It happens a lot in America where sports stadia are built in run down, economically depressed areas, simply because the land is so cheap and they are close to the city, or sometimes in the inner city. I have heard that there are some similarly situated stadia in Europe as well. Is this true? Which ones are in bad neighborhoods, and describe the neighborhoods.
Of course a lot of this depends on when they were built. The Rose Bowl, for example, is in one of the nicest areas you'll find anywhere. Many million $ + homes all around it. But it's very old.
Groningen's Oosterpark. The Arena is quite close to what used to be the most notorious neighborhood in Holland. Sparta's stadium is in what used to be Holland's single-most notorious neighborhood. I believe Celtic's stadium is also in a pretty lousy area.
The east end is as close to poverty stricken as it comes in glasgow. If you get a train from as far away as airdrie or coatbridge into queen street you come right through the east end, from shettleston to garrowhill( I think its garrowhill, its been years since i was out in that direction) its wasteland as good as with the stadium and the forge indoor shopping centre as the only real landmarks.
Man City's Maine Road stadium is located in Moss Side, which not exactly is the Beverly Hills of Manchester, although it's much better now then a few years ago. Maine Road is probably the stadium that is located in the worst area in the English top divisions, it's definitely the worst among the premiership clubs. City is moving next year to a new stadium in Eastlands, don't now much about that area.
And Millwall's New Den is is one of the shittiest areas in the whole of England. The place looks like a bombsite (it's near where they filmed some of Full Metal Jacket) and the walk from the Tube to the ground is not very pleasant.
It's still the garden of eden compared to cold blow lane down the road, where the original 'Den' was. It has to be said though that a large number of British grounds were built over 100 years ago (no, the stands are not 100 years old, just the site) on what were greenfield sites, and the areas built up around them.
I never went to the original Den although I've been to the new Den a few times. That whole area is rough as old boots.
You didn't miss much mate. Trouble at every corner, old bill afraid to come in, droves of "firm members" on the look out for anything that didn't "feel" in place. Pubs that wouldn't serve you if you didn't have the right accent..etc etc etc. Went to a couple of games there many, many years ago. Young-drunk and stupid i was. (plus in the company of about 50 other Chelsea )
St James' is right in the centre of town. But if you want ************ holes just get on the metro and you too can be in the waste land of Sunderland. Dazzle at their rows of abandoned council houses, take a walk by the bubbling open sewer that is the Wear and while you are here why ot take in a show at the local comedy club The Stadium of Light. Laugh your heads off at up and coming stars such as Michael Proctor and John Oster or sit back and enjoy the old classics such as Phillips, Flo and Sorneson. Sunderland Saddam Hussian modeled Iraq on it.
yeah sunderland is a dump, but newcaselona is no better. just cos you have a good team doesnt give you some sort of utopian wonder-city.
I was told that Easter Road isn't in the best of locations in Edinburg. However, I didn't think it was that bad when I went to the Canada-Scotland match.
Well i didn't see Sunderland in Newsweek's list of most influential cities in the world. Take that Makem Scum
Eastlands is not great, but better than Moss Side. Thanks to preparations for the Commonwealth Games, and City, plenty of money has been thrown into the area to regenerate it. Not such a bad job, either!
You are wrong about why stadia in America are built in bad neighborhoods. They're built in bad neighborhoods because those are the only places that lack the political clout to block building something that is going to bring traffic and noise.
Well, that's also why a lot of American stadia are built in the middle of nowhere (see Giants Stadium, the United Center).