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England has a storied football history stretching back centuries, with the eventual formation of the Football Association in 1863 helping to establish the rules that would go on to influence the sport around the world.
Over the years, football has become undoubtedly the most popular sport in the country, and England boasts some of the most iconic stadiums in the world, including the likes of Old Trafford, Anfield and the home of the Three Lions, Wembley Stadium.
However, there are also a number of historic England grounds that are no longer in use and FootballGroundGuide has taken a look at some of those abandoned and lost football stadiums.
Millmoor
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Team: Rotherham United
Opened: 1907
Abandoned: 2008
Location: Rotherham
Millmoor was home to Rotherham County between 1907 and 1925, before the club's successor, Rotherham United, played their home matches at the stadium for over 80 years.
The club were forced to leave what may fans still call their “spiritual home” in May 2008 after talks with Ken Booth, the owner of Millmoor, broke down, leading to Rotherham United moving to the Don Valley Stadium before moving into a new community stadium.
The stadium has been put to use by youth teams in the following years, but after being recently acquired by the Ron Hull Group, plans were submitted to demolish the stadium, with the demolition expected to be completed by the end of January 2027.
Ship Lane
Team: Thurrock FC/Grays Athletic FC
Opened: 1985
Abandoned: 2018
Location: Thurrock
Thurrock FC had played at Ship Lane from their establishment in April 1985 until 2018, when the club formally resigned from the Isthmian League after no buyer came forward following chairman Tommy South's decision to sell the club due to health reasons.
However, Grays Athletic obtained ownership of the stadium in 2024, and while there were plans to be playing at the ground in 2025/26 and 2026/27, the club have recently announced a call to arms for local tradespeople and businesses to help them transform the ground ahead of making it their new home.
York Street
Team: Boston United
Opened: 1933
Abandoned: 2022
Location: Boston
York Street had been home to Boston United from 1933 until the end of the 2019/20 season, when the club moved to their newly constructed Boston Community Stadium.
Railway Athletic briefly played in the stadium during the 2021/22 season, but the stadium was put up for sale the following year and remained abandoned until 2026, when the Boston Borough Council approved its demolition.
The demolition got underway in March 2026 and has now been completed, with construction underway for a NHS Community Diagnostic Centre to be built on the site of the former stadium.