Grounds from the Past (Part 2)

By Simon Wright – Follow me on Twitter @Siwri88

After 112 years of fond memories and heroes, West Ham United have bid a fond farewell to Upton Park. One of football’s most iconic venues is no more and in the second part of a new mini-series, here is six other famous football grounds from the past and finding out what has happened to them since their homes were discarded by football teams.

Maine Road (Manchester City)

Opened: 1923

Closed: 2003

Gaining the nickname ‘Wembley of the North,’ Maine Road was the home of Manchester City for 80 years and a popular venue too for the FA, hosting England matches, a League Cup final and 18 FA Cup semi-finals when they were on neutral grounds.

Manchester United actually played on the site for four years during the aftermath of World War II after Old Trafford was damaged in the Manchester Blitz.

By the 1990s, the stadium was becoming outdated and although development work continued, plans to increase capacity levels to 45,000 were shelved when the club endured two relegations in three seasons.

The final match at the ground was played vs Southampton in May 2003. The Saints won 1-0 and City moved to the City of Manchester Stadium shortly afterwards to play in the centrepiece venue of the 2002 Commonwealth Games.  

ON THE SITE NOW: 474 new homes and a public art display commemorating the stadium.

Baseball Ground (Derby County)

Opened: 1890

Closed: 2003

At the height of its popularity, the Baseball Ground could hold 42,000 spectators. Its record attendance came in 1969 for a league match with Tottenham Hotspur, when 41,826 turned up during the heyday of Brian Clough.

Derby won two English league titles in the mid-1970s, but the Baseball Ground became another victim of a team slumping down the divisions in the 1980s and the Taylor Report’s all-seater requirements after Hillsborough.

The Rams played one Premier League season at the ground, with Arsenal the final visitors there in May 1997. The ground actually was still in use until 2003 by Derby’s reserve teams when it was finally closed as a sports stadium after 113 years.

ON THE SITE NOW: 150 new homes and a commemorative statue which was unveiled on the site in 2010.

Gay Meadow (Shrewsbury Town)

Opened: 1910

Closed: 2007

Considered as one of the most picturesque grounds in the Football League, Gay Meadow hosted football for almost a century before closing in 2007.

Located on the banks of the River Severn, it opened in 1910 and was a popular venue to visit for both home and away supporters. It was the site of one of Shrewsbury Town’s greatest victories when they knocked Premier League Everton out of the FA Cup third round in January 2003.

It’s high flood risk though and cramped location meant closure was inevitable. Shrewsbury had considered moving for over 20 years, finally moving to a new ground in 2007 called New Meadow.

ON THE SITE NOW: 150 luxury flats which were completed in 2014 after five years building work. 

Belle Vue (Doncaster Rovers)

Opened: 1922

Closed: 2006

Affectionally known by Doncaster Rovers fans as ‘Old Belle Vue,’ the ground was opened by Charles E. Sutcliffe from the Football League in August 1922.

It was renowned for having one of the top five pitches in the UK, at 110 yards long and 72 yards wide. Belle Vue did have a chequered history. In June 1995, extensive damage was caused to the Main Stand in a fire which later turned out to be an arson plot. Owner Ken Richardson was found guilty and sentenced to four years in jail for conspiracy to commit arson, whilst actual arsonist Alan Kristiansen received a one-year sentence.

The last game played at Belle Vue was in December 2006 before a move to the Keepmoat Stadium. The ground was demolished after an explosion at the vacant land two months later which hospitalised two people. In June 2014, the go-ahead was finally given for new houses to be built on the site.

ON THE SITE NOW: Nothing, although 151 new houses are due to be built in future on the land.

Victoria Ground (Stoke City)

Opened: 1878

Left: 1997

The Victoria Ground was the oldest FL ground in operation until closure in 1997

At the time of its demolition in 1997, the Victoria Ground (pictured) was the oldest operational ground in the Football League.

It was home to Stoke City for over 100 years and the likes of Gordon Banks and Sir Stanley Matthews were among some of the greats to play their club football here.

Following the Taylor Report, Stoke initially laid out plans to redevelop ‘The Vic’ but shelved them in the mid-1990s and moved to the now newly-named bet365 stadium in the summer of 1997.

ON THE SITE NOW: Even 19 years on, nothing has been built on the site of ‘The Vic.’

Burnden Park (Bolton Wanderers)

Opened: 1895

Closed: 1997

Home to Bolton Wanderers for 101 years, Burnden Park provided a mixture of triumph and tragedy throughout its time as a football venue.

It staged the FA Cup final replay in 1901 when Tottenham Hotspur beat Sheffield United 3-1. In March 1946 though, that same competition brought disaster to the ground. 33 fans died and 400 were injured when crushing occurred at the FA Cup quarter-final tie between the Trotters and Stoke City. Figures suggested Burnden Park was 15,000 overcrowded on the day and it led to the Hughes Report and more rigorous control of crowd sizes.

The last match at the ground was played in April 1997. Bolton beat Charlton Athletic 4-1 as they celebrated promotion back to the Premier League. Demolition wouldn’t take place though for another two years after Bolton moved to the Macron Stadium.

ON THE SITE NOW: From 2005, an ASDA superstore with a number of photographs above the checkouts of the former stadium and great Bolton players of the past.