Is Bramall Lane the oldest stadium?

All advertisments are hidden for logged in members, why not log in/register?

Sheffsteel said:
This thread could turn into a Monty Python sketch.

We're the oldest stadium in the world.
No that's Sandygate
OK we're the oldest professional stadium in the world
No that's Field Mill at Mansfield
OK we're are the oldest sports stadium in the world
No that would be Molineux in Wolverhampton
OK we have played football longer than any other major club
No, that would be Deepdale as PNE have played there longer than any other major club.
OK, we are the .........oldest... major...sporting venue including cricket excluding bowls and tennis so that makes us.. ....oh fuck it.
Click to expand...
" what have the FA ever done for us"
 



Having read all that, whilst having a fantastic historic stadium, we can't really claim any 'oldest' record.

What qualifies as major and not major?
 
Davalon said:
Having read all that, whilst having a fantastic historic stadium, we can't really claim any 'oldest' record.

What qualifies as major and not major?
Click to expand...

The only grounds that have staged football matches and are still used for football before Bramall Lane are Field Mill in Mansfield, Sandygate in Sheffield and maybe some smaller non league grounds throughout the UK.

It's safe to say in the group above there's no doubting that BL is the only ground that can be classed as major. Field Milll has NEVER witnessed top flight football and only witness ONE SEASON at 2nd tier (Championship) level.

Surely any ground that has staged over 60 seasons of top flight football, FA cups final, numerous FA cup semi finals, numerous football internationals, numerous cricket international, boxing world title bouts, several concerts (Billy Graham and Bruce Springsteen) must be defined as major by 99.9% of the population.

We always used to have the title "oldest major stadium in the world" but when Mansfield Town were relegated to the Conference they went semi pro so we accurately changed our claim to "oldest pro football stadium in the world".

But since Mansfield Town regained their league status we should technically revert back to "the oldest MAJOR football stadium in the world".
 
Last edited:
spongebobblade said:
Sorry but that's an absolute no no. Our council would be having none of that. Where's the segregation? They would be netting half the stadium off.
P.S. Which end is the home kop?
Click to expand...
Not forgetting the bill for south/yorkshires finest, the peelers.
 



BigBed said:
Bramall Lane is the oldest professional stadium I believe, and Sheffield fc are the oldest club are they not???
Click to expand...

No it's not.

Sheffield United started claiming this a few years ago - and it was true back then, because Mansfield Town FC were not in the professional football league. But since they got back into the professional league it is no longer correct. That doesn't stop us keep announcing it though. And I suppose if you repeat something enough times people accept it without questioning it.

Mansfield Town's ground, "Field Mill", is the oldest professional football stadium in the world.
 
elgoog44 said:
found this nicely written article about our wonderful Stadium and as said it is the oldest Stadium in the world, although very different now from its origins, Love BDTBL - http://www.football-stadiums.co.uk/articles/oldest-football-stadium-in-the-world/
Click to expand...
Nice analogy to Trigger's Broom! 'Tis true there's probably not a piece of the current stadium older than 45 years (unless the current BL stand has some of the original concrete?) but there's more to age than physical matter. We have a home to treasure.
 
Cerberus Blade said:
No it's not.

Sheffield United started claiming this a few years ago - and it was true back then, because Mansfield Town FC were not in the professional football league. But since they got back into the professional league it is no longer correct. That doesn't stop us keep announcing it though. And I suppose if you repeat something enough times people accept it without questioning it.

Mansfield Town's ground, "Field Mill", is the oldest professional football stadium in the world.
Click to expand...
Mansfield claim 1861,but the website I've looked at states that fixtures for that year are unknown?
sounds very ambiguous tbh
 
Cerberus Blade said:
No it's not.

Sheffield United started claiming this a few years ago - and it was true back then, because Mansfield Town FC were not in the professional football league. But since they got back into the professional league it is no longer correct. That doesn't stop us keep announcing it though. And I suppose if you repeat something enough times people accept it without questioning it.

Mansfield Town's ground, "Field Mill", is the oldest professional football stadium in the world.
Click to expand...

your knowledge is vast and always like your contributions, seems indeed we do tout this about, still nice to know we are one of the oldest and nice to think that a little bit of yester year still remains at BDTBL even if mostly in sprit :)
 
Blade for Sale said:
Nice analogy to Trigger's Broom! 'Tis true there's probably not a piece of the current stadium older than 45 years (unless the current BL stand has some of the original concrete?) but there's more to age than physical matter. We have a home to treasure.
Click to expand...


What about the bomb under the Kop?
 
Cerberus Blade said:
No it's not.

Sheffield United started claiming this a few years ago - and it was true back then, because Mansfield Town FC were not in the professional football league. But since they got back into the professional league it is no longer correct. That doesn't stop us keep announcing it though. And I suppose if you repeat something enough times people accept it without questioning it.

Mansfield Town's ground, "Field Mill", is the oldest professional football stadium in the world.
Click to expand...

Agree, United used to call BL "the oldest major stadium in the world"
Then once Mansfield went out of the league for a few years the club called BL "the oldest pro stadium in the world", they said this because Hallams amateur ground at Sandygate is the oldest football stadium.

But since Mansfield returned to league (pro) football we've not reverted back to the original claim.

To be honest sometimes these claims all depend on definition.
There are clear records that BL opened and was initially used for organised cricket from 1855 but the site at Field Mill was a field and apparently used for unorganised football from 1850.

Official records show that organised football was first played at BL in 1862 but organised football was played at Field Mill from 1861.
 
Last edited:
snootyfenooty said:
Preston, Newport, Mansfield & now Wolves. they're having a laugh. None of them has hosted an Ashes test. None of them has hosted a F.A. Cup final. None of them has hosted an England international match. If they want to hang on to our coat tails it's up to them. Fuck them all.
Click to expand...

Death to the infidels!
 
Don't forget there were archery competition's at the Wicker in medieval times as well....;)
 
Yes BUT, the Kop wasn't part of the original ground. There is an early film of a match with Bury (I think), Fatty Foulke and all, its 1903 or something and it PRE-DATES the Kop, the film shows a wooden seated stand which was later REPLACED by the Kop.

Solid man-made hills like the Kop were introduced as a safety measure after the first Ibrox disaster in which a wooden lattice structure holding up standing terracing collapsed and that happened in 1902.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1902_Ibrox_disaster

the still of the film shows the stand that was there before the Kop was built. I have no idea whether the terracing round the corner of John Street and Shoreham street was a mound of earth or a framed structure but, seeing as it was a concrete framed structure while the rest of the Kop was mounded earth in my lifetime, I doubt it was ever solid beneath.
 

Attachments

  • image-1.jpg
    image-1.jpg
    85.1 KB · Views: 19
Last edited:
fuerstenberger said:
The programme did suggest visiting Sheffield as you get 2 of the 3 oldest stadiums/stadia in one place.
Click to expand...

An out-of-town mate of mine once said "Isn't it funny that Sheffield has both the oldest team in the world (Sheffield FC) and the oldest ground?" (Hallam). I said "Weeeelll, if you think about it, no." :D

A lot depends on how you view stats. Wendy are currently 'celebrating' 150 years, but 150 years of what? They've only been called 'Sheffield Wednesday Football Club' since 1929. Bt then, having a grasp of reality has never been Wendy's strong point.
 
grafikhaus said:
An out-of-town mate of mine once said "Isn't it funny that Sheffield has both the oldest team in the world (Sheffield FC) and the oldest ground?" (Hallam). I said "Weeeelll, if you think about it, no." :D

A lot depends on how you view stats. Wendy are currently 'celebrating' 150 years, but 150 years of what? They've only been called 'Sheffield Wednesday Football Club' since 1929. Bt then, having a grasp of reality has never been Wendy's strong point.
Click to expand...

And that shit hole of a club was replaced with the current shit hole of a club a few years ago.

The shit hole of a club are newer than MK Dons.
 



Sheffsteel said:
Agree, United used to call BL "the oldest major stadium in the world"
Then once Mansfield went out of the league for a few years the club called BL "the oldest pro stadium in the world", they said this because Hallams amateur ground at Sandygate is the oldest football stadium.

But since Mansfield returned to league (pro) football we've not reverted back to the original claim.

To be honest sometimes these claims all depend on definition.
There are clear records that BL opened and was initially used for organised cricket from 1855 but the site at Field Mill was a field and apparently used for unorganised football from 1850.

Official records show that organised football was first played at BL in 1862 but organised football was played at Field Mill from 1861.
Click to expand...

Haven't they only been professional since their (re)promotion, then? It's a bit like that couple that were together a year, have an eight-year break, get back together and celebrate their ten-year anniversary!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

FATTYFOULKE
No Bramall Lane in Womens World Cup in 2035
2
Replies
52
Views
2K
Antonb
A
Ball_Sup (Phil)
Ball Sup Blog... 2025/26 Academy Fixtures
Replies
3
Views
618
Silent Blade
Silent Blade
Knackered Blade
Kevin Sinfield CBE is at Bramall Lane on Thursday 4th December
2
Replies
41
Views
3K
anglian blade
anglian blade
H
'Memries' Sheffield United vs West Ham United: matches 1961 - 1994
Replies
29
Views
1K
silver blade
silver blade
ThatJa
The Steel City Derby Fixture Statistics
Replies
16
Views
1K
Geordie Blade
Geordie Blade

All advertisments are hidden for logged in members, why not log in/register?

All advertisments are hidden for logged in members, why not log in/register?

Back
Top Bottom