[Football] Worst away end you have been in watching footy.

[Pretty pink fairy]

Was amazing before they started scoring, I think we had over 5.000 and all of that shite stand.

Big walk down from Thornton heath station before the game

Regards
DF

 

[atfc village]

Big walk down from Thornton heath station before the game

Regards
DF

Was very impressive .

 

[Vatican Citys No.2 Keeper]

A few of the ones brought up many times were the first than came to mind. Even in my mid-teens, the seating room at Luton was nowhere near long enough to sit down. Was stuck in the back row for the FA Cup trip to Liverpool about 10 years ago and had to keep crouching to see anything at the Kop end as I couldn't see past the halfway line stood up straight. Seem to recall the away end at Bristol Rovers being rather ramshackle on the one trip I've made there for the 4-2 win in 2011. Fairly sure the covering over the away end resembled a Circus tent canopy. Fratton Park also deserves a mention for being depressing AF and for not serving alcohol when I went there.

Been to some shockers when watching Worthing on the road, but it feels harsh to criticise Non-League grounds as much. The exception to that rule is the Croydon Sports Arena, because if you thought watching games at an Athletics track was bad enough, just wait until you have to do so at ground level and nowhere near the action. Chelmsford City wasn't great for similar reasons, but at least we came away with a shock win as they're somehow at National South level despite the ground they're at.

On a similar train of thought, but more niche because a much smaller number of people will have the experience of it (I know @NotAndyNaylor and [MENTION=257]The Large One[/MENTION] among others may have some other examples to mention), I'll add in some of the Worst Away Press Boxes. From my own short experience covering games in the media, two trips to Old Trafford in our first Premier League season sealed it as the worst I'd been to in either the top flight and Championship. It has had about as much upkeep as the rest of the ground during the Glazer era and you were a lucky journalist if you managed to maintain any sort of consistent WiFi connection for more than five minutes and were even luckier if the Ethernet or Charging points at your allocated desk worked. Selhurst's press box setup makes it just as bad for viewing the game as the experience in the away end can - especially if you're allocated a desk in the second row. Like the rest of the ground, Everton's showed its age as well and was an awkward cramped experience, as was Fulham's if you were unlucky enough to get allocated a press seat in the wooden seated section.

 

[Bodian]

I think your memories of the quality of the away end have been affected by the result!

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And all the celebratory alcohol! But yeah l see what you mean, don't remember being that far back from the pitch though.

Being under the roof, what with all the fans on the flat area in front, and right up to the hoardings - never actually saw Reinault's goal hit the back of the net.

I remember the old Northampton ground.. basically one stand for the home fans and the away fans on an exposed bit of terracing and an open space to the cricket ground. Still the only game I remember there was our 2-1 cup victory with Nelson and Bremner scoring our goals.

Ridiculous away fans placing.

I was going to mention Notts county , well remember one game there in that completely exposed end on a winters day with a north wind and icy rain ! All the Brighton fans ( about 200 as i recall ) were huddled down the sides trying to keep warm by drinking hot bovril ! Oh the memories .......

Was that the season we won 7 out of the last 8 to go up from D3 (87?). I was warned before I went that it was 'the coldest place in the Western World'. I took note, and wore something like three jumpers and a coat - and I was still bloody freezing. But we did win.

OMG yes, there was always a freeeezing wind blowing every time l visited. Anecdotally known as the coldest ground in the Football League l believe.

Nope - see above!

 

[nwgull]

Being under the roof, what with all the fans on the flat area in front, and right up to the hoardings - never actually saw Reinault's goal hit the back of the net.!

Same! Saw Maskell hit that shot and initially thought it was a complete waste of possession. However, despite not being able to see the ball you could tell that it must’ve rebounded back in play from the players’ reactions. Had no idea at the time who hit the shot, but I saw the net bulge (not the actual ball hitting it) and everyone at the front going mental so knew we’d scored. I thought it was Ian Baird that got it as he reeled away in celebration as if he’d scored himself, but I guess he was just relieved like the rest of us.

 

[Justice]

Leeds road was pretty shit, can’t remember us ever winning there either.

 

[Robinjakarta]

Certainly one of the coldest I've ever been at a match with the north sea not far away. I think 96/97 we played them in mid-March and it was still very, very nippy.

In 25 years, facilities have improved incredibly but there's still a few.

Fratton Park without the roof was so grim.

Grim with or without roof. Every I time went there, the ground, area, people and weather sucked. Either pi$$ing down, freezing or both. And we always got tonked.

Honourable shitehole mentions for Diresome Park, Middlesbrough and Turd Moor, Burnley.

 

[Robinjakarta]

Peterborough Cup Match 1984, we drew, it was freezing!
We won the replay.

I was there and froze. Snow on pitch, orange ball. 2-2.

 

[Curious Orange]

I've sat in the rebuilt main stand lower tier on several occasions. You're spot on about the cost saving (in both stands) by retaining the lower deck's concrete structure. But somehow they gave every new seat loads of legroom and each seat's far wider. Reminded me of the generous Amex spacings.

That is an interesting insight, as in crowdless photos of the stand you can clearly see a marked difference in the seat spacing between the older structure and the new upper tier. I'm impressed.

 

[wigman]

Leeds road was pretty shit, can’t remember us ever winning there either.

Went there in December 84 and we beat them 2 - 1.
The locals weren't happy.

 

[Tokyohands]

Yes recall use losing there in FA Cup (early 90's), pretty horrible

I went up to that, round 5 game wasn't it? I was sitting in the away section at the back of the railway side? though so the view was pretty decent.

*4th round apparently

 

[amexer]

If other clubs forums are running a similar thread Withdean will be top of all of them. Remember about 20 Rochdale supporters there on a cold and wet Tuesday evening. Should have returned there ticket money.

 

[studio150]

Leeds road was pretty shit, can’t remember us ever winning there either.

March 84 won 1-0
December 84 won 2-1
March 93 won 2-1

 

[Weststander]

That is an interesting insight, as in crowdless photos of the stand you can clearly see a marked difference in the seat spacing between the older structure and the new upper tier. I'm impressed.

There are a couple of architects and stadium experts on a Liverpool forum. It'd be interesting to me to find out how LFC cracked that conundrum when they replaced the lower tier seating. There used to be loads of complaints about being crammed in seats, they seem to have disappeared, now only about the A.R.E.

 

[The red pepper kid]

Everton in the premier league

 

[Curious Orange]

There are a couple of architects and stadium experts on a Liverpool forum. It'd be interesting to me to find out how LFC cracked that conundrum when they replaced the lower tier seating. There used to be loads of complaints about being crammed in seats, they seem to have disappeared, now only about the A.R.E.

Yes, particularly as you can almost guarantee that they used grandfather rights to not reduce the capacity of that old (Archibald Leitch built) part of the stand.

 

[Weststander]

Yes, particularly as you can almost guarantee that they used grandfather rights to not reduce the capacity of that old (Archibald Leitch built) part of the stand.

Good point, supporter power there, the club daren't for years tackle the ST's passing down the generations

Interestingly they've preserved some of that stand under the two later stands.

 

[Justice]

March 84 won 1-0
December 84 won 2-1
March 93 won 2-1

Yeah thanks for the history lesson Wtf

 

[Perfidious Albion]

Wembley, the old one , early 70s. England v Scotland. Somebody got tickets through a connection and we found ourselves behind the goal surrounded by enormous drunken Scotsmen ..
I have never experienced such behaviour before or since at football. The terraces ran with urine since the blokes could not get out to the loo. We were rammed together. This was a home game but England fans seemed totally outnumbered.
Thankfully England won and they were subdued Leaving afterwards ...

 

[clapham_gull]

QPR by a mile. Both top and bottom tier have terrible views.

Except if you are in the middle and have a fantastic view.

QPR very much a game of two halves, sorry away end.