When does a ground become a stadium?

[welsbyswife]

I’ve noticed a lot these days that managers and commentators seem to be referring to ‘grounds’ as stadiums and wonder whether it is because of the foreign influence on the game. Or is it because of the development of purpose built all seater ‘stadiums’. To me the turf will always be a ground and not a stadium. That got me thinking. Is there a difference? Maybe it is to do with the size of the place i.e. is Old Trafford a stadium rather than a ground? Or does the fact that the turf has four distinct sides make it more of a ground than a bowl such as Leicester or Southampton. Or have I had one too many Sunday afternoon ales and am overthinking things? Whatever the answer i’m glad we play at a ground and not a stadium.

[ElectroClaret]

When does Ewood become an Aldi?

[gawthorpe_view]

Fill the corners in.
Get the capacity above 34,000 - Higher than Deadwood - obviously.
Sell naming rights that include the word 'Stadium'.

[Sidney1st]

Good question.

Oxford United have just 3 stands but its called a stadium.

[FactualFrank]

Ok, from how I understand it, a ground is built over time. So Turf Moor is a ground. In other words - the places you go that haven't had millions upon millions spent on it, and were made in the 'olden days' are grounds.

Whereas as a stadium is built with a lot of money and with no major improvements expected, or needed. Just maintained. So the Etihad is a stadium.

[welsbyswife]

I reckon 50 years ago you would have been pretentious if you had tried to call a ground a stadium. That would have been reserved for Wembley and the like. Now every tom dick and Harry wants one. ‘The Wham Stadium’, ‘The Bescott Stadium’ (has that changed?) etc. Sums up where things have gone wrong with the game which has moved further away from it’s working class roots.

[welsbyswife]

Also love the fact that it’s just Turf Moor. It doesn’t have the word park or ground attached. Makes it seem timeless, like they just made a bit of grass out of the moor! Not many like that. Deepdale or Anfield spring to mind.

[FactualFrank]

I guess Anfield would be more a ground than a stadium. Like I say, I see stadiums as places that have been created quite recently with stupid amounts of money. Whereas as a ground (or Turf) is more historic.

[boatshed bill]

Perhaps (probably) I'm wrong about this, but I've always thought of stadiums as totally enclosed, and suitable for more than one sport.
Turf Moor is as specific a "football ground" as you can get, in my opinion

[Duffer_]

A ground is for football. A stadium is keeping it's options open.

UTC!

[TheOriginalLongsider]

Stadia

[Flatline]

What I want to know is when do pies become Northern?Burnley v Palace the commentator said before the game as they panned around the ground after showing the terrace roof tops"...as they eat their Northern pies".

[welsbyswife]

What I want to know is when do pies become Northern?Burnley v Palace the commentator said before the game as they panned around the ground after showing the terrace roof tops"...as they eat their Northern pies".

Simple answer. Short crust pastry required and none of that “puff pastry” nonsense.

[FactualFrank]

Perhaps (probably) I'm wrong about this, but I've always thought of stadiums as totally enclosed, and suitable for more than one sport.
Turf Moor is as specific a "football ground" as you can get, in my opinion

It's Greek for stadion which is a measurement of distance, so your thinking is probably very close to the truth.

[welsbyswife]

Perhaps (probably) I'm wrong about this, but I've always thought of stadiums as totally enclosed, and suitable for more than one sport.
Turf Moor is as specific a "football ground" as you can get, in my opinion

You might be onto something there. Was The Shay a stadium because it also hosted speedway? I think it was called the Shay Stadium and it’s about as far removed from Wembley as you can imagine! So maybe size has nothing to do with it.

[boatshed bill]

Thanks,
so to add to my thoughts, you can't really have a football stadium at all

[FactualFrank]

Thanks,
so to add to my thoughts, you can't really have a football stadium at all

Well you can, because it was later known (stadion) as a place where spectators watched an event, which didn't have to be about running. So I guess over time it expanded into field events and other sports, not just running distance events.

[scouseclaret]

Not sure “The Shay” was ever a “stadium”. The Shea Stadium was a baseball ground where the Beatles once played. But that was in New York, not Halifax.

[boatshed bill]

Well you can, because it was later known (stadion) as a place where spectators watched an event, which didn't have to be about running. So I guess over time it expanded into field events and other sports, not just running distance events.

Fair enough, Frank.

[FactualFrank]

Not sure “The Shay” was ever a “stadium”.

Surely a ground, as like I mention above, it was something that was never the full finished article when it was developed.

[welsbyswife]

Not sure “The Shay” was ever a “stadium”. The Shea Stadium was a baseball ground where the Beatles once played. But that was in New York, not Halifax.

Fair do’s scouse. Maybe I was getting a bit carried away there!

[Roosterbooster]

Also love the fact that it’s just Turf Moor. It doesn’t have the word park or ground attached. Makes it seem timeless, like they just made a bit of grass out of the moor! Not many like that. Deepdale or Anfield spring to mind.

Likewise, I prefer names without ground / park / stadium attached, but much more so when they aren't just named simply after the area they reside in.

I was a bit sad to find out both Valley Parade and Deepdale are both named after local areas. Craven Cottage remains an all time favourite - both the name and the actual ground

[Dyched]

I think stadiums are built in 1 go eg, Emirates, AMEX. Grounds built/upgraded overtime eg, Turf, Old Trafford.

[JohnMac]

We used to sing 'I love to go a wandering around the Turf Moor Ground'

[Dressinggown]

According to Wiki:

A stadium (plural stadiums or stadia)[1] is a place or venue for (mostly) outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a tiered structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.[2]

[Dressinggown]

That classes Padiham FC's ground as a Stadium.

The Arbories Memorial Sports Ground,

Now sponsored as an Arena when I visited yesterday. I don't often get on.

Call it what you want but it was a decent game yesterday against Widnes in appalling conditions. Plenty of cover for the supporters which was a bonus. The home side were dead and buried at 3-1 down but two late goals salvaged a point after a remarkable goal line clearance and after a great header against the bar from a young lad on as substitute was headed over the line with seconds left.

[FactualFrank]

According to Wiki:

A stadium (plural stadiums or stadia)[1] is a place or venue for (mostly) outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a tiered structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.[2]

That would have been posted earlier in the thread, but the question was to differentiate the two - stadium and ground. Not just describe what a stadium is. We know what they both are, it's a question of what makes them different.

[Dressinggown]

The Stadium is for multi purpose use.

A ground is for football.

West Ham's venue remains neither.

Best not call it anything else. Turf Moor will do.

[RingoMcCartney]

Call it what you want.

I'll still be goin on't Turf t'morrah night.

[Dressinggown]

Turf Moor Ground.

All the same thing ?

[FactualFrank]

Since I was a kid, Turf Moor has always sounded to me like a place where the away team just simply wouldn't want to go to. A daunting place. A place where you know they'll be at you for 95 minutes.

It's a good name.

[Dressinggown]

Turf Moor.

That's it.

[FactualFrank]

Well all want Moor.

[ClaretTony]

It was once considered that the word stadium only applied if the venue was used for more than one sport. You will note that Up the Clarets has a Ground Photographs Feature.

[IanMcL]

There is only one Turf Moor.

Iconic.