Old Ground Pics

Old Ground Pics

A beautiful set of photos. Hard to believe that West Ham Stadium was still with us until the early 1970s.
 

Old Ground Pics

Remember the Vetch from the 90s. All that's left now...

vetch2.jpgvetch1.gif
 

Old Ground Pics

Some great pictures.

You don't get things like, "The Crows Nest", at Coventry City, anymore. :(

Also loved the platforms in the gardens at Swansea's Vetch Field! lol
 

Old Ground Pics

Very good pics. Thanks for sharing.
 

Old Ground Pics

Remember turning up at eastville circa 1988 for a match vs brizzle rovuuurs, to find the place deserted and falling apart. A quick journey to twerton park followed. I think the bees won and we were chased back to the car park by a mob of wursel boneheads. My first away game I believe.
 

Old Ground Pics

What a wonderfull set of photos. West Ham would have been better off redevolping and moving into that old Thames ground in the 70's rather than staying at Upton Park and then the Olympic stadium. What were they thinking? I had no idea such a substantial stadium existed for dogs and speedway up to the 1970's out that way. Mind you I did used to go to White City for dogs and stock cars in the early 1970's and it was falling to bits then. Apalling really when you consider it was used for some of the 1966 world cup games and the Raras used it for a season in the 60's.
 

Old Ground Pics

Was a regular attendee at the Vetch 1982 -1986 when at university. Bob Latchford, Leighton James, John Toshack, Ray Kennedy. First game in 1982 they beat spurs 2-0 in front of 18,000 and went 3rd in the top division (I think). My last game was a charity game against Man United in 1986 to keep them in business as they propped up division 4. Weird ground. Semi-derelict at one end where they put the away fans in a cage. A brand new section of stand at the other and in between some low non-league affair in front of the prison. Most stood on a big kop along the other side which was atmospheric if full but got gradually sparser as they slid down the leagues.

Still was one of the few there in the away cage when we beat their div 1 side in the league cup. Can still picture the scenes at the winning goal.
 

Old Ground Pics

ruislip bee said:
What a wonderfull set of photos. West Ham would have been better off redevolping and moving into that old Thames ground in the 70's rather than staying at Upton Park and then the Olympic stadium. What were they thinking? I had no idea such a substantial stadium existed for dogs and speedway up to the 1970's out that way. Mind you I did used to go to White City for dogs and stock cars in the early 1970's and it was falling to bits then. Apalling really when you consider it was used for some of the 1966 world cup games and the Raras used it for a season in the 60's.
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Went to Custom House for Speedway (v. Wembley) probably about ‘69 or ‘70. Massive place but with chunks fenced off, presumably unsafe. I was only young but remember thinking the whole of London’s underworld was there!

Great photos from a bygone era, pristine & basic. No wonder everyone wore a hat or cap to their footy, given the absence of cover!
Then it struck me. What is missing from these pics? The complete lack of floodlights! I’d forgotten what a comparatively recent development they are.

What on earth persuaded P. Vale to go BACK to Burslem?
 

Old Ground Pics

Sad to think that GP will soon be in the same category as these grounds and appearing in the very same articles.
 

Old Ground Pics

Fantastic photos, also interesting to note the complete lack of cars in the surrounding streets!

:sorted: :sorted: :sorted: :sorted:
 

Old Ground Pics

Stanley said:
Sad to think that GP will soon be in the same category as these grounds and appearing in the very same articles.
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I cant think of that for more than a few seconds before feeling sick
 

Old Ground Pics

Stanley said:
Sad to think that GP will soon be in the same category as these grounds and appearing in the very same articles.
Click to expand...

The heart and soul of GP died when ‘The Oak’ was pulled down.
 

Old Ground Pics

TW3Bee said:
The heart and soul of GP died when ‘The Oak’ was pulled down.
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Will still be a massive heartache when GP no longer exists :cry:
 

Old Ground Pics

Old Ground Pics

Old Ground Pics

Old Ground Pics

The top one is interesting "how to fit a football ground into a roughly triangular shaped plot"
 

Old Ground Pics

The top one is Millwall, with the New Cross dog track close by.
 

Old Ground Pics

I remember seeing some dreadful Bees matches at the old Doncaster ground during the 70's. Often the only enjoyment came from watching the gliders take off and land from the nearby airport. It always seemed very cold there.
 

Old Ground Pics

Actonian said:
The top one is Millwall, with the New Cross dog track close by.
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Bottom one is Wimbledon Greyhound Stadium, with the old Wimbledon FC ground at Plough Lane.
 

Old Ground Pics

Voice from the Braemar said:
the european one he did was most excellent too ;)
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Yes but I still think the second edition British one was the best (for its time)

A shame with the internet is you don't tend to get such books any more (though you do get loads more information)

But I remember getting books like these and even the Rough Guids to European Football and just loving them as you could not get the information readily elsewhere
 

Old Ground Pics

Before the game against Derby (the 4-0) one I was travelling up from my parents house in Sussex (grandparents used to live in New Cross / fascinated by old grounds) and I left early and went up to where the old New Cross Stadium was - open land now.

I heard loads of tales of the speedway there from my grandfather and mother.

I find the whole speedway and greyhound stadium element fascinating - Both were wildly popular but because of social and economic change they are more marginal pursuits now.

White City fascinates me - there was a great picture on Twitter from outside a while ago. The way huge stadiums existed for so long when nowadays they'd be built on within minutes.
 

Old Ground Pics

Downbeat Bee said:
Before the game against Derby (the 4-0) one I was travelling up from my parents house in Sussex (grandparents used to live in New Cross / fascinated by old grounds) and I left early and went up to where the old New Cross Stadium was - open land now.

I heard loads of tales of the speedway there from my grandfather and mother.

I find the whole speedway and greyhound stadium element fascinating - Both were wildly popular but because of social and economic change they are more marginal pursuits now.

White City fascinates me - there was a great picture on Twitter from outside a while ago. The way huge stadiums existed for so long when nowadays they'd be built on within minutes.
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Speedway was the 3rd most popular spectator sport after the war (behind football and greyhound racing).
The tracks were integral parts of the communities.
Promoters (owners) invested and lost money on a regular basis.
Property developers came along.
You do the maths!
No (active) speedway or dog tracks left in London.
 

Old Ground Pics

SpiderBee said:
Speedway was the 3rd most popular spectator sport after the war (behind football and greyhound racing).
The tracks were integral parts of the communities.
Promoters (owners) invested and lost money on a regular basis.
Property developers came along.
You do the maths!
No (active) speedway or dog tracks left in London.
Click to expand...

Wimbledon being the last one?
 

Old Ground Pics

TW3Bee said:
Wimbledon being the last one?
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Yes. Speedway finished at Wimbledon in 2005. At one stage there were tracks running every weekday; Wimbledon on a Monday, West Ham on a Tuesday, New Cross on Wednesday, Wembley on Thursday and Harringay on Friday.
 
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