stad. It could be a LOT worse... But it really isn't a patch on Elm Park).

[@staygoldponyboy8881]

If the fetch is in there what about Ninian Park? Proper old school ground I miss it soooooo much

[@carlellam7492]

Loved going to ninian park with huddersfield, don't think iv seen us win there though 🤔

[@jamiemerrill9387]

I’m pretty sure that Victoria ground is now being built as a housing estate. I walk past it every stoke game

[@geoffbullock8280]

No Roker Park? History lesson needed for you! SAFC

[@footballtop10s59]

Great vid m8! 👌🏻

[@TopTenWTF]

+Declan Sanderson thank you!!

[@footballtop10s59]

Top Ten FTW Np keep up ur great content 👌🏻

[@davidbaxter3101]

Scunthorpe Unites old ground... is now a supermarket. Scunthorpe had a new ground built.

[@newcastlehub6102]

Top Ten Ftw you are soooooo good

[@TopTenWTF]

+KZbin Toffee408 hahaha thank you. Appreaciate That!

[@oscillanftw9502]

Great video m8 keep up the good work

[@PhilK112]

Why not Sunderlands old ground Roker Park ? (A disaster to move and an idiotic name given new ground)

[@phillipmason3801]

Hulls Boothferry Park too.

[@gnwillou]

Went to 8 of them

[@YoloMenace001]

No notts county or Nottingham Forest?

[@raffikurniansyah1350]

Arsenal on Highbury: invincible to get trophy😎 Arsenal on Emirates: impossible to get the trophy 😂😂😂😂

[@croissant6439]

Cool

[@TopTenWTF]

+SomeonePlayzYT thanks

[@MrStevecfc]

Nice vid, to me the best redevelopment would be CBL, the worst one got to be Stoke

[@2ndEndingVintage]

Best two are Swansea and Highbury....all the others are dishonorable trash....

[@davesheldon2874]

modern grounds are identikit, dreary

[@filipt1]

Upton park missing

[@Aidankiwi]

Vetch Field, Swansea...not Fetch and is not English! Last time i looked on Google maps Swansea was most definitely in Wales. Some of the bigger ones you missed....Manchester City - Maine Road, West Ham United - Boleyn Ground, Coventry City - Highfield Road, Middlesborough - Ayresome Park, Sunderland - Roker Park, Hull City - Boothferry Park.

[@eaglelegend1]

I worked at the Highbury redevelopment, and I must admit they did a good job, it still looks like an the old ground (using the stands and converting to flats), also the apartments are glass fronted and have stairs going up, making it look like a terrace still. Times do change after all (good or bad). I also wrote on top of the door of (allegedly) wengers flat “ wenger is a peado”, childish I know, but it made the lads laugh........

[@williamwellington8668]

Stokes Ground looks better now than it ever did.....lol.

[@sisuout9359]

No cov ?????????????

[@keysersoze3618]

Houses on there the sky blues should still be there Ricoh has been a fuckin disaster

[@stephendines1936]

What no Northampton town county ground?

[@agentrobgroup]

3:24 Its Vetch field, not Fetch field. Disclaimer: I am NOT a Swansea City fan.

[@DontAttme]

MCFC - Maine rd, moss side

[@joeperrin3217]

Couldn't be bothered to cut out the badges on Photoshop no? White grey checkerboard background.

[@neilb229]

Swansea was Vetch Field not Fetch Field!!

[@Aidankiwi]

...and is Welsh not English.

[@MrKenny777]

For someone like me, brought up watching football in the 1970s, this is incredibly sad. Then I remember the grotty toilets and the broken terracing and I'm not so nostalgic.

[@jackwood4094]

What about Shrewsbury with the gay meadow 1910 to 2007

[@callumatkins6891]

Why leave your spiritual home when you can develop? Teams like derby Swansea bolton moving to cheap crappy stadiums with no character instead of developing, its even worse when you move from the heart of your community

[@mitch2620]

Tell me about it mate. Rams fan here, miss the BBG. They were going to redevelop it and turn the pitch 90 degrees so the Leys Stand would be behind one of the goals, but it never happened. Poor transport links etc. The Police always complained about not being able to contain trouble too if it happened (which it did a lot when I was a kid) due to the maize of streets around the ground. Like you say, Pride Park is soulless, it's home though, so it'll have to do.

[@indiekiddrugpatrol3117]

Lev Mitchell I’m a derby fan and I hate pride park, it’s in the middle of an industrial estate while the BBG was in between a factory and terraced houses, even Real Madrid were intimidated.

[@lippyfrybender4622]

@@mitch2620 I agree I hate pride park I miss the popside old ladies sacking the players we could have done bbg up for Peanuts in 1992 what is it about this fixation with property and development that chairman have?bums on seats and a decent team come on you rams

[@mickeasingwood7451]

Let's be honest, most of the grounds featured were shitholes. They nearly all had lots of restricted views. Bolton had a supermarket behind one of the goals! (like Palace, but less subtle)

[@themickster6775]

That was a travesty of football at that time because that end (the Whitehorse) was a massive terrace end until around the mid 80s where part of that ground was sold off without any real consultation with the fans and the chairman/board made a nice tidy profit thanks to Sainsburys

[@themickster6775]

That was a travesty of football at that time because the Whitehorse End was a massive terrace and was sold of to Sainsburys in the mid 80s by the board with no real consultation with the fans, leaving a rubbish joke end and the board with a nice fat profit

[@MiniLemmy]

Swansea is in Wales, not England - and their ground was the VETCH field, not Fetch field

[@adrianlewis4928]

Swansea's old ground was the Vetchfield not the fetch field

[@mackemcabbie]

Roker Park????

[@johnraftery7447]

Highbury redevelopment the classiest but why no library?

[@kevinwallbank2069]

Stoke city old Victoria ground now has houses on it

[@PaulTaylor80]

I like what they did with Highbury but still not good to see stadiums with so much history being torn down 😩

[@geoffburrows6988]

Weird seeing the pitch as park at highbury but thankfully it was listed the two main grandstands.We did need a bigger stadium.

[@harry-bc6dn]

i miss filbert street

[@john111257]

great vid

[@gloryfan58]

Don't forget "The Manor" Oxford United

[@Omaree87]

higbury

[@robbiemain1408]

What about Bothferry Park (Hull City) Bristol Rovers old ground, Middlesbroughs' old ground, Roker Park (Sunderland) .... I see the baseball ground is still water logged

[@crb6468]

WTF? Where’s Maine Road

[@2112alice]

Its actually Vetch Field!

[@DAVIDWILLIAMS-fx2nr]

Interesting but where was Doncaster Rovers ? (really annoying music mate)

[@aidanhegarty2688]

Poorly researched and complied list. The Vetch Field (not Fetch Field) was not an 'Old English' football stadium as per the video title, the stadium and the City of Swansea both of course being in Wales. At the same time as including a stadium from outside England in a list of former English stadia (the correct plural of stadium) the following old stadia are omitted from the list... Roker Park (Sunderland) Ayresome Park (Middlesborough) Maine Road (Manchester City) Highfield Road (Coventry City) Boleyn Ground (West Ham United). I've probably missed one or two other potential candidates, but suffice to say the examples I have highlighted surely merit inclusion? Really piss poor effort.

[@eaglelegend1]

Where is oxford utds “the manor”??

[@williamwellington8668]

Clue is in the title.....FOOTBALL GROUNDS....

[@dimitrisg392]

Boleyn??

[@Paul-uw3oi]

Married Henry viii mate?

[@TheTony70504]

@@Paul-uw3oi PMSLLLLL

[@dingledingle7951]

Clubs sold their soul and identify back when grounds had character and were all unique now they are all in identical looking boo and eat big hot dog and big Pepsi different supporter now

[@indiekiddrugpatrol3117]

Dingle Dingle blame the Taylor report which drastically reduced stadium capacities and forced them to move

[@johncharlescaley]

You can still visit beautifull downtown Bramall Lane.

[@TheTony70504]

@@johncharlescaley Or Turf Moor.

[@arifrahman3330]

Upton Park?

[@wevz9581]

VETCH field not 'fetch' please change it, its so annoying as a swans fan...

[@susanlynch1966]

The old Swansea ground was Vetch Field not Fetch Field

[@johnnyfartpants4801]

Arsenal Stadium to be precise. Not Highbury. It's a crying shame that they don't do more to commemorate what's been lost.

[@jonathancainphotography6105]

Sealand road Chester city now a shopping park