Oldest football ground in the world

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For ages before every game we were welcomed to "bramall lane, the oldest professional football ground in the world" which I believe is disputed/arguable based on it being used as a cricket ground for some time before and other grounds that are used in non league etc. But recently I noticed it ammended to "one of the oldest" and then against hudersfield it was "one of the 14 oldest" which sounded very odd to me. Anyone know why the club seem to have dropped claiming it as THE oldest/a reason they would have to stop saying it before games, seems a strange change as I thought it sounded nice.
 

I think the first football game was 1862 (I wasn't present). It was used by the cricket club from 1855.
Field Mill was used for football in 1861 (and cricket for a few year's prior).
So football wise, it's Mansfield, but the Lane is slightly older as a sports venue?
 
From Wikipedia :-

York Road is a football stadium in Maidenhead, Berkshire, England. The home ground of Maidenhead United, it is acknowledged by The Football Association and FIFA to be the oldest continuously-used senior association football ground in the world by the same club, having been home to the club since 1871.[1] A blue plaque commemorating this is placed just inside the home turnstiles on the York Road side of the ground.[2

It's what you get if you take the word "professional" out.

I knew this as I've been many times ;)
 
Because Field Mill is the oldest professional stadium.
Apparently not ;)
From Wikipedia :-

York Road is a football stadium in Maidenhead, Berkshire, England. The home ground of Maidenhead United, it is acknowledged by The Football Association and FIFA to be the oldest continuously-used senior association football ground in the world by the same club, having been home to the club since 1871.[1] A blue plaque commemorating this is placed just inside the home turnstiles on the York Road side of the ground.[2

It's what you get if you take the word "professional" out.

I knew this as I've been many times ;)
Although it could be if you either take the words "continuously-used senior ground in the world" or "by the same club" out.

Bloody statistics eh. Who'd have em? ;)
 
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From Wikipedia :-

York Road is a football stadium in Maidenhead, Berkshire, England. The home ground of Maidenhead United, it is acknowledged by The Football Association and FIFA to be the oldest continuously-used senior association football ground in the world by the same club, having been home to the club since 1871.[1] A blue plaque commemorating this is placed just inside the home turnstiles on the York Road side of the ground.[2

It's what you get if you take the word "professional" out.

I knew this as I've been many times ;)
Always thought it was Hallam if you take “professional” out
 
 
Just to throw another one into the mix, this ground is literally a stone's throw from Chez Trig and the claim is it's the oldest surviving football pitch in continuous use. The 1830's date is a bit anecdotal, but I doubt people in the 1870s were making up stories of the past to be discovered 100 plus years later.

The research was done by a mate of mine and he also has a copy of a W*dnesday programme from the 50s v Bolton Wanderers, which talks about W*dnesday playing at Turton in their very early days.

As another aside, the playing surface is magnificent and they did very well to find a piece of ground so level in a very hilly area.

World's Oldest Football Pitch Pt 94
 
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From Wikipedia :-

York Road is a football stadium in Maidenhead, Berkshire, England. The home ground of Maidenhead United, it is acknowledged by The Football Association and FIFA to be the oldest continuously-used senior association football ground in the world by the same club, having been home to the club since 1871.[1] A blue plaque commemorating this is placed just inside the home turnstiles on the York Road side of the ground.[2

It's what you get if you take the word "professional" out.

I knew this as I've been many times ;)
Until they move to Braywick Park. (I'm assuming it will eventually happen)
 
From Wikipedia :-

York Road is a football stadium in Maidenhead, Berkshire, England. The home ground of Maidenhead United, it is acknowledged by The Football Association and FIFA to be the oldest continuously-used senior association football ground in the world by the same club, having been home to the club since 1871.[1] A blue plaque commemorating this is placed just inside the home turnstiles on the York Road side of the ground.[2

It's what you get if you take the word "professional" out.

I knew this as I've been many times ;)
Nope, Hallam since 1860
 
Because Field Mill is the oldest professional stadium.

Depends what you mean by stadium.

Field Mill was actually just a field, like a small park, where regular football was played. Mansfield Town are quite a new club and weren’t formed until 1932.

Where as Bramall Lane was an enclosure, a fenced off patch of grass used for cricket and later, major local football matches.

Much of this is semantics because apparently on the site where Molineux stands in Wolverhampton that was a park where several sports including versions of football were played on that site from as early as 1800.
 
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Depends what you mean by stadium.

Field Mill was actually just a field, like a small park, where regular football was played. Mansfield Town are quite a new club and weren’t formed until 1932.

Where as Bramall Lane was an enclosure, a fenced off patch of grass used for cricket and later, major local football matches.

Much of this is semantics because apparently on the site where Molineux stands in Wolverhampton that was a park where several sports including versions of football were played on that site from as early as 1800.

Just checked Wikipedia and apparently the Molineux grounds was a recreational park opened in 1860 and had an ice rink, cycling track, boating lake and area for playing football.

So regular football was played on the site where the Wolves stadium currently stands from 1860.

As I said you need to agree certain definitions before an accurate statement can be made.

For example what does it mean by “football was played there”. What is does regularly played mean? Also what is meant when saying “stadium”?
 

I think you can discount anyone claiming to play football until the Sheffield clubs were formed and played to "Sheffield rules". Some say football was played in China thousands of years ago who really knows? What we do know is the Sheffield rules were the first rules and forerunners of today's rules of the game. Strange that the National Football museum is in ................. Manchester, when it really should be in Sheffield
 
Should be "The best football ground in the world. (No staff included in this statement?"
 
I think you can discount anyone claiming to play football until the Sheffield clubs were formed and played to "Sheffield rules". Some say football was played in China thousands of years ago who really knows? What we do know is the Sheffield rules were the first rules and forerunners of today's rules of the game. Strange that the National Football museum is in ................. Manchester, when it really should be in Sheffield
Aye
Only problem with that is it would soon be shifted (back) to Manchester to capitalise on ‘tourist’ interest (ie Manure’s global ‘fan base’)’as was the case when (re)moved from Preston / Deepdale ie no bugger went because there was sod all else to do in the vicinity - think ‘National Centre For Popular Music’
 
Never mind oldest .... who cares ... our stadium needs upgrading NOW!
 
In answer to the original question can I suggest that the club amended / dropped the original claim because it was / is not true ?
Gary Sinclair started using the "oldest league stadium in continuous use" or something along those lines when Mansfield dropped into the Conference. They're back in the Football League now so it's a moot point but it shouldn't be a badge of pride anyway...given that United weren't formed until 1889 so the first 20+ years of the stadium's history belongs to those halfwits across the city.
 
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Gary Sinclair started using the "oldest league stadium in continuous use" or something along those lines when Mansfield dropped into the Conference. They're back in the Football League now so it's a moot point but it shouldn't be a badge of pride anyway...given that United weren't formed until 1889 so the first 20+ years of the stadium's history belongs to those halfwits across the city.
Aye
All a bit tenuous
Sinclair has never afforded me the honour
of being introduced to the Lane faithful as:
“ The oldest & ugliest fat bald specky Guinness drinking diabetic Barnsley born Sunderland resident gobshite Blades supporter in the world “
but I reckon I am !
 

I mean oldest “stadium” is a stretch for any of these grounds, all of them dont look nothing like they did when football was first played in them
 

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