Ranked : 20 Best Football Stadiums In England
12. St. Mary’s Stadium (Southampton)
St. Mary’s stadium has been the home of Premier League club Southampton F.C. since 2001. The stadium has a capacity of 32,505.
St Mary’s Stadium was built between December 1999 and July 2001 at a total cost of £32 million. It officially opened on 1 August 2001 with a friendly between Southampton and Espanyol (3-4).
The stadium is a complete bowl, with all stands of equal height. There are two large screens at either end that can be seen from any seat.
The stadium has four stands, which are named after the areas of Southampton they face. The main (east) stand is the Itchen Stand, and faces the River Itchen. The opposite stand is called the Kingsland Stand. Behind the south goal is the Chapel Stand, and to the north is the Northam Stand.
Saints have looked at the possibility of expanding St Mary’s Stadium in recent years, but have shelved these plans for the moment until the club consistently sells out.
11. Stamford Bridge (Chelsea)
Stamford Bridge has been the home of Chelsea since 1905. The stadium was opened in 1877 and was used by the London Athletic Club until 1905.
It has undergone major changes over the years, most recently in the 1990s when it was renovated into a modern, all-seater stadium. The capacity of the stadium is 41,837, making it the ninth largest venue of the 2019–20 Premier League season. The club has plans to expand capacity to 63,000 by the 2023–24 season.
The Bridge pitch is surrounded on each side by four covered all-seater stands, officially known as the Matthew Harding Stand (North), East stand, The Shed End (South) and West Stand. Each stand has at least two tiers & was constructed for entirely different reasons as part of separate expansion plans.
Stamford Bridge recorded its highest attendance in 1935 during a match against Arsenal when a total of 82,905 fans attended the match.
Stamford Bridge has been a venue for England international matches, FA Cup Finals, FA Cup semi-finals and Charity Shield games. The Bridge , undoubtedly, ranks among the best football stadiums in England.
10. Stadium of Light (Sunderland)
The Stadium of Light’s current capacity of 48,707 makes the club’s home the sixth-biggest football ground in England. It has been the home ground of Sunderland since its opening in 1997. It replaced the club’s former home of 99 years, Roker Park, located less than two miles away.
The original capacity was 42,000, which subsequently increased when an extension to add another tier to the north end of the ground opened in 2000. The club’s fans have always been famous for producing an intense atmosphere, and the traditions of Roker Park have remained at the Stadium of Light.
The stadium’s attendance record currently stands at 48,335, set when Liverpool visited Wearside in April 2002.
The Stadium of Light hosted its first full international in 1999 when England took on Belgium in a friendly, and housed its first competitive international in April 2003 as England faced Turkey in a Euro 2004 qualifier.
9. Amex Stadium (Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.)
After years of hard work, the club moved into the American Express Community Stadium in 2011. Since a memorable 2-1 victory over Doncaster Rovers in front of 20,219 supporters, Albion’s home has grown to holding over 30,000 fans and now stages Premier League football after the club’s rise to the top tier in 2017.
The West Stand is a three-tiered stand, which holds 11,833 fans, including 14 luxury boxes. The East Stand (including the Family Stand and the premium fans’ 1901 Club) holds 13,654 fans, with 10% reserved for away fans during cup games. The North Stand has 2,688 seats. The South Stand, is for visiting away supporters which contains 2,575 seats.
8. Villa Park (Aston Villa)
Villa Park has been the home of Aston Villa since its opening in 1897. The Stadium has hosted sixteen England internationals at senior level, the first in 1899 and the most recent in 2005. Villa Park has hosted 55 FA Cup semi-finals, more than any other stadium.
Villa Park recorded its highest attendance in 1946 when 76,588 people attended a match against Derby County.
It was one of the playing venues of the 1966 World Cup, hosting three group matches. Villa Park also hosted three group matches and a quarter-final during the 1996 European Championships. In 1999, it hosted the last ever European Cup Winners’ Cup final between Real Mallorca and Lazio Roma (1-2).
The stadium has gone through various stages of renovation and development, resulting in the current stand configuration of the Holte End, Trinity Road Stand, North Stand and Doug Ellis Stand. The club has initial planning permission to redevelop the North Stand, which will increase the capacity of Villa Park from 42,785 to about 50,000.
7. Anfield (Liverpool)
Anfield has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892. It was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1891, before they moved to Goodison Park after a dispute over rent.
It has a seating capacity of 54,074 making it the sixth largest football stadium in England. The stadium has four stands: the Spion Kop, the Main Stand, the Kenny Dalglish Stand and Anfield Road.
The atmosphere generated inside the stadium is electric and very few clubs can rival this. You’ll Never Walk Alone sang by 50,000+ supporters is an experience you will never forget. This makes it one of the best football stadiums in England.
The Kops are considered to be one among the loudest of all fans around the world. There are so many occasions where the Anfield crowd has won games for Liverpool being the 12th man. The stadium tours also give a great look back at the history of LFC.
6. Etihad Stadium (Manchester City)
The City of Manchester Stadium or the Etihad Stadium has been the home ground of Manchester City since 2003. With a capacity of 55,097, it is the sixth-largest in the Premier League and tenth-largest in the United Kingdom.
The stadium design has received much praise and many accolades, including an award from the Royal Institute of British Architects in 2004 for its innovative inclusive building design and a special award in 2003 from the Institution of Structural Engineers for its unique structural design.
In 2008, Etihad Stadium hosted the UEFA Cup final between Zenit St Petersburg and Rangers FC (2-0). The stadium was initially called City of Manchester Stadium, but was renamed Etihad Stadium in 2011 following a 10-year sponsorship deal with Etihad Airways.
If there is sufficient demand, the club may add a third tier to the North Stand as well, which will raise capacity to an approximate 61,000 seats.