There is nothing more enjoyable for many football fans across Britain, from the top of Scotland to the bottom of England, than seeing their team on an away day.
There are numerous reasons to enjoy travels away with your club, from the long rides by car, minibus, coach, or rail to visiting new pubs, towns, and cities.
It doesn’t always work out, though; some away days aren’t as enjoyable, sometimes because of the outcome on the field, and sometimes just because of the facilities.
But which stadiums in Britain are the worst for visiting supporters? FLW has looked at the twelve worst…
12Victoria Park – Ross County
Travelling to Ross County, which is located deep in the Scottish Highlands in the town of Dingwall, for an away game may be a hard slog for a club and its supporters.
Following back-to-back relegations, County currently compete in Scottish League One, eliminating the need for the country’s giants to travel to Victoria Park, which is more than three hours from Glasgow and nearly four hours from Edinburgh.
Based on County’s on-pitch performance in recent years, it hasn’t been a bad place for a club to get a result, but the travel for most clubs north of the border, as well as the facilities on offer, mean that it’s not a popular away day destination.
11Sixfields – Northampton Town
Northampton Town’s Sixfields stadium is small and cramped in comparison to other EFL venues, yet it isn’t particularly noteworthy for away fans.
Away fans are housed in a small stand behind one of the goals, with a regular allocation of roughly 900, and because the corners are not filled in, you can feel a long way away from the home fans at times, as do visiting supporters who occasionally get some of the East Stand as well.
The less you say about the location, the better. Located on the outskirts of a retail park with many of food options, it’s a good half-hour walk from the city centre train station, and it can also be difficult to get away from for those arriving by car – all in all, not a fantastic experience.
10Loftus Road – QPR
Many away supporters who do not live in London are looking forward to trips to the city for away games, and QPR’s location in west London would normally make for a good away day.
That is, until you go inside Loftus Road. While the steep, boxed-in stands help to create an atmosphere, they are not particularly pleasant for visiting supporters, especially on the tiny and crowded concourses.
Some views from the top tier of the away stand may also be hampered due to the pillars in place, resulting in an unsatisfying experience – unless your team wins, of course.
9Edgeley Park – Stockport County
Stockport County’s away facilities are likely to require some improvement if the team hopes to return to the Championship.
The uncovered terrace behind one of Edgeley Park’s goals was recently dismantled in favour of a new temporary construction, which is now covered but still relatively limited, with some restricted views due to the poles holding the stand in place.
If the Hatters ever build a permanent stand in its place, as they intend to do in the future, it will most certainly have adequate facilities, but for the time being, it must be considered a difficult and unappealing spot for a visiting supporter.
8Field Mill – Mansfield Town
With one stand towering above the others, Mansfield Town’s Field Mill has an uneven air to it, especially because the structure directly opposite was not in use for nearly 20 years until becoming operational at a reduced capacity.
Visitors to the Stags will find little legroom in the stand behind the goal, and facilities remain somewhat limited; it can also be difficult to create a nice atmosphere, given that the stand to the left only seats roughly 700 fans.
It’s far from the worst in the EFL, but Mansfield should do a lot more to make their stadium welcoming to visiting fans.
7London Stadium – West Ham
West Ham’s London Stadium may be glossy and sophisticated, but it is not the best option for visiting fans for a variety of reasons.
When compared to their former home, Upton Park, it simply isn’t as appealing for a variety of reasons, most notably the distance you feel away from the pitch since you’re situated back a considerable way, as well as the fact that it’s divided into two tiers.
For certain games, the Hammers do not offer alcohol in the away stand, and walking through a shopping mall past Stratford Stadium to get to the away end might be a chore as well.
It’s a stadium that is unlikely to be popular with either home or away fans, but its modernity in comparison to others keeps it from falling farther down the list.
6Racecourse Ground – Wrexham
Matches at Wrexham’s Racecourse Ground may generate a lively atmosphere, thanks to the home team’s recent success.
It is not enjoyable for visiting teams to suffer defeats in North Wales, and supporters are unlikely to enjoy the away facilities.
Situated in one half of the Wrexham Lager Stand, there is a severe lack of facilities as well as capacity, which has resulted from the reduced capacity caused by the construction of the new Kop Stand behind one of the goals.
Once that is completely functioning, away facilities may be enhanced and allocations increased, but for the time being, a trip to Phil Parkinson’s side is not recommended.
5Kassam Stadium – Oxford United
A Championship club for the last two years before being relegated to League One, there’s a case to be made that no second-tier team should have a three-sided stadium in this day and age.
Oxford United, on the other hand, defied the trend, and due to budgetary constraints, the Kassam Stadium has never seen the completion of a fourth stand since its inception in 2001.
As a result, away fans are seated on the wing of the North Stand, and while the views aren’t horrible from there, it feels far away from the action when it’s at the other end of the pitch.
Being able to see a car park behind one of the goals is also unappealing, and the Kassam’s location is also an issue – it’s a good four-and-a-half miles outside of the city centre, making it difficult to get to, and there’ll be hope that when Oxford’s planned new stadium is built, they can provide better facilities for away supporters.
4The Hive Stadium – Barnet
Barnet relocated from Underhill to The Hive complex in 2013, and five years later, Bees chairman Anthony Kleanthous purchased the freehold, resulting in the club’s first stadium ownership.
However, The Hive is located in Edgware rather than Barnet, which is six miles distant from where the club has been for the past 13 years.
The away stand is genuinely great for views and has up to 1,900 seats, but the stadium itself can often feel sterile and devoid of spirit, with a detached sense, and away fans cannot do it on their own.
It can also take up to an hour to get to The Hive from downtown London, which is not ideal, and there aren’t many facilities in and around the stadium for visiting fans.
3Priestfield Stadium – Gillingham
The three sides of Gillingham’s Priestfield Stadium are very typical, but the structure that the away fans have erected is quite unusual – and not in a good way.
The present Brian Moore Stand has been in place since the beginning of the 2003-04 season, following the demolition of the Town End, and the enormous 3,400 construction is just temporary, with no plans to relocate it anytime soon.
A small away following can appear lonely at the Priestfield at such a stadium, and in the harsh winter months, visiting supporters can be exposed to the elements on the roofless temporary scaffolding, making for a very unpleasant experience.
2โโโโโโโKenilworth Road – Luton Town
The entry to Luton Town’s famed away end is iconic and frequently shared; its location between terraced residences makes it appear out of place, and the view of the back gardens is breathtaking.
What lies at the end of the entry, however, is a small, constricted end with a limited maximum allocation, a few view-blocking pillars, and little area for concourse facilities.
Kenilworth Road is a stadium that many will miss as the Hatters prepare to relocate to Power Court in 2028, but there was just no capacity to expand their existing home any further – away supporters will have significantly better amenities when they visit Town in two years time.
1โโโโโโโThe Den – Millwall
Millwall’s away end is quite tight and small in terms of concourses, and when seated in the top deck, the action can sometimes feel pretty far away – but it is not the main reason why The Den is first on the list of worst stadiums for British away supporters.
The hostile atmosphere created by Lions fans towards their visitors during games can be unpleasant at times, and there is no other stadium in the country with its own dedicated walkway linking directly from the railway station to the away end, allowing trouble to be avoided – though home fans can gather on the bridges above when walking back to the station after the match.
Basic facilities and a hostile environment, combined with no away-friendly pubs in the neighbourhood of The Den, make it a poor away stadium to visit for visiting spectators – even if you win, it may become extremely unfriendly.
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