hello my 1st post cant wait for wembley by the way

what you think of the sunderland stadium of light i was very impressed
deserves a much better team! if they expand it to 56,000 (away end) expansion it should look great any one got any pictures to do it justice

I love the Stadium of Light. I used to have a massive poster of it pinned up in my room.

Nah its nothing special.

http://www.stadionwelt.de/stadionwelt_stadien/templates/stadionlisten/england/stadium_of_light/110.jpg http://www.stadionwelt.de/stadionwelt_stadien/templates/stadionlisten/england/stadium_of_light/120.jpg

Great stadium, hope to see it as a complete bowl eventually.

has i understand it,sunderland already have planning permission to expand the ground...but whats the point when they have a shyte team???

be great if they did

They won't expand until the team is a regular Premier league team, up there with Spurs/Bolton etc. If their stadium has 20,000 empty seats against the likes of Man U, Liverpool etc then there is little reason to put more seats in.
It is however, a great stadium and ofcourse I would want to see it expanded, but I don't think this is feasable any time soon.

^ sorry!

Maybe if England get awarded the 2018 World Cup, it will expand.

Whos to say where Sunderland will be then; winning their 3rd successive premiership title?


Only cost £27m to build aswell.

It's crap, horrible and arguably most heavy handed stewarded place in the league.

its way better than anifield

its great, simple design that generates NOISE, unlike the reebok stadium for example.

I remeber Roker Park and the police there should have worn Sunderland scarves.

As has already been said its 20,000 short of its 48,000 capacity, so won't be extended for a long long time - perhaps only for a World Cup. Quite why they built a stadium so large, and where the capacity could be increased like that, I don't know, when was a Mackem Team ever going to beed a 64,000 Seater?

As has already been said its 20,000 short of its 48,000 capacity, so won't be extended for a long long time - perhaps only for a World Cup. Quite why they built a stadium so large, and where the capacity could be increased like that, I don't know, when was a Mackem Team ever going to beed a 64,000 Seater?


Sunderland have massive support, and have prior to this season reguarly filled the Stadium of Light. As for needing such a big stadium, they may well need every seat, if the proposed take over by the Irish consortium believed to include wealthy horse racing pair John Magnier and JP McManus goes ahead. Watch this space.

if there in the europe they get the crowds bk, if murray goes to i know many fans who wont go coz of him

http://www.stadionwelt.de/stadionwelt_stadien/templates/stadionlisten/england/stadium_of_light/110.jpg http://www.stadionwelt.de/stadionwelt_stadien/templates/stadionlisten/england/stadium_of_light/120.jpg

Great stadium, hope to see it as a complete bowl eventually.

spot the unemployed bum with nothing better to do than create pano's out of other people's pictures...

http://img81.imageshack.us/img81/5899/pano5ih.jpg

^^^Thats best pano by a bum I've ever seen!

It's shit -

http://www.fussballtempel.net/uefa/ENG/Stadium_of_Light_A.jpg

http://www.stadionwelt.de/stadionwelt_stadien/templates/stadionlisten/england/stadium_of_light/110.jpg

^ this photo was actually taken at half-time in the sunderland vs arsenal match. as you can probably tell the mackems always whip up an amazing atmosphere...

It's shit -

http://www.fussballtempel.net/uefa/ENG/Stadium_of_Light_A.jpg


Boys thats one ugly cheap stadium- About the only thing going for it is its capacity

The exterior of the main stand is alright. The rest was designed to be temporary.

http://www.fussballtempel.net/uefa/ENG/Stadium_of_Light_A4.jpg

http://is.freefoto.com/images_e/1044/31/1044_31_9_web.jpg

http://www.ibstock.co.uk/images/newspics/press/Sadium%20of%20Light.jpg

^^ Nice one.

I like that half-time pic of Sunderland v Arsenal :)

today:

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/41539000/jpg/_41539104_fulham.jpg
Sunderland v Fulham: Snow makes conditions difficult - and the game is abandoned on 21 minutes with Fulham leading 1-0

What a strange game - will there be a replay? Sunderland should keep the 1-0 loss I think... in case they have to endure 69 minutes of Fulham in their next game.

The whole point of the "light" was to keep it simple and provide the maximum capacity within a tight budget. In a place like Sunderland you can only do so much. In a way it is like the approach Manchester United took over the years. Compare the original Old Trafford to other stadiums opened around the same time like Highbury and Goodison. No prizes for guessing which one has a future -- the one that started off on a good site, simple, large, and cheap.

A pity the team doesn't have the ownership its fan base deserves. They need someone with money and a sense of direction.

The whole point of the "light" was to keep it simple and provide the maximum capacity within a tight budget. In a place like Sunderland you can only do so much. In a way it is like the approach Manchester United took over the years. Compare the original Old Trafford to other stadiums opened around the same time like Highbury and Goodison. No prizes for guessing which one has a future -- the one that started off on a good site, simple, large, and cheap.

Goodison Park is much older, dating from 1892, while Old Trafford and Highbury are from 1910-1913. Goodison Park is the most historic sporting venue in the country, being the world’s first purpose built football ground. All others copied the layout. It is the only league ground ever to be awarded an FA Cup final it was considered so superior – others only hosted replays. It was also the natural choice for the semi-final in the 1966 world cup.

Old Trafford was built on cheap dockland ground in Salford, right near the then wonderful docks and was surrounded by industry. The layout was a bowl and was designed for expansion of stands to all of the grounds footprint – so some foresight on the administration back then. Yet it took nearly 80 years to complete the building of covered stands all around and a continuous roof. Not an impressive development record really, while Goodison Park, by the 1930s, boasted 4 double decked stands, one on each side.

When they needed to expand, Manchester United were lucky in that the industrial land around became derelict, which they bought up cheaply to expand the existing stadium. No such thing happened to all the other major clubs.

Arsenal are moving nearby on old railway/industrial land, while Liverpool look like moving next to the exiting ground on a grade 2 listed park, which a despicable thing to do when the city of Liverpool has an abundance of suitable stadium sites right on the riverbanks too. Everton and Tottenham are so landlocked they will have to move home to have a stadium suitable for the 21st century. Manchester City have already moved home as have Sunderland. Newcastle foolishly stayed on their existing site and now have a lop-sided stadium as they can’t expand the large stands that curve over two sides.

Newcastle foolishly stayed on their existing site and now have a lop-sided stadium as they can’t expand the large stands that curve over two sides.

I wondered why they didn't expand the other two sides, I agree it does look abit lob sided.

Although the present ground does have it's own Metro station which is a plus.

Why is it always Londoners who think the Stadium of Light is shit? Arsenal are one of the biggest clubs in Europe, in a city of around 11 million, and yet they can only manage a paltry 60,000 stadium.

My Dad took me to Roker Park when I was 6 years old but, ha, ha, ha, he failed to convert me to S'n'land ways. That said, nothing has ever come close to the experience of watching North East football - it's truly spine-tingling stuff, and the Stadium of Light is immense.


re: falling attendances, Sunderland fans are not typically glory supporters, they just like to see entertaining football, as do Newcastle fans, and there hasn't been much of it about lately.

http://www.homesoffootball.co.uk/3153_SUNDERLAND.JPG


http://www.homesoffootball.co.uk/images/SUNDERLAND_2777%20web.jpg

Great Pics, i am a Londoner and i DON'T think the stadium of light is shit

It is the only league ground ever to be awarded an FA Cup final it was considered so superior – others only hosted replays.

1893 FA Cup Final (http://hometown.aol.co.uk/captainbeecher/1893FACUPFINAL.html)

Not a Football League ground, but it did hold an FA Cup Final a YEAR before Goodison Park in Liverpool did, another first for Manchester. ;)

Interesting looking at the picture of Roker Park (bottom of the two posted by DiLivio) it was full of character with wooden stand and a covered terrace for home fans. Stood in the open away end, when Bolton's season was effectively over, at Easter with the wind whipping in off the North Sea, it was cold, very cold and they didn't announce half time scores elsewhere, just put them on the scoreboard, which you couldn't see as it was too close.
Happy memories.....

Interesting looking at the picture of Roker Park (bottom of the two posted by DiLivio) it was full of character with wooden stand and a covered terrace for home fans. Stood in the open away end, when Bolton's season was effectively over, at Easter with the wind whipping in off the North Sea, it was cold, very cold and they didn't announce half time scores elsewhere, just put them on the scoreboard, which you couldn't see as it was too close.
Happy memories.....

Roker Park was one of my favourite football grounds, have been there on numerous occasions, the atmosphere was amazing.

1893 FA Cup Final (http://hometown.aol.co.uk/captainbeecher/1893FACUPFINAL.html)

Not a Football League ground, but it did hold an FA Cup Final a YEAR before Goodison Park in Liverpool did, another first for Manchester. ;)

Goodison Park was the venue to a World Cup semi final though,wasn't that a Liverpool first? ;)

Also sounds like the Fallowfield final was a fantastic fuckup. Evertons wingers couldn't play because of encroaching spectators on the pitch. Only in Manchester... ;)

If (when) England gets the 2018 WC, this stadium will deffinitely be expanded, whether Sunderland are in the Premiership or not! Not the most visually stunning of stadiums, but a decent one none-the-less, and we need more modern high capacity stadiums in England to compete with the likes of Germany who have prospered from a WC bid of their own!

:cheers:

for the person who said st.james park couldn't be extended, that's actually wrong. the gallowgate end could be extended as large (or even larger) than the other two expanded stands to create a horse-shoe stadium not unlike us baseball parks, something like this:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v293/throwaway/gallowgate.jpg

there's only one side that can't be extended, and that's the east stand, as the grade 1 listed leazes terrace sits behind it. the club did actually look to building a new stadium elsewhere, but the plan to build on the town moor/exhibition park was rejected by the council, and the club thought moving out of the city centre wouldn't be worth it, something i absolutely agree with, having been to some soulless out of town portakabin stadiums, lacking the unique city-centre location newcastle has.

there's only one side that can't be extended, and that's the east stand, as the grade 1 listed leazes terrace sits behind it. the club did actually look to building a new stadium elsewhere, but the plan to build on the town moor/exhibition park was rejected by the council, and the club thought moving out of the city centre wouldn't be worth it, something i absolutely agree with, having been to some soulless out of town portakabin stadiums, lacking the unique city-centre location newcastle has.

Them houses may be listed, but what would happen if some work was taking place at St James' and a lorry or huge crane accidently reversed into them and knocked them down....

It's a bit of a shame. They're nice buildings, but nothing special and Newcastle isn't short of Georgian buildings anyway. They wouldn't be missed.

Far better to have a top class stadium as opposed to two rows of houses.

As for the Stadium of Light. It's nothing special, just an average modern English stadium. Same look, same feel. Not bad, but not great either.

as great as those Georgian buildings look, there are so many, knock them down, make the stadium better will get more tourists and revenue into the city which is much better then just keeping some old buildings

Goodison Park was the venue to a World Cup semi final though,wasn't that a Liverpool first? ;)

Yes. :)

Also sounds like the Fallowfield final was a fantastic fuckup. Evertons wingers couldn't play because of encroaching spectators on the pitch. Only in Manchester... ;)

Only in Manchester what?! Bigger crowds? :)

Them houses may be listed, but what would happen if some work was taking place at St James' and a lorry or huge crane accidently reversed into them and knocked them down....

It's a bit of a shame. They're nice buildings, but nothing special and Newcastle isn't short of Georgian buildings anyway. They wouldn't be missed.

Far better to have a top class stadium as opposed to two rows of houses.

As for the Stadium of Light. It's nothing special, just an average modern English stadium. Same look, same feel. Not bad, but not great either.

the buildings aren't just listed but grade 1 listed, the same as the palace of westminster or st pauls. i personally dont think they are as special as other georgian buildings in newcastle city centre, but they seem to have some historical significance, pevsner called the terrace a "masterpiece" and some of the most important housing of it's type in the country, akin to terraces in bath.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v293/throwaway/gallowgate.jpg

I'm a Sunderland supporter and often enjoy the almost compulsary laughing at Newcastle's lop-sided stadium, lack of ownership and building limitations, but I've got to say that I actually like the design above. New stadium feel, plenty of extra seats and the retention of a bit of history behind the smallest of the stands.

St James has certainly come a long way since the last time I was there (1990) - when the 'supporters' in the Main Stand paddock often ran onto the edge of the pitch to celebrate goals.


With regards to the Stadium of Light, best stadium in the country for it's price. I often lament the lack of character to it though - would love to see Leitch (?) Lattice work added to the front of the upper tier, to give it a bit of the feel of Roker Park. Just a little thing, but I think it would make a big difference.

As to the picture up a few posts from here - the outside of the South Stand with it's impersonal blank little wall and low roof... It just makes the interior more impressive. For those who haven't sussed it, the pitch is ten meters below the exterior ground level and the bottom tier of seats is downstairs from the entrances.

for the person who said st.james park couldn't be extended, that's actually wrong. the gallowgate end could be extended as large (or even larger) than the other two expanded stands to create a horse-shoe stadium not unlike us baseball parks, something like this:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v293/throwaway/gallowgate.jpg

there's only one side that can't be extended, and that's the east stand, as the grade 1 listed leazes terrace sits behind it. the club did actually look to building a new stadium elsewhere, but the plan to build on the town moor/exhibition park was rejected by the council, and the club thought moving out of the city centre wouldn't be worth it, something i absolutely agree with, having been to some soulless out of town portakabin stadiums, lacking the unique city-centre location newcastle has.

does anybody know if newcastle are planning or have plans to do this?? cos it's the logical "next step" and they'd fill it no problem.

and i wish they'd move the tv gantry to the other touchline so you can see that massive stand :bash:

^^ Well they have to build over a road... which isn't easy, but it's far easier than building over those listed houses on the right of the pic. St. James Park will be up there with the Bernabau etc if it gets 3 stands that high :)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v293/throwaway/gallowgate.jpg

What would the capacity be if that was built?(roughly) ^^

I seem to recall reading on a previous thread this would bring it up to 61k, similar to Emirates and New Anfield (or what ever sponsor gets the name), which as Newcastle claim to be one of the big clubs in the country, is the minimum they should aim for. As all these clubs are still 15k of seats a match behind Manchester United, excluding hospitality and assuming these extra seats are filled for each league match only (no CL or FA/FL cup matches) at £20 a go (all unrealistically low estimates), that is over £5 1/2 million per season less fiscal power they are generating from there real estate.

It's a bit of a shame. They're nice buildings, but nothing special and Newcastle isn't short of Georgian buildings anyway. They wouldn't be missed.

This is the shameful thinking of 1960's and 70's town planning. Knock enough Georgian Buildings down and cities like Newcastle will quickly be quite short of them.