Updated 28/1/98 (Wrexham and Burnley
Barnsley
Newly promoted to the Premiership. There is a school of thought that Barnsley will stay in the Premiership for 3 seasons - Autumn, Winter and Spring. I hope they do really well, after all, it was little over 30 years ago that we were in their position. Also, living in Sheffield, I work with loads of Barnsley fans and so it is a safe position to take on the subject.
Birmingham City
A dodgy midlands club which seems to be acting as a feeder club for the Cobblers.
Blackpool
They were good once (apparently). They have a ground that is notable for an incredible amount of car parking space, and not much else. The away corner, is part open terracing, and part covered. Having said that, I like terracing, and if it weren't so bloomin cold up there I wouldn't mind seeing more games and enjoying the terrace atmosphere.
Brighton and Hove Albion
Stitched up by their board, Brighton's 'home' games are now held at Gillingham. A punishment if ever there was one! It's a shame, cos although the Goldstone Ground was in a terrible state, a hell of a lot of tradition and history was sacrificed for a quick buck, and that can't be right. If ever a lesson were needed in the end results of the abuse of power, B&HA would be a paradigm example. This should never be allowed to happen again!
Burnley
Such a nice bunch of fans that they set their Manager's wife on fire. Away fans are advised not to wear their club colours in town. If they set fire to their own people heaven knows what they'd do to a mouthy opposition fan! A safe place to drink before a game is Club 110. A 10p admission fee secures entry to a friendly club with cheap beer. Turf Moor itself, with 2 new stands is a pretty impressive ground but attendences do not do it justice.
Chester City
aka 'How to bodge a new all seater stadium'
The Deva stadium is on an industrial estate, 2 miles out of town, with not a pub in sight. Admitedly the car park is easier to vacate than Sixfields', but that's cos there are no fans. "They're Welsh, and they know they are!" The Deva has the feel of an outsize cattle shed, but bearing in mind the geographical location, it probably doubles as a sheep shed in the off season.
Darlington
"Surely that can't be the way to the away end?" can be heard by all first time away supporters to Feathams. 1 mile from where home fans enter, circumnavigating Sainsbury's and a dodgy cobbled path, you eventually find the turnstile. Yes they only have one working. Once in, you walk over bare mud to the uncovered away end. The aforementioned alley runs behind teh away end, making away fans easy targets for projectiles. The toilets are primitive, lacking lightbulbs, but sporting an attractive birdsnest on the cistern. It really is a dreary ground. There is nothing good to say about it. Darling ton itslef however, is quite nice.
Doncaster Rovers
Many felt they should have gone down last year. Well, in Sheffield tehy did anyway. My ex-housemate made his debut for Donny v the Cobblers at County Ground. Just thought I'd share that!
Everton
Bulldoze it now!
Grimsby
Ahhh, the smell of fish! Blundell Park is in Cleethorpes, not Grimsby, and it is a bit of shed. The joy of wiggling from side to side just to follow the play as it passes behind columns, soon abates. The stewards though were pretty friendly, and could take a jibe or two.
Hull City
Boothferry Park is a sad sight. One of the long sides of the pitch sports an empty, derelict cavernous stand which means that whenever the ball is hoofed out of play on that wing there is a ten minute break whilst it is retrieved.
Leicester City
Entering through a terraced house, Filbert Street is partly a hark back to former days. The food stall is where someone's lounge used to be. The away stand has a very low roof, so I pity those who sit at the back.
Luton Town
I'm sure it must have seemed a good idea at the time, but building a ground in a packed residential area was a bad move. Indeed, to get into the away end, you enter through what used to be a terraced house, and as you climb into the stand you can see into te back romms/gardens of other houses. Luton was once famous for id cards, the plastic pitch, the Milwall riot, and the League Cup final. Now they are as shite as the rest of us.
Manchester United
"Big Ground loads of fans". Now if only we'd managed to stay in the First Division....
Mansfield Town
More open terracing, and a hotchpotch of stands. Actually not too bad for watching footie at...as long as the weather keeps fine.
Northampton Town
aka the Mighty Cobblers. Simply the finest team that Division 2 has ever seen. Great ground. 32,000 fans at Wembley last May. Huge potential for any passing millionaire who wants to emulate Jack Walker or John Hall!!!!
Oldham Athletic
Some towns you go to surprise you. Darlington, Preston and Rochdale, are much nicer towns than I imagined before I went to them. Oldham on the other hand is worse than I imagined. Now I'm prepared to admit that I didn't see the town centre, which could very well be nice. And I'm prepared to admit that certain parts of Sheffield are worse. But, Oldham is set in a landscape of old mills, and suberbs reeking of economic decline.
Boundary Park itself is known as Ice Station Zebra quite correctly. Each corner of the ground is empty and the wind howls through these corners. Ironically though, away fans have the best view in the ground, as the away end is the only cantilevered stand.
The catering is suspect though. When asked if they had cold drinks, the answer was "Yes luv...tea, coffee...."
*****borough
"Cheer up Barry Fry....". What a sweet season 96/7 was. We went up, the Pish went down. London Road is pretty crap, but at least away fans get to experience terrace life.
Preston North End
Deepdale's a good ground...for home fans. It also sports an interesting picture of Tom Finney on it's newest stand's seating. Away fans are on open terracing, partly underneath a stand of away seating. We get cold, we can't create any atmosphere, and we get baited from all sides. PNE are a club that was once big. They have a Chairman who wants them to be big again. Now if only we could find one....
QPR Last time I was there, Cobblers old boy John Gregory was playing for them. God, it's been a long time since I've been to Loftus Road!
Rochdale
Possibly the most boring club to support due to their inability to get out of the basement. their ground makes no pretence of being a quality sporting venue. To put it bluntly, the toilets are a roofless u-shaped wall with no guttering.
Scunthorpe United
Glanford Park is a good ground. Miles out of town, but nonetheless good. There isn't much more of interest about the club except remembering that Ian Bothan used to play for them. Those were the days!
Sheffield United
A big club in most senses. Bramall Lane used to be a cricket pitch, but there the similarity with NTFC ends. It is now a monster of a stadium, and its team rarely live up to it.
Sheffield Wednesday
Hillsborough is massive...and old. It is subtley and gracefully becomming decrepit. A great venue when packed. Sadly when I saw Wednesday play Sunderland there were 18,000 fans and no atmosphere.
Walsall
Built in 1990, Bescot Stadium failed to take advantage of the innovations fuelled by the boom in all-seater stadia, by managing to build a ground without cantilevered stands. This means that wherever you are in the ground, your view is restricted. That is apart from the front row, which was taped off. Having said that, the loos are pretty good - so not all's bad then. What is bad though, is that the train service from the ground back to Brum is pitiful on a weekday evening.
Wigan Athletic
The smell of filthy lucre is here, although it hasn't filtered through to the ground, Springfield Park. Away terracing is uncovered and on an August afternoon, you have burning sun on the back of your neck all afternoon. Nicely toasted! Local cabbies don't like taking fares there on match days, as I found out when I was sworn at by the cabbie driving me to the ground. What a pleasant bunch of people!
Wrexham
Oh dear, it's Hull all over again. One long side of the ground is in ruins. Away fans meanwhile are hearded into expensive seating where the veiw is obscured by columns, whilst in the sme stand there is perfectly good terracing with an unimpeded view lying empty. It must be something to do with the extra cash they can charge (12 quid) for the seating - or am I just being cynical?