Football is the mot popular sport in most countries around the world. However, when it comes to the UK, football is more than just a popular sport. Its a way of life and there is no doubt about that. Just the fact that there are over 40,000 registered football clubs only in England, let aside the ones in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland shows how passionate British people are about this sport. No wonder some of Biggest football stadiums in the UK are also great places to visit on a non match day just to have a tour around.
Without a doubt the UK is the home of football.
As a result of the passion that British people have about football and in order to satisfy the high demand, football clubs in the UK have built some of the biggest football stadiums in the world wih capacities that exceed 50,000. Some football clubs have just refurbished and expanded their old stadiums while other football clubs have build new big stadiums. From the iconic Anfield stadium and Celtic Park to the most recent Emirates and Wembley, the biggest football stadiums in the UK are definately some of the best places to visit annd watch football games.
The 10 Biggest Football Stadiums in the UK
Let’s have a look at the the 10 biggest football stadiums in the UK, where they are located and what is their capacity.
| Stadium | City | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Wembley | London | 90,000 |
| Old Trafford | Manchester | 75,635 |
| Principality Stadium | Cardiff | 74,500 |
| Tottenham Hotspur Stadium | London | 62,850 |
| Celtic Park | Glasgow | 60,411 |
| London Stadium | London | 60,000 |
| The Emirates | London | 60,260 |
| The Etihad | Manchester | 55,097 |
| Anfield | Liverpool | 54,000 |
| St James’ Park | Newcastle | 52,405 |
As you can see from the list above a few of the biggest football grounds in the UK are in London and this is not a surprise as the football clubs in London are considered to be the richest clubs in the world.
Wembley Stadium
Capacity: 90,000 – Who is playing there: England National Team
Wembley Stadium, with a seating capacity of 90,000, is by far the largest football stadiums in the United Kingdom and the 6th biggest football stadium worldwide. This famous football stadium is located in the Wembley area in London. If you don’t know London very well, the north-west of the city of London.
The present stadium was built on the ruins of the previous one which was built in 1923 and got demolished in 2002. Wembley Stadium is the home of England’s National Football Team’s and is hosting a lot of other major sporting events throught the year. Apart from important sporting events such as rugby, rugby league, boxing, and American football, Wembley is also used for cultural and musical events.
Old Trafford
Capacity: 75,635 – Who is playing there: : Manchester United
Old Trafford is the second biggest football stadium in the UK and one of the biggest football grounds in Europe. It was nicknamed the Theatre of Dreams by Bobby Charlton and has been the home ground of Man United since 1910. Apart from big football events like UEFA cup finals, the Old trafford is hosting a lot of other events like the Rugby League final and big gigs.
Principality Stadium
Capacity: 74,500 – Who is playing there: Wales National Team
The Millennium Stadium which is known as Principality Stadium since 2016, is the national stadium of Wales and is located in Cardiff. It is the home of the Wales national rugby union team and has also held Wales national football team games as well as other major football events like the Champions league final in 2017. Apart from been one of the biggest football stadiums in the UK it is also the biggest football in Wales by far.
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Capacity: 62,850 – Who is playing there: Tottenham
The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is the new home of Premier League team Tottenham Hotspur, replacing the club’s old stadium, White Hart Lane. It is located in Enfield, North London and it is the forth-biggest football stadium in England and the largest club stadium in London, with a seating capacity of 62,850. The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium hosts an exciting range of sporting and non-sporting events including NFL games, rugby matches and concerts.
Celtic Park
Capacity: 60,411 – Who is playing there: Celtic
Celtic Park has been the team’s home since 1892, when the club relocated from a neighbouring venue also known as Celtic Park due to a rent dispute. Celtic Park was officially opened on August 13, 1892 and Initially, the stadium was oval-shaped, with a cycle track, pavilion, and one wooden stand on the Janefield Street side and in 1898, a new grand stand was constructed on the other side. It is located in Glasgow’s east end Celtic Park is sometimes referred to by commentators as Parkhead.
London Stadium
Capacity: 62,500 – Who is playing there: West Ham
The London Stadium, formerly named as the Olympic Stadium for obvious reasons, began building in 2008 and was finished in time for the 2012 London Olympics. It is the home ground of West Ham United who moved there after leaving their old stadium Upton Park in 2016. The London Stadium can host up to 60,000 football fans when opeartating for a football game and up to 80,000 people for concerts including free-flow between the field of play and lower tier. The London Stadium is a UEFA ‘Category Four stadium and has the longest cantilevered roof in the world.
The Emirates
Capacity: 60,260 – Who is playing there: Arsenal
The Emirates Stadium is a four-tiered bowl which has a translucent polycarbonate roofing, though this does not cover any of the pitch. It is the home ground of Arsenal who have moved there after leaving the historic Highbury in 2006. When the Emirates stadium first opened, it was the second largest Premier League stadium and the third largest in England. Itwas initially named Ashburton Grove after the roadway along which it was built, but as it happens in these cases a large sponsor, Emirates, paid 42 million pounds for a 15-year naming rights arrangement.
Anfield
Capacity: 54,000 – Who is playing there: Liverpool
Anfield is Liverpool FC’s famous stadium, which has been refurbished in the last decade to become the sixth largest football stadium in England without losing any of its historic character. Originally the home of rivals Everton, Liverpool has been in this stadium since 1892 and has essentially become their spiritual home. Anfield is located around 2 miles north of Liverpool city centre.
The Etihad
Capacity: 55,097 – Who is playing there: Manchester City
The Etihad Stadium, Manchester City’s home stadium, was originally known as the City of Manchester Stadium and was built for the 2002 Commonwealth Games. Following the Citizens’ relocation from their home ground Maine Road, the stadium was renamed Eastlands and initially held a maximum of 48,000 spectators for Man City’s home games. Today it can hold up to 55,097 football fans and it is one of the biggest football frounds in England.
St James’ Park
Capacity: 52,405 – Who is playing there: Newcastle United
Since the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End clubs in 1892, St James’ Park has served as Newcastle United’s home
but the football ground has been there since 1880. With almost 125 years of hosting Magpies supporters and located right in the heart of Newcastle City Centre, the stadium has an old-fashioned charm equaled by few in European football and has more character than other (particularly new) top division arenas. St James Park is the 10th biggest football stadium in the UK.