English Rugby League Grounds

Jeffles · Post by **Jeffles** » Mon Aug 23, 2004 10:44 pm

The biggest collection of photos I've ever seen dedicated to RL grounds in England is on the net.

http://www.rlfans.com/network/shs/html/ ... me=album17

429 photos spanning 30 years including many grounds that do not exist now and the homes of many clubs that do not exist now. Check it out stadium buffs!

Joey · Post by **Joey** » Mon Aug 23, 2004 11:01 pm

Belle and Wilderspool are as bad as i thought

Jeffles · Post by **Jeffles** » Tue Aug 24, 2004 5:27 pm

Yeah I agree. Belle Vue at Doncaster is being replaced by a new stadium for Doncaster RL and Soccer teams. Wakefield's BElle Vue is just crap.

At least Warrington moved from Wilderspool to Haliwell Jones Stadium. It is still being used by Woolston Rovers in National League 3.

Joey · Post by **Joey** » Tue Aug 24, 2004 6:36 pm

Really! Thank God. Wilderspool looks like it was in the middle of an industrial area.

Jeffles · Post by **Jeffles** » Tue Aug 24, 2004 11:07 pm

Wilderspool isn't in the middle of an industrial area. That building that sits right on the far side is Snookers Leisure Centre - not indstrial at all.

It was a nice compact ground but it was getting old and Warrington were really getting too big for it. There was no room for expansion. The new ground with a mix of safe terracing and seating has been given the thumbs up by RL fans in general. I had a few mates that follow Rochdale go watch the Rochdale v Warrington Challenge Cup tie. Rochdale lost 80-0 but the lads couldn't speak highly enough of the ground.

Joey · Post by **Joey** » Wed Aug 25, 2004 10:18 am

Well, i think that intimacy at a ground is so important. The only time i went to Leichardt they had 14,500 there and it was a better atmosphere than 36,000 at ANZ. Same goes for Brookie when they only had 8,800

Jeffles · Post by **Jeffles** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 10:26 am

Griffin Park - home of Brentford FC and London Broncos RLFC - is being redeveloped partially. The Ealing Road terrace will be made undercover, there will be new corproate facilities at the New Road Stand, and the Brook Road Stand will be extended to cover the full width of the ground.

Capacity will increase to 15,000.

Brentford (and therefore London) were looking at purchasing property on a railway site very close to Griffin Park to build a new 20,000 seat stadium (too big for either club IMO). But with the news of this redevelopment and news that Brentford FC purchased a pub next to the ground, it seems the move is unlikely to occur.

Still, good news for both clubs. London are set to play at GP for at least 4 more years (making it a 7 year run at one ground - the longest in their history). This will help the club establish roots. On the weekend they got over 5000 at their clash with St Helens. Very good considering the game was on TV.

Simmo79 · Post by **Simmo79** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 2:58 pm

Jeffles wrote:. The new ground with a mix of safe terracing and seating has been given the thumbs up by RL fans in general. .

Jeffles, any idea why RL is allowed to have terracing at their new grounds, but soccer can't?

Avoiding any cliches about crowd violence etc

Is it similar to the reasoning that allows lower division soccer clubs (League 1 and 2, formerly divs 2 & 3) to continue with terracing? ie/ small crowds and little chance of crushes or is there an outside chance that the planning authorities are becoming more open-minded about the re-introduction of standing?

Jeffles · Post by **Jeffles** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 5:02 pm

Only Premier League has to have all seater stadia. Whilst this may have started out of the Taylor report (I'm not sure) I suspect it is more for qualitative reasons these days. Heck, it would be a good argument to put seating on many lower division ground but it hasn;t happened.

And while I'd love to avoid cliches, I may not be able to. RL matches aren't segregated - not even for derbies. And they do quite well. At the most heated of clashes fans from opposing teams can sit side by side. Like any group of peiople there are bad eggs, but it gets NOWHERE near the levels of violence in European soccer.

Ozabyss · Post by **Ozabyss** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 5:46 pm

And while I'd love to avoid cliches, I may not be able to. RL matches aren't segregated - not even for derbies. And they do quite well. At the most heated of clashes fans from opposing teams can sit side by side. Like any group of peiople there are bad eggs, but it gets NOWHERE near the levels of violence in European soccer.

Same with us, I think its an Aussie thing, love your sport, be passonate about your club, ut leave it on the field.

Jeffles · Post by **Jeffles** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 7:41 pm

Why is it like that in soccer.

Look at England. A lot of people point to economic depression and "boredom" as reasons for why fans in the more depressed parts of the UK lash out. The correlation between dreary towns and violent clubs is there.

BUT, English RL towns are among the poorest. Most are poorer than elite soccer clubs that produce violent fans. Towns decimated by mine closures and general lack of activity. Yet the fans control themselves. Is it the sport itself? It;s not about passion. Soccer fans aren't more violent because they are more passionate. Is it that violent people (not necessarily soccer people) are drawn to soccer because of some violence and they see the sport as a good way of disguising there rage.

Where's swede when you need him?

Hiraldo · Post by **Hiraldo** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 10:05 pm

Jeffles wrote:Why is it like that in soccer.

Look at England. A lot of people point to economic depression and "boredom" as reasons for why fans in the more depressed parts of the UK lash out. The correlation between dreary towns and violent clubs is there.

BUT, English RL towns are among the poorest. Most are poorer than elite soccer clubs that produce violent fans. Towns decimated by mine closures and general lack of activity. Yet the fans control themselves. Is it the sport itself? It;s not about passion. Soccer fans aren't more violent because they are more passionate. Is it that violent people (not necessarily soccer people) are drawn to soccer because of some violence and they see the sport as a good way of disguising there rage.

Where's swede when you need him?

Maybe it's to do with using a more popular sport as a means to attract more attention, more targets, etc.

Or the RL clubs have been far better at eradicating problematic spectators.

Or maybe I'm talking out of my arse. Who knows.

Jeffles · Post by **Jeffles** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 11:49 pm

I don't think it is a popularity thing. RL games that draw 20,000 have less violence than soccer games that draw the same crowd.

britishspud · Post by **britishspud** » Tue Apr 19, 2005 4:18 am

if a fight does kick off it's normally cos they are drunk...isolated stuff, not the mass organised battles that football has..

the new warrington stadium is good, seats and terracing..but thank god for fire safety...reducing capacity.take watershedding,my clubs old ground.the record attendance was nearly 25,000,by the time the ground was bulldozed the capacity was just 8,500.and that was abit scary when full

have a look at odsal..

thats what 102,000 looks like and that unoffical attendance..it's reckoned another 30/50,000 gate crashed the fence....

alot of your rugby grounds have grass banks (hills)...i know they are moving away from that now..but that would have never been allowed here.we might have had them to begin with but they were soon terraced over

AH..THE OLD DAYS......and i'm only 26

Jeffles · Post by **Jeffles** » Tue Apr 19, 2005 10:12 am

Britishspud

Can you tell us why there is more violence in soccer than there is in Rugby League, even accounting for the difference in popularity. It would be good to hear the insights of a local.