Down the pile

[bolt]

best grounds in the championship as judged


Best 2014-15 Championship stadiums, according to BuildingMaterials.co.uk:

1. iPro Stadium, Derby County
2. New York Stadium, Rotherham United
3. The Amex, Brighton & Hove Albion
4. Vicarage Road, Watford
5. Riverside, Middlesbrough
6. Madejski Stadium, Reading
7. Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff City
8. The Valley, Charlton Athletic
9. Elland Road, Leeds United
10. Molineux, Wolverhampton Wanderers
11. City Ground, Nottingham Forest
12. Craven Cottage, Fulham
13. Goldsands Stadium, Bournemouth
14. Carrow Road, Norwich City
15. St Andrew's, Birmingham City
16. Ewood Park, Blackburn Rovers
17. Macron Stadium, Bolton Wanderers
18. Bloomfield Road, Blackpool
19. John Smith's Stadium, Huddersfield Town
20. Portman Road, Ipswich Town
21. Hillsborough, Sheffield Wednesday
22. The Den, Millwall
23. Griffin Park, Brentford
24. DW Stadium, Wigan Athletic



looks like wigan is a dodgy place to sit only joking , I could have put under the pile only j

[spionkop]

If we don't get new owners soon the main stand will become a grade 2 listed building. The Blues Trust has done a brilliant job in that they have got Stan's classified of "community value" so that there has to be a consultation period if BIHL decide to sell the stadium.
Rg

[aKROKiwi]

This is silly, what are the criteria?

Some of the clubs listed (Brghton, Middlesbrough, Wolves, Rotherham, Reading, Wigan, Derby) had realky crappy old grounds so no doubt they are pleased but why?

[spionkop]

In recent years aKK they have sold their old grounds to developers and built shiny new stadiums. Just what Gollyvan wanted to do with St. Andrews and move to Saltley. When they couldn't get planning permission they lost interest in Blues and sold out. They have now sold West Ham's Boleyn ground, for a fortune, and are renting the Olympic stadium, where they will move for the 2016/2017 season.
Most of these stadiums are out of town and pretty soulless. Builders World, who ever they are, clearly favour these new stadiums cos they have made lots of dosh out of building them.
Rg

[aKROKiwi]

That's a shame because it does seem to be possible to re-build grounds on the same spot - based on the TV The Hawthorns & Molineux are pretty different from 1972 but they were certainly "atmospheric" in those days. When Blues were away we would also sometimes go and see Coventry or Walsall as well as Wolves and that was fun too - apart from the fact that Highfield Road seemed to have been constructed to guarantee your view of at least one penalty area was obscured by a huge metal pole supporting the roof of the stand - but that ground and Sadlers Road aren't used anymore either. When my uncle was sick my Aunty's nephew would take me to see Albion the crowd at The Hawthorns was good natured like Coventry, even though both sides struggled that year and I think Albion may have been relegated. Wolves had a good team but the atmosphere was pretty poisonous. We even followed Albion to Maine Road where they were thrashed as Man City had a tremendous team much to the delight of the very noi

[viperblue]

Rotherham and Brightons ground are just too small for championshi .pStans should be about 6/7 on that list
KRO

[bluesince62]

Bit meaningless really.
Perhaps there are some that like the off the shelf/flat pack new stadia but I personally find places like Derby and Wolves to be eyestingingly shoite and souless. Unless you like brightly painted girders that is.
Give me an Ashton gate surrounded by terraced streets any day - dare I say it even rat hole park above places like the iPro.

KRO