[134] Publication of financial results was repeatedly delayed,[135] which led the Football League to impose a transfer embargo,[136] and offers for the club were entertained from 2012 onwards. The first half was a drab 0-0 but the second was exciting. [115] To the south and east of the fault the ground is largely softer Mercia Mudstone, interspersed with beds of Bunter pebbles and crossed by the valleys of the Rivers Tame, Rea and Cole and their tributaries. Thankfully the architect for Everton's new ground were there and I can only pray that he heard the supporters views. The opening ceremony itself was quite rousing, with the two stands behind the goals being officially opened, as poignant images were played on the large screens of the two players they are named after, namely Trevor Brooking and Bobby Moore. Much as I hate leaving matches a few minutes early, the pressure was on to make the last train due to the extra time and leaving a little early at least put towards the front of the crowd. [63], The Kop Stand and the Tilton Road Stand, opened in 1994, form a continuous L-shaped single-tier stand, with seating capacity for nearly 17,000 spectators, round the remaining half of the pitch. There are two other cathedrals: St Chad's, seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Birmingham and the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Dormition of the Mother of God and St Andrew. [17] They were finally relegated in 1939, the last full season before the Football League was abandoned for the duration of the Second World War. Palace living up to recent form with a 3-0 loss. The closest seats to the pitch in the whole stadium are near the corner flags (which is usually a far from ideal location). Birmingham Central Mosque, one of the largest in Europe, was constructed in the 1960s. Their statement stressed that no winding-up petition had been issued and the company was not in liquidation. I have never ever seen a stadium empty so quickly though and I include the Emirates in that. This pub has been popular with fans visiting London for a game over a number of years. [313] This library faces cuts, due to reduced funding from Central government. As it was a 1pm kick-off I arrived early at the stadium around 9.30am in order to have a good look round. The nearest I got back then was to the cordon/gate just by the swimming pool. Walter Abbott holds the records for the most goals scored in a season, in 189899, with 34 league goals in the Second Division and 42 goals in total. Six men were convicted, who became known later as the Birmingham Six and sentenced to life imprisonment, who were acquitted after 16 years by the Court of Appeal. In a bid to keep costs down we opted to all go by car. However, on entering the away end my thoughts changed completely. Beers were 5.15 each, and I went for a pie and beer deal for just over 8 and the pie (curried chicken) was actually very tasty. Funding for many of these projects has come from the European Union; the Town Hall for example received 3million in funding from the European Regional Development Fund. Easy walk from coach drop off point at Pudding Mill Lane Station to ground about 5-10 minutes away. Stopped at Liverpool Street Railway Station for a couple of pints in the Wetherspoons there. I personally loved the London Stadium and would like to go back for football/rugby games there. Special thanks to Martyn Stimpson, Stephen Killick, Melissa Bell, Joshua Hammond and Mike Cleave for providing some of the photos of the London Stadium. I can only predict that leaving on 90 minutes would be absolute hell. Music was specially composed, conducted or performed by Mendelssohn, Gounod, Sullivan, Dvok, Bantock and Edward Elgar, who wrote four of his most famous choral pieces for Birmingham. Loan signing Mikael Forssell's 17 league goals helped Birmingham to a top-half finish in 200304, but when he was injured, the 200405 team struggled for goals. However, on my last visit, I noticed that some of the facilities such as the toilets are already showing signs of wear and tear. Birmingham's supporters are generally referred to as "Bluenoses" in the media and by the fans themselves; the name is also used in a derogatory manner by fans of other clubs. The atmosphere was good, but I believe that it could be even better. It felt a little like a continental stadium, as the supporters are quite far away from the pitch compared to a 'traditional' ground. We got a KFC and made our way to the stadium. The first five miles or so was slow but once we got going the journey back was okay. My one criticism was the lack of toilets. What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the stadium? The stadium is round well almost. Well before injury time the ground was 80% empty, but obviously, the Watford fans stayed until the end to applaud their players efforts. [37] This established Birmingham as the primary commercial centre for the Birmingham Plateau at a time when the area's economy was expanding rapidly, with population growth nationally leading to the clearance, cultivation and settlement of previously marginal land. The stadium is generally impressive, however I should have brought binoculars. Police presence in the ground was negligible, consisting of a few marching in with ten minutes to go. I had really mixed feelings about today. There is a large group of children under the age of five reflecting high numbers of births in recent years. They seem to do really good pizzas but we didn't want to risk a long wait so we used a nearby Jamaican Burger Van, which was very good and slightly cheaper than the food at the stadium. [61], The various function rooms and corporate boxes are available for hire for business or social events, and the stadium is licensed as a venue for civil weddings. It was great to meet and travel with so many Baggies in both directions and visit some excellent hostelries in The Smoke. When football resumed a few weeks later, Birmingham's Chief Constable ordered the ground's closure because of its proximity to air-raid targets such as the BSA munitions factories. Nightmare getting away. It is possible to walk entirely around the ground on the broad pedestrian area. The West Stand is going to be in receipt of a few thousand more seats fairly soon; this will increase the season ticket numbers the club can offer. The game itself was quite an open affair, albeit Juventus played some lovely football especially in the first half to go 2-0 up. Food on offer inside the stadium includes a range of Pies; Steak & Ale, Chicken Balti, Vegetarian (all 4), Hot Dogs (6) and Nachos (4.20). A further ten-minute walk takes you to Stratford High Street where there are quite a lot of interesting food options. The city's quality of life rating has continued to improve over the years and Birmingham was ranked 49th in the world in the 2019 survey. [16] In 1931, manager Leslie Knighton led the club to their first FA Cup Final, which they lost 21 to Second Division club West Bromwich Albion. Got home in time to watch it all over again on Match of the Day! [230][231] The streets of Birmingham's gay district pulsate with a carnival parade, live music, a dance arena with DJs, cabaret stage, women's arena and a community village. I have never been to a ground with so many fans who made so little noise. Arthur Conan Doyle worked in the Aston area of Birmingham whilst poet Louis MacNeice lived in Birmingham for six years. We opted to travel from London Euston to the London Stadium via thetube. The facilities were pretty decent I thought, no excessive queuing for toilets or for food and drink. Birmingham City have a total of 62 players in their home squad. [174], Economic inequality in Birmingham is greater than in any other major English city, exceeded only by Glasgow in the United Kingdom. However, once inside I was very disappointed. It reminded me of Wembley Way. West Ham got a dubious penalty and that was that. Fantastic on the approach up to the Stadium and with the number of people walking along it almost felt like a trip to Wembley. [79] This reputation for having "shaken the fabric of privilege to its base" in 1832 led John Bright to make Birmingham the platform for his successful campaign for the Second Reform Act of 1867, which extended voting rights to the urban working class.[80]. Inside there were fans from a number of different clubs. The game itself was a belter for us scooping all three points with a thumping 5-1 win. It was easy to then walk to the ground as the coaches were parked relatively outside. The London Stadium looks truly amazing from both the outside and inside. So I left on 88 minutes. Oct 22 Blackburn Rovers A . [112] An action group was formed in 1991 to protest against chairman Samesh Kumar,[38] the club blamed an internet petition for the collapse of the purchase of player Lee Bowyer in 2005,[113] and antipathy towards the board provoked hostile chanting and a pitch invasion after the last match of the 200708 season,[114] but when the club was in financial difficulties, supporters contributed to schemes which funded the purchase of players Brian Roberts in 1984[115] and Paul Peschisolido in 1992. withdrew financial support in 2005, the club were only able to continue because of a personal donation. [139] Birmingham Botanical Gardens, located close to the city centre, retains the regency landscape of its original design by J. C. Loudon in 1829,[142] while the Winterbourne Botanic Garden in Edgbaston reflects the more informal Arts and Crafts tastes of its Edwardian origins. One odd feature was the way the 'temporary' lower tier was juxtaposed with the permanent upper tiers. [7] Under Harry Storer, appointed manager in 1945, the club won the Football League South wartime league and reached the semifinal of the first post-war FA Cup. What is the most bizarre logistical issue you have seen at a football match, and how long did it take to solve? [318] The hospital has the largest solidorgan transplantationprogramme in Europe as well as the largestrenal transplant programme in the United Kingdom and it is a national specialist centre for liver, heart and lung transplantation, as well as cancer studies. Football Ground Map > Football Grounds > England > Championship > Birmingham City. Constructed and opened in 1906 to replace the Muntz Street ground, which had become too small to meet the club's needs, the original St Andrew's could hold an estimated 75,000 spectators, housed in one grandstand and a large uncovered terrace. Two goals stemming largely from our fragile and depleted back four so a 2 goal deficit was hard to recover from. The city established its own university in 1900. The club's traditional home shirt is in black and amber, often with a striped shirt design, hence their nickname, The Tigers. Birmingham has a long cinematic history; The Electric on Station Street is the oldest working cinema in the UK. Been there, seen it, won't go back. Unusually we had a sit-down meal, albeit a burger joint, in Westfield Shopping Mall ten minutes walk away. On the whole, the facilities seemed fine. Cardiff City caretaker manager Mark Hudson's coaching staff claimed the two goals at Wigan Athletic's ground were two different sizes. On returning with a coffee at half time, I had to show my ticket twice to get back to my seat. My pick of these is the Cow on Westfield Avenue, but there is also a bar inside Aspers Casino, as well as the Holiday Inn, which are all situated on the Westfield complex. Then got the train into London Bridge and the tube out to Stratford tube station which was all straightforward. After fighting my way to the away end and getting inside, my first impression of the ground was "wow". [356] BBC Birmingham studios additionally produce shows for BBC Radio WM and BBC Asian Network in the city. Inside the concourses were big enough to handle the capacity crowd and the toilets were also capable of handling the crowd without too much waiting around jigging. Now Im no prude. [107] The honour and dignity of a Lord Mayoralty was conferred on Birmingham by Letters Patent on 3 June 1896. But at least the logistics are improved, the stewarding was effective and generally friendly, albeit we didnt bother with half time refreshments given the horror stories of long queues and high prices. [176], This article is about the men's football club. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. They cost: Adults 17 Concessions 14 Family Ticket 2 Adults + 2 Children 48 Tours can be booked online via theLondon Stadium website. What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end the other sides of the London Stadium? For me, this was one I particularly wanted to do as you hear a lot about the view, atmosphere etc and I wanted to satisfy my curiosity, but also because I attended the site in 2012 when the Olympics were on but not having a ticket for an event, I couldnt even get into the complex, never mind the stadium. 08:56, 30 OCT 2022 Thestadium looks huge but the directions around the area aren't that great. Even at this early time there were plenty of West Ham fans around probably due to the fact it was the official opening game for the stadium. I got the train from Braintree to Stratford which was 11 return which was good. "[170], Birmingham City Ladies Football Club was formed in 1968. It seemed odd that some West Ham fans were asking Boro fans where to go. Overall an excellent day out and a good game. It's a shame that Upton Park has been bulldozed as it was a much better place to watch football no matter how intimidating the West Ham fans were. Drinks were London Wetherspoons prices but it was full of Arsenal fans so there was a bit of the usual pre-match buzz. As with everyone this season it was a chance to visit a new ground and West Ham away always has been a great away day. The bridge that separates the upper and lower tier is ridiculous and you're about 100 yards away from the pitch from where my seat was towards the back of the upper tier. I appreciate that this is for the safety of the crowd but it didnt take long for a very large crowd to quickly back up and for large queues to form. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks and reformed in No doubt West Ham's capitulation on the pitch didn't help, but it changed very quickly from electric to toxic towards the end of the first half. Plenty of security at the pub entrance. The game was an entertaining 2-2 draw with balance of play swaying between teams. By Phone 01217720101 . Id guess that the view from the upper tier from behind either goal would probably seem a bit far away but I was pretty happy with our tickets. It also stops at Highbury and Islington, which is also situated on the Victoria Tube line and can be a handy for those fans travelling down to London Euston, which is around 20 minutes journey time away. West Ham in the Cup though was to be, an unmissable one. The Blues have also registered two victories in the last three visits, losing zero. Exit here onto the A106 signposted Stratford and Westfield. Small Heath Alliance the original name of Birmingham City Football Club played their first home games on waste ground off Arthur Street, in the Bordesley Green district of Birmingham, very near the site where St Andrew's would be built. Find out more about submitting aFans Football Ground Review. [125], Small Heath F.C. In fact, I think this vast stage may even be a disadvantage to the home team as it brings out more in the opposition team! Certainly better than the dull affair I saw at Anfield with Youll Never Walk Alone. There are a number of pubs in the centre of Stratford itself, but nearly all of these have declared themselves for home fans only. It was replaced in 1856 by the Grade II* listed Singers Hill Synagogue. Both sides were poor. Everywhere seemed a long way from the pitch not quite as bad as the away end at Newcastle but still a bit distant for my liking. [259], In a partial reaction against the Manzoni years, Birmingham City Council is demolishing some of the brutalist buildings like the Central Library and has an extensive tower block demolition and renovation programme. [14] Womack went on to make 515 appearances, a club record for an outfielder, over a twenty-year career. It was a great day out and an exciting game to watch. As mentioned above the London Stadium has 66,513 seats but the Club are licenced to use only 60,000 seats on matchdays. The true perpetrators of the attacks are yet to be arrested. 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