Which English grounds are still intimidating

[Icy Gull]

for either fans or opposition teams?

Reading today's online Argus article about how the Amex is not at all intimidating got me wondering about which grounds can still be viewed as such. All seater stadiums probably have something to do with it but I am struggling to think of any modern stadiums that can compare to Cold Blow Lane and others of bygone times.

OK so I haven't been to all the English grounds, so which ones do you reckon still have an intimidating atmosphere?

 

[Timbo]

None I don't think. Ninian Park used to be a hell of a day out but when you see them in the tele now it looks as sterile as everywhere else.

 

[theboybilly]

Maybe Elland Road, but only if you're daft enough to try and enter one of the pubs surrounding the ground wearing opposition colours. The new-build grounds are generally safer because they are not surrounded by loads of streets where, as in the case of the old Den, you could be picked off by a waiting mob that the Old Bill hadn't seen. I reckon Fratton Park could still be a bit tasty. And Cardiff, because they're Cardiff.

 

[WhingForPresident]

Madejski Stadium. A cauldron of noise and colour, sends a shiver down the spine.

 

[Giraffe]

I used to think West Ham, but that was in the old days. Last visit there I didn't feel any real hostility at all. Maybe because they won 6-0!

 

[Puppet Master]

Selhurst

 

[Napper]

Streets outside Molineux had a bit of tension about it

Pompey probably

 

[The Large One]

Selhurst

'Intimidating', not 'highly disease-ridden'.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

I don't think any grounds are intimidating now. The odd one might be noisier at times than others, but really, every ground has exactly the same scenario going on.

The home fans don't make much of a racket unless it's a big game or something controversial/exciting has happened, and the away fans cluster together and sing, incorrectly, "your support is ****ing shit" and " worst support we've ever seen". Every. Single. Time.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

I suppose it also depends what you mean by "intimidating". Pompey can bang their little drum & ring their bell, Palace can do lots of their copyrighted, all-their-own-invention ooooohing, and Millwall can sing "Miiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii..." etc, but I honestly don't think any of that makes a player think "Jesus, what am I going into?"

Maybe Millwall was scary in the 1980s. But not now. It's just the way football has gone

 

[Black Rod]

The only place you might have considered intimidating would be The Den, but most of that was taken away when they built the walkway direct from the station to the away end.

Leeds wasn't exactly pleasant this year but that was more to do with the inbred northern locals than it was any intimidation factor

 

[Harold]

Definitely Molineux. Lively both to and from the ground, with their fans pretty in your face inside. Attracts more than a few head-mentals. Immediate area is not nice.

 

[Return of the Rev]

None I don't think. Ninian Park used to be a hell of a day out but when you see them in the tele now it looks as sterile as everywhere else.

JAN 1976 NINIAN PARK! IAN MELLOR 0-1 CELEBRATED IN NON SEGREGATED SIDE STAND YEP THAT WAS INTIMIDATING AFTER THE GOAL

 

[Guinness Boy]

Back in the day Elland Road was pretty scary. I can remember playing them on the day of Hillsboro and them cheering at the first news of the disaster and also going there just before Christmas a couple of seasons later when we only had about 200 and there were loads of Leeds in our end. They also made a pretty big noise round the ground even for mid table fixtures. The scariest place ever was the Old Den though. Who remembers them trying to set fire to it after the playoff semi?

I haven't been away for a few seasons now but I can't imagine anywhere measures up to that these days.

 

[brightonrock]

Millwall isn't intimidating, it's a parody of itself. I was impressed by Forest away last season, very loud for a home support, but then we were both gunning for promotion and like the Amex, there's a lot of them so it stands to reason they'd be loud when they get going. On MOTD this year Cardiff have been impressive. I think generally though, very few grounds are that loud these days.

 

[Grombleton]

I think most of the modern stadia have lost that certain something - but many have been developed with families, groups, corporates etc in mind - it's easier to sell that as a package rather than a pie and a stabbing. It's like the Amex- it's built as a 'community' stadium, so they try to cater for all and as such it's going to lose some atmosphere (though it does sound epic when we bother to make enough noise).

I can't think of many places that would be 'intimidating', though i suppose if you're naive and end up in a home pub wearing away colours then it's not likely to go down too well.

 

[Se20]

Millwall isn't intimidating, it's a parody of itself. I was impressed by Forest away last season, very loud for a home support, but then we were both gunning for promotion and like the Amex, there's a lot of them so it stands to reason they'd be loud when they get going. On MOTD this year Cardiff have been impressive. I think generally though, very few grounds are that loud these days.

The old Den was very intimidating, but now it's one of the safest away days ( apart from a few Herbert's at London Bridge )

 

[Telford Seagull]

ha! anyone saying the molineux just no.....

 

[Puppet Master]

The British are too reserved and boring.

 

[The Modfather]

Dirty Leeds