I should have been visiting Ponta Delgada in the Azores in 2020 but Covid stopped that. I was planning on seeing Santa Clara if a game was on. They get wildly fluctuating crowds.
This season they managed a whopping 747 in a Primeira Liga game in mid November before the World Cup halted the season. Two games later in January they had 9701 for the visit of Benfica. Surely the largest percentage increase in gates in a season in a Top European League.
@wwfcblue if looking for a new tick-off trail, you could visit the sites of now defunct grounds. A good opportunity at Accrington coming up, where 'The red brick wall opposite the Peel Park pub is the only structure that remains from the Peel Park ground.'
I enjoy the games too much to start an additional tick-off trail with no games. I have been to a lot of old grounds too, probably near or over 200 in total. The European tour, additional 92 club grounds and my holiday visits will probably keep the fires stoked.
I am going to watch a Thai League 2 game either on Feb 11th or Feb 18th at Krabi Provincial Stadium against Phrae United or Chiang Mai. First time I have been back to Thailand since the tsunami.
There is still part of the old Loakes Park perimeter fence as you walk up the road adjacent to the old gasworks end. Walking up that road, can still take you back to those byegone days unlike a lot of defunct grounds.
Yeovil didn't seem to have much in the way of buses either, lots of taxis to pubs and then walking. There are grounds that just seem to be a bit easier than others due to links and traffic, Southend was a good example , seemed pretty easy to get to and from. Others like...ours and Northampton seem to grind to a halt
apparently the top 10 are or were in 2016 (in metres) :
Yeovil Town Huish Park Yeovil Pen Mill 4334 Oxford United Kassam Stadium Radley 4059 Wycombe Wanderers Adams Park High Wycombe 3761 Reading Madejski Stadium Reading West 3634 Shrewsbury Town New Meadow Shrewsbury 2575 Colchester United Community Stadium Colchester 2559 Scunthorpe United Glanford Park Althorpe 2500 Cambridge United Abbey Stadium Cambridge 2296 Preston North End Deepdale Preston 2243 Stoke City Britannia Stadium Stoke-on-Trent 2212
I am using this interesting National Rail web page as my source. Puts Oxford United and Sheffield Wednesday further away from railway stations than Yeovil Town.
Not sure they would for any major league, some countries like Australia have huge areas that aren't covered by rail but why would you try and attract thousands of people to a regular league game there, especially if you're selling booze, the stadiums just tend to be near the transport hubs where most of the population are and all the head offices, hotels and other conveniences are. You'd probably have less big grounds, more sharing and tiny away followings too.
Not sure we'd compare favourably with other leagues for either time taken or cost per mile on public transport either.
I guess that Forest Green is also the greatest vertical distance from the nearest railway station. It seemed about a vertical mile up from where Nailsworth station used to be and Stroud station is down the valley from there.
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I think it’s Oxford United second and maybe Sheffield Wednesday third (ahead of Yeovil).
Probably not even the longest in that league (Santa Clara, Azores)
https://youtu.be/fjJASgmqze0
Layer Rd seemed like a very long way after that cup game in '96
The Madeira government have finished renovating the old railway station in the last year or two. It’s about 2 miles as the crow flies from the ground.
This is why I come on the Gasroom. Can we enter a team on Eggheads or something?
You can also toboggan down from the railway station towards Funchal, a fairly unique experience.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=02CSoajJ74I
I should have been visiting Ponta Delgada in the Azores in 2020 but Covid stopped that. I was planning on seeing Santa Clara if a game was on. They get wildly fluctuating crowds.
This season they managed a whopping 747 in a Primeira Liga game in mid November before the World Cup halted the season. Two games later in January they had 9701 for the visit of Benfica. Surely the largest percentage increase in gates in a season in a Top European League.
@wwfcblue if looking for a new tick-off trail, you could visit the sites of now defunct grounds. A good opportunity at Accrington coming up, where 'The red brick wall opposite the Peel Park pub is the only structure that remains from the Peel Park ground.'
Thanks LX1
I enjoy the games too much to start an additional tick-off trail with no games. I have been to a lot of old grounds too, probably near or over 200 in total. The European tour, additional 92 club grounds and my holiday visits will probably keep the fires stoked.
I am going to watch a Thai League 2 game either on Feb 11th or Feb 18th at Krabi Provincial Stadium against Phrae United or Chiang Mai. First time I have been back to Thailand since the tsunami.
There is still part of the old Loakes Park perimeter fence as you walk up the road adjacent to the old gasworks end. Walking up that road, can still take you back to those byegone days unlike a lot of defunct grounds.
Here's the motion picture...
ČHŽ - Steam train rides through the football field in Jánošovka - YouTube
Good one-two attempt by the no.9 but lacking in pace
Newcastle train station, narrated by Victor Meldrew, bringing back memories of an ostrich...
Angry Football Fans Cause Havoc in Train Station | All Aboard: East Coast Trains - YouTube
Yeovil didn't seem to have much in the way of buses either, lots of taxis to pubs and then walking. There are grounds that just seem to be a bit easier than others due to links and traffic, Southend was a good example , seemed pretty easy to get to and from. Others like...ours and Northampton seem to grind to a halt
I hope one day there will be a ‘closest ground to a chairlift’ thread, of which we will be crowned champions.
OFI Crete?
Gives new meaning to train'in ground...
apparently the top 10 are or were in 2016 (in metres) :
Yeovil Town Huish Park Yeovil Pen Mill 4334 Oxford United Kassam Stadium Radley 4059 Wycombe Wanderers Adams Park High Wycombe 3761 Reading Madejski Stadium Reading West 3634 Shrewsbury Town New Meadow Shrewsbury 2575 Colchester United Community Stadium Colchester 2559 Scunthorpe United Glanford Park Althorpe 2500 Cambridge United Abbey Stadium Cambridge 2296 Preston North End Deepdale Preston 2243 Stoke City Britannia Stadium Stoke-on-Trent 2212
https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/nonrail/sport_football_ew.aspx
I am using this interesting National Rail web page as my source. Puts Oxford United and Sheffield Wednesday further away from railway stations than Yeovil Town.
Those figures are as the crow flies.
For instance Reading West is a 3 mile walk from the platform to the North Stand, yet shows as 2.4 miles.
Reading mainline station is also a 3 mile walk but shows as 2.7 miles as the crow flies.
As the crow flies distances have no relevance to a fan walking out of a train station trying to decide if they will walk or get a taxi to a ground.
Those figures show what a superbly connected country we generally are don't they.
The furthest from a train station to a ground in the country is a mere 2.7miles!?
And 10th is a mere 1.4miles!
Bet these figures for some countries would be huge. One for @ReturnToSenda maybe in one of his research periods? 😋
That list is from 2016 - I'm guessing FGR is a fair bit further out
Not sure they would for any major league, some countries like Australia have huge areas that aren't covered by rail but why would you try and attract thousands of people to a regular league game there, especially if you're selling booze, the stadiums just tend to be near the transport hubs where most of the population are and all the head offices, hotels and other conveniences are. You'd probably have less big grounds, more sharing and tiny away followings too.
Not sure we'd compare favourably with other leagues for either time taken or cost per mile on public transport either.
Maybe a weekend project for you to undertake and report back on.
I guess that Forest Green is also the greatest vertical distance from the nearest railway station. It seemed about a vertical mile up from where Nailsworth station used to be and Stroud station is down the valley from there.
I feel several new threads coming on.
What about nearest ground to a train station?
The ground featured in the earlier video wouldn't count as the train passes through the ground without stopping.🚂
That’s an easy one.
Manchester United has its own train station on the outside concourse within the grounds of the club.
it is however closed due to safety issues at the request of the club.
https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/on-the-train/train-travel-with-pets/
Hidden away on the national rail website, there is a direct quote from a cockapoo.