The secret underwater stadium you didn't know existed! | Lost Grounds | Episode 3
Lost Grounds: Britain's old football grounds and the fight to remember them
Ben Ransom travels around Britain visiting old grounds in Coventry, Stoke, Shrewsbury, Swansea, Cardiff, Newport and Bristol to see what they have become. The film mixes nostalgia for old-school atmospheres with criticism of outdated facilities, and concludes that although many grounds have gone, memorial gardens, community gardens and social clubs keep their memory alive.
- Playing at Birmingham is an absolute tragedy, and Coventry City must get back to their own stadium in Coventry as soon as possible — The club has gone too long without its own home and the issue needs resolving
- Highfield Road was an enjoyable old-school ground with an entertaining team — Fans were very close, you walked across the pitch from the car park, and the atmosphere felt old-school
- It is good that the old centre circle is marked, so the history has not disappeared completely — People still come to read the plaque, showing that the history remains in the community
- Gay Meadow was a tired ground with a quirky and awful pitch, so there was not much reason to worry about leaving — The ground was old and the pitch was poor, suggesting the move was not necessarily a loss
- For Swansea fans over 30, their heart is still at the old Vetch Field; as a community green space it still preserves the ground's history — Fragments of the old ground remain, fans can still picture it, and the community garden keeps the site in use
- The Ninian Park memorial garden gives fans and bereaved families real emotional comfort — Fans come on match days to remember quietly, many bring loved ones' ashes, and a new plaque wall had to be built
- Somerton Park was a special place for us as kids — He used to sneak in through a hole and buy a hot dog; when he signed, the facilities were still basic, but his childhood memories remained strong
- Eastville was a traditional football ground — It had a greyhound track and a fantastic flower bed behind the goals
- Keeping the social club means keeping Eastville's story and history; otherwise the site would just gain more parking spaces — IKEA's development plan required the club to remain, and without it there would be no trace of that history
► Subscribe to Sky Sports Football: http://bit.ly/SSFootballSub ► Watch Sky Sports with NOW: https://bit.ly/NOWFootballYT In episode three of Lost Grounds Ben Ransom travels around Britain visiting old football grounds to see what they have become, featuring an underwater football stadium and more. football footballstadium footballground Chapters 00:00 - Intro 00:42 - Highfield Road 03:24 - St Andrew's 03:56 - Fellows Park 04:05 - Victoria Ground 06:46 - Old Recreation Ground 07:18 - Gay Meadow 12:46 - The Vetch 16:20 - Ninian Park 19:58 - Somerton Park 21:17 - Tony Pulis 22:22 - Eastville 25:39 - Coming up ► EFL highlights: https://bit.ly/EFLHighlights2627 ► EFL Cup highlights: https://bit.ly/CarabaoCupHL ► SPFL highlights: https://bit.ly/SPFLHighlights2627 ► Bundesliga highlights: https://bit.ly/BundesligaHighlights2627 ► Buy this season’s shirts: https://bit.ly/SkySportsShop More from Sky Sports on YouTube: ► Sky Sports: http://bit.ly/SkySportsSub ► Sky Sports Boxing: http://bit.ly/SSBoxingSub ► Sky Sports Cricket: http://bit.ly/SubscribeSkyCricket ► Sky Sports Darts: https://bit.ly/SubSkySportsDarts ► Sky Sports F1: http://bit.ly/SubscribeSkyF1 ► Sky Sports Golf: https://bit.ly/SubscribeSkySportsGolf ► Sky Sports News: http://bit.ly/SkySportsNewsSub ► Sky Sports Premier League: https://bit.ly/SubscribeSkySportsPL ► Sky Sports Retro: http://bit.ly/SkySportsRetroSub ► Sky Sports WSL: https://bit.ly/SubscribeSkySportsWSL ► Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SkySportsFootball ► Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skysportsfootball ► TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@skysportsfootball / https://www.tiktok.com/@skysportswsl ► X: https://x.com/SkyFootball / https://x.com/SkySportsWSL ► Website: https://www.skysports.com ► To enquire about licensing Sky Sports content, you can find out more here: https://www.skysports.com/more-sports/news/31754/11434270/license-sky-sports-footage
Transcript
On my trusty motorbike, I'm on a mission to discover this country's lost football grounds. I found hidden treasures in Middlesbrough. So, this is a national monument in North Korea. Taking a ride in Darlington. It's had a few >> upside down and [snorts] explored the gems of Rotherham. >> This time I'm bobbing about in Shrosbury. Fish a football from the river. Life is but a dream. >> Gardening in Swansea. It was Vegfield. [music] Now I think we can call it Vegfield. And playing Skittles in Bristol. Coventry City are back in the Premier League. What a year it's been and what a journey. FROM RUINS TO RENAISSANCE. COMMENTARY CITY AND THE FINAL PAGE TO COMPLETE THE TALE OF THIS COMEBACK STORY FOR THE AGES. The mentioned football grounds to any commentary fan and it still brings back painful memories. The club stopped paying its 1.3 million a year rent for the Rico. Stadium owners Coventry City Council [music] chased the Aras, forcing the club into administration when previous owners CISU were allowed to [music] buy the club back. Another 10-point deduction followed this season along with relocation to Northampton. [music] >> It is an absolute tragedy that we're playing at Birmingham. [music] It's not what we would ever choose. >> It's been going on for too long. It needs resolving. But what is clear that Country City needs to be playing in its own stadium in Comry as soon as possible. A pivotal moment in the history of Coventry. Now they've announced they've [music] completed a purchase of the Coventry Builder Society Arena. Solar. [music] >> Is it one of these? Is it this one? I think this might be Highfield Road. [music] >> The chaos behind the scenes has overshadowed Coventry City for a long time. But the move from right here, Highfield Road, was also a troubled one from the off. >> From the flames of [music] a former Gas Works commentary are hoping that the Phoenix Stadium will arise. >> This is really not a football stadium in the [music] truest sense of the word. It's a indooroutdoor arena. >> Plans were grand. a 45,000 seater part of England's 2006 World Cup bid. Not to mention an ambitious move to replace Wembley as the new national team home. But there were problems. England didn't get the World Cup. Plans were delayed and commentary got relegated. When they did eventually leave in 2005, the club was saddled in debt. A sad end to a famous ground home to some famous players. KEANE. OH, HE'S SCORED. HOW DID HE DO IT? >> I used to love playing there. You park your car in the far corner and walk across the pitch into the dresser in the corner. So, old school feeling to it, but then a real entertaining football team. >> Unbelievable. Highfield Road, which I loved. I wouldn't change a thing. >> When you played at Highfield Road, it was one of those old school grounds where the fans were very, very close and always quite enjoyed playing there. Continuing through the Midlands, I reached Birmingham and stopped to look at plans for their new ground. >> Birmingham have revealed audacious plans for [music] a new 62,000 seat stadium. >> Our goal is to build a stadium, men's, women's, [music] and academy training ground on the same site, same location to bring them all together, but also bring in other [music] entertainment options um alongside the potential development for office, hotel, restaurants, pubs. So it becomes a destination 365 days a year. >> It was time for a quick pit stop in Warsaw and a nod to their former ground fellows [music] park at a local Morrison's. I'm back on the M6 and I'm heading to Stoke. Stoke is soon to move to a 28,000 allseater stadium. Once home to the Premier League's loudest [music] crowd, and Rory Dilap's infamous long throws that haunted Arson and it's in. It is a classic Stoke City goal and Arsenal in real trouble here. >> And if you're doing a double take, the great [music] Pelle also visited here. And Stoke's old ground was rich in history, too. Welcome to the potteries. This was the Victoria Ground, home to Stoke City for 119 years. And by the time they left in 1997, this was the oldest operational stadium in English football. It lay derelicts for some 20 years before it was redeveloped. Previously, it was home to some of the absolute great English football. Sir Stanley Matthews graced what was the turf here. Legendary goalkeeper Gordon Banks. and a fascinating tale that [music] has only recently been unearthed. Born to an English mother and a Chinese father, Frank Sue played nine wartime internationals for England, making him the first player of Asian heritage to represent the country. What I've noticed about some of these houses is on the wall there are some plaques here saying that they were located on the center circle of the former football ground. So, let's have a knock on, shall we? And see if there's anyone home. Hello. I'm sorry to disturb you. Um, we are making a little TV program about Lost Football Grounds and I've been wandering around what was the Victoria Ground and I noticed a plaque on the wall. Just wondered what you know about the history and when you moved in. >> Um, I've only been here about a year prior that I lived only a couple miles away so the Victoria Ground was still >> Oh, was it >> still alive when I was a bit younger. So yes, I can still picture where the stadium was. >> I guess it's changed quite a bit. >> Yes. Yes. And to be um positioned on the uh center circle is a bit strange. >> And when you were looking to move in, was that part of your thought process thinking, "Oh, it' be quite nice to live on the center circle of an old stadium." >> Yeah, it was certainly a novelty when I was looking around here. >> Do you get many people like me knocking on the door? >> Uh no, not knocking on. I see a lot of people walking and reading the the plaque. It's nice that they've kept it marked as well. You know, it's not just disappeared entirely, so there is some history still around. Uh yeah, >> amazing. Thank you so much. Lovely to meet you. Thank you. [music] [bell] >> I hopped across the city to neighbors [music] Port Veil. You might be wondering why I'm stood on the roof of a multi-story car park in the center of Stoke on Trent. Well, I've crossed the Pottery's Divide because this used to be the home of Port Vale. This was once the old recreation ground until the club fell into financial [music] difficulties and sold this land to the council. Then in 1950, the council decided they wanted to build a shopping center. Port Vale were kicked out and they had to find what became their seventh and up until now final home at Vale Park. Out of the car park and into Shropshire and to a ground with one of the most unusual stories of them all. You might be wondering why I am drifting down the river 7 in what appears to be a bathtub holding something like a long cricket bat fishing footballs out to the river. Well, this is the magical and rather unique story of Shrosby Town Football Club. [music] [music] >> [music] >> So, this is Shrosbury's new ground, [music] and there's a tale to be told about the old one. No, this isn't the River 7. It's Gay Meadow under 3 ft of water after the worst flooding Shrops has seen in more than three decades. It's the first chance Shrewsbury's had to make a splash in ages. But at the moment, the club have no option but to quite literally go with the flow. >> Hi, Mike. >> How are you? >> Fine, >> Ben. Good to see you. Thank you so much for coming down. [music] Gay Meda. My recollection was it was always underwater. >> Correct. >> Was that correct or is that just a myth? >> Well, they moved there in September 1910 [music] and in December 1910 was the first game that was abandoned. He took the players off the pitch [music] because uh the river was flooding onto the pitch. >> If the weather stays like this, they'll be tossing up to see who defends the deep end. Still, if the worst comes to the worst, they could always take up water polo. There's a particular tale about a very unique thing that's, you know, part of this club's folklore. >> If you mention that you're a Shusby town supporter, the first thing that an opposing supporter says is, "Is that coral still going?" You know, [laughter] >> Fred Davis is on duty as usual. The ground stands beside the river 7. And that's why for 40 years, Fred has worked here as football's strangest ball boy. Fred used to sit on the bench when the ball went over into the the river. He'd get up and he'd get the coracle out and he'd get on the river. But you have to do a figure of eight in order to stop it spinning round. >> The one night it was quite misty and and Fred goes to get the ball out the river. He can see it in front of him and he he gradually catches up with it and he has to keep moving because the we's a bit further down. He grabs hold of the ball and the ball takes off cuz it's a swan. [laughter] This is the original coracal. Am I right? >> Yeah, that's it. >> I mean, Fred seems like the master of this vessel. >> Yeah. >> Did he ever fall in? >> He must have fallen in on more than one occasion, but pride was too much for him to admit to the fact that he fell in. [laughter] >> So, we're headed into Shrewsbury to find Fred's old stomping ground. >> Time is ticking down to Shros's last ever game at Gay Meadow. >> It's a tired ground. The pitch is quirky and awful. Why should we even be worried about leaving the ground? >> If we walk down this alleyway here, this is actually us emerging effectively onto what was the pitch at Gay Meadow. There are terraces of sorts, I suppose, with the balconies around that tree line. You might be able to pick out over in the distance, some 50, 60 yards away. That is on the banks of the river 7. So, you can see why this place was so susceptible to being underwater. The days of retrieving stray match balls from the river 7 will soon be confined to the past. One of the benefits of wearing motorcycle gear is that I can walk through these brambles and not get too many injuries. But this, I'm told, is where the legendary Fred Davis used to launch his coracle. Richard, how on earth did he get the boat [music] first of all down that bank, but into the water to retrieve the footballs? >> Well, when when Fred did it, there weren't all these weeds here. This was pretty much clear. Uh it was a very steep bank and there was a little spot where he could actually get in. Uh the when it was wet, the problem with the bank was that it would it would slide down the bank and end up in the river. So [laughter] getting in and out was when he was most likely to get wet, not when he was in the coracal. >> Richard, as it happens, is an expert in coracals. So he offered me the chance to have a go. >> Sit yourself on the seat. Whoa. Okay. >> Okay. Move yourself so you're comfortable and it's balanced. And now you're a float. >> Okay. >> If I don't move, I will stay afloat. I think as soon as I move, I might not. Let's have a go. Right. So, cricket b side front. >> Just do the figure of eight ones first. >> Figure of eight >> or a J stroke. It's quite calm today. So, >> quite calm. He says, [laughter] [snorts] "Row, row, row your coracle gently down the stream. Fish a football from the river. Life is but a dream. You're very much a member of the coral society though. What got you into this pursuit? >> Really desire to follow on from Fred and go and collect the balls out of the [laughter] the river. >> Shrosby folklor. >> Absolutely. >> How close did you get? >> Very close. But by the time I built a coracle and learned how to use it properly, they they decided to move grounds. So Fred would have jumped in his coracle, maneuvered himself to the ball, and then rather more gracefully than me, I'm sure, and got it out. This one's to you, Fred. [music] It was time for one of the longest drives of the trip through the valleys into South Wales. Swansea City's journey to the top is one of football's very best fairy tales. The Premier League for the first time will have a representative from Wales. That rise coincided with the club's move to a new stadium. With time running out on Swansea City's stay at the [music] Vetfield, the club have been reminded that they'll be leaving more than just memories behind. [music] Preserved amongst these terrace houses is the players entrance to the old Vet Field. This was home to Swansea City for the lion share of their existence. To be honest, the last league game was in 2005. As we found out on this journey, lots of these stadiums have been turned into things like new build housing estates and that kind of thing. But there's been a real effort here to preserve something for the community. Take me to the veg field way down by the sea where I will [music and singing] follow Swansea Swans City. >> This is an incredible spot. >> It's a bit different, isn't it? [laughter] It's certainly different to what it used to be. We used to have the big stand up here. So all these people in the houses, they had no daylight. >> It's remarkable. >> I know. I know. >> And obviously we've come in the entrance here. When we come into the stand, the pitch would have been somewhere over that way. >> Yep. center circle over there on the other side of us. >> Tell me a little bit about about the history. How did this garden come into being? >> How did this garden grow? When the Swans moved out over to Liberty [music] Stadium, swansy.com as it's now called, it was just left. They were going to build four big blocks of flats here. So, a local artist, Owen Griffith, [music] literally put little posters up around the area saying, "Do you want to grow some veg?" And that's all it was, handwritten posters. >> I've got peppers, tomatoes, watermelons. So Michelle, you actually live in one of these houses right bordering the old stadium. >> Yeah. So we lived there since 1991. >> So when they played here? >> Yeah. When they played. Yeah. So the North Bank was like backing on and then the fans used to come out and we'd be waving to them. So when this came was lovely to be honest because it could be a bit disruptive but it was also a good atmosphere. >> What a shot. What a goal. Who else? IT HAD TO BE LEE TRUNDLE. >> I like you know Lee Trundle. I never miss a g, you know, uh, Saturday, Sunday, all the game I watch. >> What I love is the fact that Lee Trundle and players like that would have been running around in this very area scoring so many goals for Swansea City and now you get to be here >> and grow. >> Fresh from Veetchfield. It was Veetchfield. Now I think we can call it Vegfield. If you talk to any Swans fan, certainly over 30 years of age, their heart is still back here. You can see around the fringes the remains of it. But I come down here and I look around and I still see in my mind the old stadium. It has provided now, as you can see, a wonderful green space for the community. And this, as I say, it's still nod to its history. This is the special place. This is where they fell in love with the club. Take me to the batch [music] field down by sea where I will follow Swansea Swansea [music] [singing] City. I'm heading along the M4 now towards Cardiff. Swansey's big rivals. They moved to a new ground around the same time which also became the home of the national team. This site marks [music] the spot on Nian Park where all games commenced. It's the old center spot. And [music] what's unusual about this place is that over my shoulder is the new ground. But it wasn't just football. Nian Park [music] hosted boxing, both codes of rugby, basketball, even showjumping for the Commonwealth Games back in [music] the 50s. In 1976, Bob Marley played a concert here. [music] And in 1982, more than 35,000 people gathered for an audience [music] with Pope John Paul II. But football was the religion that brought people to Ninium Park week in week out. At times, this place was viciferous. The atmosphere was rockers. And across the road from where they originally stood a momentto 99 years at the old place between the sight of the old ground and the new one is this [music] memorial garden and one of the most poignant memorials is to the legendary former Scotland Celtic manager Jock Stein. As emergency medical equipment was being rushed to the ground minutes after Jock Dean's collapse, hundreds of Scottish fans gathered in silence outside the grandstand for news of his condition. Within half an hour, the news that he was dead came through. And what should have been Scottish joy turned to bitter grief. He was [music] taking charge of the national team during a 1-1 draw in a World Cup qualifier of the 1986 World Cup and [music] straight after the final whistle suffered a heart attack. True great. And Jockstein is just one of so many remembered on this site. I met the club chaplain to find out more. >> Chris, >> hi Ben. >> Nice to see you. Thank you so much for showing us around this incredible pleasure. It's a real link, isn't it, between supporters and the past. >> It gives a focal point, a place where they can meet on match days. People will come and spend a quiet moment remembering fans that have supported the club in the [music] past. It's been so popular for people to come and bring that the ashes of their loved ones here that we've had to build a wall at the other end where plaques are going to go up for others. Football is such a a big part of people's lives. Life comes to an end as it were. And for the those left behind, something like this is a real comfort and a real blessing to them. This beautiful garden is run by the Veterans Hub, [music] which is a group of ex-military personnel who are part of the Cardiff City Football Club Community Foundation. Mike leads the group. I can see your members are busy tending to this beautiful space. Why is it so important to you? >> The veterans here take a lot of pride in the work that they do and it's a good opportunity for them to link in with the community, fans of the club, and people who come to the foundation. [music] >> I see you brought flowers. Obviously this is an important place for you and your family is >> very important. Yeah. My dad passed away and then my sister passed away so the ashes in there. So every Christmas, [music] birthday, Easter flowers on without fail. My dad was such a big car city fan. [music] He brought his children. My dad would want to be here 100%. I used to say to him, "Dad, where you want to go when you die?" He say, "Just sat my ashes on the field," which [music] I would have loved to done, but I I didn't. So, I know this is perfect for him. >> As I headed back towards England, I stopped off in Newport, past the famous Transporter Bridge, and onto a club with a complex ground history. This is their traditional home, Summerton Park, which would you believe hosted European football. Back in the 19808 [music] season, Newport County reached the quarterfinals of the European Cup Winners Cup. But things soon took a downward turn. Little more than a year ago, Newport County were fighting to avoid relegation from Division 4. They lost that battle and [music] then lost the war. The receivers moved in, the club was wound up, and the padlocks were put on their Summitton Park ground. Today, with [music] no ground available in Newport, Morton and the Marsh came to the rescue 75 m away across the border in England. They managed [music] two seasons back here but were evicted again and the ground was [music] demolished in 1993. Meadow Park in Gloucester, Sputy Park back in Newport and finally Rodney Parade. This club has seen a lot of football grounds. In all honesty, there aren't too many clues here as to what this place was. So before I hit the road again, I'm just going to make a very quick call. Hi Ben. >> Great to speak to you. I'm at Summerson Park. [laughter] >> Yeah, it might look a bit different, but what are your memories of playing here? >> God, that goes back to when I was at 9 10 years of age. Almost probably get locked up for this. W