The theatre of dreams...dream on... (Bramall Lane (Sheffield United FC))

Member Name: 137699

Product:	Bramall Lane (Sheffield United FC)
Date:	22/01/03 (1058 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good atmosphere, Propper evolved ground - not a purpose built sterile stadium, Good views from most areas

Disadvantages: Ropey catering

I've been following the Blades for some years now, (see other op), and in that time Bramall Lane has seen some changes.

The ground itself is a mostly modern affair, holding just over 30,000 all-seated. It is fairly unique in that the ground's name referrs to the away end, and also the oldest and least impressive part of the ground. The Bramall lane stand is a 60's concrete affair, which from the outside looks almost derilict. However, it was refitted on the inside in the late 90's and the upper tier is one of the best views in the ground. This stand is also a little odd looking on the TV, as it is offset to the pitch. This is beacause up until the early 70's, Brammal lane was a football-cum-Cricket pitch, and where the south stand now stands, used to be the off-side boundary!

The South Stand itself is a very imposing stand. It is a cantilever affair, and has been all-seater for all of it's life. From the outside it is a very impressive construction, from the inside, the wooden seating lets it down a little, but it still offers great views of the pitch.

The Spion Kop is where most of the home fans prefer to sit. It is one of the largest end-stands in the country, and was constructed during the early 90's. The metal construction of this stand makes the atmosphere very good, and when the team is playing well, and the Kop is singing, it is a great place to be!

The newest part of the ground is the John Street Stand. It was built in the late-90's, after the original stand had been demolished, and the ground had been 3 sided for a couple of seasons. The new stand is a gorgeous construction, with executive boxes. Recently the corner between the John Street and Kop stands has been filled in with extra seating, and there is also a business centre which fills in the other corner of John Street, and the ground now has a much more "enclosed" feel about it.

The catering at the ground has tradit
ionally not been the best. The pies have often been of poor quality, and sometimes cold in the middle! Having said that, things have definately improved in that respect in recent times.

The toilet facilities around the ground are not too bad, except for the Kop supporters, who have to make do with some very old wooden-shed affairs!

Getting to the ground is fairly simple. It is very close to the city centre, and is set back from the ring road, from which it is signposted. There is an ammount of on-street parking around the gournd, and if this is all full, then the city centre car parks are a 5-10 minute walk away. Many of the locals use the bus services, as in Sheffield these tend to be fairly reliable, frequent and reasonably priced.

If you're a visiting fan thinking of following your team on an away day to Bramall lane, then I'd heartily recomend you come. Be careful which pubs you drink in before the game, some have signs up saying "no away supporters" (mainly in and around London Road) and I'd respect that for obvious reasons, but most are friendly, especially the one's around Ecclesal Road (near Safeway). Most fans are greeted kindly by the united folk - the obvious excpetions are the likes of Leeds and Sheffield Wednesday.

The security within the ground is excellent. Sheffield United have one of the most advanced cctv systems in any UK football ground, and on the rare occasions that trouble flares, it is dealt with very swiftly and effectively.

Other than that, you will enjoy a good atmosphere, plenty of banter with the home fans, and a good view of the game, with little problem getting to/from the ground. Whether you will see a good game is another matter entirely! This season (at point of writing) you'll probably be in for a cracker, as the blades are flying high, and playing attractive stuff. Other seasons, it could be a dour game, with long balls, and tackles in place of passing foo
tball!

Summary: