Journalist ranks the top 15 best EFL stadiums | OneFootball

A look at the top 15 best stadiums in the EFL according to journalist Richard Sutcliffe.

The size of a fanbase, a club’s reputation, its history and its current standing – all worthwhile debates for point scoring for supporters within the EFL – but so is being proud of and arguing the case for their home ground and stadium.

Teams relegated from the Premier League boasting state of the art arenas, some ideal football stadiums, some not even necessarily even meant for football.

Teams promoted from the National League, not yet with 24 fully professional clubs, either with ramshackle homes or the fruits of hard labour and financial sacrifice.

The EFL has 72 clubs and 72 stadiums that represent what is so very special and unique about English football and its pyramid with supporters, perhaps bar just very few, proud and defensive of the place that they call home.

However, it is all part of the fun and games of following football and so The Athletic, with an article written by Richard Sutcliffe, have opted to rank the 72 stadiums in the EFL.

We have taken a look at the top 15 of that list…

15 ? ? Hillsborough (Sheffield Wednesday)

15th on the list of the 72 stadiums in the EFL comes in South Yorkshire with Sheffield Wednesday’s home ground of Hillsborough, opened in 1889 and having a capacity of 34,835.

Sutcliffe explains his selection being based on the ‘vibrancy and passion’ that is retained by the ground and its atmospherics, aiding Wednesday in their bid to stay afloat in recent years.

At Sutcliffe does touch upon, though, one downside to the ground is that safety issues remain – citing Newcastle United’s visit in the fourth round of the FA Cup in January 2024 – and for away supporters, either in the upper or lower tier of the Leppings Lane End, there is often some discomfort.

14 ? ? St James Park (Exeter City)

122 years old after opening in 1904, next on the list comes down in League Two with Exeter City’s 8,720-capacity St James Park viewed as the 14th best stadium in the EFL.

Sutcliffe’s decision to include the home of The Grecians so high is mainly down to the hard work that the Supporters’ Trust have put in to keep, maintain and develop their home ground.

As described by Sutcliffe, the ‘patchwork’ stands may look a bit shoddy for a neutral observer but do give the ground some character and identity, combined with the fact that, as he says, it is a ‘hugely welcoming lower-division ground’.

It is a bold pick by Sutcliffe when acknowledging the fact that any ground that doesn’t fully encompass the pitch and the supporters can have drawbacks but, having once been threatened with eviction, it is a ground that represents more than just what it provides fans on a match day.

13 ? ? The Valley (Charlton Athletic)

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Down in South London and just a few minutes’ walk from Charlton’s train station, easily accessible from Central London, 13th on the list if The Valley – opened in 1919 and boasting a capacity of 27,111.

The Addicks supporters are another key factor in Sutcliffe’s choice, having had to campaign to end their seven-year hiatus and groundshares with Crystal Palace and then West Ham United in the 1980s.

Tight behind the goal where the home team kicks towards in the second half and with a low roof on the old away end, which as Sutcliffe explains is the only part of the ground not entirely rebuilt since their return, when The Valley is full it can really get rocking – and is often a key weapon for them regardless of the division that they find themselves in.

12 ? ? Cherry Red Records Stadium (AFC Wimbledon)

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The newest ground in the EFL is next on the list with the Cherry Red Records Stadium, or Plough Lane, of AFC Wimbledon, opened in 2020 with a capacity of 9,300.

Again a set of supporters displaced, again to Crystal Palace but this time in the 1990s, before the move to Milton Keynes – Wimbledon fans had to wait for their reformed club to return to their real home in South London.

Having previously played at Kingsmeadow, a previous home of Kingstonian FC, AFC Wimbledon moved into their modern-feeling stadium a few years ago but, despite the up-to-date architecture, the close proximity of the stands to the pitch ensure an old school atmosphere for both home and away supporters.

11 ? ? Deepdale (Preston North End)

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Moving up from the capital city, 11th on Sutcliffe’s list comes in Lancashire with Deepdale, the home of Preston North End since 1878, with a capacity of 23,404.

Almost entirely renovated over the last 40 years or so, The Lilywhites boast a ground that has one defining characteristic that is often well liked by neutrals and fans – all corners of the ground closed in.

No ‘gaps’ or disconnect between the stands does help to keep the noise loud when it is full, albeit the criticism would be the formulaic and lacklustre, rectangular shape that some of the more modern grounds, like St Mary’s or King Power Stadium, possess.

10 ? ? Blundell Park (Grimsby Town)

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Distinct in its appearance, Blundell Park comes in 10th on the list with Grimsby Town’s home since 1899 now boasting a capacity of 9,546 – feeling like a lot more when it is rocking.

That was the case in their famous penalty shootout defeat of Manchester United in the second round of the EFL Cup last season, with the low roof of the away end aiding United in an ill-fated second half comeback against The Mariners.

Sutcliffe suggests that the ground may ‘not be on everyone’s ‘To-do’ list but that ‘it should be’, with his description of the ground as a ‘proper pub’ surrounded by fish and chip shops and a concourse covered in ‘scarves, shirts and flags’.

9 ? ? Accu Stadium (Huddersfield Town)

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Perhaps surprisingly given the gaps in the corners and, when it is half empty it can feel and look a touch sorry, next on the list is the now Accu Stadium – the home of Huddersfield Town and previously Rugby League side Huddersfield Giants, which opened in 1994 with a capacity of 24,121.

The arched roofs of its four stands does give it a point of difference and, as Sutcliffe says, ‘architectural merit’, which saw it win the Building of the Year from the Royal Institute of British Architects in 1995 – the first time that any sporting arena had won the award.

It has a brilliant location, walking distance from the often bouncing Town Centre, and is one of the more popular ‘away days’ for people travelling across the country but certainly for their Yorkshire rivals and those popping across the Pennines from Lancashire.

8 ? ? Ashton Gate (Bristol City)

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Expanded and developed in the last decade or so, the now 26,462-capacity Ashton Gate, home of Bristol City, comes in at eighth on the list.

The Robins have played at Ashton Gate since 1887 but it looks a very different ground from the early-2010’s, let alone now, having even been suggested to be a host ground IN England’s failed bid to host FIFA World Cup 2018.

Three sides of the ground have become modernised with the standout point being the steepness of them and yet they remain overshadowed by the two-tier Lansdown Stand that takes that steepness onto a further level – often to the detriment of the camera angle when they have a televised game.

Also, unlike their city rivals Bristol Rovers and the Memorial Ground, Ashton Gate benefits from being closer to the city centre, which is always a bonus – especially in a city as enjoyable as Bristol.

7 ? ? The Hawthorns (West Bromwich Albion)

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Seventh on the list created by Sutcliffe comes in the midlands now with the highest ground in the EFL at 542 metres above sea level, The Hawthorns.

The home of West Bromwich Albion since 1900, the 26,804-capacity Hawthorns can make for a raucous arena, especially in local derbies and especially against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

The away end not necessarily requiring an overwhelming amount of segregation and being penned in by hostile home supporters on either side adds to the charm of The Baggies’ home.

6 ? ? Home Park (Plymouth Argyle)

Another ground that has more or less entirely been refurbished in recent years with The Mayflower Stand being redeveloped as recently as 2019, Plymouth Argyle’s Home Park comes in at number six.

Initially opened in 1893 with a capacity that is now 17,900, the home of The Pilgrims is another that produces a lively atmosphere, as explained by Sutcliffe.

A key reason for being included so high, as explained by Sutcliffe, is its location and the walk through the city’s Central Park from the train station to reach a ground that certainly benefits Argyle with an impressive home record over the last half a decade or so.