The Football Grounds Magazine. What do they know of football grounds who only football grounds know? (With apologies to CLR James).
Wickford, Essex
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Groundtastic Magazine Summer 2026 (GT125)
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Our Friends In The North Revisited
£6 plus postage
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Before The Cemetery End (1970-1994)
£20 plus postage
groundtastic.co.uk/before
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Congratulations to Harrogate Town! The Football League looked a long way off when this pic of their Wetherby Road ground was taken by Bob Lilliman in 1979.
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Football League results and attendances for the first Saturday in February in 1986.
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Midweek football scores and attendances in March 1986, the point at which English football reached its lowest ebb in terms of public appeal. Relatively cheap to watch, but because of several factors such as hooliganism and crumbling stadiums, a spectator sport for diehards only.
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Harrogate Town's Wetherby Road ground, the location for tonight's televised FA Cup 2nd Round tie v Gainsborough Trinity, as it looked in 1979. Pic Bob Lilliman archive.
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An early preview of the impressive facilities at Cambridge City's new stadium at Sawston. Still some work to do before it's completed, but looking forward to watching football there in the future.
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Oxford United's Manor Ground in August 1985, fences and all, as the club prepares for its debut season in the top flight. Pics Bob Lilliman.
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Grays Athletic's Recreation Ground (1906-2010) is one the 350 lost grounds and stands featured in our lavishly illustrated book The Cemetery End. Covering the years 1995 to 2020, the book can be purchased here - groundtastic.co.uk/the-cemet…
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Football League clubs' nicknames, as listed in 'The Way There - A Soccer Encyclopaedia' by Harold Richards, which was published in 1960.
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Wolverhampton Wanderers' Molineux in 1980, showing the recently completed John Ireland Stand. Pics Bob Lilliman.
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Four lost Merseyside grounds - Kirkby Town, Knowsley United, South Liverpool and Formby. Pics Bob Lilliman.
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Average attendance tables for the Football League in 1948/49 and 1985/86, the high point and the low point of aggregate Football League attendances since WWII. Tables courtesy of the book Through The Turnstiles by Brian Tabner, published in 1992.
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Wigan Athletic's Springfield Park, a Football League venue for Wigan Borough (1921-1931) and Wigan Athletic (1978-1999). These Bob Lilliman pics are from 1975, and were taken prior to Wigan Athletic's FA Trophy Q/F tie versus Bedford Town.
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Fleetwood Town's Highbury Stadium in the summer of 1996, a few months after previous Fleetwood club folded.
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The Valley in 1985, the same year Charlton Athletic left the venue to groundshare at Crystal Palace. Pics Bob Lilliman.
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Gillingham's Priestfield Stadium, as it used to look. Colour pics from Bob Lilliman archive.
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Some views of The Valley in 1985, the same year Charlton Athletic upped sticks and moved to Selhurst Park. Pics Bob Lilliman archive.
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Leytonstone's Granleigh Road ground (1894-1986). the railway arches that abutted the ground were one of amateur football's most famous landmarks. Record crowd 10,500 v Newport County FA Cup 1951/52. Last match 1986, ground sold for housing. Pics Bob Lilliman.
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Heart of Midlothian's Tynecastle Park, as it looked in April 1991. Pics by Bob Lilliman.
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Preston North End's Deepdale, the original version, seen here in 1981. Pics from the Bob Lilliman archive.
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Groundtastic contributor Malcom Dixon was one of many to pay a poignant visit to the The Valley during its wilderness years. Amazing achievement by those involved to rescue and rebuild this much-loved venue.
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Leicester City's Filbert Street ground (1891-2002). These pictures from the Bob Lilliman archive were taken in April 1989.
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Chesterfield's Saltergate (1871-2010), as it looked 30 years ago. Pics Bob Lilliman.
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Saturday 29 July 2023
Gigg Lane
Bury 5 Glossop North End 1
NWCL Premier Division
Att: 5,451
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November 22 1952 was a busy FA Cup day in what is now the London Borough of Waltham Forest, with Leyton, Leyton Orient, Leytonstone and Walthamstow Avenue all staging FA Cup 1st Round ties.
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Bradford (PA) and Bradford Cricket Club both in action on 7 May 1966, with Bradford (PA) losing their Division Four match v Port Vale 2-1 in front of 4,978 (Kevin Hector scoring for Bradford), and Bradford CC winning their Bradford League encounter with Lightcliffe by 113 runs.
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The Baseball Ground, as it looked before the Derby County v Plymouth Argyle Division Two match in May 1987. Champions elect Derby won 4-2, with a crowd of 20,798, the second best of the season, watching. Pics Bob Lilliman.
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Ex-Northern League side Stanley United's Hill Top Ground pictured earlier today. By comparison, here's how it looked in 1996.
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Kettering Town's Rockingham Road Ground (1897-2011), is one of the 350 British grounds and stands lost between 1995 to 2020 that are featured in our book The Cemetery End. Available again after selling out in 2020, it can be ordered here - groundtastic.co.uk/the-cemet…
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Swindon Town's County Ground, as it looked during and after a match in 1985. Pics Bob Lilliman archive.
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Nene Park (1969-2012) home of Irthlingborough Diamonds, Rushden & Diamonds and briefly Kettering Town. A Football League venue from 2001/02 to 2005/06, the ground was finally flattened in 2017. Pics Bob Lilliman and Nick Pigott. Buy our book here - groundtastic.co.uk/the-cemet…
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Cliftonville's Solitude ground, as it looked in 1999. As will be revealed in the June issue of Groundtastic, Solitude staged the last FA Cup tie to be played on the island of Ireland, a 1st Qualifying Round tie v Macclesfield, in October 1890. @FACupFactfile
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Chelmsford City's New Writtle Street ground (1925-1997). Record crowd 16,807 v Colchester United Southern League 1949/50. Pics Bob Lilliman.
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228 colour pages | 350 grounds and stands | 1995 -2020 | THE CEMETERY END has arrived!
We are giving away a free copy to the winner of a draw of all the people that re-tweet this by midnight 29 March
For more info, or to buy, visit: groundtastic.co.uk/thecemete…
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Resisting the urge to go all-seater, the decidedly retro Wombley Stadium at Babbacombe Model Village.
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Some late 1980s views of The Valley, which within a decade of these photos being taken was staging Premier Division matches. Pics Malcolm Dixon. #cafc
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Gillingham's Priestfield Stadium, as it looked 40 years ago. Pics Bob Lilliman. @TheGillsFC
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Bradford (Park Avenue) in 1975, five years after the club were voted out of the Football League. Pic Bob Lilliman archive.
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Some 1991 views of Coventry City's Highfield Road ground, which the club left in 2005. (Pics by Bob Lilliman). Highfield Road is one of lost grounds featured in our book, The Cemetery End. Details here - groundtastic.co.uk/thecemete…
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Hibernian's Easter Road ground, seen here in 1988, is one of the venues featured in our book The Cemetery End. Pics Bob Lilliman. groundtastic.co.uk/thecemete…
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The Dell, Southampton's home from 1898 to 2001, is one of the lost grounds featured in The Cemetery End, details here: groundtastic.co.uk/thecemete… Pics taken by Bob Lilliman in 1989.
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West Bromwich Albion's Hawthorns ground, as it looked in 1992. (Pics by Bob Lilliman). The Rainbow Stand, which was demolished in 2001, is among the 350 lost British stands and grounds to feature in our book, The Cemetery End, which can be ordered here: groundtastic.co.uk/thecemete…
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Bradford City using Odsal Stadium as a temporary home in April 1986, with City beating Fulham 3-1 in a Division Two match watched by 5,564. Pics by Bob Lilliman.
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Brought back from the brink, The Valley as it looked in 1993. Charlton Athletic returned to the ground in December 1992, having spent the previous seven years in exile at Selhurst Park and Upton Park. Pics Bob Lilliman.
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Over 350 lost British football grounds and stands are featured in The Cemetery End, a full colour landscape format book covering the years 1995 to 2020. Details here: groundtastic.co.uk/thecemete… @NonLeaguePaper
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Intended as Wealdstone's new stadium, work halted at Prince Edward Playing PF in 2004 when the club's development partners went bust. The site was subsequently acquired by Barnet, who renamed it The Hive and adapted it as their new home upon leaving Underhill. (Pics Bob Lilliman)
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The towering East Terrace at Charlton Athletic's Valley (pics Bob Lilliman and Malcolm Dixon), is one of the 450 lost terraces, grounds and stands featured in our book Before The Cemetery End, which covers the years 1970-1994. Ordering details here: groundtastic.co.uk/before
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Airdrieonians' former Broomfield Park ground, their home from 1892 to 1994. Pic Bob Lilliman.
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Dulwich Hamlet's Champion Hill, as it looked in its previous incarnation. The ground's opening game, an Isthmian League match against near neighbours Nunhead in 1931, drew a crowd of 17,000. (First two pics by Bob Lilliman).
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Football and cricket at Bradford Park Avenue on 7 May 1966 - Bradford PA 1 Port Vale 2, (Football League Division 4) attendance 4,978; and Bradford CC v Lightcliffe CC (Bradford League Division 1), Bradford CC won by 113 runs. @Bradford_TandA @LightcliffeCC @BPAFCOfficial
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Scenes from Somerton Park in 1985/86, with Newport County taking on Wigan Athletic in a Division Three match. Result 3-4, attendance 1,700. Pics Bob Lilliman. @NewportCounty
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Workington's Borough Park in 1978, one year after losing their place in the Football League. Pics Bob Lilliman.
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Airdrieonians' Broomfield Park prior to a Scottish League Division match versus Greenock Morton in 1993/94, the club's final season at the ground. Pics Bob Lilliman.
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The dramatic Torfnesvollur ground of Icelandic club Vestri, as featured in the Autumn Groundtastic, available now. groundtastic.co.uk
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White City Stadium, for most of its existence primarily a greyhound stadium, but in an earlier life the main venue for the 1908 London Olympic Games.
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Twice a Football League venue, the Tower Ground in New Brighton (pics Martin Bartley) is one of the 450 lost British grounds and stands featured in our book Before The Cemetery End (1970-1994). Ordering details here - groundtastic.co.uk/before
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Oxford United's Manor Ground, which the club left in 2001, is among the 350 lost stands and grounds featured in our full colour pictorial history book, The Cemetery End. Pics Bob Lilliman. groundtastic.co.uk/thecemete…
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When the original Maidstone United club folded in 1992, they reformed as Maidstone Invicta, starting in the Kent County League Division Four West in 1993/94. Their first home was the former Maidstone United training ground in London Road. Pics: Bob Lilliman.
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Mustn't forget to post this view of Glastonbury, taken by ace football grounds archivist Bob Lilliman in 1974.
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Telford United's Bucks Head as it looked in the 1990s. Beginning in 2000, all the structures were knocked down and the ground was completely rebuilt.
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Cardiff City v Gillingham at Ninian Park in a Div 3 match in 1985/86. The attendance was 2,505. Pics by Bob Lilliman.
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Former Welsh League club New Tredegar's Grove Park, as it looked in 1980. Pics by Bob Lilliman.
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Our book, The Cemetery End, is now sold out. Many thanks indeed for those who have bought a copy. We have tentative plans for a companion volume covering grounds and stands lost between 1970 to 1995. Details will be announced in due course. Thanks again for your support.
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Walsall's Fellows Park (1896-1990). These views show Walsall hosting Bury in their last home match of the 1985/86 season, with Walsall winning the Division 3 match 3-2 in front of 3,454. Pics Bob Lilliman archive.
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Shrewsbury Town's former Gay Meadow ground, which the club left in 2007, as it looked in 1979. Pics Bob Lilliman.
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Hull City v Fulham in 1985/86, Hull City winning the Division Two match 5-0 in front of a Boothferry Park crowd of 6,122. Pics Bob Lilliman.
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Romford's Brooklands (1929-1977). Only non-league ground known to have been designed by Archibald Leitch. Record crowd 17,081 v Southall FA Amateur Cup 4th Rd replay February 1953. Ground sold for housing. Last match April 1977. Pics Bob Lilliman.
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Dumbarton's Boghead Park, seen here in 1989, is one of the nine former Scottish League grounds to feature in our The Cemetery End book. groundtastic.co.uk/thecemete… Pics Bob Lilliman archive.
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Heart of Midlothian's Tynecastle Park in April 1991, prior to the Scottish League Premier Division match versus Dunfermline Athletic. Pics Bob Lilliman.
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Edgware Town's White Lion Ground, where the club played from 1939 to 2008, is one of the 350 lost grounds and stands featured in our book The Cemetery End (1995-2020). It can be purchased here - groundtastic.co.uk/the-cemet…
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The East Terrace at the Valley, which accommodated a good proportion of the 76,031 record crowd that watched Charlton Athletic's FA Cup 5th Round tie v Aston Villa in February 1938. Pic Bob Lilliman.
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A look back to 1974, when Wembley Empire Stadium used to pay for advertising space in Wembley FC's programme.
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