Home > Football > One area where Arsenal really ARE the best - and Manchester United, Newcastle and Hull leave the rest standing!
by Iestyn Stevens on 18 July 2008
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Most fans will tell you their home ground is the best in the country - unless they don’t have a ground or have never been - but it really depends who you ask and what you’re looking for.
I’ve been to quite a few football grounds over the years. I'm still determined to say I’ve been to every ground of the top 92 clubs from the Premier League down to League Two, but then someone gets relegated to the Blue Square Premier or moves grounds and turns their old one into some housing development, so I get no further forward.
I can, however, say that I’ve been to every current Premier League ground. Here are the best ones I’ve been to in England over the last year...
Many Premier League teams will be visiting Hull City’s KC Stadium for the first time this season - and visiting supporters will be pleasantly surprised at how great a stadium they have. It might only have a capacity of 25,500, but the smaller size means you get a great view of the action from most parts of the ground.
You're closer to the action than at a lot of other grounds and the facilities are what you’d expect from the modern football stadium. When I was there, the food was also a bit cheaper than some of the bigger clubs - and the queues weren’t too bad either. It's a designated 'no standing' stadium which can lead to a few problems with stewards, but it's one of the best new grounds around. If they get permission to expand it to 34,000 as planned, it will be even better.
A trip to England’s rebuilt Wembley Stadium is always going to be special. I saw the 2008 FA Cup final, and it was one the best games for atmosphere I’ve seen for a long time down there, although that was partly due to the occasion and teams playing.
Wembley is always going to be one of the best in the world because it is England’s national stadium, although I feel for how much they spent on it, they could have done more with it. The facilities are more than adequate, but there is too much of a corporate slant to it. It’s still a nightmare to get to and you get robbed left, right and centre if you dare buy anything while you’re there.
Manchester United’s Old Trafford is the biggest Premier League stadium with a 76,000 capacity and currently England’s only UEFA five star-rated stadium, which makes it one of the best in Europe for facilities. It is currently the only English stadium eligible to host the Champions League final. But, despite it being the self-styled Theatre of Dreams, like the Emirates Stadium and Wembley it lacks atmosphere. In fact, I've experienced better atmosphere down my local pub during a pool tournament!
If it's atmosphere you're after, one of the best grounds in the country is without doubt Newcastle United’s St James’ Park, situated just a short walk from the city centre. I lived round the corner from St James’ for a year in Newcastle, and, let me tell you, double glazing can’t protect you from the noise made by their fans on a match day!
It might not be the biggest ground in the country, limited because of housing behind the East Stand, but 50,000-plus Geordies can make more noise than any crowd anywhere else in the country, including Anfield on a European night.
You do feel like you’re in the heavens if you’re among the away support, but it’s easy to get to, there are plenty of places nearby for food and drink, and there’s always a friendly rivalry among supporters. If only they could increase the size of the East Stand it could be the best in the country.
Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium had a lot to live up to after the years at Highbury and, while they might have a visually-appealing and highly comfortable stadium, it again lacks atmosphere for large parts of the games there, although this is improving each year. At 60,000 it’s currently the second biggest stadium in the Premier League, and every seat offers an amazing view.
The best thing about a game at the Emirates has to be the football played by Arsenal and the experience. The stadium is imposing and has also become a tourist attraction - it helps that it’s so easy to get to in comparison to other clubs. If you’re in London and have time free, it’s a must visit just to appreciate how great a stadium it really is. Overall, for me it's arguably the best England has to offer.
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