Wolves - You've Let us down again

[Rev Algenon Stickleback H]

Back to Wolves, i was once told that the old South Bank Terrace was the largest capacity 'end' - bigger than the Kop/ Stretford End etc. Was this right or have I been "let down again".

I thought the Holte end at V Park was the biggest.....

The south bank was the deepest terrace, but wasn't the same depth for its whole width, so the Holte End held more.

[Rev Algenon Stickleback H]

Cheers for that TB, might well give that book a read.

I guess the irregularity of most stadiums came as they were developed ad-hoc, so you used to end up with 1 odd shaped developed stand etc.

I still can't comprehend what it must have been like standing on such large banks of terracing. Must have been awesome yet frightening at times!

Inglis has written three books on British football grounds and in the first, published in 1983, he described Elm Park as being the least interesting ground in the Football League. For large banks of terracing, they didn't come much bigger than the old East Terrace at The Valley. The picture I posted earlier shows it in its "glory"

The second of his books was more or less the same as the first, but with Scottish Grounds added.

He also did one about European Football grounds, as well as a slightly odd one featuring big chapters on just a few grounds wordwide, as well as trying to get round all the football grounds in Buenos Aires in one day (there's something like 21 of them).


He also did a book all about Archibald Leitch and his grounds. Sadly old Archie doesn't make the most interesting of subjects himself, but loads of great pictures of how grounds looked in the old days.

It's amazing how much larger grounds look with terracing than with seating, even when both are the same size. Think back to St Andrews for example. That two-side stand curving round from opposite the away end to opposite the main stand doesn't look all that much now, but when it used to be terracing, and the same size, it looked huge.

[Deadlock]

It's a shame that a stadium with such character as the old Molineux has been replaced by such an identikit construction. Leitch's old Molineux St stand with its seven peaked roofs was unique!

Not sure if that last bit is right unless you are referring to the number of spans then I would probably concur.

No, it was apparently just ignorance

What became known as the John Ireland Stand (and later the Steve Bull Stand) was built behind Molineux St while the latter was still in use. They then pulled down the old stand and ran out of money, leaving a huge gap to the pitch.

OldMolineux26.jpg (43.06 KiB) Viewed 3478 times

Later they redeveloped the opposite side, leading to this:-

Wouldn't like to be sitting at the wrong side of the South Bank at that time.

Apparently the 1960-61 plans for Molineux were for a capacity of 80,000, with 30,000 seats; all on the original footprint. Before the latest change it was 28,500 all seater on a much bigger area. I guess people were expected to need less room in 1960.

[Fox Talbot]

There was a plan for 140,000 at Villa Park - Holte End stretching back half way to the moon.

[Wimb]

Were there many ground that had two tiers of terracing? i.e ones where it was overhanging the people below? Suppose large banks made more sense.

[Big Foot]

Were there many ground that had two tiers of terracing? i.e ones where it was overhanging the people below? Suppose large banks made more sense.

Think I've read before that Goodison Park had the first 3 tier stand - not sure if it was all terraced though?

[Terminal Boardom]

Were there many ground that had two tiers of terracing? i.e ones where it was overhanging the people below? Suppose large banks made more sense.

Think I've read before that Goodison Park had the first 3 tier stand - not sure if it was all terraced though?

The middle and top tiers were seated and the "paddock" was terraced. Part of the terracing was later taken up with executive boxes.

The only ground I can immediately think of with two tiers of standing was The Dell. Up to the 1970s, they had, at the Archers End, a strange construction referred to as the Chocolate Boxes. These were removed and a larger wedge shaped upper tier built in its place. These were the chocolate boxes:

And this is what they were replaced with:


Do we need a thread specifically for discussing football grounds - past and present?

[Wimb]

Were there many ground that had two tiers of terracing? i.e ones where it was overhanging the people below? Suppose large banks made more sense.

Think I've read before that Goodison Park had the first 3 tier stand - not sure if it was all terraced though?

The middle and top tiers were seated and the "paddock" was terraced. Part of the terracing was later taken up with executive boxes.

The only ground I can immediately think of with two tiers of standing was The Dell. Up to the 1970s, they had, at the Archers End, a strange construction referred to as the Chocolate Boxes. These were removed and a larger wedge shaped upper tier built in its place. These were the chocolate boxes:

And this is what they were replaced with:


Do we need a thread specifically for discussing football grounds - past and present?

I'd be IN for that, WoLOLves fans probably think we're rabid about their failures

[Royal With Cheese]

Not sure if that last bit is right unless you are referring to the number of spans then I would probably concur. Multi span roofs, whereas not commonplace did, and still do exist. For example, The Valley had a 4 span version; Highbury certainly had one before making way for the art deco style of the East Stand. Both of these stands were designed and built by Humphreys who also built the main stand at Elm Park in 1926. Even Prenton Park had one. And... there is still a 3 multi span version at Brunton Park.

I believe the one at Carlisle is the original Prenton Park stand.

Sorry, but the Prenton Park one was staggered in height and in use until the early 1990s whereas the Brunton Park one was installed in 1965.

I can't recall how I came to that conclusion. I'm sure that the roof was sold and used somewhere else. thought it was Brunton Park.

[Fox Talbot]

Were there many ground that had two tiers of terracing? i.e ones where it was overhanging the people below? Suppose large banks made more sense.

Think I've read before that Goodison Park had the first 3 tier stand - not sure if it was all terraced though?

The middle and top tiers were seated and the "paddock" was terraced. Part of the terracing was later taken up with executive boxes.

The only ground I can immediately think of with two tiers of standing was The Dell. Up to the 1970s, they had, at the Archers End, a strange construction referred to as the Chocolate Boxes. These were removed and a larger wedge shaped upper tier built in its place. These were the chocolate boxes:

And this is what they were replaced with:


Do we need a thread specifically for discussing football grounds - past and present?

What about The Shelf at Spurs?

[frimmers3]

indeed.

[Rev Algenon Stickleback H]

The shelf didn't overhang the tier below.

[frimmers3]

The shelf didn't overhang the tier below.

it did if you were at the front.

[Rev Algenon Stickleback H]

The shelf didn't overhang the tier below.

it did if you were at the front.

No it didn't.

Have you ever actually been to White Hart Lane?

[AthleticoSpizz]

^ beautiful

The stereotypical subbuteo ground

[frimmers3]

if i were in the front of the shelf i would overhang those at the rear below. fact.

[Rev Algenon Stickleback H]

if i were in the front of the shelf i would overhang those at the rear below. fact.

No you wouldn't, as the rear of the tier below was further forward than the front of the shelf.

Here's another pic.



There is no "overhang"

[Avon Royal]

if i were in the front of the shelf i would overhang those at the rear below. fact.

No you wouldn't, as the rear of the tier below was further forward than the front of the shelf.

Here's another pic.



There is no "overhang"

But there clearly is........

[Stooper]

Another view of it. Skip to 1.36

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HoEBFwRbFZs

Actually lost what little respect I had for Wigan in that....and I oxf*rd hate Wolves

When Reading have gone down, or sent someone down, there's been commiserations etc.

Fans gathered in front of a line of stewards on their own ground chanting 'We are staying up' is just a bit oxf*rd wrong.

[Deadlock]

if i were in the front of the shelf i would overhang those at the rear below. fact.

No you wouldn't, as the rear of the tier below was further forward than the front of the shelf.

Here's another pic.



There is no "overhang"

I think Frimmers might actually believe The Shelf was the top tier.