Among football fans, groundhoppers are among the most tenacious subgroups. Usually taking a lifetime, supporters go across the nation to see all 92 of the English football league’s stadiums, frequently ranking them along the way.
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Football stadiums give teams a sense of identity and serve as a gathering place for all of their fans to come watch 11 guys every week. For better or worse, Oliver Holt of the Daily Mail has been to all 92 grounds and has picked his five least favourite.
Hillsborough, where Sheffield Wednesday has played since 1899, was dubbed one of “the cathedrals of the English game,” but Holt said that the tragedy, which killed 97 Liverpool supporters, has thrown a pall over the area. Accordingly, the reporter for the Daily Mail stated:
“There is a part of me that believes Hillsborough, and its Lepping Lane End in particular, should have been destroyed and the team should have relocated.
Despite significant additions since its founding, Holt came to the conclusion that the improvements had not strengthened its position. Rather than being a fun day out, going to Hillsborough is much more like an intrusion. According to his writing, “it is difficult to move past its association with so much death, despair, heartbreak, and betrayal of supporters.”
West Ham United, London Stadium, fourth
68,013 is the capacity.
Prior to playing their football at the brand-new, gleaming London Stadium, West Ham United enjoyed playing at the beloved Upton Park, which is rightfully considered to be among the best stadiums in Premier League history because of its wild atmosphere and rich history. Holt penned:
“Upton Park’s former stadium was small, noisy, and frightening. That is not at all like the London Stadium.
Aside from the glitz and glamour, the east Londoners may have been able to increase attendance with a modern, much larger stadium, but it’s fair to say that it lacks the character of their former home field. The West Ham supporters have made this clear to their owners, whom Holt partially blamed.
“The owners spent a lot of time congratulating themselves on the deal they did to move to the new ground: they’re the archetypes of football owners who know the price of everything and the value of nothing.” He wrote.
Oxford United, Kassam Stadium, third
12,500 is the capacity.
Holt’s local stadium is the Kassam Stadium, home of Oxford United, but it hasn’t stopped him from accepting some harsh realities. “The best experience I’ve had at the Kassam Stadium was getting my Covid jab there during the pandemic,” he wrote, offering a biting critique in the process.
Holt thinks that Oxford United, who are currently playing in the Championship, made the mistake of jumping ship to the 12,500 in the beginning of the century. He maintains that the fact that they are losing a stand due to growing expenses is the problem, not the fans. According to Holt, the club’s relocation plans “can’t come soon enough.”
Two Stadiums: MK and MK Dons; 30,500 seats
Holt began his speech at Stadium MK by implying that he doesn’t “really care much” for the stadium, which has 30,500 seats, before reiterating his lack of interest in the team. “The club fits the stadium.” It’s a dismal, faceless, and lifeless place,” he wrote.
Furthermore, it has a somewhat prohibitive quality. When the club was eliminated from Wimbledon and relocated to Milton Keynes in 2003, it was founded under ill luck, and it has never been able to overcome the stigma.
Holt asserted that MK Dons’ capacity of over 30,000 is simply excessive for a team of their calibre and standing, considering that they play in League Two, the fourth division of English football. And, well, with an average attendance of 6,831 on matchdays, it’s hard to argue against it.
Drop a ❤️ if you love this place!#COYD pic.twitter.com/vAsLYaxKh9
— Milton Keynes Dons (@MKDonsFC) February 26, 2025
1The Den, Millwall
Capacity: 20,146
Perhaps as a result of the increase in football hooliganism filmography, Millwall’s The Den has been negatively seen for years. However, Holt thinks that although the 20,146-seat venue in south London is “modern and neat,” it is also “relatively characterless.”
“Not that there were any problems: even at Millwall, football has moved on since the 1970s,” Holt wrote about the terrifying atmosphere. However, the fact that away fans must descend to the ground for their own protection via an almost endless wire mesh prison still struck me as incredibly dystopian.
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Additionally, he stated that his coverage of Liam Roberts’ challenge on Jean-Philippe Mateta during the FA Cup has resulted in his current ban from The Den; nonetheless, this hasn’t affected his judgement. His neutral experience alone accounts for his 92nd-ranked grade.
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