Trivia: Football grounds next to railway lines.

[Darandio]

The fans would probably be more interested by the trains than by the match against Bournemouth!

Can't disagree with that!

 

[allbarbarry]

You can see trains passing from inside Old Trafford?

Yes, I’ve been to the station next to the club several times.

 

[Southsider]

Not football but rugby, Glasgow Warriors Scotstoun stadium has a suburban railway running alongside. In an amusing incident a couple of years ago, a train sounded its horn, the opposition stand-off mistook it for the halftime hooter and kicked the ball dead!

 

[Donny Dave]

Glanford Park (currently called the Attis Arena) in Scunthorpe. You can see the trains on the viaduct from the terrace stand.

 

[Merthyr Imp]

Until the Avoiding Line closed in the 1980s, it passed right by Lincoln City FC's stadium at Sincil Bank (now known as the LNER stadium). The railway was on an embankment and trains could be seen very clearly from within the ground.

This is the only photo I know of - date would be 1975 - which shows any part of a train going along that embankment behind the Railway End. Standing on the open terracing out of picture on the left you had a clear view of the trains.

 

[thenorthern]

I think you can see the viaduct from the Lamb Ground in Tamworth. From the main stand at Gresty Road I think you can see the railway, it's a while since I have been to Gresty Road though so I am not 100%. I have never been to a game at Valley Parade but I am pretty sure you can see the seating from the train on the approach to Bradford Forster Square.

 

[Tramfan]

South Shields F.C. play at a ground right next to the Tyne & Wear Metro line near Bede station

 

[Ostrich]

Non-league grounds:
I used to spot 159's running behind the stand at the old Gillingham Town (Dorset) ground, but they've since relocated a bit further out of town and you can hear but not see.
Exmouth Town's ground is adjacent to the line just north of the station, and you could see the 150's passing last time I went.
Dorchester Town's been mentioned, I think; you can catch a glimpse of the EMU's on the embankment as they pass the corner of the ground.
EMUs are easily visible on the embankment next to Corinthian Casual's ground in Tolworth, South London.
Sutton United's new ground off Coleshill Road, Sutton Coldfield lies right next to the Sutton Park freight line.
Paignton Rugby Club's ground is situated just next to the end of the station, and during one game I saw there, 0-6-0PT L92 (5786) trundled out of the platform and parked up behind the rugby posts; the crew spent 15 minutes or so watching the match!

 

[Merthyr Imp]

Match of the Day screened a match (must have been the FA cup) from Gay Meadow when Shrewsbury Town still played there. At half time, the camera panned up to capture a Bullied Pacific passing by.

Off topic - but it was said that a member of ground staff there would sit in a coracle on the Severn during matches to retrieve wayward balls.

Perhaps the cameraman was aware a Bulleid Pacific was a rare event there.

 

[Elecman]

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

 

[Merthyr Imp]

I suspect neither, health and safety wasn't really a consideration at the time.

Best guess is the referee would temporarily stop play when a train passes through the ground.

According to the book by Simon Inglis, 'Football Grounds of Britain', the line was in a cutting. So spectators in the stand would have been able to look across the top of it to see the game - subject to the occasional clouds of smoke presumably!

On that note, it's said that smoke from a hardworking steam engine on the Camp Hill line would occasionally beat down over St Andrews at Birmingham.

 

[LUL1970]

You can see trains from the following grounds:
Banbury United
Berkhamstead
Bristol Manor Farm
Carlisle City
Didcot Town
King's Langley
Redbridge (Central line at Barkingside)
Rugby Borough - distant
Wokingham Town

 

[Furryanimal]

Having seen the new 3G pitch at Llandovery RFC clearly marked for football I reckon I can put Church Bank in .
The Heart of Wales line runs behind the main stand and if fortunate enough to be there when a rare train passes by you can see it clearly from the standing terrace opposite.
Timetable no longer helpful for afternoon kick offs though!

 

[61653 HTAFC]

I know this is a football ground threat, but on the cricket ground side, I always like being at Southport when Lancashire play a game there, as you have the Merseyrail Southport line right beside the ground. I am sure some balls have ended up on the track, but I am yet to see one make it that far.

If we're widening out to other sports, you can see trains crossing Lockwood viaduct from Huddersfield RUFC's stadium.

 

[scrapy]

Trains pass very near to Shrewsbury Town, Wrexham, Stockport, Manchester United, Crewe Alex, Bradford City, Bolton Wanderers, ... to name just a few.

And Manchester City used to play next to the junction at Ardwick.

Man City have a freight line passing the western boundary of the Etihad Campus.

You can also see trains from the main stand at Macclesfield FC, (formerly Macclesfield Town FC).

 

[childwallblues]

These days you'd have to go back in time to go to a match there, but South Liverpool's forner Holly Park takes some beating.

View attachment 171524

In the photo at the far end on the right if you stood on the bank at the top not only did you have the West Coast Main Line but underneath you had the CLC into Liverpool Central. Halcyon days in my teenage years. I still visit the site normally twice a week as it is now Liverpool South Parkway Station.
The new Everton Stadium at Bramley Moore Dock can be seen from the Merseyrail Northern Line between Moorfields and Sandhills and is about 400 yard away.

 

[SuspectUsual]

Sutton United's new ground off Coleshill Road, Sutton Coldfield lies right next to the Sutton Park freight line.

Sutton Coldfield Town not Sutton United

 

[gerryuk]

Malin Bridge station (now closed) for Sheffield Wednesdays Hillsborough stadium. I believe the station was still used for football specials in the late 70s / early 80s.

 

[d9009alycidon]

Another that no longer exists is Airdries old Broomfield Park. The Airdrie to Bathgate line ran right behind the enclosure

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Another that no longer exists is Airdries old Broomfield Park. The Airdrie to Bathgate line ran right behind the enclosure

Demolished 30 years ago. So, for some time now, not an example of a football ground where the trains pass so close that you can indulge in a bit of trainspotting if the match is a bit dull. Which they often were at Broomfield.

 

[Albaman]

When it still existed, the line through Singer was visible from the east end of Kilbowie Park (Clydebank)

I remember in the early 1960s my elder brother taking me to Kilbowie Park one evening and I was rebuked for watching the passing trains and not the football. During the visit I recall seeing the recently delivered D5348 , so it wasn't a wasted trip.

 

[4COR]

If we're widening out to other sports, you can see trains crossing Lockwood viaduct from Huddersfield RUFC's stadium.

Extending further to other sports, in our cricket league, Bledlow Village CC sits next to the Chinnor and Princes Risborough Railway. A lovely place to play, though we got stuffed by them last time we played there.....

(Pic from Google of a saddle tank plus choc+cream brake passing the ground).

 

[Stan63]

Scottish non-league: Banks o’ Dee, Luncarty (spectacular view of a viaduct above the park), Auchinleck Talbot, Troon, Irvine Vics, Port Glasgow Juniors, Greenock Juniors, Edinburgh University.

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

 

[EbbwJunction1]

You can see trains on the Vale of Rheidol Railway passing Aberystwyth CC 's ground; when I've been there, I've often seen a pause to see what's working that day!

 

[weepingwillowb]

Eastwood Hanley (Staffordshire County Senior League) play their home games at Trentmill Road, Hanley, S-o-T, which is next to the currently disused Stoke-Leek line.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Malin Bridge station (now closed) for Sheffield Wednesdays Hillsborough stadium. I believe the station was still used for football specials in the late 70s / early 80s.

*Wadsley Bridge. Malin Bridge is a nearby terminus on the tram system.

It (Wadsley Bridge) was used for occasional football specials until at least 1989 (the year of the disaster). A quick look at Wikipedia suggests the last football special ran in 1994.

 

[John Griffiths]

Of course you can't see the Metro from St James' Park, but it is very close by.

And may well be above the metro, if NUFC opt to extend the Gallowgate End.

 

[THC]

Sutton Coldfield Town not Sutton United

Nope, Sutton United.

Sutton United F.C. (Birmingham) - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

THC

 

[Cross City]

Birmingham City's St Andrews ground is in very close proximity to the railway. As can be seen here:

Street View · Google Maps

Explore a place in a more immersive way in Google Maps.

www.google.co.uk

Can see any of that line from inside the stadium though.

What you can see from the Kop stand however is the Landor Street junction and the Cross City north line up to Duddeston.

 

[renegademaster]

From the interior of the stands at Wembley, you can see the Chiltern line, and probably the WCML from the other side