Premier League

Overview of Premier League Stadiums

As the richest football league on the planet today, it’s to be expected that the various Premier League stadiums will also be some of the best in the world. And on that note, we must say that some of the stadiums found all over England are seriously impressive, especially for the larger clubs. Whether it’s the sheer capacity supported, the general aesthetics or the price tag of these stadiums, each and every one of them has something to shout about.

On that note, we’d like to highlight some of the main facts for each of the Premier League grounds in 2021. As you will see as we run through the clubs, some have been in existence for well over 100 years, and some have been constructed as recently as the last decade. This means that the Premier League has a broad spectrum of stadium sizes and designs, which is pretty cool.

Now, in no particular order, let’s get started.

Etihad Stadium – Manchester City

Of course, the Etihad Stadium is home to the gladiators of Manchester City – arguably the most successful English team in recent years. Although this one is the home of one of the most successful teams, it’s actually only the 6th biggest in Premier League football. This is because the maximum capacity is just over 55,000, and the stadium had to be expanded a few years ago to even reach these figures. And despite Manchester City also being one of the richest clubs, the stadium itself is still owned by the council.

Anfield – Liverpool

If Manchester City would be listed as one of the most successful teams, Liverpool would definitely be nipping at their heels – if not rising above Manchester City (depending on your opinion). Anfield has become one of the most difficult venues for teams to come and play at in recent years, hence Liverpool’s phenomenal record here. These days, Anfield can support more than 60,000 spectators for any single game, and the stadium is one of the few that has remained in the exact same sport ever since it opened – all the way back in 1884.

Villa Park – Aston Villa

Having been constructed in the 19th Century, Villa Park is one of the Premier League stadiums that just radiates tradition. Amazingly, when this stadium was built in 1897, it was done so for less than £17,000, which is a little over £25 million in today’s money. The stadium isn’t one of the biggest in the league, as the capacity is just over 40,000, even though Villa Park has registered more than 75,000 attendees (before safety measures were introduced).

Old Trafford – Manchester United

Few stadiums carry a more significant reputation than Old Trafford. This stadium has seen legends of the football world over the years, from Sir Alex Ferguson to Cristiano Ronaldo. Therefore, it seems fitting that Old Trafford is the biggest stadium for club football in England, with a maximum capacity of more than 74,000. To add to this, Old Trafford also has one of the best nicknames of any other club – The Theatre of Dreams! Of course, this was the nickname handed to the stadium by the legendary Sir Bobby Charlton. To top things off, there are rumours that Old Trafford will be expanded over the coming years to allow for around 88,000 fans to enter the grounds.

Emirates Stadium – Arsenal

With Emirates being a massive and very successful company, it’s no great surprise to see the price tag of this stadium – more than £390 million. To be fair, this does justify the investment for a club the size of Arsenal, and the stadium can host over 60,000 spectators at a time due to its size. Interestingly, if Wenger and other Arsenal executives never made the decision to relocate the club, The Emirates would never have come into existence. With that said, we are certainly glad that this decision was made, as this is undoubtedly one of the most appealing stadiums in the Premier League.

St James’ Park – Newcastle United

Ever since 1892, St James’s Park has been the home of Newcastle United, one of the Premier League’s most popular teams. This one is again owned by the local council, and St James’ Park can squeeze in just over 52,000 fans when full. While the stadium has been expanded previously, there have been a series of internal arguments which have ultimately resulted in the rather unique appearance of the stadium we see today.

Bramall Lane – Sheffield United

Sheffield United are one of the newer additions to the Premier League compared to some of the other teams we’ve mentioned. Then again, the team has a great following, and Bramall Lane is no easy place to play at. Since the stadium opened back in 1855, it has had more than 5 renovation jobs, although this has still only resulted in a maximum capacity of just over 32,000. But if Sheffield United manages to stay in the Premier League, we have a feeling that more renovation works might be on the way.

Elland Road – Leeds

Speaking of renovations and expansions, Elland Road has had its fair share, probably due to the rollercoaster ride that Leeds United has experienced. Elland Road was first established back in 1897, and as it happens, it isn’t just Leeds United that has played there over the years. In fact, the stadium has been home to other local teams such as Bradford City and Huddersfield back in the day, which is something that would probably never happen these days!

Craven Cottage – Fulham

Out of all the Premier League stadiums, Craven Cottage has the lowest maximum capacity – by far! When full, Craven Cottage can only fit in 19,359 spectators, which does create a rather intimate feel about the ground. It’s not all bad at Craven Cottage, however, as the venue itself actually has a bit of Royal history going back more than 3 Centuries, which is something that not many Premier League grounds can boast.

London Stadium – West Ham United

The London Stadium is where West Ham United has played their home games ever since 2016, and the stadium can hold up to 60,000 spectators for football games. Interestingly, the terms of the lease dictate that this capacity can be increased depending on the sport – go figure that one! With that said, London Stadium has played host to games for cricket, baseball, and even high-profile rugby games too, so it’s not just football that goes down here.

Selhurst Park – Crystal Palace

Up until 2003, Selhurst Park was actually shared between Crystal Palace and Wimbledon FC. The stadium itself first opened its doors back in 1924, but it has since experienced a few expansions. While there is no official cost provided for the expansions, the initial construction cost just £30,000! These days, it’s only Crystal Palace who plays here, and the stadium capacity is a little over 25,000, which is still quite small for a Premier League club.

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – Tottenham Hotspur

This is the newest stadium in Premier League football, and it’s also one of the most impressive. The construction for this stadium was completed in 2019, and upon finishing the project, the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium became the biggest in London. It even has a fully interchangeable pitch for when the NFL comes to town, which is pretty unique. We hope you’re sitting down too – the total project cost for this one was £1 billion!

Turf Moor – Burnley

Burnley isn’t exactly a club that has major sponsors and investors, which would obviously allow for a larger stadium to be built. However, it would seem that the fans and the management aren’t overly interested in this, as the stadium has remained in use (as is) ever since its construction back in 1883. Of course, there’s been the odd tweak and repairs here and there, but the fundamentals have remained largely intact, hence the pretty small maximum capacity of under 22,000.

Stamford Bridge – Chelsea

‘The Bridge’ as it is commonly referred to has been home to some seriously impressive football over the years. Of course, Chelsea has managed to win the Premier League, Champions League, and a bunch of other competitions over the years. Therefore, it would be fitting for Stamford Bridge to be as good as it is. While the current capacity allows for just over 40,000 fans, there are plans for the club to increase this by 50% in just a few years time – therefore allowing for up to 60,000 fans per game! Given the popularity of the club in London, the stadium would still likely sell-out too!

St Mary’s Stadium – Southampton

For 20 years now, St Mary’s has been the home of Southampton. The ground itself became open for business in 2001 and compared to some of the other construction figures for Premier League grounds, this one was pretty cheap. The whole thing was built for £32 million, and it’s actually one of the more open stadium designs that you can find today.

Molineux Stadium – Wolverhampton Wanderers

Molineux Stadium is another one that was first built before the 1900s, making it another stadium that has some impressive history. It’s also a stadium that has stayed true to its original purpose too, which was to allow Wolverhampton Wanderers to play professional football. This means that the one and only permanent occupant since inception have been Wolves, and this is a true credit to how the team has stood the test of time.

King Power Stadium – Leicester City

The King Power Stadium was established almost 20 years ago now, back in 2002. Of course, Leicester City weren’t exactly high flyers back then, but ever since the unlikely Premier League victory in 2016, this stadium has seen an explosion of club fans wanting to watch the guys in action. With that said, the club can only support just over 32,000 per game, although if the figures are anything to go by, they could do with expanding to accommodate the increased following!

The Hawthorns – West Brom

Amazingly, The Hawthorns has been the home of West Brom for more than 120 years, which is rather considerable, to say the least. The team has played here ever since 1900, yet the first renovation of the stadium didn’t actually occur in the 80s. But since then, there have been two additional renovations, which has paved the way for the 25,000+ capacity we see today. To finish with a fun fact – The Hawthorns is actually the highest (above sea-level) stadium in the Premier League, and indeed England.

Goodison Park – Everton

Besides Anfield, Goodison Park is definitely the most famous of Premier League stadiums in Liverpool. This stadium can host almost 40,000 fans when full, and as it happens, Goodison Park has seen the most Premier League games played of all time, out of any other stadium. This is because ever since the club was established in 1892, there have only been 4 seasons where Everton didn’t play top-flight football. Of course, the rules and stipulations of top-flight football in England have changed over the years, but this is an impressive feat nonetheless.

Falmer Stadium – Brighton

When Brighton made the surge towards Premier League football, it only made sense for the club to build a stadium that would reflect this. That’s why, in 2011, Brighton built a £93 million stadium, which is definitely one of the larger investments made outside of the top clubs in the Premier League. But as you may know, although the club anticipated top-flight football, Brighton didn’t actually make it into the Premier League until the 2016/2017 season. With that said, it’s clear that the gamble paid off, as the club regularly sees more than 25,000 fans in attendance for home games these days.