By Simon Wright – Follow me on Twitter @Siwri88
After 112 years of fond memories and heroes, West Ham United
bid a fond farewell to Upton Park on Tuesday night. One of football’s most
iconic venues is no more. The Hammers left the ground in style with a fantastic
3-2 victory at home to Manchester United with Winston Reid scoring the final
ever goal at the Boleyn.
To mark the occasion, here is a new mini-series, looking
back at some other famous football grounds from the past and what has happened
to them since their homes were discarded by football teams.
Opened: 1895
Closed: 1990
Loakes Park was the home of Wycombe Wanderers for over 100
years before they moved to their current home of Adams Park in 1990. Adams Park
is actually named in honour of Frank Adams, who had purchased the freehold of
Loakes Park and donated to the club in 1945.
Located next to Wycombe General Hospital, the ground didn’t
see many league matches with Wycombe in those days often plying their trade in
non-league football. The most famous game took place in the FA Cup third round
in 1975, when the hosts held First Division Middlesbrough to a 0-0 draw.
Wycombe started looking for a new home in the 1980s, but had
problems getting planning permission for a new home. Work on their current
ground began in 1989 only after the Home Secretary overturned the initial
rejection of a proposed ground at the end of Hillbottom Road.
ON THE SITE NOW: Extra car parking for
Wycombe General Hospital and new housing development.
Opened: 1897
Closed: 1997
Opening in 1897, Roker Park could hold a capacity of 75,000
in the early days of the 20th century. By the time of its closure in
1997, that figure had been severely reduced and the special feel it had was
gone.
It hosted four matches during the 1966 World Cup but the
Taylor Report launched after the Hillsborough Disaster insisted that all
English grounds should become all-seater stadiums.
Owner Bob Murray decided to start looking around for a new
location for Sunderland to play their football in 1992. Sunderland would
eventually move to the Stadium of Light in time for the 1997/1998 season.
ON THE SITE NOW: A
housing estate after the ground was demolished in 1998.
Opened: 1995
Closed: 2007
Initially used as the national home for England’s hockey
teams, this is where Wimbledon moved to in 2003 when they relocated
controversially to Milton Keynes. Burnley were the first opposition to play
here, with the game ending in a 2-2 draw.
Renamed Milton Keynes Dons in 2004, the ground was only ever
going to be a temporary home whilst the Dons owner Pete Winkelman found a more
permanent location which would be in Denbigh.
The Dons moved into their new home in 2007 – called Stadium
MK which has just seen its first season of Championship football.
The National Hockey Stadium then became a ghost location in
a growing town and was finally demolished in 2010.
ON THE SITE NOW: A headquarters building for
Network Rail.
Opened: 1898
Closed: 2001
 |
| The Dell was often a tough place for visiting sides to do well at |
After 113 years of football, Southampton said goodbye to The
Dell (pictured) in May 2001 and who else was to have the final say in the club’s swansong
game at the ground than the ‘Saints Messiah’ Matt Le Tissier.
Le Tissier scored the winning goal in a 3-2 victory over Arsenal
in the last minute of professional football at the ground.
The record attendance was in 1969 when over 31,000 witnessed
the likes of Sir Bobby Charlton and George Best play in a Manchester United
team that beat the Saints 3-0 in an FA Cup tie.
Capacity had been reduced to 15,000 by 1994 thanks to the
all-seater requirements and a move to the new St Mary’s Stadium on the banks of
the River Itchen was confirmed at the end of the 1998/1999 season.
ON THE SITE NOW: A housing estate, with
apartment blocks named after former players.
Opened: 1897
Left: 1994
This stadium still actually exists, as Northampton Town
shared the venue with Northamptonshire Cricket Club.
The Cobblers played at the ground for 97 years. Due to the
cricket fields’ size, there were only three sides for fans to sit or stand and
watch in those days.
In 1970, Manchester United travelled here in an FA Cup fifth
round game that they won 8-2 and George Best put in one of the best individual
performances of his glorious career, scoring six goals.
The final game Northampton Town played here was on 12
October 1994, losing 1-0 to Mansfield Town. Three days later, they began life
at Sixfields.
ON THE SITE NOW: Still used for County
Championship cricket matches.
Elm Park
(Reading)
Opened: 1896
Closed: 1998
Built on a former gravel pit, Reading started playing at Elm
Park in the late 19th century, although their first opponents were
actually not registered with the FA. Reading were fined a very severe £5!
Elm Park nearly closed in 1983 when talk emerged of a
potential merger between Reading and Oxford United. This was after the Royals’
had been relegated to the old Fourth Division. This didn’t happen and the
Berkshire outfit made an immediate return to Division Three under the guidance
of Ian Branfoot.
They eventually left in 1998 after realising converting to
an all-seater stadium would be impractical due to the Taylor Report
requirements.
ON THE SITE NOW: A residential housing
estate.
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