This should bring back some memories for those who watched us away in the 70's/80's

http://www.sabotagetimes.com/football-sport/boundary-park-and-the-10-worst-away-ends/

Glad that the supermarket at Burnden Park gets a mention, though a lot of awful ones have been missed off. Plus I liked Saltergate and Prenton Park, but still a good read!

 

Re: This should bring back some memories for those who watched us away in the 70's/80

Only been to a few of the ones mentioned in the article and the only one that brings back (many, many) bad memories is Boundary Park - if only for how bl**dy cold it always was. So much so that on one occasion Mum and Dad persuaded the rest of us to pay an extra fiver each to take shelter in ths stands (what, sit down?!!) due to the horizontal sleet and wind bestowed upon is in the Rochdale Road End. Good call, as it happened.

The 2 other grounds that bring back really bad memories as far as conditions go, are Blundell Park and Valley Parade. At Grimsby we were always penned into a covered corner stand, straining necks, looking diagonally through fencing to try and see the pitch. If that wasn't bad enough, the place always stank of rotting fish. Made me wretch.

Then Bradford - only went once, and never again. We said at the time it was too dangerous - it was a cup game I think and we were absolutely crammed in tight, behind the goal. There was a food place at the back (a bit like the old one that we used to have on old Kop end) and it had a flap that hinged from the top (to close it up when not in use). It was so delapidated that the hinge kept failing and with nowhere for us to move it kept hitting Dad on the top his head, which ultimately caused quite a gash. A few months or so later the fire happened. Sadly, it was not a surprise to us that it happened in such a shambolic place.

 

Re: This should bring back some memories for those who watched us away in the 70's/80

Blundell Park - totally horrendous and presumably no better now. My only visit to Valley Parade was relatively recently so it was pretty decent by then. Awful away ends that don't get a mention there include Filbert Street, the corner behind the floodlight pylon at Carrow Road, and the Abbey Stadium just off the top of my head! As far as the all seater era goes, Elland Road is still completely dire imo.

 

Re: This should bring back some memories for those who watched us away in the 70's/80

I seem to remember going to Swindons ground about twenty years or so ago and watching our goalie at the time, Lee Butler, having to get the ball back from the roof of a small building on the edge of the pitch. Did I imagine this?

 

Re: This should bring back some memories for those who watched us away in the 70's/80

Small buldings round the edge of the pitch - isn't that what the Manor Ground, Oxford entirely consisted of?! I seem to remember counting seven different stands on my only visit there!

 

Re: This should bring back some memories for those who watched us away in the 70's/80

luton town - soul destroying, £30 odd to get in and cant see anything
oldham - coldest ground ever

 

Re: This should bring back some memories for those who watched us away in the 70's/80

His own Wigan away end was shocking. Always seemed to have just stopped emptying down when we went there, so the grassy bank just became a mudslide for the day.

Bristol Rovers at Eastville was awful - much, much worse than the Memorial Ground (as was Twerton Park in Bath where they played for a while). An open end (typical of most away grounds in those days) where you needed binoculars to see the goal nearest you because you had a dog & speedway racing track in front of you - and you were at the furthest point away as well. The away end at Chelsea was similar to Eastville and its the kind of view I imagine will be at the Olympic stadium when West Ham get it btw.

Agree with him on Brighton, Luton and Hereford. Watford wasn't much better either.

And in fairness, his club wasn't even around to witness the delights of Millwalls Cold Blow Lane end in the 70s. That's a memory that'll live with me I can tell you.

But, regardless of the away ends, the worst grounds I've been to (I had done 88 of the 92 about 10 years ago, can't be bothered these days) were Aldershot and Newport County. Shocking.

And in todays modern game there are still some terrible away ends.

At Loftus Road back then you were in the lower section terracing and if you were at the bottom of it, you had the players knee caps at eye level. But its not got much better. If you're in the top section nowadays, it depends on where you sit to be able to see the goal nearest you. That can't be right.

And anyone without 20/20 vision or vertigo should avoid St James Park, Newcastle like the plague.

 

Re: This should bring back some memories for those who watched us away in the 70's/80

I would guess that Boundary Park is a good deal colder now it only has three sides.

 

Re: This should bring back some memories for those who watched us away in the 70's/80

Ha remember the bank at Wigan - awful ground! The away at blackpool was pretty grim as well - usually a Tuesday night in December!

 

Re: This should bring back some memories for those who watched us away in the 70's/80

Most away ends in the lower leagues at that time were open to the elements, because they really knew how to cater for the away fans (cattle) in them days.

 

Re: This should bring back some memories for those who watched us away in the 70's/80

Hartlepool's Victoria Ground (before those little stands were built) and Sunderland's Roker Park were both horrible grounds. Stood on an open end, with a permanently cold wind blowing off the North Sea. Also, The Shay at Halifax was always an unpleasant experience. Like some of the grounds mentioned earlier by Bluebird, it had a speedway track round the pitch. However, rather than terracing, we usually had to stand on what was probably a grass banking in the summer. When we usually visited, it was mud. We always stood at the top of this banking at the beginning of the game. After about twenty minutes, and without taking a step, we'd slid down to the bottom and were caked in sludge.
Happy days(!)Lol

 

Re: This should bring back some memories for those who watched us away in the 70's/80

Roker Park, how could I forget that little gem. Absolutely freezing.

 

Re: This should bring back some memories for those who watched us away in the 70's/80

Went up there one boxing day early/mid 90's - the bleakest place on God's Green Earth.

 

Re: This should bring back some memories for those who watched us away in the 70's/80

Sunderland, Hartlepool, Oldham, Halifax, Southport, Grimsby. Irrespective of the time of year, I was always cold at these grounds.
Once a wimp, always a wimp, that's me!

 

We lost 1-0 that day

Jim Dobbin cleared the ball off the line, it hit Gwyn Thomas on the arse and went in. That was it, only goal of the day. ****ed it down throughout the match.

I liked Roker Park though. Proper old fashioned football ground. Best example of that type in my opinion. Looked great.

 

'kin 'ell - even the weather falls foul of the swear filter on here

.

 

Re: 'kin 'ell - even the weather falls foul of the swear filter on here

That was the one. The 2 stands down either side of the pitch - proper football stands.

We were on the terrace with no roof, **** wet through and frozen. Enjoyed it.

 

Re: We lost 1-0 that day

Oh, I liked the look of Roker Park. It's just that I was always, always, freezing cold. Also, I only saw us win once there. It was in 1987 and we won 3-2, after being 2-0 down pretty early on. Sunderland went on to be relegated that season.

 

Re: This should bring back some memories for those who watched us away in the 70's/80

Ahhh memories.... trying to think back and have to agree with Bluebird in the main. Twerton Park (a Tuesday night 2-1 defeat with only Ian Banks given any crumb of comfort!) and Cold Blow Lane were up there as awful grounds. The barbed wire at Cold Blow Lane just gave it the finishing touches for welcoming away fans!!!

What I recall was usually being tucked away in corners of the ground often with a truly shocking view. West Brom did it a lot, Filbert Street seemed to have pylons galore restructing the corner view (always great atmosphere though) and Elland Road.