The 9 most soulless EFL Championship and League One grounds named and ranked by AI | OneFootball

AI chatbot, ChatGPT, ranks the nine most soulless stadiums across the Championship and League One.

England’s second and third tiers are home to some of the football pyramid’s most historic and atmospheric stadiums — though not every ground impresses for the right reasons.

The leagues feature a mix of sleek, modern arenas and grounds steeped in tradition. However, many can often feel soulless in comparison to the loudest ones, and those dripping in character.

With the current crop of Championship and League One sides in mind, Football League World turned to AI chatbot ChatGPT to name and rank the nine most soulless stadiums across the Championship and League One.

9 Vicarage Road - Watford

"Functional and tidy, but often criticised for feeling corporate," said ChatGPT on Watford's Vicarage Road.

With an average attendance of just over 19,000, it has been a rarity to see Vicarage Road full since the Hornets were relegated back to the second tier in 2022 - varying form and performances have certainly not helped.

Vicarage Road can often fall silent in comparison to stadia across the Championship, and while it can rock on big nights, the place can usually feel like the standard EFL venue. ChatGPT added: "Stands are distant from the pitch, leaving matches lifeless when crowds aren't full."

8 CBS Arena - Coventry City

Coventry's rise to the top end of the Championship in recent years has, understandably, seen the home support rise after years of instability.

However, as with many of the large multi-purpose, bowl-shaped arenas, functionality and versatility often restrict atmosphere, with the CBS Arena feeling no different to many others of its kind.

The stadium itself has not always been owned by the club, with the Sky Blues only completing the purchase of the stadium in August this year. Some more Coventry branding and personality may give it a makeover when it comes to some character. However, its design will always leave CBS Arena feeling more like an event venue, rather than a purpose-built football stadium.

The design of the Swansea.com stadium offers little to no variety when compared with other modern designs across the EFL.

While sleek and well put together "the atmosphere struggles to ignite," as per ChatGPT. And this is a common theme across not just the EFL, but English football as a whole, as more and more clubs move into the bowl-shaped arenas that leave little to the imagination.

The seating colours and Swansea branding do give the stadium some added character in comparison to its counterparts, which are often seen as more multi-purpose arenas, with Coventry being an example mentioned above.

6 Kassam Stadium - Oxford United

Oxford United's Kassam Stadium can often feel incomplete due to the missing stand behind the goal, leaving an empty void that makes it difficult for noise to carry.

ChatGPT added: "Small, isolated, and oddly shaped. Limited fan areas give it a hollow, soulless vibe."

5 MKM Stadium - Hull City

Hull City's MKM Stadium can often be grouped with many of the other stadiums mentioned in this list, with there being no unique characteristics that make it stand out.

The ground is also multi-purpose, with Rugby League outfit Hull FC also calling the MKM Stadium home. This leaves a significant gap for some added character to make the place feel like home for either side in both sports.

"Modern and spacious, MKM Stadium is efficient but can feel sterile," said ChatGPT. "It's tidy seating and broad concourses make it lifeless when the crowd is less than full."

Potentially a controversial AI choice on this list, given its history, Stoke City's Bet365 Stadium is described as: "Efficient and modern, but the wide concourses and corporate design make it feel sterile and uninspiring."

Premier League nostalgia from the early 2010s may leave some fans remembering Stoke as a horrible place to visit. However, the credit can be given to the efforts of Tony Pulis and his players, more than the stadium itself.

With attendances dwindling due to lifeless performances since Stoke's relegation in 2018, there hasn't been much to shout about as a Potters fan, and the ground has often felt lifeless during this period.

3 New York Stadium - Rotherham United

Similar to the aforementioned stomping grounds of Coventry, Swansea and Hull, Rotherham's New York Stadium offers no variety or character to make it a place with any character or unique feel.

Rotherham's form over the last decade has seen the club bounce between the second and third tiers. The club's lack of size in comparison to fellow Yorkshire clubs leaves empty seats dotted about, which, of course, never look their best.

For a club often punching above its weight, it is hard not to believe that a more unique and intimidating home stadium could make the difference in the relegation/promotion fights that the Millers often find themselves in.

Potentially a controversial choice given its more old-school design with four separate stands, Preston's Deepdale sits second in this list.

While it's difficult not to believe the choice is harsh, AI's reasoning can be somewhat understood when it comes to placing Deepdale on this list.

"Redeveloped over time, functional but lacking the warmth and intimacy of a traditional stadium," said the Chatbot.

Sitting at the wrong end of this list is Southampton's St Mary's Stadium, and it is hard to argue with the AI choice.

Recently relegated from the Premier League, St Mary's offers little to no variety when compared with many modern grounds up and down the pyramid. And last year's fortunes did nothing to help the fans when it came to creating an atmosphere.

ChatGPT said: "Modern and impressive, but large open stands and corporate design leave matches feeling oddly empty and soulless."

Paling in comparison to The Dell - The Saint's old stomping ground - St Mary's is no different to many of its fellow modern counterparts, and often lacks character.