Football is a major part of English culture. Everyone’s got to have a team, and if you don’t want to strike up a conversation about the weather, striking up one about the weekend’s football scores is your next best option. The chances are you’ll be speaking to someone who’s passionate about the sport and will have something to say about the game, the state of their club or one of the football competitions.
So, if you’re visiting the UK, it makes sense to visit one of the many stadiums in the country. As you walk around, you can capture the immensity of the pitches, the stands and the dugout, and when you see the stadium on the screen, understanding something of what the fans attending a live game there are feeling.
Below is a look at some of the UK’s most famous football stadiums, starting with London club Tottenham Hotspur’s stadium.
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
For a long time, Spurs used to play at White Hart Lane, but now they play at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, High Road, London. The stadium seats over 62,000, which makes it the biggest club ground in London. In fact, it’s even bigger than Arsenal’s ground, the Emirates Stadium. In the South Stand alone, there are 17,500 seats.
The stadium cost around £1 billion to build and features a microbrewery inside, the first of its kind, which will please anyone who enjoys a beer while they follow the action on the pitch. Anyone else who wants food or drink has a choice of 65 outlets to which they can go.
Of course, perhaps you’d prefer to take part in some football betting on a game and experience another part of the country’s culture, rather than visit the ground or attend a game. Sports betting is big in Britain and always has been. 888 Sport is one website where you can lay your money down and experience the thrills of football betting while you follow the action.
Old Trafford
Old Trafford is England’s largest league ground and holds 74,789 people. With the exception of eight years due to bomb damage during World War II, the ground has been Manchester United’s home since 1910. You’ll find the ground out on Matt Busby Way.
It’s a stadium that has hosted legends. People even call it the ‘Theatre of Dreams’. Around the venue you’ll find nods to some of its most legendary players: George Best, Denis Law and Sir Bobby Charlton, as well as to Sir Alex Ferguson and Sir Matt Busby.
Etihad Stadium
The Etihad Stadium is the home of Manchester United’s derby arch rivals, Manchester City, and also served as the athletics stadium for the 2002 Commonwealth Games. The club moved to the stadium after 80 years at their previous home of Maine Road.
You’ll find the stadium at the Etihad Campus, in Manchester. The ground has a capacity of 55,017.
Anfield
If you’re looking for an iconic football ground, it doesn’t get much more so than Anfield, the home of Liverpool FC. The ground has been home to the club since 1892, which was when Liverpool formed as a club. Believe it or not, however, derby rivals Everton played at the ground for eight years before the club became home to Liverpool.
Anfield has undergone several redevelopments throughout its time. In 1928, the famously noisy stand the Kop was the subject of a redevelopment to house 30,000 supporters. Later, at the start of the 2016/17 campaign, the Main Stand came to the end of a redevelopment that added 8,000 seats. Today, Anfield stadium has a capacity of 53, 394. You’ll find it on (surprise, surprise) Anfield Road.
Emirates Stadium
The Emirates Stadium became Arsenal’s new home and saw its first footballing action on 22 July 2006 when it hosted Dennis Bergkamp’s testimonial. Before moving into their new home at Highbury House, 75 Drayton Park, the Gunners had played at Highbury for 93 years, so there were likely one or two tears from fans to finally be moving on as the ground will have held many memories.
But the increase in the capacity of this state-of-the-art stadium allows more fans to get behind the team and is certainly something for them to cheer about. Whereas Highbury accommodated 38,000, the Emirate stadium has room for 60, 260. While visiting the ground, you’ll see the impressive ‘Spirit of Highbury’, an impressive photo mural that acknowledges many of the iconic players and managers to have served the club at its former home.
The UK is home to the most exciting league in football, the Premier League, so if you’re visiting it makes sense to check out one of its many football grounds and get a sense of the excitement fans feel when they’re in the stadium. Whether you’re attending a match or just taking a tour of the ground, these stadiums will offer fantastic memories.
The post Visiting the UK’s Most Famous Football Grounds appeared first on Travel Experta - Travel, Lifestyle, Freedom.
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By: Marina Villatoro
Title: Visiting the UK’s Most Famous Football Grounds
Sourced From: travelexperta.com/visiting-the-uks-most-famous-football-grounds/
Published Date: Thu, 10 Feb 2022 15:05:33 +0000
