The UK is awash with great footballing traditions and is steeped in a rich history of the sport. It’s also the perfect location for those enjoy a spot of “ground-hopping”. The term refers to those who like to attend as many matches as possible at various football grounds and stadiums across the country and the UK has the perfect mix of venues and footballing locations that have a unique style as well as historical significance. So which of the UK’s stadiums should you visit on your next ground-hopping venture?
WEMBLEY STADIUM
Arguably the UK’s most famous football venue is of course London’s Wembley Stadium. The original stadium opened in 1923 where it hosted the FA Cup Final for the first time in the White Horse Final match between Bolton Wanderers and West Ham United. In 2002 the stadium was demolished to make room for a complete rebuild which is now the second largest stadium in Europe and can seat up to 90,000 supporters. It still hosts the annual cup finals and has even played host to the UEFA Champions League Final twice in the past 4 years.
BRAMALL LANE
The oldest major football ground in the world is home to Sheffield United football club. It hosted its first game way back in 1862 which was a charity match between Sheffield FC and Hallam FC and was even regularly used to host international matches long before Wembley was ever constructed. Despite its modern additions over the years the ground still has plenty of character and can seat more than 32,000 supporters and visiting fans.
SHEFFIELD FC
Ok so it might not be the most stunning or attractive grounds in the world to look at but the Coach and Horses Ground in Dronfield is still a notable visiting spot for groundhoppers for other reasons. It is home to Sheffield FC who are the oldest club now playing association football in the world. They are in fact the world’s first football club and the South Yorkshire side are very proud of their history and their ground can truly be labeled as the home of football.
LARKHALL ATHLETIC
Groundhoppers are always delighted by their arrival at non-league side Larkhall Athletic’s home ground. Set in Bath, Somerset the venue is a beautifully placed ground that sits amongst picturesque surroundings with rolling hillsides and a whole heap of gloriously green fir trees lined up around the pitch itself. It’s well maintained and respected which just adds to the appeal of this great football ground.
CELTIC PARK
Celtic Park is the largest stadium in Scotland and is often said to be one of the greatest and most exhilarating atmospheres in European football, especially when it plays host to a home leg in the Champions League. It’s a particularly intimidating venue for visiting teams to play at and is regarded as one of the World’s most revered football fortresses. Parkhead has been the setting for many memorable matches including the club’s Champions League victory against Barcelona after having to come from behind in the second leg.
