Grounds aren't intimidating, although the oppositionfans can be, especially on the walk to the ground from the train station. For example, walking to the Old Den, through all those alleys, was always an interesting experience. However, the only time I've been scared at a football match was at the 1985 FA Cup Semi Final at Goodison Park between Man Utd and Liverpool. A friend of mine is Man Utd season ticket holder, but had to attend his sister's wedding, so gave me his ticket. For those who know the ground; Liverpool fans had the Gwladys Street End and Main Stand; United fans we in the Park End and Bullens Road Stand. Before nd after the game there were lots of fights outside the ground, but the main trouble was inside, especially at the two corners where rival fans were only separated by metal railings. It was mental with lots of objects being thrown, including golf balls with nails sticking out of them (nice). At one point I had a knife pulled out on me, simply because I wasn't upset enough at a Liverpool equaliser.
I was at that game too, it was pretty bad, but nothing compared to the replay at Maine Road, which was carnage outside the ground both before and after the game.
In the 1990's I visited Ninian Park for a Cardiff - Wrexham league fixture. We had a police escort off the coaches with 100's of Cardiff fans yelling all sorts of abuse and you really could see the hate in their faces. Inside the ground we were also bombarded with non stop abuse throughout the game and got the impression that they were more interested in us than their team. Summed it up when you had kids of 8 years old f-ing and blinding at us and their mum and dad joining in. We lost 5-0 which was a blessing as God knows how they would have reacted if they had lost. Nice bunch really.
Reading through this thread I think Maine Rd come s out top of the most intimidating grounds to visit thank god it's gone a truly awful hellhole to visit!
Grounds from the past were the old den , Fratton Park , Ashton Gate , Baseball Ground , Sincil Bank , Ninian Park , Molinuex , Eastville , Victoria Ground and the Vetch.
Used to love the atmosphere insde Maine Road as you were fairly safe... Outside was another matter : Surprised nobody went for St. Andrews. Was and is still a tasty atmosphere. Worst I can remember is Port Vale away we were given both ends behind the goal on the last day of 99/00. Went off in the stadium and then afterwards there were literally hundreds of Wolves, Vale and Stoke all roaming round in Burslem kicking off.
As a fan who went to all the Birmingham away games in the late 70's and early 80's, it would be quicker to list the safe grounds. The walk from the station to the city ground was like running the gauntlet, the walk from the coach park to the away end at West Ham was akin to walking the plank, Stanley Park at Anfield, avoiding the Kippax, Molineaux piss, having half of the Roker roaring in your ear.. The Villa ground was safe but the rozzers had no idea on how to keep the fans apart as they left the ground so it was usually carnage in town afterwards. Just glad those days have gone.
Ninian and Maine Road were two of the worst i've experienced around the ground, Leeds in the city center and the walk from the station was a ****ing nightmare back in the day - you quickly learned not to give people the time when asked - Fratton for us is obviously a horrendous trip too, remember their chavs trying to derail our train on the way in for one game by chucking bricks at the front. But that's a derby so to be expected in a way. Wolves around the subways was always "interesting" though inside the ground never felt as bad as some. Aside from those ones you could be unlucky at most ground in the 80s early 90s, and i can remember taking the wrong exit at the tube for Arsenal once in the late 80s and coming face to face with a bunch who didn't look too happy, luckily i was by myself so got off but had we been in a group i'm pretty sure it wouldn't have ended so nicely. As others have said i'm glad those days have gone since it wasn't fun having to keep your wits about you just to watch a game of football.
Cardiff old ground. the coach got bricked and coins none stop from the home end coming into the home end , not too clever getting twatted on side of head or eye with a 50p . the coppers didn't give a shit about it either . All a couple of them replied is man up when my mate told them about it and don't bother coming again then.
