Iconic Stadiums, Grounds and Courses
For sports fans, following their team across the world is one of the best ways to travel. But there are certain venues that possess and extra-special magic, whether it’s because of the history, sheer size or the calibre of the contests held there. We’ve picked out the best across the sports, so you can pick out your own favoured pilgrimage.
Football
It’s the world’s most popular sport, and naturally, there are great venues across the world. These include…
Wembley Stadium, London, England: Regarded by many as the game’s spiritual home, Wembley recently underwent a complete rebuild. It’s indisputably better for spectators now, while the huge arc on top is an architectural triumph. But does it have quite the same magic without the famous towers? Those wanting to get on the hallowed turf can take part in a 90 minute stadium tour – see for details.
Sandygate Road, Sheffield, England: For the romantic, however, the real pilgrimage site is a far more humble affair. A sloping field with a tiny stand next to it, the Sandygate Road ground played host to the first ever football match between two clubs. Back on December 26th, 1860, Hallam FC hosted Sheffield FC. Amazingly, Hallam FC still calls it their home ground and it’s recognised as the oldest football stadium in the world.
The Maracana, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil: Football was born in England, but perfected in Brazil. And for an electric viewing experience, you can’t beat watching a game in the enormous Maracana. Many of Brazil’s top sides play there, including Flamengo, Fluminense, Botafogo and Vasco da Gama. But it’s the sheer capacity that stuns as much as the atmosphere. It still holds the world record for a football attendance –an incredible 199,500 watched the 1950 World Cup Final there.
Other great grounds include Barcelona’s Nou Camp and the San Siro in Milan.
Rugby Union
Rugby School, England: The game originated in the otherwise uninspiring town of Rugby, when a schoolboy called William Webb Ellis picked the ball up during a football game and ran with it. The pitch – known as The Close – is still there, and it’s possible to go on a tour of the school or visit its museum at certain times of the week. See for further information.
Carisbrook Stadium, Dunedin, New Zealand: We all know that New Zealand is the real home of rugby (except for the traditional All Black World Cup bottle job). And the country’s most passionate fans are in Dunedin. Watching a game at the House of Pain (as Carisbrook is known) is a rite of passage, and a fabulous slice of tribal fervour.
Motor racing
Monaco: There are a few great Formula One circuits, but the street circuit in the tiny principality is the one that has the most glamour and gravitas. However, it rarely produces the best races, as overtaking is nigh on impossible. In fact, former champion Nelson Piquet described racing round the circuit as being like riding a bicycle around your living room. But that’s not really the point, though – Monaco’s the one they all want to win. Visitors can walk around the track when the Grand Prix circus isn’t in town – it’s marked out with red and white kerbs.
Cricket
Lord’s, London, England: Regarded by the players in almost holy terms, Lord’s isn’t known as the home of cricket for nothing. It’s where the Ashes trophy is kept, and on tours of the ground it’s possible to see the famous Long Room and Honours Board – where batsman scoring a century or bowlers taking a five wicket haul are immortalised forever.
The MCG, Melbourne: But forget Lord’s – the truly great venue is the ‘G. The enormous home of Australian cricket and Aussie Rules football hosted the first ever Test match (between England and Australia). It’s also the venue for that venerable sporting institution – the Boxing Day Test Match. It’d be unAustralian not to attend that one at least once in life. It’s possible to go on ‘backstage’ tours of the MCG when no events are on.
Tennis
Wimbledon, London, England: The four Grand Slam tournaments are all supposedly equal, but for history and atmosphere, Wimbledon rises head and shoulders above the rest. Until you’ve sat through days of drizzle, eating horrendously overpriced strawberries and cream, you can’t call yourself a proper tennis fan. The complex (www.wimbledon.org), which is endearingly amateur for most of the year, also hosts the Lawn Tennis Museum and tours.
Golf
St Andrews, Scotland: One of the oldest courses in the world, and the most frequent host of the British Open, the Royal and Ancient Course is golf’s Mecca. It was at the Royal and Ancient Club where the game’s rules were formulated, and the R&A is still in charge of the laws everywhere except Mexico and the United States. Playing a round there, however, is rather expensive.
Augusta, Georgia, United States: If St Andrews is great because it was where the game developed, winning the US Masters at the Augusta National Golf Club is the pinnacle of achievement for golfers everywhere. The famous green jacket has been donned by the great names of the game, and the famous (and exclusive) course is almost certainly the most exciting place to watch the sport.
This article was originally written for Ninemsn.
Copyright David Whitley
