Bramall Lane was the first ever football stadium that I went to as a young boy of only eight years of age. Not many people realise though that the home of Sheffield United was originally opened in 1855 but not to play football but to play Cricket. No fewer than six local Cricket clubs used to play there. In fact Yorkshire County Cricket Club were tenants until 1893 along with Sheffield FC who are the oldest club in the world and still in existence.
In fact Cricket was played at Bramall Lane as recently as 1975 and then it became solely used for football purposes. Sheffield United?s close neighbours Sheffield Wednesday also used to play there until 1888 when they moved across the city to their own stadium at Hillsborough. But football and Cricket are not the only sports to be played at Bramall Lane as the Sheffield Eagles Rugby League team have also played there in the past and still do from time to time.
The current capacity is 32,702 which is not large by football stadium standards but it has a lovely modern feel to it inside. Most of the ground has been recently renovated and redesigned over the past few years. The ?South Stand? was built in 1975 and now represents the oldest part of the stadium which has seen development done in stages over the years. The Kop end was erected and completed in 1991 and became an all-seater in 1994.
In 1996 it was the turn of the ?John Street? stand to undergo redevelopment with the original stand being demolished which left Bramall Lane temporarily three sided with a direct view across the city if you were sat high enough in the stand. In 2001 there was a new section built into the corner of the Kop while as recently as 2006, the Bramall Lane stand was totally redeveloped and became known as the ?Westfield Health Stand?.
Prior to the all seated era of English football, the attendance record at Bramall Lane is 68,287 in 1936 for an FA Cup match between Sheffield United and their close neighbours Leeds United. In fact Bramall Lane has one very big claim to fame and it is little known that the stadium is now the oldest major football ground in the entire world that is host to games played at a professional level.
It is also the only ground besides the Oval to host an England international and an England test match at Cricket. Sheffield United currently reside in the Championship League in England which is the second tier of English football after they were controversially relegated in 2007.
As a former professional Online Texas Holdem poker player I can?t help but looking at the situation for Sheffield United and Bramhall Lane in a strategically opportunistic way. The stadium is one of the few stadiums in England to be situated almost on the verge of the city centre and it is only five minutes walk to buoyant shopping malls of Sheffield city centre from Bramall Lane and as such, this creates numerous business opportunities and potential for further expansion of the ground in the future.
Anfield is a football stadium in the district of Anfield, in Liverpool, England. Built in 1884, the stadium has been home to Liverpool F.C. since they were formed in 1892 as a result of the original tenants Everton F.C. leaving the ground.
The stadium currently comprises four stands: Spion Kop, Main Stand, Centenary Stand and Anfield Road, giving a total capacity of 45,276. The record attendance at the stadium is 61,905 which was set in a match between Liverpool and Wolverhampton Wanderers in 1952. This record was set prior to the ground’s conversion to an all-seater stadium in 1994; the changes, which were a result of the Taylor Report, greatly reduced capacity. Notable features of the stadium include two gates named after former Liverpool managers: the Bob Paisley gate and the Bill Shankly gate. In addition, a statue of Shankly is situated outside the stadium. Anfield’s public transport links include rail and bus services but it lacks dedicated parking facilities.
Anfield is a UEFA elite stadium, and has hosted many international matches at the senior level, including England matches. The ground was also used as a venue during Euro 96. Earlier in its history the stadium was also used as a venue for different events, such as boxing and tennis matches. The ground is due to host matches during the 2015 Rugby World Cup, with pool matches taking place at the stadium.
There are plans to replace Anfield with a new 60,000 capacity stadium in Stanley Park. The stadium was first planned in May 2002 with a provisional opening date of August 2005, but subsequent problems with securing funding for the project as well as the state of the financial market since 2008, combined with disagreement between the club’s American co-owners makes it certain as of 2010 that football will continue to be played at Anfield for at least a few more years.
Original plans to replace Anfield were initiated by Liverpool FC in May 2002. At that time the proposed capacity was 55,000, but it was later revised to 61,000, with 1,000 seats given for segregation between home and away fans. Several attempts were made by the Liverpool City Council to instigate a groundshare of the proposed stadium with local rivals Everton from 2003 to 2007, but this move was rejected as neither club favoured it.
Liverpool were granted planning permission on 30 July 2004, to build a new stadium, just 300 yards (270 m) away from Anfield at Stanley Park, and on 8 September 2006, Liverpool City Council agreed to grant Liverpool FC a 999-year lease of the land on the proposed site. Following the takeover of Liverpool F.C. on 6 February 2007, by George Gillett and Tom Hicks, the proposed stadium was redesigned to reduce the costs of construction. In November 2007, the redesigned layout was approved by the council and construction was due to start in early 2008. The new stadium, provisionally called Stanley Park Stadium, was to be built by HKS, Inc. and scheduled to open in August 2011 with a capacity of 71,000. Once the new stadium is built Anfield will be demolished and become the centrepiece for the Anfield Plaza development, which will include a hotel, restaurants, and offices.
However, the construction of Stanley Park has been delayed following the slowing of the American economy, directly affecting American-owned Liverpool, which has subsequently triggered a severe Recession. This has been worsened because the club was bought with loaned money, not the owners’ own capital, and interest rates are higher than previously expected. Hicks and Gillett made promises to begin work on the stadium after the acquisition of the club but have had trouble financing the estimated ?300 million needed for the Stanley Park development. The deadline to begin work within 60 days of the takeover has passed and as of May 2008 the site remains untouched. The delays have had repercussions in the local area of Anfield, with regeneration plans on hold till the future of Anfield is decided. Debt incurred by the club’s takeover also exacerbates the matter as it reduced the owners’ and the club’s spending power. This fact has also revived interest in a takeover bid by Dubai International Capital, a move which also could delay movement to the new stadium.
On 16 December 2009, the list of venues for England’s 2018 World Cup bid was published and it was revealed that Anfield or Stanley Park (whichever Liverpool are playing at by then) will be among the venues if England are selected as hosts. It is now certain, however, that the relocation (if it ever takes place) will not meet the targeted completion date of August 2011.
Estadio Mestalla is a football stadium in Valencia, Spain. The stadium is the home ground of Valencia Club de Fútbol. With a capacity of 55,000 seats, it ranks as the fifth-largest stadium in Spain. It is also renowned for its steep terracing and being one of the most intimidating atmospheres in all of Europe in which to play.
In the near future, the team is expected to move into the Nou Mestalla, a state-of-the-art stadium with a seating capacity of 75,000, located in Valencia, but due to the Valencia CF’s financial crisis, its unknown when the stadium will be completed.
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