GROUND FORCE

PHILIP D'ROURKE TAKES A STEP BA TO RECALL SOME FAMOUS OLD FOOTBALL VENUES

THERE are many religions out there, each with their own places of worship. Some people would no doubt say the stadium of the football club they support is their place of worship.

Indeed, most stadia these days have been updated to suit the modern game and make sure that everyone enjoys a safe and pleasant experience at a football match.

Some stadia been totally replaced, with very little left to remember them by but for the fans' memories.

In the next few years we are going to see major footballing establishments like the San Siro in Milan being torn down to be replaced with a state of the art stadium.

Here I've picked out some famous old English grounds that have disappeared:

Ayresome Park - Middlesbrough

Ayresome Park was the home of Middlesbrough from its opening in 1903 until the club moved to the Riverside Stadium in 1995. During its 92-year history, Ayresome Park hosted many memorable matches and was the site of many triumphs and heartbreaks for Boro fans.

The stadium was named after the nearby Ayresome Gardens, which were a popular public park in the early 20th century. The site was originally a gravel pit, but it was transformed into a football ground by the local council and the club.

The first competitive match there was played on September 12, 1903. Middlesbrough lost 3-2 to Sunderland in front of a crowd of over 30,000 spectators.

Over the years, Ayresome Park underwent many changes and renovations to keep up with the changing needs of the club and its fans. The stadium was expanded several times, and its capacity grew to over 50,000 in the 1950s.

The ground was also equipped with floodlights in the 50s, which allowed for evening matches to be played.