How Many Grounds...?

Up to 27 just of the top of my head, will need to get into the loft to check programmes.

Some highlights include Merthyr in the rain - even though we lost.

Sudbury - even though we lost again, but on a personal note did a coast to coast across the country as set off from Aberystwyth as at Uni. Oh I didn't get a programme either. Maybe it wasn't such a good trip.

Leamington play offs for obvious reasons!

My first away game was vs rugby in about 1992 I reckon.

sirsmilerIII wrote:  Of course I've also been to that dump in London called Wembley Stadium,  

Wembley used to be a dump but it's changed beyond recognition since the rebuild. It's somewhat magnificent now.

Vaguely acceptable for a Johnny Come Lately...

???????
???????
Frome
Bedford
Barwell
Worcester City
???????
Chippenham
Workington

With my swiss cheese beer addled brain I think I did rather well to not be able to recall only three of them.

Dave the Glassboy wrote:

sirsmilerIII wrote:  Of course I've also been to that dump in London called Wembley Stadium,  

Wembley used to be a dump but it's changed beyond recognition since the rebuild. It's somewhat magnificent now.

The original Wembley was magnificent,i hate the monstrosity that has replaced it.

It's got as much soul as my @rse,a travesty that the old one was knocked down.

Devil's Advocate wrote:

Dave the Glassboy wrote:

sirsmilerIII wrote:  Of course I've also been to that dump in London called Wembley Stadium,  

Wembley used to be a dump but it's changed beyond recognition since the rebuild. It's somewhat magnificent now.

The original Wembley was magnificent,i hate the monstrosity that has replaced it.

It's got as much soul as my @rse,a travesty that the old one was knocked down.

The old Wembley was awful. I'd have happily driven the bulldozer through it myself.

14 i can recall including the most obvious one. The list of the other 13 will date when I was around (currently in exile too far the other side of Worky):

halesowen town
sandwell borough (newbury lane?)
dudley (round oak)
bridgnorth
willenhall (noose lane)
bilston
tamworth
sutton coldfield
alvechurch
redditch
warwick
dover
west brom (not entirely sure about this one, but i remember going to a game there when only one stand was open: must have been a stourbridge bsc match)

Dave the Glassboy wrote:

Devil's Advocate wrote:

Dave the Glassboy wrote:

sirsmilerIII wrote:  Of course I've also been to that dump in London called Wembley Stadium,  

Wembley used to be a dump but it's changed beyond recognition since the rebuild. It's somewhat magnificent now.

The original Wembley was magnificent,i hate the monstrosity that has replaced it.

It's got as much soul as my @rse,a travesty that the old one was knocked down.

The old Wembley was awful. I'd have happily driven the bulldozer through it myself.

Architecturally the new Wembley is a superb stadium - although I can only speak from having gone past it on the train/tube.

Quite why they built it in the same place where it takes forever to get to from most of the country, when they could have put it somewhere more accessible, is another matter.

Added to which is the question of whether we needed it at all in the first place. Old Trafford is big enough to accommodate the biggest matches, and places like Villa Park, Ashburton Grove and St James's Park can do others. It's good enough for Spain and Germany. How many other countries have a national stadium that isn't in regular use by one club like we do?

The money that the FA is still paying back on the place, and will be for years, would have been better spent on youth development, as people have "suddenly" realised.

Most of your lists seem to be missing one obvious ground - Stourbridge!

I totally agree with you devil regarding new and old Wembley.
Seeing the twin towers from the train to Euston used to give me goose pimples.
The new Wembley is repulsive.

Not having alot of time, and only going through the league tables listed on the non league paper website, i have calculated 48 grounds, in League & Cup(s). I will try and get this weeks non league paper and go through it if/ when i ever get a spare minute.

As for the new Wembley, architectually it is superb. Far superior to the old run down stadium. I am not 1 for new modern stadiums, but Wembley is good. The old 1 had character and history, but times change and the views at the old1 were border lining upon pathetic. I dont love the new stadium and it may just make it in my top 10. Also the area surrounding Wembley looks a lot better, having been there on Sunday for the NFL, the new shopping centre and restaurants around there are also brilliant.

I think of the 92 FL+EPL i have done 56 of the current 92. (Not including new& old- ie filbert street and Walkers- classing as just the 1.)

TRM wrote:Architecturally the new Wembley is a superb stadium - although I can only speak from having gone past it on the train/tube.

Quite why they built it in the same place where it takes forever to get to from most of the country, when they could have put it somewhere more accessible, is another matter.

Oh, I'll never disagree that it's in a terrible location.

64.


15 beginning with B,

10 beginning with S,

none beginning with I,J,Q,U,V,X,Y or Z.






....i`ve got a lot of time on my hands at the moment....

Think I can manage 35

in no particular order (and including a Q and a Y for Paranoid Android's sake)

Amblecote, Buxton, Plymouth, Chasetown, Kidderminster, Barwell, Tamworth, Rushall, Leamington, Sutton Coldfield, Hednesford, Newcastle under Lyme, Telford, Loughborough, Worcester, Quorn, Halesowen, Bishops Cleeve, Yate, Slimbridge, Boldmere, Cradley, Oldbury, Alvechurch, Bridgnorth, Willenhall, Wednesfield, Friar lane, Bewdley, Warwick, Paget, Backwell, Dudley Town (Castle View playing field for a PSF a little while ago), Stratford (Masons Road) Lye, and Mickleover.

Overall, 129 (mainly with Leeds), so not a patch on most of you seasoned travellers. Strangely, at only one of the grounds have I seen both Stour and Leeds play. It might have been two, but when Leeds played Telford away in the Cup about 25 years ago the tie was switched to the Hawthorns "for safety reasons".

I suppose the obvious one is Plymouth. Or maybe Telford for a Cup tie? Or Kiddy in a League Cup match? Unless it was an obscure psf?

Put me out of my misery, Mr B!

Plymouth is correct, but before redevelopment so one very open dilapidated terrace instead of the 21st century comfort we enjoyed.

Okay, here goes (including friendlies):

AFC Sudbury; AFC Totton; Alvechurch; Arlesey Town; Armitage
Backwell United; Baldock Town; Banbury United; Bangor City (old ground); Barry Town; Bartley Green; Barton Rovers; Barwell; Bashley; Bedford Town; Bedworth United; Berkhamsted Town; Bewdley Town; Biddulph Victoria; Bideford; Billericay Town; Bilston Town; Bishops Cleeve; Blakenall; Bloxwich Town; Blyth Spartans; Boston Town; Brackley Town; Bridgnorth Town; Bridgwater Town; Bromsgrove Rovers; Bromyard Town; Burton Albion (old & new); Buxton
Cambridge City; Cardiff City (Ninian Park); Cardiff Civil Service; Chalfont St Peter; Chasetown; Chesham United; Chippenham Town; Cinderford Town; Cirencester Town (old & new); Clevedon Town; Coalville Town; Coleshill Town; Corby Town (old & new); Cradley Town
Darlaston Town; Didcot Town; Dover Athletic; Dudley Sports; Dudley Town (Sports Centre & Round Oak); Dunstable Town
Evesham United (old & new)
Farnborough; Friar Lane and Epworth; Frome Town
Glossop North End; Gosport Borough; Grantham Town; Great Harwood Town; Gresley Rovers
Halesowen Harriers; Halesowen Town; Handrahan Timbers; Heanor Town; Hednesford Town (old & new); Hemel Hempstead Town; Hinckley Town; Hinckley United (old); Hitchin Town; Hucknall Town; Hungerford Town
Ilkeston Town
Kendal Town; Kidderminster Harriers; Kidsgrove Athletic; Kings Lynn
Leamington; Leicester United; Leighton Town; Lincoln Moorlands; Loughborough Dynamo; Ludlow Town; Lye Town
Malvern Town; Mangotsfield United; Merthyr Tydfil; Mile Oak Rovers; Moor Green
Newcastle Benfield Bay Plastics; Newcastle Emlyn; Newcastle Town; Newport AFC (Somerton Park & Newport Stadium); Nuneaton Borough/Town (old & new)
Oadby Town; Oldbury United; Oxford City
Paget Rangers (Springfield Road & Vale Stadium); Pelsall Villa; Pershore Town; Plymouth Argyle; Port Vale
Quorn
Racing Club Warwick; Rainworth Miners Welfare; Raunds Town; Redditch United; Rocester; Rothwell Town; Rushall Olympic; Rushden and Diamonds; Rushden Town
St Albans City; St Neots Town; Salisbury City; Sandwell Borough; Shepshed Dynamo; Shifnal Town; Southport; Spalding United; Stafford Rangers; Stafford Town; Stamford; Stapenhill; Stourbridge; Stourport Swifts; Stratford Town (old & new); Studley; Sutton Coldfield Town; Swindon Supermarine
Tamworth; Telford United; Tipton Town (old + Coneygre Sports Ground); Tiverton Town; Tividale; Trowbridge Town; Truro City
Uxbridge
VS Rugby
Walsall; Wednesfield; West Bromwich Albion; Westfields; West Midlands Police; Weymouth; Willenhall Town; Windsor and Eton; Wisbech Town; Woodford United; Worcester City; Workington
Yate Town

166 by my reckoning.

Also seen the youth team (but not the first team) at AFC Wulfrunians; Eccleshall; Solihull Moors; Wellington

I'm not going to go into quite as much detail as Dave, but having managed to just get a copy of the NLP and have a quick scan of the league tables I have counted 97 grounds visited watching Stour. My football league ground tally stands at 76, 2 in Scotland,2 in Northern Ireland,Wembley,Ajax Stadium Amsterdam,Porto,Luxemburg and and U-21 match in Brussells. Grand total of 182. Some way to go before that total matches my number of women.

Nathan Gulliver wrote:I'm not going to go into quite as much detail as Dave, but having managed to just get a copy of the NLP and have a quick scan of the league tables I have counted 97 grounds visited watching Stour. My football league ground tally stands at 76, 2 in Scotland,2 in Northern Ireland,Wembley,Ajax Stadium Amsterdam,Porto,Luxemburg and and U-21 match in Brussells. Grand total of 182. Some way to go before that total matches my number of women.

How many did you have to pay to get into?

dave w wrote:

Nathan Gulliver wrote:I'm not going to go into quite as much detail as Dave, but having managed to just get a copy of the NLP and have a quick scan of the league tables I have counted 97 grounds visited watching Stour. My football league ground tally stands at 76, 2 in Scotland,2 in Northern Ireland,Wembley,Ajax Stadium Amsterdam,Porto,Luxemburg and and U-21 match in Brussells. Grand total of 182. Some way to go before that total matches my number of women.

How many did you have to pay to get into?

At least 90% of them. I've spent virtually every penny I've ever had following the Albion and then Stour all over the country, and now Northern Ireland aswell! I had a few freebee's from Adrian Chiles after I had featured in his book, but as he said, I was one of the main reasons why the book sold in the first place!

dave w wrote:

Nathan Gulliver wrote:Grand total of 182. Some way to go before that total matches my number of women.

How many did you have to pay to get into?

Women or grounds Dave? ;-)

Nathan Gulliver wrote:

dave w wrote:

Nathan Gulliver wrote:I'm not going to go into quite as much detail as Dave, but having managed to just get a copy of the NLP and have a quick scan of the league tables I have counted 97 grounds visited watching Stour. My football league ground tally stands at 76, 2 in Scotland,2 in Northern Ireland,Wembley,Ajax Stadium Amsterdam,Porto,Luxemburg and and U-21 match in Brussells. Grand total of 182. Some way to go before that total matches my number of women.

How many did you have to pay to get into?

At least 90% of them. I've spent virtually every penny I've ever had following the Albion and then Stour all over the country, and now Northern Ireland aswell! I had a few freebee's from Adrian Chiles after I had featured in his book, but as he said, I was one of the main reasons why the book sold in the first place!

That was a great book! Your comment to Earnshaw after a rubbish corner at Reading in an FA Cup replay cracked me up for ages! (not suitable to reprint here!)

stour_boy wrote:

Nathan Gulliver wrote:

dave w wrote:

Nathan Gulliver wrote:I'm not going to go into quite as much detail as Dave, but having managed to just get a copy of the NLP and have a quick scan of the league tables I have counted 97 grounds visited watching Stour. My football league ground tally stands at 76, 2 in Scotland,2 in Northern Ireland,Wembley,Ajax Stadium Amsterdam,Porto,Luxemburg and and U-21 match in Brussells. Grand total of 182. Some way to go before that total matches my number of women.

How many did you have to pay to get into?

At least 90% of them. I've spent virtually every penny I've ever had following the Albion and then Stour all over the country, and now Northern Ireland aswell! I had a few freebee's from Adrian Chiles after I had featured in his book, but as he said, I was one of the main reasons why the book sold in the first place!

That was a great book! Your comment to Earnshaw after a rubbish corner at Reading in an FA Cup replay cracked me up for ages! (not suitable to reprint here!)

Yes, that line often gets mentioned when I speak to people who have read the book! Graham Le Saux was sat next to me that night in question and even he cracked up laughing. Earnshaw was such a lazy,half soaked player....who also couldn't get enough height or power on his corner kicks,when he finally managed to amble over to take one!

Just done a quick tot up and was surprised to find out I have done over 40 non league grounds pretty much all of them watching Stour,not many compared to some but not to bad as one of the newer fans who has only been going away post Walsall FA Cup.  Did a fair few when I was a nipper with my Grandad watching Brierley Hill Alliance but can only really recall Coventry Sporting,does that ground or the club still exist in any form? I have done plenty of league grounds but many of those don't exist anymore Roker,Maine Rd,Filbert St etc

Not one for my list, but I recently took an economics exam in a suite at Ibrox with a view towards the field: quite an ironic location given the subject matter!

Sat three exams towards my professional accounting qualification at Brammall Lane last year; could there have been a worse venue!!