I've just noted on another thread that Liverpool are leaving Melwood. So which are the longest surviving training grounds in football? Also, any other irrelevant but deeply interesting to us lot about training grounds very welcome. Was there a lack of them back in the day which contributed to bad pitches (where did Derby train in the 70s?!)?
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Liverpool’s new training complex is on the site of the old Kirkby Town ground on Simonswood Lane. This place once hosted NPL games against Wigan and Morecambe.
I was born and raised about 300 yards from there. -
The Frank Clarke film Blonde Fist included some footage from the Kirkby ground
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101473/locationsv
Why did Kirkby Town, then renamed Knowlsley United, fold so so soon after being a successful NPL club?Comment
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I walked up to The Cliff a few weeks back. It's in a really nice area, big houses, large Jewish community, The Star Inn, a customer-owned, not for profit pub. It backs on to Kersal Wetlands, a large nature preserve that's part of a flood defence scheme. It hugs a bend in the Irwell on the old race course. I love it up there, great place to get your 10k steps in.
Platt Lane, city's old training ground is now owned by Manchester Metropolitan University. I used to play football there once a week, until I ruptured my interest and aggravated an old laziness injury. It thrilled me that every time I walked through those gates I was retracing the footsteps of such legends as Jeff Whitley, Lee Bradbury, and Simon Tracey. No wonder we lost every week.Last edited by EIM; 14-11-2020, 15:23.Comment
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Carrington, one of Stewart Day’s many fripperies.Comment
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Both at Simonswood Lane, and then at Alt Park, there were frequent incidents of vandalism, which meant that the club had to spend a lot of money in repairs. Their final years were the most successful for the club, gaining promotion from the North West Counties League shortly followed by another to the NPL Premier Division. They also had a run to the first round of the FA Cup, hosting Carlisle at Goodison Park. It seems that some of the Cup run income was used to make improvements to Alt Park, including the installation of plastic seats, but history repeated itself and vandalism damaged and destroyed much of the improvements. Presumably things got to a stage where the committee members decided it just wasn't worth carrying on.Originally posted by Satchmo Distel View PostComment
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Watford and Arsenal's training grounds are next door to one another, just south of the M25 near St Albans. The former moved into the latter's old site after they built a new complex on adjoining land in the early 2000s.Comment
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Wenger's first big idea was to build a new training centre, on his first day he wanted a practice match but was told that UCL students (who they groundshared with) were now using the facilities, so Arsenal weren't allowed.Originally posted by JM Footzee View Post
Shortly after that the push for new facilities gained momentum when a fire caused UKP50,000 of damage.
Wenger presumably smelt of petrol for a while after that.
The sale of Anelka for UKP20 odd million paid for the UKP10m new site, and they bought Thierry Henry with the change, which was a decent bit of business.Comment
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I'm guessing Alt Park is the same one that the Huyton Rugby League club used to play at? I think they moved to Runcorn after the vandalism got too much for them to deal with.Originally posted by Southport Zeb View PostComment
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Yeah that was the old Huyton RLFC.
Zeb is absolutely correct about the level of vandalism at both grounds, it eventually put both clubs out of business. Kirkby Town also moved into the towns Sports Centre Stadium for a spell where the attendances were quite healthy. I think they had a couple of thousand for a friendly against Bolton.Comment
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