Vicente Calderon- Atletico De Madrid

Visits:1
Atletico Madrid 2-0 PSV Eindhoven (Champions League Group Stage, November 23rd 2016)
Stands I’ve Been in: Anfiteatro Lateral
Ticket Price (1st Visit): 62 Euros
Attendance (1st Visit): 37,891
Address: Passeo de la Virgen Del Puerto, 67 28005, Madrid

Transport

It's simple enough on the Metro. Piramides is the nearest Metro stop, but the queues afterwards are horrendous as it is only a small little station.

Ground exterior

Food & Drink

A few cafes and bars along the walk from piramides and on the corner outside the ground. For drinks the majority were just buying cans from the shop and standing about in the street, and the police had no issues with it so fair play! There was a little place called Offside opposite the ground that was basically just selling beer and soft drinks out of a fridge, but it also had walls and walls full of old Atletico pictures and news clippings!

  

The players line up in front of the Preferencia

Inside the Ground

This is the final season at the Calderon after 50 years. And the place is literally crumbling. The steps in the upper tier had visible cracks all over. Still, its a shame as its a pretty impressive place on the inside, with 3 sides creating one big steep looming bowl, with the Preferencia opposite separated from the rest. The other 3 sides are mostly uncovered, and despite mostly perfect views all around, I found a very large barrier right in front of me sitting on the front row of the upper tier, so soent most of the match unsure as to whether I should lean forward and watch through a letterbox, or strain my neck and sit bolt upright...  

The Fonde Sur

Atmosphere

This was my second Spanish ground, and it's fair to say that the Spanish don't do atmosphere the same way as most other places Ive been in Europe. There is a large group behind the goal in the lower of the Fondo Sur, and they really never ever stop. Everybody else seems quite reluctant to join in though. Spanish fans seem much harder to please than us as well!  

The Fonde Norte celebrates the second goal

Anything Else

The ground quite famously has a major motorway running underneath the main stand! Also, be aware that pretty much everything is confiscated at the ground. It is the first place Ive ever been where I had my camera taken off me (and God knows why, as when everybody has a camera on their phone these days, and stewards were happily taking pictures for people inside the ground during the game) so I had to leave it in the storage area, located on the opposite side of the ground, and then of course had to walk all the way back there through the crowds afterwards to get it back. The vast majority of the items people were there picking up at the end were umbrellas, bags of souvenirs from the club shop, and motorbike helmets... 

PSV fans let off a smoke bomb in the upper tier of the Fonde Norte

Overall

It was worth going to, and I did enjoy it, but it felt a little disappointing. The fact the game itself was pretty disappointing didnt help, it all felt a little flat, even if the ground itself is impressive.

Estadio Vicente Calderon Photos (Plus Santiago Bernabeu tour and Madrid trip)

Glentoran FC- The Oval

Visits:1
Glentoran 1-0 Dungannon Swifts (Danske Bank Premiership, August 6th 2016)
Stands I’ve Been in: Terracing
Ticket Price (1st Visit): £10
Attendance (1st Visit): 1,475
Address: Mersey Street, Belfast, BT4 1FG 

Transport

There are a few bus services that go down the Newtownards Road and drop you off down the street from the ground. Unfortunately for us the weekend we went, it also happened to be Belfast Pride, so the buses were up the wall, road closures etc. Absolutely no problem getting a bus back though, and not a problem you'll have every time you visit! We ended up having to walk from the city centre, which if you're stuck like we were, isnt all that far.

Ground exterior

Food & Drink

Never ate anything in the ground. The crowds arent the biggest anyway, so there is only the one burger van behind the terracing, and the supporter's bar inside the Main Stand.

  

The Main Stand

Inside the Ground

A must visit for me having never made it to Wigan's Springfield Park, as the grounds are so similar! The old style Main Stand down one side, opposite is the covered side, with two big curving open terraces ate either end. Complete with grass bank at the back of the home terrace!  

Home terracing and grass bank!

Atmosphere

There wasnt really an atmosphere in the sense we're used to in England, it was much more like the kind of atmosphere at non league games, reminded me a lot of Southport. It's that relaxed kind, where you'll get more comedy from the odd shout rather than witty chanting! 

Looking across the away terrace

Anything Else

The ground is in a Loyalist area of Belfast, made obvious by the murals and Union Jack bunting all the way down Newtownards Road. For obvious reasons, sectarianism was the abuse fans were warned about over the tannoy before kick off, and as much as positive steps have been made in Northern Ireland, it's still worth being aware that the divides are still there should you visit and venture away from the city centre. 

The Railway Stand

Overall

If you have an interest in groundhopping, and especially old school British grounds, this is a must before it is redeveloped.

The Oval Photos

Stade Velodrome- Olympique de Marseille

Visits:1
France 2-0 Albania (European Championships Group A, June 15th 2016)
Stands I’ve Been in: Tribune Jean Bouin
Ticket Price (1st Visit): 80 Euros
Attendance (1st Visit): 63,670
Address: 3 Boulevard Michelet, 13008 Marseille, France

Transport

Marseille has a pretty thorough transport network, the number 2 metro line has two stops within 5 minutes walk of the ground.

Ground exterior

Food & Drink

Never ate anything in the ground, but they did have guys walking around the ceowd selling beer and coke! The Vieux Port in the city has loads of bars and places to eat and is only a couple of stops away from the ground on the metro. Loads outside the ground too.

  

Increased security outside the ground

Inside the Ground

Despite recent redevelopment, the Velodrome's curving ends are iconic. Both sides are now a bit more symmetrical, and it's an absolutely breathtaking venue. Our seats were actually classed as restricted view, but the only restriction was the barrier at the very front, which actually restricted very little. .  

Between 15-20k Albanian fans from all over Europe in the ground

Atmosphere

Incredible. Having so many Albanians present certainly helped, but the noise when either set of fans got going was deafening. Watching the host nation singing their national anthem in a ground that noisy was something else to see as well. 

French fans in the Virage Nord

Anything Else

Three sides of the ground erupt as France win the game late on

Overall

A ground Ive wanted to visit since I was a teenager. Well worth any chance you get to have a trip here.

Stade Velodrome Photos

Hereford FC- Edgar Street

Visits:1
Hereford 7-0 Bardon Hill (Midland Alliance Premier Division, March 26th 2016)
Stands I’ve Been in: Meadow End Terrace
Ticket Price (1st Visit): £8
Attendance (1st Visit):
Address: Edgar Street, Hereford, HR4 9JU

Transport

The ground isnt very well signposted, so take your satnav. The ground is very close to the city centre and railway station though, and there is plenty of paid or street parking nearby. I parked in the Blackfriars Street pay and display which is right behind the Main Stand, £4 for 4 hours and absolutely no traffic getting out afterwards.

The Main Stand

Food & Drink

There are two bars on site at the ground, in the Meadow End itself, only one small kiosk at the back. The pies are decent though.

The Len Weston Stand celebrates another goal!

Inside the Ground

Obviously a bit big for The Midland Alliance given the messy recent history and rebirth of Hereford! Its a lovely ground to look at, with large covered terraces at either end (the Blackfriars End currently out of use) the raised all seater Main Stand down one side, and the strange looking Len Weston Stand down the other, which is possibly one of the shallowest stands Ive ever seen with a road running directly behind it. This stand has a small terrace in the lower section, and seats in the upper. 

The unused Blackfriars End

Atmosphere

The Meadow End is great acoustically, great noise when it really got going. That wasnt a whole lot though until towards the end, as Hereford are pretty much romping through this League, so the crowd felt almost bored until the scoreline started to get silly. 

The Meadow End at full time

Anything Else

Hereford were reformed in summer 2015 after the previous incarnation, Hereford United went bust mid season thanks to some serious criminal mismanagement off the pitch. This was in their first season, where they also sealed a first visit to Wembley in the FA Vase with a win at Salisbury the week before.

Mike Symons celenrates the 7th goal!

Overall

One that was on my list for years, but always alluded me. Just glad the club have sorted their problems off the pitch and the opportunity to go there didnt go away forever.

Edgar Street Photos

VfL Bochum- Rewirpowerstadion

Visits:1
Bochum 3-2 Sandhausen (Bundesliga 2, February 27th 2016)
Stands I’ve Been in: Ost Kurve
Ticket Price (1st Visit): 12 Euros
Attendance (1st Visit): 12,209
Address: Castroper Strasse 145, 44791, Bochum, Germany

Transport

Another German city, another good public transport. The stadium is only 2 stops from the central train station on the tram.

Ground exterior

Food & Drink

The usual at German grounds, lots of beer and bratwurst. The bratwurst especially very good!

The West Kurve at kick off

Inside the Ground

The ground has had some redevelopment, and has four steep stands in a bowl shape. Three of the sides are all seater, with some away terracing in the corner, and a large standing area behind the Ost goal.  

The Nord Tribune

Atmosphere

Again, excellent. Even only just over a third full, the noise from the Ostkurve was pretty incessant, especially towards the end of the match as the game got more and more tight. 

The Sud Kurve

Anything Else

It seems Bochum have some sort of thing going with Leicester City, as they had a banner with both badges on, and quite a few of their fans were wearing Bochum/ Leicester half scarves which was a bit odd!

The Sud Tribune

Overall

Very relaxed place to visit, great atmosphere and a very enjoyable day.

Rewirpowerstadion Photos

FC Koln- Rheinenergiestadion

Visits:1
FC Koln 0-1 Hertha Berlin (Bundesliga, February 26th 2016)
Stands I’ve Been in: West Tribune
Ticket Price (1st Visit): 41 Euros
Attendance (1st Visit): 48,900
Address: Aachener Strasse 999. 50933, Koln, Germany

Transport

Like most German clubs, Cologne has excellent public transport all over the city. One of the city tramlines stops right outside the ground, and is easily accessible from the city centre. They get very busy though! The station guards were physically pushing people on to get the doors shut after the game!

Ground exterior

Food & Drink

There are several bars on the streets along the tram route, while there is also plenty at the ground. The food is decent, the German staple of bratwurst and brotchen being an obvious winner, as well as massive pizza slices for 4 Euros. They also sell beer of course, which you are allowed to drink in your seats...all of the bars and food outlets stay open all through and after the game to encourage people to stay around for a couple more and wait for the crowds to go down if they want.

  

The Ost Tribune during the club anthem

Inside the Ground

The ground is very 'English' in style. No running track around the pitch, the stands are very close and intimate, and the views are good all round, with four large two tiered stands. Unlike English grounds of a similar size of course, are the standing areas, the whole of the Sud lower containing the Koln Ultras, while a corner of the Nord is also terraced for the away fans.  

The Nord end of the ground

Atmosphere

Incredible. Ive been to other games in Germany before, but never as a home fan. The fans in the Sud Kurve never stopped all game, and the singing of the club anthem before kick off was something to behold. 

The Sud Kurve

Anything Else

Koln famously have a live goat as their mascot, Hennes. There is something very comical about playing the Rocky theme song and bringing out this little bewildered goat while the crowd goes crazy!

Hertha Berlin fans and players celebrate a narrow win

Overall

A beautiful city with loads to do, fantastic transport links, and just an absolutely brilliant place to watch football. Everybody needs to go there, now.

Rheinenergiestadion Photos