h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Stadia I've watched football in:

Goodison Park, Liverpool
Anfield, Liverpool
Halton Community Stadium, Widnes
Christie park, Morecambe
Stadium of Light, Sunderland
Central Park, Cowdenbeath
Hampden Park, Glasgow
Victoria Park, Hartlepool

Grounds I've watched cricket in:

St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury
New Road, Worcester
Old Trafford, Manchester
Riverside, Chester-le-Street

Licensed Premises I've watched American Football in:

Walkabout, Lancaster
Sports Bar, Copley Square Hotel, Boston, massachussets
Legal Sea Foods, Boston, MAssachussets
The Top of the Hub, 103rd Floor of the Prudential Tower, Boston, massachussets
Rileys Pool Hall, Sunderland
Wearmouth bar, Sunderland University

Places I've asked for directions to football grounds:

Lloyds No. 1 Bar, Hartlepool
Esso Petrol station, Cowdenbeath

Stations I've walked to sporting venues from:
Gateshead Stadium (metro)
Mount Florida
Stadium of Light (metro)
Cowdenbeath
Hartlepool

Stations I've been to en route to Scottish football grounds:

Sunderland
Newcastle
Cowdenbeath
Mount Florida
Edinburgh Waverley
Glasgow Queen Street
Glasgow Central
Pitlochry
Inverkeithing
Kirkcaldy

Taxis I've got to Scottish football grounds:

One driven by an East Fife fan fgrom Kirkcaldy to Cowdenbeath (got wrong train)

Places I've watched athletics:

Gateshead Stadium
(Would have gone to Tynedale Athletics Park, Hexham, but missed train)

Is there any point to this journal entry?

B

Don't be stupid.

Well, I'm guessing it must have taken you a good 15 minutes to get all that down. I thought there may be a reason behind it, but you were just bored, yes?

B

That's about the size of it, yes

Well, in that case:

Places I've watched sport where you have also watched sport

Victoria Park, Hartlepool

Grounds I've watched cricket in:

Places I've watched athletics:

Gateshead Stadium

Not many really,

Well, we clearly don't move in the same sporting circles, do we?

Evidently, because my own personal list is quite lengthy. Especially the football grounds (I think 'stadia' is a bit optimistic for the likes of Chesterfield or Bury) which must number nearly 50.

B

..and yet don't include any of my eight.

Goodison Park, Liverpool - we played Everton in the 1997 (I think) League Cup, but it was at Glanford Park. Toffees fluked it 1-0 after Brian Laws had played a blinder from right-back
Anfield, Liverpool - Last played Liverpool in 1962
Halton Community Stadium, Widnes - I've seen Gainsborough play Widnes, but I'm not in the habit of following their away games
Christie park, Morecambe - Nope
Stadium of Light, Sunderland - Last met in 1963. And that would've been at Roker Park anyway
Central Park, Cowdenbeath - Tempting, but no.
Hampden Park, Glasgow - Saw England-Scotland at Wembley in a shocking match. Wasn't tempted by the return fixture
Victoria Park, Hartlepool - Scunthorpe away in the 97-98 season. According to Soccerbase, 'Pool won 1-0; I don't remember much about the game to be honest.

B

I don't think Widnes' football team play at the stadium- it's Runcorn and previously Everton Reserves. Oh, and the Widnes Rugby League team.

Hmmm not been to many football grounds watching football, I mainly do my travelling for rugby league.

Football grounds (i can remember) are only

Reebok Stadium (Bolton - home games)
Hilton Park (Leigh RMI - home games)
Prenton Park (Bolton v Tranmere)
Old Trafford United v panathanaikos, west ham and middlesborough)
JJB Stadium (Wigan v Walsall)
Boothferry Park (Leigh RMI v Hull City) There's a few others I can't remember.

Rugby League

Hmmm lots here

McAlpine (recently named Galpharm) (Huddersfield v Leigh Centurions)
The Willows (Salford vs Leigh)
JJB (Wigan v Saints)
Wilderspool (Warrington v Leigh)
Haliwell Jones (Warrington v London)
Halton Stadium (Widnes v Leigh)
The Recreation Ground (Whitehaven v Leigh)
The Earth Stadium (formerly Belle Vue) (Doncaster v Leigh)
Lionheart Stadium (fomerly Post Office Road)(Featherstone v Leigh)
Craven Park (Hull Kingston Rovers v Leigh)
Boundary Park (Oldham v Leigh)
Spotland (Rochdale v Leigh, Leigh v Hull KR *Final*)
The Shay (Halifax v Leigh)
Cougar Park (formerly Lawkholme Lane) (Keighley v Leigh)
Victory Park (Chorley v Leigh)
Ram Stadium (Dewsbury v Leigh)
Old Trafford (World Cup Final NZ v Aus, Wigan v Bradford GF)
Reebok Stadium (Test match Great Britain v Aus)
Gigg Lane (Dewsbury v Leigh playoff final)

Visited some of these grounds more than once and maybe twice, but I was bored and thought I would share that with everyone.

Dan.

And I'm glad you did.

You know, despite being a (kind of) native of Warrignton, I have never been to Wilderspool or the Halliwell Jones. Never liked rugby...

For me Rugby League loses something once you get west of the Pennines.

The only place I've watched sport where Egon has, it seems, is the Victoria Ground in Hartlepool.

Argyle won 8-1 to finish 3rd in Division Two. We were then mugged by Burnley in the Semis of the playoffs

It seems I've seen league football played at 40 grounds in England and Wales where it's still played, which is less than I'd hoped... although I did go as a fan to all but three of them and paid to get in.

Highbury Stadium, London (Arsenal)
St Andrews, Birmingham
The Valley, London (Charlton)
Selhurst Park, London (Crystal Palace)
Craven Cottage, London (Fulham)
St James' Park, Newcastle
White Hart Lane, London (Tottenham)
The Hawthorns, West Bromwich

Britannia Stadium, Stoke
Elland Road, Leeds
Gresty Road, Crewe
The City Ground, Nottingham (Forest)
Loftus Road, London (QPR)
Millmoor, Rotherham
Home Park, Plymouth
Vicarage Road, Watford
Molineux, Wolverhampton

Layer Road, Colchester
Bescot Stadium, Walsall
Victoria Ground, Hartlepool
Kenilworth Road, Luton
The Racecourse Ground, Wrexham
Vale Park, Burslem (Port Vale)
Edgeley Park, Stockport
Valley Parade, Bradford
Boundary Park, Oldham
Dean Court, Bournemouth
Griffin Park, London (Brentford)
Hillsborough, Sheffield (Wednesday)

Adams Park, Wycombe
The Deva Stadium, Chester
Meadow Lane, Nottingham (Notts County)
Nene Park, Irthlingborough (Rushden & Diamonds)
The Kassam Stadium, Oxford
Gay Meadow, Shrewsbury
Brisbane Road, London (Leyton Orient)
Spotland, Rochdale
Huish Park, Yeovil
Field Mill, Mansfield
Roots Hall, Southend

plus honourable mentions for:
Victoria Ground, Stoke (now demolished)
Twerton Park, Bath (Bristol Rovers were playing there at the time)

I've also been to the McAlpine in Huddersfield for a Rugby League presser, but never seen a ball of any shape actually kicked there. Likewise Oakwell in Barnsley to interview Gudjon Thordarson and Belle Vue in Doncaster to talk to Dave Penney.

Out of clubs currently in the Conference I've been to:
Underhill, London (Barnet)
Eton Park, Burton
Victoria Park, London (Dagenham & Redbridge)
Edgar Street, Hereford
The McCain Stadium, Scarborough

plus an honourable mention for the Drill Field in Northwich - according to Egon, they've played their last match there.

Conference North and South:
Horsfall Stadium, Bradford (Park Avenue)
Marston Road, Stafford
War Memorial Sports Ground, London (Carshalton)
Clarence Park, St Albans

plus Rhodes Avenue, Bishop's Stortford which has since been knocked down.

For clubs in the Scottish leagues:
Shielfield Park, Berwick
Tynecastle Park, Edinburgh (Heart of Midlothian)

outside the UK
Stadio Pierluigi Penzo, Venezia

back in the UK at clubs below the second tier of non-league
Alywns Lane, Chertsey
Pershall Park, Eccleshall
Runnymede Stadium, Egham
Nethermoor, Guiseley
Kingsmeadow, Kingston-upon Thames (Kingstonian)
The Lyme Valley Stadium, Newcastle-under-Lyme (Newcastle Town)
Wexham Park, Slough
The Warren, London (Yeading)

I've seen Rugby League at:
Old Trafford, Manchester (Grand Final)
Odsal Stadium, Bradford
Headingley, Leeds

I've seen Cricket at:
Edgbaston, Birmingham
The County Ground, Canterbury
Lord's, London

I've seen Darts at:
The Lakeside Country Club, Frimley Green

I've seen Tennis at:
Queen's Club, London

I've seen the RAC Rally (now the Rally of Great Britain) at:
Trentham Gardens, Stoke

Oh, and I've seen greyhound racing at:
Wembley (since demolished)
Hackney (since demolished)
Walthamstow
Wimbledon
and Catford (which ought to be demolished)

I've never been to a greyhound stadium, burt I plan to go to Sunderland Dog Track soon.

This is turning into a really dull thread.

I've seen horse-racing at assorted branches of Ladbrokes. Does that count?

B

"turning into"?

Yeah!

Although I might end up writing a beginners guide to going to the dogs for the EG now, so it's an ill wind...