I've been to all of them, only visiting, never lived there, never would. It's just a feeling I had when I was there, difficult to explain. The worst example I can remember was coming out of Upton Park when we got done 3-0 in the cup a few seasons ago. On the walk from the ground back to the station I thought I was in another world. I had my wife with me and I was scared for both of us. The aggression and what appeared to be hate on people's faces as we walked past. I never felt happier to be on the train home as we left London that day.
Funny that, because I once took a friend of mine from Brixton out in Barnsley on a Saturday night and he said it was the most intimidating place he'd ever been. Having been out many times in both Brixton and Barnsley, I'd say Barnsley is the most intimidating place to go if you're not a native. Maybe people are just afraid of the unknown and feel out of their comfort zone in new environments. Maybe you should stick to Dodworth in future.
As the German Comedian Henning Wehn said "It's sad but true that with the British bombing all our cities to the ground during the war did us a strange sort of favour as we got a chance to rebuild them all properly so we didn't end up living in a dump like Londoners do."
I think I should be able to go anywhere without feeling intimidated but I realise that's unrealistic. I'm only expressing my opinion, which I stand by, yours is obviously different. However, I can't believe that anyone visiting Barnsley would feel more intimated than on that terrible day around Upton Park. Not sure what you're getting at with your point about Dodworth. Maybe I should stick to my house in Hamburg, Germany too.
Your location says Dodworth. It wasn't a dig, sorry if it came across that way! I think judging a place on the atmosphere just after the final whistle of a football match is a bit harsh...
Possibly it is a bit harsh but actually it wasn't the immediate vicinity of the ground that was the problem on the day, rather the areas we passed through on the walk back to the underground station, most of the people there were probably not at the match. I've spoken to many people who felt equally intimidated at the time, like LDRed for example. Point taken about Dodworth. For the record, I once felt very intimidated in the Station Inn at Dodworth. Just to even things up a bit!
Guys, give Hemsy a break! He's only made a few posts on here since his re-instatement, and you're jumping down his throat at the first opportunity. Does it matter one iota what Hemsy thinks of Dortmund!!
I can't get my head round why a few posters on here bum Germany and it's football so much and put our own country and it's football down so much. Where's the pride for our country gone? No wonder it's gone to the dogs with the mentality of people......sad!!!