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Trivia: Football grounds seen from trains

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Ogmore7035

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On a London North Western Train from Euston to Birmingham New Street you can see Wembley, Watford, Northampton, Birmingham City and Aston Villa.
 
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roversfan2001

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If we're counting non-league, the East Lancashire Line passes Bamber Bridge's ground between Bamber Bridge and Lostock Hall.
 

EbbwJunction1

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If we widen this to other sports, going west from the Severn Tunnel you can see the following.

Rugby Grounds:
Caldicot RFC (just the floodlights, next to Caldicot station); Newport RFC / Dragons; the Principality Stadium (you can't see the Cardiff RFC ground as it's the other side of the Principality Stadium; Bridgend RFC; Llanharan RFC; Aberavon RFC (just the floodlights); the Ospreys (The Liberty Stadium); Gowerton RFC .... there may be more further west, but I can't think of them!
Cricket Grounds:
I think that Gowerton CC (it's the same place as the rugby ground) is the only one on that route. However, the Vale of Rheidol Railway passes Aberystwyth CC.
 

Old Yard Dog

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Just a few more chosen at random - some are just glimpses of floodlights

Crewe Alexandra
Stoke City
Derby County
Hull City
Huddersfield Town
Ilkeston Town
Barrow
Newcastle United
Shrewsbury Town
Hereford
Aston Villa
Birmingham City
Grimsby Town
Watford
Millwall
Ipswich Town
Raith Rovers
Portsmouth
Southampton
Curzon Ashton
Kidderminster Harriers (from SVR)
Cowdenbeath
Arsenal
Nuneaton Town

And some old grounds ...

Manchester City at Hyde Road was crammed into the junction by Ardwick station - one of the stands was sold to Halifax and is still extant at the Shay
Bolton Wanderers at Burnden Park had the Bolton - Bury line running on an embankment behind one of the goals
Bradford at Park Avenue was opposite and served by the old Horton Park station
Hull City at Boothferry Park had its own halt
Darlington at Feethams and the George Reynolds Arena
Shrewsbury Town at Gay Meadow
Millwall at the (original) Den
Bristol Rovers at Eastville

For a complete list of who played where, season-by-season, see

http://www.bradfordfc.org.uk/

and click on the model of Park Avenue
 

Clansman

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Inverness Caley Thistle's stadium is visible from the HML about 5-10 minutes outside of Inverness when the whole city comes into view in the distance.
 

Ianno87

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You get a decent sight of Cambridge United between Cambridge and Cambridge North.
 

Spamcan81

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Stevenage as well, plus as we are that low down the pyramid Arlesey , and St neots too.

I know that the old Lamb Meadow ground was next to the old Three Counties station at Arlesey but didn’t realise the Armadillo Stadium was visible from the train.
 

tony_mac

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Can you not see Anfield from the train anywhere?
The ground is visible from around Wavertree and New Brighton, and there are lines that are much closer.
 

Jimini

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You can see Craven Cottage's floodlights (Fulham FC) from the district line when crossing The Thames.

Spurs' new stadium is clearly visible on the run between Angel Road and Northumberland Park.
 

61653 HTAFC

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Aberystwyth to Birmingham International sees at least Aberystwyth Town; Bow St FC; Caersws FC; Newtown; Wolverhampton Wanderers and Birmingham City. Unsure about Welshpool and Shrewsbury.
 

greyman42

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You can see Craven Cottage's floodlights (Fulham FC) from the district line when crossing The Thames.

Spurs' new stadium is clearly visible on the run between Angel Road and Northumberland Park.
You can see it from the ECML around Hornsey depot.
 

greyman42

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Can you not see Anfield from the train anywhere?
The ground is visible from around Wavertree and New Brighton, and there are lines that are much closer.
Is it only been visible from Wavertree since they built the new Main Stand?
 

Old Yard Dog

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You can also see Anfield from the Wirral line just north of Rock Ferry, but you can't see Prenton Park, which Rock Ferry is the nearest station to.
 

Drogba11CFC

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You can see Moneyfields FC's ground between Hilsea and Fratton, Didcot Town FC from the avoiding curve, and Banbury United from South of Banbury station.
 

Bedpan

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Stevenage as well, plus as we are that low down the pyramid Arlesey , and St Neots too.
Love it!! Except that my team will be playing Stevenage next season!

Nobody has mentioned Luton as far as I can see, and as we are that far down the pyramid (except that MK Dons will be playing in the division below Luton) a corner of St Albans City's ground can also be glimpsed at the top of the embankment to the north of the station. And I can't recall Chelsea being mentioned either.
 

70014IronDuke

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(Don't think it's been mentioned up thread). It is no longer true, but the instant I saw this thread title I thought of Hillsborough and the view you got of the ground after leaving Sheffield Victoria clunking along behind a "Tommy" in six Mk1s (in various liveries from maroon and blue-grey to SR green!)
The question I ask myself is why this is so imprinted in my mind's eye? I only saw the view maybe 5-6 times. I don't support Sheffield Wednesday, and I've never been to a match there - yet this image is seared into my memory.

Slightly more on topic - can you see Sheffield United's ground from somewhere around the Midland station? It's not far away as I remember? But maybe the tracks themselves are in cuttings? Long time since I was there.
 

61653 HTAFC

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(Don't think it's been mentioned up thread). It is no longer true, but the instant I saw this thread title I thought of Hillsborough and the view you got of the ground after leaving Sheffield Victoria clunking along behind a "Tommy" in six Mk1s (in various liveries from maroon and blue-grey to SR green!)
The question I ask myself is why this is so imprinted in my mind's eye? I only saw the view maybe 5-6 times. I don't support Sheffield Wednesday, and I've never been to a match there - yet this image is seared into my memory.

Slightly more on topic - can you see Sheffield United's ground from somewhere around the Midland station? It's not far away as I remember? But maybe the tracks themselves are in cuttings? Long time since I was there.
Football specials used to run to Wadsley Bridge station on the stub of the Woodhead line- platforms were retained there long after closure to regular passenger traffic.
One of the last (if not THE last) times it was used was for the FA Cup semi-final in 1989 between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest, a game which sadly 96 Liverpool supporters would not come home from.
 

silverfoxcc

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RE New White Hart Lane
Visible from the ECML between Hornsey and Wood Green
Also between Silver Stret and Bruce Grove on the Enfield Town branch out of Liverpool Street
Also between Tottenham Hale and Angel road on the Lea Valley line

If this thread is still going in Sept will give updates on all three lines
 

Bedpan

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You used to be able to see the floodlights of the old Wimbledon ground at Plough Lane from the main line near the flyover. Not sure whether you could see them from Haydons Road which was the local station for the ground.

I saw Hillsborough whilst on a railtour up to Deepcar four or five years ago.
 

DarloRich

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The closest surely has ot be the Giant Axe at Lancaster.

Darlington.

No you cant. You can see one of former grounds at the Arena. It is now the home of Darlington Mowden Park RFU. Our current ground is at Blackwell Meadows whihc i dont think can be seen from the train.

Darlington at Feethams and the George Reynolds Arena

You will struggle to see Feethams anymore. Sadly long gone and turned into housing. :( :( :(
 

Old Yard Dog

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A variant on this theme - football grounds you can see from inside other football grounds.

You can see Anfield from the top balcony at Goodison. Can you see Goodison from Anfield through the windows at the back of the main stand?

I don't know the Nottingham, Dundee, Edinburgh (City & Hibs) and East London (West Ham & Leyton Orient) grounds well enough to comment.

There are great outside views from the concourses at Wembley so would expect some other London grounds to be visible. On the other side of the coin, is the Wembley arch visible from elsewhere?

And, in the olden days, you could see the tops of the Valley Parade floodlights from the stand at Park Avenue, particularly when they were switched on, but not vice versa.

At non-league level, some grounds are almost adjacent like Squires Gate and Blackpool Wren Rovers. Eastwood Hanley's old ground at Trentmill Road used to be next to another non-league side whose name I forget.

And Northwich Victoria's short-lived Victoria Stadium was just across the canal from Witton's Wincham Park.
 

Old Yard Dog

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In season 1924/25, Darlington apparently played a D3N game on the adjacent cricket ground at Feethams because the football pitch was frozen and the cricket pitch wasn't.
 

Clansman

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I don't know the, Dundee, Edinburgh (City & Hibs) grounds well enough to comment.
You can't see both Dundee and Dundee United's grounds as Dundee station is below ground, and the stadiums are located at the opposite end of the city. Edinburgh City and Hibernian can both be seen five minutes after departing Edinburgh Waverley eastward, heading along the ECML.
 

DarloRich

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You can't see both Dundee and Dundee United's grounds as Dundee station is below ground, and the stadiums are located at the opposite end of the city. Edinburgh City and Hibernian can both be seen five minutes after departing Edinburgh Waverley eastward, heading along the ECML.

And Heart of Midlothian going the other way
 

EbbwJunction1

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Going back to Rugby Union, Pandy Park, the home of Cross Keys RFC, can be seen from the Ebbw Vale line just after leaving the station going north.
 

underbank

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The Heysham Harbour branch line goes straight past Morecambe's new stadium very close indeed. In fact, you could probably see inside the stadium from the train as there is just a short wall on the railway line side of the pitch. Just a shame there is no station.
 
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