11 EFL stadiums in desperate need of an upgrade | OneFootball

Some of the EFL's current grounds are certainly in need of changes in some ways

English football supporters often possess a mixture of opinions regarding several elements of the matchday experience, and one of those is, unsurprisingly, the facilities on offer at any specific stadium.

In order to align their current stature with the way of the world at any given time, clubs in the Premier League, Championship, League One and League Two are often looking for innovative ways to please the masses in terms of what they can expect at one of the 92 professional stadiums in the English game.

Three key examples of this in the EFL at present relate to Birmingham City, Luton Town and Oxford United, who are all set to move into new stadiums in the years to come, with the former of those being the Powerhouse, which will boast a capacity of approximately 62,000 - over twice the capacity of Blues' current home, St. Andrew's @ Knighthead Park, which, in the short-term, has been renovated significantly by the club's American investors.

Of course, not every club has been able to perform similar actions, although some supporters will still prefer a traditional, 'old-school' ground in terms of some which have been deemed 'soulless'.

That said, Football League World have still looked at 11 EFL stadiums which could benefit from some form of an upgrade.

Turf Moor - Burnley

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Burnley are returning to the Championship for next season, and while more pressing matters will be on Alan Pace's agenda, some would potentially hope that Turf Moor is upgraded further beyond recent plans.

It was revealed that the Clarets' historic home saw new signage and turnstile changes approved by Burnley Borough Council, but, in particular, the Bob Lord Stand and Barnfield Construction Stand both have a 'dated' feel to them, with wooden seats still in use.

While some will argue that such character needs to be retained to make the stadium unique in comparison to others, the club must look at it from the opposite direction, and perhaps even look to expand the former of those in terms of capacity.

LNER Stadium - Lincoln City

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Lincoln City will play Championship football for the first time since the 1960s this season, and if they are to continue their upward trajectory, the LNER Stadium may be in line for an upgrade.

After their run to the FA Cup quarter-finals in 2017 as a non-league side, the Imps opted to upgrade their infrastructure, and it has also been reported that local company, Fychte Taylor Planning, are working on a new project called the 'Imps Territory', which looks to enhance the matchday experience.

Those proposals have been approved, and construction on 'key elements' is underway, although it could be argued that, depending on how the club fares in the years to come, the overall capacity of the ground may need a significant increase from 10,699 to one capable of hosting, at least, Championship football for many years.

Fratton Park - Portsmouth FC

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Next up is Portsmouth's iconic Fratton Park stadium, which once drew praise from AC Milan and Brazilian icon, Ronaldinho, for its hostile atmosphere.

At a capacity of 20,067, the size of the ground may not be disputed, but it is fair to say that the facilities on offer could do with a large upgrade.

It was reported five years ago that the club were working on improvements which, based on what was said at the time, should have been completed by now.

However, some would still argue that more is needed, especially to help grow the club further after returning to the Championship two years ago for the first time since 2012.

Loftus Road - Queens Park Rangers

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Loftus Road has been the home of Queens Park Rangers since 1917, and is certainly one of the more unique grounds in the Championship, even though it often receives plenty of criticism at the same time for restricted views.

On the topic of restrictions, it is well-documented that the Hoops are limited when it comes to upgrading the stadium in terms of capacity, meaning that investors have been looking to move the club to a new stadium in the near future.

While that still remains the case, that isn't to say that current facilities in W12 can be improved upon in the short-term to enhance the matchday experience for home and away supporters.

London Stadium - West Ham United

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Meanwhile, short and long-term improvements are now reportedly in the pipeline for supporters attending West Ham United's London Stadium.

The Hammers moved into their E20 home a decade ago, and it has been the backdrop of a mixed period in the club's history, but has also helped generate extremely high levels of commercial and matchday income too.

That said, the atmosphere has often been criticised, with supporters feeling the pitch is too far away, even though it boasted the Premier League's second-highest attendance figures for 2025/26.

However, in a major recent boost, Czech investor, Daniel Křetínský, has revealed his plans to move supporters closer to the action and remove the running track which currently sits at the pitch's perimeter.

Stok Cae Ras - Wrexham

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Wrexham's rapid rise from the National League to the Championship has meant that plenty of upgrades have had to be made to the Stok Cae Ras in the short-term, as well as for the future.

The stadium will still be one of the division's smallest next term, but with the club's American investors hoping to reach the Premier League, more seats and a more modern feel to the ground will certainly be needed as they attract global attention.

A new 5,500-seater Kop stand is in the process of being built right now, but without a doubt, all three others will also need renovating in the years to come, if Wrexham want to keep moving forward.

Copperjax Community Stadium - Bromley

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Similarly, Bromley have risen from non-league to League One in the space of two years, meaning the Copperjax Community Stadium may need to continue receiving upgrades.

The Ravens and their supporters wouldn't have predicted, in their wildest dreams, that they would be playing host to several ex-Premier League sides next term, but that is the reality.

Ahead of their promotion, the club opened a new east stand named after George Wakeling, and further redevelopments, again, could be in the pipeline if the South-East club are to maintain, or continue bettering, their current standing in the game.

Hillsborough - Sheffield Wednesday

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Sheffield Wednesday's Hillsborough remains one of the most historic and largest EFL stadiums, but has, unsurprisingly, received plenty of criticism in recent decades.

Despite now being an all-seater ground, the scene of the 1989 disaster which saw 97 Liverpool supporters lose their lives in the FA Cup semi-final is still extremely dated, having not received any form of investment.

Local MP, Clive Betts, has even pledged for the Leppings Lane Stand to be torn down and completely rebuilt, while new American owner, David Storch, has recently set out his vision to make the necessary and wanted changes in S6, albeit there are, perhaps, more urgent matters he must resolve after the club's flirtation with extinction in the last year.

Edgeley Park - Stockport County

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Stockport County have a vision of returning to the Championship as soon as possible, with the future of Edgeley Park very much at the centre of such plans.

The Greater Manchester outfit are hoping to expand their current and historic home from a capacity of 10,900 to in excess of 18,000, even though some would argue that a lot of work would need to be done to ensure each and every seat is taken up once the ground is expanded.

However, you cannot really dispute that such upgrades are needed, with the club very much aware of a lack of ease of access for disabled supporters inside and outside the stadium, as well as enhancing the stadium as a hub for the local community.

Memorial Stadium - Bristol Rovers

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Bristol Rovers' Memorial Stadium has become infamous for a large standing terrace behind one goal, which sits opposite a temporary one housing away supporters.

The Gas have played their football at the ground since 1996, but are potentially looking to move away after seeing plans for a redevelopment hit a snag earlier in 2026.

Such upgrades, again, cannot be argued with, as the club's owners are looking to increase the current capacity to 16,500, and change it to almost an all-seater stadium, which would be hugely beneficial when it comes to attracting a newer generation of supporters, especially when local rivals, Bristol City, have redeveloped Ashton Gate.