Oldest Sporting Venue visited

[Satchmo Distel]

Today I saw the Panathanaic Stadium, Athens, the current version of which hosted it's first big event in 1870 followed by the 1896 Olympics athletics. It held the archery contest in the 2004 event. The original site dates to the ancient games 144AD.

The stadium used by Olympiacos in Pireaus was a cycling velodrome in 1896.

[elguapo4]

Played cricket on Phoenix cricket pitch in the phoenix park, dates from 1830

[Cal Alamein]

Years ago I visited the Roman Coliseum. Of course, one would have to determine the definition of "sport." Internet says it was built from 70-80AD.

[Toby Gymshorts]

Circo Massimo, Rome. Oh, and the Coliseum, as Cal mentions.

[ursus arctos]

The Stadion at Delphi, built 5th c BCE

[San Bernardhinault]

I love that "original" modern Olympic stadium in Athens. It's just stunning.

The oldest I know of, as continuously running sporting stadia that I've been to, are probably Lords (1814) and The Oval (1845).

[Benjm]

Of those still in use, probably Chester Racecourse.

[Janik]

The stadium at Ancient Olympia would be the oldest, I guess. That isn't particularly impressive really. Some small amount of stone on the ground and on one bit of banking, and a little bit of a arch leading in.

The oldest stadium that had been in continuous use prior to my visit would also be Lords. The oldest venue may be Parker's Piece, though exactly when that was first used for Cricket is lost in the mists of time. Parker's Piece has a particular place in the history of Football, of course. And most of the 'sport' I've seen on Parker's Piece has been entirely casual (currently lots of kick-around Football, Touch Rugby and Ultimate Frisbee), though I do recall wandering past the occasional game of Football and Cricket there played under proper rules.

The oldest sporting location that I've played on* was the cricket pitch at Therfield Heath, which was the home to Royston Cricket Club for over 200 years (est. 1790), with games possibly even further back than that as the first recorded cricket in Royston dates back to 1764. However that pitch fell into disuse somewhere around 5 to 10 years ago, which was really sad. Rugby and Tennis is still played on the Heath, but those two sports lack the depth of history that cricket had.
Royston CC still exist but rather than playing on Therfield Heath (which is technically in the parish of Therfield but actually on the edge of the town of Royston) they now play in Therfield proper (only about five miles away, but up a long and steep enough hill to make it too much to walk to watch a game).

* - that I know of. Some of the College sports grounds in Cambridge may have been in use for Cricket a very, very long time.

[ursus arctos]

I'd never thought about this before, but there were likely competitive rowing races on the Charles River between Boston and Cambridge in the 17th century, which isn't too shabby.

[San Bernardhinault]

I was thinking the same about The Thames in both Oxford and London for rowing.

Of purpose built venues, my guess is that the longest on-going, same location places are going to be racecourses. A quick check on Wiki suggests that Epsom dates back to the mid-17th century but may not be fixed course back then; Ascot opened in 1711 as a racecourse. I've not been to either...

[Amor de Cosmos]

Oldest would be several Mayan ball-courts in the Yucatan. 5th-6th centuries probably. Uxmal and Chichen Itza certainly date from that period.

Still in use it would it would have to be Top Field in Hitchin. Football, and other sports, were played on the site since before codification. How long before is unclear.

[Antepli Ejderha]

The hippodrome in Sultanahmet, Istanbul would be mine.

[longeared]

The oldest football ground in the world is Sandygate, home of Hallam FC, which hosted a game in 1860. The landlord kicked them out for a period in the 1930s / 40s. Gainsborough Trinity claim to have the oldest continuous use ground - Northolme, first used 1884. I've been to both.

They were both cricket grounds before football came along - indeed, Hallam still is.

[Patrick Thistle]

When we went to Fenway Park we were proudly told our seats dated from the 1930s.

Old is relative depending on the sport.

[Sits]

The oldest football stadium continuously occupied by the same team is Maidenhead United's York Road, since 1871.

[Ray de Galles]

I live close to (and walk my dog on) Moulsey Hurst which has a particularly rich early sporting history including prize-fighting, horse racing, golf and cricket (including the first ever recorded LBW decision) .

[Ray de Galles]

Also, I think the Tiltyard in nearby Hampton Court is the oldest sporting structure in London.

[Giggler]

Gainsborough Trinity claim to have the oldest continuous use ground - Northolme, first used 1884.

That can't be right, can it? For instance, Blackburn's and Burnley's grounds are both older.

[Snake Plissken]

Turf Moor has been home since 1883. The cricket club have been there since 1830.

[Sam]

I can't remember for certain whether there's a ball court in Teotihuacán (I saw one at the National Anthropology Museum in Mexico City which had been moved there from somewhere else, and I think I remember one at Teotihuacán as well but might be conflating things). If there is, then that'd be the oldest I've been to by a distance. If there's not, then I think the honour goes to Boundary Park.

[Amor de Cosmos]

Apparently there isn't, according to this

[Sam]

I must have grafted memories of the one in the museum onto other bits of my visit, then. I'm certain there isn't one at the Aztec site in Cuernavaca, so Boundary Park it is. (Insert joke here about the ball being hoofed high in the air with little regard for technique or rules.)

[Southport Zeb]

I think the oldest I've been to is Salford City's Moor Lane ground, which is on a site that was used as a racecourse in the 17th century