Trivia: Football grounds next to railway lines.

[Ostrich]

Sutton Coldfield Town not Sutton United

Nope, Sutton United.

Sutton United F.C. (Birmingham) - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

THC

Yep, their website home page gives you a drone view of the stadium with the railway line seen on the left at the end of the clip.

Home - Sutton United Football Club

[…]

suttonunitedfc.co.uk

Although it's close geographically, there's no view of the railway from Sutton Coldfield Town's ground IIRC.

 

[UNCLE ARTHUR]

Don't forget Girvan. Beith almost lost a player at Irvine Vics. Gavin Orr went up the railway banking to get a stray ball and had to dive back down rather quickly after getting a warning horn from a passing train.

Stan

Edited as forgot about Pollok

1984 Pollok v Baillieston Junior Cup quarter final had a huge crowd on the platform watching the game from Pollokshaws East. There were already an estimated 4,500 inside the ground at kick-off. You couldn’t do that now with the flats on that side of the ground.

Wishaw, Yoker and Arthurlie apply as well in the non-league sphere.

 

[Trackman]

Wasn't there a ground (not sure if in the UK, possibly Scotland) where the trains went under the stand? - Think it was called the Railway Stand too.

 

[steamybrian]

Wasn't there a ground (not sure if in the UK, possibly Scotland) where the trains went under the stand? - Think it was called the Railway Stand too.

I am aware of the Dublin DART line goes under the Lansdowne Road Football Ground

 

[Sheridan]

Conwy Borough’s ground has very clear views of the North Wales Coast Line, with trains passing on an embankment above the level of the (very small) stand, only a few metres away.

 

[cjw714]

Veering slightly off topic but it amuses me that Bovey Tracey call one of their ground the 'Railway End' even though the railway line closed in 1970 (and if Wikipedia is to be believed the ground didn't even open until 1976).

 

[Trackman]

I am aware of the Dublin DART line goes under the Lansdowne Road Football Ground

That's the one! many thanks.

 

[UNCLE ARTHUR]

That's the one! many thanks.

The promotional video that you watch at the tour of the ‘Aviva Stadium’ focuses upon the fact that the trains didn’t miss a day through the construction of the stadium.

 

[Pinus contorta]

Wasn't there a ground (not sure if in the UK, possibly Scotland) where the trains went under the stand? - Think it was called the Railway Stand too.

I think Birmingham City had to spin their pitch round 90 degrees in the redevelopment to a modern stadium after the Taylor Report. In part due to the proximity of the stand to the railway. Is that what you mean?

 

[Howardh]

Also from Atherton Laburnum's.

Yes, it's a very infrequent route for me, so when the opportunity arose I sat myself by the window eagerly anticipating it passing by.

I was on the wrong side...

Atherton LR probably has the closest running railway to the touchline looks around 20 yards; Burscough as mentioned must run it close; would love to find out if there are any closer!

 

[JCO]

To pick up Mike C’s post (#46), Hull City’s new stadium - MKM this season - lies to the west of the triangular junction which allows trains from Brough to head onto the Scarborough line without having to go into and reverse out of Paragon. I believe the line is visible from the concourses behind South and East Stands.
Hull City’s old stadium, Boothferry Park, not only had a railway line running behind East Stand, with trains visible from terraces and seat of South Stand and West Stand, but actually had its own station. Boothferry Park Halt saw train services stopping there on match days. The service was discontinued in about 1986.

JCO

 

[cce]

The Clifton extension railway would've passed close to Bristol rovers eastville stadium. The railway went in the sixties and the stadium in the eighties.

 

[High Dyke]

Although it's close geographically, there's no view of the railway from Sutton Coldfield Town's ground IIIIRC.

Correct. Been there many times before, and will be there next March. You can hear the trains passing though.

 

[sharpley]

Barnet FC's ground is next to the Jubilee line if that counts.

 

[SeanG]

Carlisle City play next to the WCML and I believe use the old brsa club as their hospitality (or at least they did when I went for a game when they were in the North West Counties)

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 25 Dec 2024 ==

Bellingham Town's ground is by the Durham Coast Line.

Can you see the railway from inside Crewe's ground? I know it is next to the station

 

[side effect]

Highbury in the seats you could see the ecml and aggborough home of Kidderminster had a steam train come through before and at half time for a cup game against the hammers. I couldn't see it where I was standing as I was down the other end but I'm sure others could though.

 

[1D54]

Welshpool and Caersws

 

[Bevan Price]

Bloomfield Road Nkackpool was tight best to the line between Blackpool South and Blackpool Central

And had a good view of parts of the steam depot yard.

Another non-league club - until it moved - Hoghton Road - ground of St. Helens Town FC was a short distance East of St. Helens Junction station.

And for Rugby League Football, the old St. Helens RLFC ground at Knowsley Road was next to a freight-only branch to Eccleston (St.Helens).

 

[Mcr Warrior]

I think Birmingham City had to spin their pitch round 90 degrees in the redevelopment to a modern stadium after the Taylor Report. In part due to the proximity of the stand to the railway. Is that what you mean?

Not aware that St. Andrew's has ever been re-orientated.

 

[Pinus contorta]

Not aware that St. Andrew's has ever been re-orientated.

My mistake ,it was Bournemouth I was thinking of .

 

[jamesst]

Marine FC located next to Merseyrails Northern line in Crosby

 

[Harvester]

Victoria Park, home of Hartlepool United, was bang up close to the Durham Coast line and the former loco shed - but IIRC the 'temporary' stand (erected after a Zeppelin attack in 1916 (?) faced away from the tracks. So not sure if you could actually enjoy the sight of a J27 hauling 46 coal empties towards Seaham.

You could not actually see the trains from the stands as the line was at a lower level. However the Q6, J27 and WD locos on those coal empties would open up vigorously as they passed the ground and started to tackle the gradient. If there was an easterly wind, which was more often than not, the ground sometimes became shrouded in smoke and clag from the exhausts!

 

[Fawkes Cat]

Marine FC located next to Merseyrails Northern line in Crosby

If you ignore the 20 or so houses on each side of Crosender Road...

(Full disclosure: I thought this was the case but had to resort to Google Maps to check)

 

[Poolie]

You could not actually see the trains from the stands as the line was at a lower level. However the Q6, J27 and WD locos on those coal empties would open up vigorously as they passed the ground and started to tackle the gradient. If there was an easterly wind, which was more often than not, the ground sometimes became shrouded in smoke and clag from the exhausts!

I have (half jokingly) said to my wife that when the time comes and if it were possible, I want my ashes shovelled into the firebox of 65894 or 63395 as they leave Hartlepool heading north with an easterly wind so the ashes would end up on the Vic

 

[Amos]

And for Rugby League Football, the old St. Helens RLFC ground at Knowsley Road was next to a freight-only branch to Eccleston (St.Helens).

Warrington’s former ground at wilderspool also had a freight line at the back. You would often see a pair of 20s stopped in exactly the right spot to view the game.

 

[Leyther]

Quite a few grounds mentioned that I have been too and it seen from the train.
Some others that I have seen it been too.
(Don't think they have been mentioned)
Clachnacuddin
Kilwinning

Caersws
Galgate
Ferriby
Workington (rugby league)
In years past before too many lineside trees/bushes now, both Whitehaven rugby and football grounds
Again few years ago could see 507/508 units going out of Aintree from bootle's ground.
Rylands (Warrington)

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 26 Dec 2024 ==

And had a good view of parts of the steam depot yard.

Another non-league club - until it moved - Hoghton Road - ground of St. Helens Town FC was a short distance East of St. Helens Junction station.

And for Rugby League Football, the old St. Helens RLFC ground at Knowsley Road was next to a freight-only branch to Eccleston (St.Helens).

Also Blackpool borough rugby league (could watch the game from the old railway line)

 

[deerokus]

In Glasgow, the Cathcart Circle line passes very close to Pollok FC's ground. You used to be able to watch matches while waiting on the platform at Pollokshaws East station, until the built some flats between the ground and the station around 2000. Confusingly the ground is neither in Pollok nor Pollokshaws, it's in Newlands.

Bonus Trivia - at the other side of the ground there's a Morrisons, which was at one point in the distant past a Tram depot. Mist have been a bustling place at one time.

 

[NSEWonderer]

Surprised it's not been mentioned but The Valley Stadium for Chalton Athletic is pretty close to the line and can be seen by train aswell as from near the top of the main stand you can see the railway unless that's since changed

 

[High Dyke]

Marine FC located next to Merseyrails Northern line in Crosby

You might just see the trains from the main stand, but not easily.

 

[Capybara]

Middlesbrough’s Riverside Stadium is a few hundred metres north of the Tees Valley line but doesn’t have a station.

It's barely 100 metres. From its opening in 1995 until 1997 when they filled the two remaining corners in you could see trains go by from my seat. An increase in ground capacity, but a decrease in entertainment, in my opinion.