Worst Rugby Ground

A recent statement by Ruan Pienaer made me think of this:

"Glasgow was probably the worst place I’ve ever played rugby"

Any other candidates ?

As an aside I agree him - Firhill

Glasgow please go back to Hughenden

I'd imagine Sportsgrounds would be up there. Musgrave Park?

Don't annoy ASBO

I agree though. Portrush beach would be better

Musgrave Park is a palace compared to Firhill.

red_stag wrote:I'd imagine Sportsgrounds would be up there. Musgrave Park?

Stadio Flaminio is flipping horrible as well.

Centre court in Wimbledon to me would be the worst rugby ground. People kicking drop goals from their own try line, extremely difficult to create space, the risk of Cliff Richard bursting into song!

greybeard wrote:

red_stag wrote:I'd imagine Sportsgrounds would be up there. Musgrave Park?

Stadio Flaminio is flipping horrible as well.

Stadio Flaminio is another palace by comparison.

I have to ask has anyone else actually been to Firhill to know how bad it is - ground, location , pitch, bars

Rava wrote:Don't annoy ASBO

I agree though. Portrush beach would be better

Haven't been to Firhill, so can't comment - the Warriors should opt to use a refurbished Scotstoun tho

geoff998rugby wrote:

greybeard wrote:

red_stag wrote:I'd imagine Sportsgrounds would be up there. Musgrave Park?

Stadio Flaminio is flipping horrible as well.

Stadio Flaminio is another palace by comparison.

I have to ask has anyone else actually been to Firhill to know how bad it is - ground, location , pitch, bars

Hound of Harrow has, geoff

Hmmm, haven’t really been in a “bad” one as such (not been to as many as I’d like to mind you) but my least favourite was Twickenham. Just doesn’t have much soul or something, now granted the 2 times I’ve been there it’s only had the bottom tier open but I just wasn’t Roy Keane on it.

Aviva

Rodney Parade is no oil painting, and nor is Newport city centre (the rest of Newport County Borough has some lovely bits though believe it or not - the centre lets it down hugely).

However, to us Dragons fans it is lovely! The new stand looks good although it will not look literally like a stadium of 2 halves!

* will now look literally like a stadium of 2 halves!

(bad typo!)

BATH_BTGOG wrote:Aviva

never heard of it!

Mickado wrote:

BATH_BTGOG wrote:Aviva

never heard of it!

New Landsdowne Road - Yay!! (Especiall the padded seats)

mickado

BATH_BTGOG wrote:Aviva

Bath's ground - they can't even build proper stands.

Good place to go if you want a win though

To be fair nice town though

I’ve been to 6 games in the new Lansdowne and all bar 1 had an electric atmosphere (Ireland v Argentina in November being the exception). It’s pretty expensive to get a pint or bite to eat I suppose, but other than that there’s not much wrong with it. BBTGOG, do you think it’s a crep stadium because of the end that’s unfinished?

Twickenham.

BBTGOG, do you think it’s a crep stadium because of the end that’s unfinished?


As international stadiums go its not great is it, Small capacity plus like you said one end looks as though its unfinished, but to be fair the atmos is ok even if the rugby is below average at times.

As for the Rec, Bath is a world heritage site therefore its tough to get anything built there, but once its match day it’s the beating heart of the city.

BATH_BTGOG wrote:BBTGOG, do you think it’s a crep stadium because of the end that’s unfinished?


As international stadiums go its not great is it, Small capacity plus like you said one end looks as though its unfinished, but to be fair the atmos is ok even if the rugby is below average at times.

As for the Rec, Bath is a world heritage site therefore its tough to get anything built there, but once its match day it’s the beating heart of the city.

Ireland v England
Leinster v Leicester
Leinster v Toulouse

Below par rugby? C'mon man, this is just the last 3 games, all crackers!!

I think the games so far have been:

Connacht/Munster XV v Ulster/Leinster XV
Leinster v Clermont
Ireland v France
Munster v Leinster
Ireland v England
Toulouse v Leinster
Leinster v Tigers

All incredible fixtures.

Stick to the topic at hand guys

In terms of turf quality I'd say Cardiff. Ridiculous it still hasn't been sorted.

Dublin cracks me up cause both stadiums here look like they're not finished. Know the significance of Hill 16 but it still looks like they're paying it off a bit at a time despite the GAA having done so 10 years or so ago.

The Aviva looks like it has a welfare end. Hilarious.

Don't know why Eden Park is a hexagon either.

BATH_BTGOG wrote:Stick to the topic at hand guys

i.e. you proved me wrong

disneychilly wrote:The Aviva looks like it has a welfare end. Hilarious.

That's not welfare, it's reserved seating for Connacht fans.

People who knock that stadium should go and actually take in a match there. It will change your mind; it certainly did for me.

I went into the stadium first time as a complete sceptic, but the overall experience was so good I was won over.

Stag, you forgot a few games;

Connacht/Munster XV v Ulster/Leinster XV
Ireland vs South Africa
Ireland vs Samoa
Ireland vs New Zealand
Ireland vs Argentina
Leinster v Clermont
Ireland v France
Munster v Leinster
Ireland v England
Toulouse v Leinster
Leinster v Tigers

Kingsholm

So I did Notch

Worst 2 for me are Murrayfield and the aviva/landsdowne Road.

Best 2 as regards atmosphere and having an overall good weekend of rugby
are Cardiff and the Flaminio in Rome.

RDS. Only stadium that has a hedge beside the pitch. It is a truely weird stadium.

disneychilly wrote:In terms of turf quality I'd say Cardiff. Ridiculous it still hasn't been sorted.

Again compared to Firhill's sandcastles it is fine. In fact it is in a different, superior league.

What is interesting no one who has replied has actually been to Firhill -
I really don't think folk know how bad it is.

By way of clarity I have been to all bar 2 of the grounds others have listed

TO be honest, and i will be killed for saying this, Stradey Park was not exactly a picture to look at (unless you were one of us), the pitch was constantly turned into a large mud patch with divits everywhere. The car park was constantly turned into a bog by the time we got to our car post-match too. That said it was our home and we loved it.

Adams Park (Wasps)
Very bad access, very old and outdated, not well kept.

Twickenham
No atmosphere.

Murrayfield
Ditto.

I've been to firhill a bunch of times and it is truly awful! The pitch in itself is worst I've seen and the atmosphere was poor not helped by the fact 3 of the stands were dead. Glasgow need to make up with hillhead and get back there asap - better pitch, better atmosphere and better location!

geoff998rugby wrote:

disneychilly wrote:In terms of turf quality I'd say Cardiff. Ridiculous it still hasn't been sorted.

Again compared to Firhill's sandcastles it is fine. In fact it is in a different, superior league.

What is interesting no one who has replied has actually been to Firhill -
I really don't think folk know how bad it is.

By way of clarity I have been to all bar 2 of the grounds others have listed

I haven't been to Firhill but have been very amused by some of the contributions and nominations on here- yes, I'm sure Twickenham/Murrayfield/AVIVA Stadium are all worse than Firhill

Why am I even surprised? Those all-seater stadiums with their undersoil heating, state of the art dressing rooms and dedicated team of groundsmen; it's nothing short of a wonder the players can even play rugby there at all

Why all the hate for Firhill?! Is this just on the atmosphere stakes (because there's rarely anyone there)? I've always thought it looks like quite a tidy little ground if they could get a few more punters in.

Ive been to Firhill and the pitch is truely awful god knows how they can play football on it. Even the taxi driver who was a Partick Thistle fan described it as a cabbage patch.

However, the clubhouse afterwards was very welcoming to the away supporters and had a great time chatting about the match and rugby in general with some Warriors fans, so i am sure Pinaar waas talking about the pitch as opposed to the whole ground itself.

I note some of the remarks about Dave above but im sure most will agree the pitch is always in very good condition and now the ground has had a revamp its looking good for 2011-12 season.

MarcusHalberstram wrote:Why all the hate for Firhill?! Is this just on the atmosphere stakes (because there's rarely anyone there)? I've always thought it looks like quite a tidy little ground if they could get a few more punters in.

It's the pitch, more sand than grass.

biggest cack hole ive played in is pentyrch jesus there was dog poo all over the pitch and it was more like pot hole / trench warfare than rugby.

Murrayfields a funny one, when edinburgh play i totaly agree it is the least atmospheric stadium in the country, but when its packed, its great. I went to the heineken cup final in 09 and the atmosphere was incredible, the same goes for non six nations scotland games when the true fans (no matter how few we are) turn out instead of the tartan rug and sandwich brigade. the noise during the final half hour of our victory against australia was unbelieveable even though it was only two thirds full.

Murrayfield is great for internationals but its not the place for the burgh. Redevelop Meadowbank and have them move there.

St Helens. Or it should be. As it doubles up as a cricket ground you can be miles from the pitch. Yet I've enjoyed the old Llwchwr-side derbies and schwepps cup semi finals there as much as I have any international.

The Gnoll is a dive but just oozes atmosphere.

The worst place I've watched a game of rugby wad the old Landsdowne Road for the Celtic Cup Final between Munster and Llanelli. It was cold in May and I was in the shed, sorry stand with our backs to the sun. The Munster fans were terrible. We were the only Scarlets in that stand. Everytime I got a bit vocal 50 farmers turned around and looked at me disapprovingly. Terrible turn out.

The spare pitches 'round the back of The Grasshoppers. Terrible pitches, their first team ones are quite good though. Regarding actual rugby grounds, I'd have to say that in my limited experience, London Scottish' ground (if it can even be called that) is disappointing.

Sydney Olympic Stadium.

Years ago watched the Wallabies play France sitting up in the gods. So little atmosphere and so quiet you could hear the players calls, and so far from the action you couldn't actually make out the ball. Rubbish.

Having said that, not long after in 2003, 10 rows from touch and in line to see Wilko's pass to Robinson it suddenly got a lot better. Funny that.

Firhill is the best there is for Glasgow at the moment, I'm a ST there and would rather go there than anywhere else in Glasgow.

Jackie Husband Stand (JH) is the only stand they use for the crowd as at the moment they don't have the crowd to use the North stand and the Main stand is only used in extreme cases (for both Glasgow & Thistle).

The JH stand has Food facilities and Bar facilities built in and easy to get to from your seat (thought they get very busy), Toilets are fine, Big enough roof to keep the noise in and the rain out. If you stand at the other side of the pitch the noise does hit you.

The Supporters bar in the Main stand is great for afters as well.

Unfortunetly the pitch lets it down, They can't seem to get the right grass to handle the Glasgow weather and 20+ games of Rugby & Football on it.

Can't go back to Hughenden as it's not there anymore.

Scotston is an Atheltics ground with a massive running track between the crowd and the pitch and poor sightlines.

So for now Firhill will be Glasgow's home and I'm happy with that.

Worst ground for me is a toss up between the Rec (Could only see half the pitch sitting in the temp stands) and Twicker's (Sat in the top teir, felt if there was a emergancy to get out there would be massive crush on thoses tiny stairs)

NTA,
Atmosphere in the OS can be very dull even when packed to the rafters. It's to do with the angle of the stands, 19 degrees v 30 something for the old Cardiff Arms, 38 for Amsterdam Arena (we did a study of stadia for work) This means the furthest seats are miles away from the action and the sound is not concentrated as it would be in a 'bowl' type situation (or covererd roof)....more like a shallow 'saucer'!

For me, Concord Oval annoys me with those 2 electrical cables dangling from the western grandstand...since 1987! A big joke. Wouldn't be hard to relocate them so you aren't looking at black stripes on the TV screen or from that stand...but then again, who goes there anyway? A nice waste of taxpayers money.

Welcome to the board muzzer

Planning on going to my first Glasgow Warriors game this season so hopefully it wont be as bad as some say.

Could they play at the ground near Anniesland X?

Hobo wrote:Welcome to the board muzzer

Planning on going to my first Glasgow Warriors game this season so hopefully it wont be as bad as some say.

Could they play at the ground near Anniesland X?

Cheers Hobo!

I'm sure you'll enjoy your trip to the weegie arena! I can recommend the hot dogs!

Old Anniesland? That's where Glasgow Hawks play, been to a few games there. It's a nice stand though only holds 200ish people, decent bar etc. Though there is no room to behind the goals for any temporary seating. There is load of space on the other side of the pitch for temp seating but the grounds and stand are owned by the school. Not sure if they would like there cricket ground being built over for half the year.

I know West Of Scotland have there own grounds and stand but I'm not sure if they have room for expansion there, never been there so hard to comment.

When the council were designing Scotston they asked the SRU to get involved so the stadium would suit rugby fans as well as athletics. In there wisdom the SRU declined so the council designed the stadium purely for Athletics. They could have had something like Sarries are planning.

Can I ask Muzzer - did you hear about us on Twitter?