| Ordered ground moves. |
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slightfold
Joined: 13 Oct 2009 Posts: 612
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Posted: Wed Jul 29, 2026 3:10 pm
Post subject: Ordered ground moves. |
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As a collector of programmes relating to ground moves, I want to firstly state the obvious which is moves are either permanent or temporary . Even temporary begs a definition, and can be 10 or more seasons if you were Wimbledon or Bristol Rovers!
All moves are either because the club wanted to, or had to because the ground was unusable, or were ordered to:-
A to B - Arsenal Highbury to Emirates 2006 = new stadium -wanted to.
A to B to A Bristol Rovers temporary at Bristol City 1980 stand fire - had to
The third category perhaps you will not see this as ground move per se, but it is being forced by the FA to play home matches (one or a few) elsewhere as punishment usually for fans' behaviour. I am listing below all those matches which I am aware of since the end of WW2. There are ones before that date, fans have always had their rowdy moments! Please feel free to post if there are others I have missed.
Millwall Newcasle 13/12/47 @ Palace
Plymouth Ipswich 18/3/61 -@ Torquay
Gillingham Wrexham 26/3/61 .@ Gravesend
Leeds Wolves 1971 @ Huddersfield,Spurs @ Hull 25/8.
Newcastle 1/9 @ Wednesday, Crystal Palace @
Man Utd Arsenal 20/8/71 @ Liverpool, WBA @ Stoke
Millwall Bristol Rovers 1/4/78 @ Portsmouth. [/u] |
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colchestersid
Joined: 08 Mar 2009 Posts: 778
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Posted: Wed Jul 29, 2026 6:51 pm
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Manchester United played in Cup Winners Cup v Saint Etienne in Plymouth 1977/78 after trouble in France
There was a book published about 20 years ago with details of every ground to have hosted league football - all the way back to 1888 and right down to temporary venues which hosted only one game. It also detailed all the games where clubs had to switch grounds for a single game for whatever reason. It had OS maps and coordinates for every ground and from memory was written by a married couple
Sadly I leant my copy to someone and never got it back
I can't remember what it was called but if no one on here knows you could drop an email to the guys at Groundtastic - they'll know |
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dorking!

Joined: 03 Sep 2025 Posts: 83
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Posted: Wed Jul 29, 2026 8:11 pm
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The Ultimate Directory of English and Scottish Football League Grounds by Paul and Shirley Smith
There were at least two editions (ie the more recent one had more up to date info, not just a reprint)
It can sell for quite a lot in some places, it's a brilliant book, particularly loved by those who 'collect' grounds visited (eg visiting the 92) or are just nostalgic for all the 'lost' grounds, of which there were so many about 30 years ago! |
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colchestersid
Joined: 08 Mar 2009 Posts: 778
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Posted: Wed Jul 29, 2026 8:23 pm
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That's the one!
I had the first edition, didn't know it had been updated |
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Flaming Pie
Joined: 26 Nov 2016 Posts: 972
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Viola19
Joined: 25 Jan 2015 Posts: 57
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Posted: Sun Aug 02, 2026 11:39 am
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Another change of ground due to crowd trouble.
Burton Albion v Leicester City FA Cup 3rd rd 1984/85. Tie played at the Baseball Ground was declared null and void after serious crowd trouble interrupted the game.
FA ordered the tie to be replayed at Highfield Road, Coventry. To be played behind closed doors.
No programme produced for the second game, however copies of the team sheet exist and crop up on ebay from time to time. |
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slightfold
Joined: 13 Oct 2009 Posts: 612
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Posted: Sun Aug 02, 2026 9:07 pm
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When I did the original posting it only referred to League games. It has been great to hear from members about those cup games which have also been moved.
There's one more, which although not ordered by the FA but was a 'request' from the police to move because they feared crowd trouble. This was during Bristol Rovers' first of their ten ground sharing seasons at Bath City and the game with Swindon was switched to Bristol City and played on 11/4/87.
Doubtless a few will remember that the stand at the Bath ground was later torched (and cost 800K to rebuild) by 7 Bristol City fans on their way back from an away game, taking rivalry to a new level. Rovers had had their own stand at Eastville burnt down on 16/8/80 in mysterious circumstances ! |
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