Football grounds in Great Britain are like cathedrals. Many of them are beautifully designed stadiums. And for many football supporters, especially those who have been with the club for most of their life, they see them as holy places. A place of “worship,” from August through May.
So it’s no wonder that many English football supporters get upset at the mere discussion of these sacred places being renamed with a sponsor’s name. Or the sheer mention of a club deciding to move from its current ground to a new one outside of town.
But if you look back at history, you’ll see that the vast majority of Premier League clubs have played at more than one stadium before settling on the latest ground as their own.
Which club do you think has had the most home grounds in their history? The answer may surprise you.
- Arsenal. Invicta Ground (1890-1893), The Manor Ground (1893-1913), Arsenal Stadium (1913-2006), Emirates Stadium (2006-Present).
- Aston Villa. Aston Park (1874-76), Perry Barr (1876-97), Villa Park (1897-Present).
- Blackburn Rovers. Oozehead Ground (1875-77), Pleasington Cricket Ground (1877-78), Alexandra Meadows (1878-81), Leamington Road (1881-90), Ewood Park (1890-Present).
- Bolton Wanderers. Park Recreation Ground (1874-unknown), Cockle’s Field (unknown-1881), Pikes Lane (1881-95), Burnden Park (1895-1997), Reebok Stadium (1997-Present).
- Chelsea. Stamford Bridge (1905-Present).
- Everton. Stanley Park (1879-82), Priory Road (1882-84), Anfield (1884-92), Goodison Park (1892-Present).
- Fulham. Star Road (1879-83), Eel Brook Common (1883-84), Lillie Rec (1884-85), Putney Lower Common (1885-86), Ranelagh House (1886-88), Barn Elms (1888-89), Parson’s Green (1889-91), Half Moon (1891-95), West Brompton (1895-96), Craven Cottage (1896-2002), Loftus Round (groundshare, 2002-04), Craven Cottage (2004-Present),
- Liverpool. Anfield (1892-Present).
- Manchester City. Hyde Road (1887-1923), Maine Road (1923-2003), City of Manchester Stadium (2003-Present).
- Manchester United. North Road (1887-93) Bank Street (1893-1910), Old Trafford (1910-Present).
- Newcastle United. Chillingham Road (1882-92), St. James’ Park (1892-Present).
- Norwich City. Newmarket Road (1902-08), The Nest (1908-35), Carrow Road (1935-Present).
- QPR. Welford’s Fields (1886-88), London Scottish FC’s Ground (1888-89), Brondesbury (1888-89), Home Farm (1888-89), Kensal Green (1888-89), Gun Club (1888-89), Wormwood Scrubs (1888-89), Kllburn Cricket Ground (1888-99), Kensal Rise Athletic Ground (1899-1901), Latimer Road/St Quintin Avenue (1901-02), Kensal Rise Athletic Ground (1902-04), Royal Agricultural Society Showgrounds (1904-07), Park Royal Ground (1907-17), Loftus Road (1917-31), White City Stadium (1931-33), Loftus Road (1933-62), White City Stadium (1962-63), Loftus Road (1963-Present).
- Stoke City. Victoria Cricket Club Ground (1868-75), Sweeting’s Field (1875-78), Victoria Ground (1878-1997), Britannia Stadium (1997-Present).
- Sunderland. Blue House Field (1879-82), Groves Field (1882-83), Horatio Street (1883-84), Abbs Field (1884-1886), Newcastle Road (1886-98), Roker Park (1898-1997), Stadium of Light (1997-Present)
- Swansea City. Vetch Field (1912-2005), Liberty Stadium (2005-Present)
- Tottenham Hotspur. Tottenham Marshes (1882-88), Northumberland Park (1888-99), White Hart Lane (1899-Present)
- West Bromwich Albion. Cooper’s Hill (1878-79), Dartmouth Park (1879-81), Bunn’s Field (1881-82), Four Acres (1882-85), Stoney Lane (1885-1900), The Hawthorns (1900-Present).
- Wigan Athletic. Springfield Park (1897-1999), DW Stadium (1999-Present).
- Wolverhampton Wanderers. Goldthorn Hill (1877-84), Molineux (1889-Present).
It’s interesting to note that Chelsea and Liverpool have played their home matches in the same ground since their existence. However, both clubs have been discussing stadium moves in the past few years. Queens Park Rangers supporters, meanwhile, will be used to moving their home ground around London, especially the older supporters.
