PL / FL / Scottish grounds visible by rail

[LS7]

Something I have occasionally wondered is which Premier League, Football League or Scottish football grounds are visible by scheduled passenger rail service? There are some obvious ones like Arsenal, Leeds United but there must be some where you just get a fleeting glimpse (like Hibs on the way into Edinburgh). Please share your insights below if you are into this sort of thing and I will catalogue them. Maybe for some sort of quest in the future ! Thanks, Tom

Club name - stadium name - which rail service - level of visibility

[LS7]

E.g. Arsenal - Emirates - any east coast main line service through Finsbury Park - right next to the line

[LS7]

The new White Hart Lane is also visible from same line in far distance. Peterborough United as well.

[Bosscat]

Bradford City from the Shipley to Forster Square line

[LS7]

Millwall from London Bridge to Bermondsey South line

[Bosscat]

There is also I think St Mary's Southampton am sure it can be seen on the line from Netley Abbey into the City

[LS7]

Newcastle United from east coast main line

[LS7]

Raith Rovers from Edinburgh to Dundee line

[LS7]

Man City from Stalybridge to Piccadilly transpennine line

[LS7]

Celtic park in the far distance on the right on a clear day as you come into Glasgow Central

[Quickenthetempo]

Burnley
Luton has tracks next to it, as does Brentford

[Mondsley]

Watford from West Coast main line just after leaving Watford Junction in the distance.
Man Utd from Manchester to Liverpool line. Next to the tracks!

[Leon_C]

At the risk of stating the obvious (don't see it above)
Turf Moor, between Burnley Manchester Road and Todmorden.
Decent view, from a couple of miles away.

[Mondsley]

Stoke City. Brittania Stadium next West Coast Mainline as is Stockport County.

[Leon_C]

Lancaster City (Northern Premier League, so outside OP scope)
Visible from West Coast Main Line

[bigdavethemaddog]

Deadwood Park, Birmingham, Newcastle, Burnley, Leeds, Hull, Middlesbrough, Huddersfield, Rotherham, Peterborough, Burton, Stockport, Crewe, Bradford, Doncaster, Scarborough, Hearts and Hibs are all ones i can recall offhand

[Kilson810]

Always enjoy seeing Wembley on my way into London!

[mickleoverclaret]

Pride Park is visible when you leave Derby station going south.

[dougcollins]

Burnley
Luton has tracks next to it, as does Brentford

You can't see Brentford's ground when you're stood next to it!

[Tricky Trevor]

Never done it but I would imagine the Stadium of Light, Sunderland, can be seen as the rail line is just to the East. If from nowhere else it should be visible from the bridge as the train crosses the Wear.

[Chester Perry]

Both Shrewsbury and Crewe come to mind as does Elland Rd, also given that the expansion of both Old Trafford and Stamford Bridge has been restricted by railway lines abutting the grounds, I imagine they fall into this category too

[Shipclaret]

West Ham at Stratford on the London-Norwich Line - looks closer than it is when you have to walk it via the Pub in the Westgate Centre!

[Shipclaret]

Ipswich and Norwich on the same run....both also easily walkable via The Railway and The Nelson

[NL Claret]

Villa, Walsall and St Andrews.

[aclaretinstevenage]

The new White Hart Lane is also visible from same line in far distance. Peterborough United as well.

If you know where to look you can just see the floodlights of The Lamex Stevenage! Beyond the retail park on the right just south of the station coming from KX. Great Northern and / or East Coast Mainline

[SlidingTackle]

Can't quite visualise it, but you're probably right about Hibernian's Easter Road as you approach Edinburgh Waverley from the east (on the East coast Mainline) to the north. I think, therefore, you can also see the Meadowbank Stadium (used for the 1970 and 1986 Commonwealth Games) and now home to Edinburgh City on the same side and closer.

However, if you approach Edinburgh Haymarket (and Waverley) from the west you can definitely see Heart of Midlothian's Tynecastle Park to the south (and more or less opposite) Murrayfield (although clearly that's for fans of egg-chasing and stadium bands only).

I'm sure there's others in Scotland but I need to give it more thought.

[Dazzler]

Greenock Morton, Cappielow Park. The rail bridge overlooks the ground.

[bigdavethemaddog]

Barnet is another

[tarkys_ears]

Elland Road, St Andrews, Wembley

[EarbyClaret]

Train from Cambridge to Norwich - both grounds visible

[Bosscat]

Little bit different but Inverness Callie Thistle is visible from the Whale/Dolphin watch boat we were on out of Inverness

[ChrisG]

Watford from West Coast main line just after leaving Watford Junction in the distance.
Man Utd from Manchester to Liverpool line. Next to the tracks!

Old Trafford up until about 5 years ago had it's own stop pretty much in the ground. It only ran matchday specials from Oxford Road station

[Transpennine]

Pompey Fratton park, visible by all trains on the way into pompey at Fratton station. View hindered by B&Q
Blackpool-on approach to Blackpool South
Preston.- can't see it from the west coast main line which runs right next to it. However you can see it on from trais to Preston from East lancs just past Bamber Brigde.
Wigan - from the west coast main line and the line to Southport.

[Jamesy]

I regularly catch the train from Shrewsbury to Manchester Piccadilly. Three grounds are visible on this shortish trip. Crewe Alexandra, Stockport County, Manchester City.

[ChrisG]

I regularly catch the train from Shrewsbury to Manchester Piccadilly. Three grounds are visible on this shortish trip. Crewe Alexandra, Stockport County, Manchester City.

You can probably see Old Trafford as you pull out of Piccadilly (and the floodlights at Lancs too!)

[Jamesy]

Possibly? Would have to look sharp right as we pull out of Piccadilly to do that.

[Jamesy]

I regularly catch the train from Shrewsbury to Manchester Piccadilly. Three grounds are visible on this shortish trip. Crewe Alexandra, Stockport County, Manchester City.

Addition as per OP request. Transport For Wales Service from Cardiff Central to Manchester Piccadilly.

[LS7]

Excellent - thanks for the contributions - there must be loads more. I think you get a glimpse of Motherwell when heading north on the WCML just before Motherwell station.

[Culmclaret]

St James’s Park Exeter is an odd one. Has its own station and is right next to the Exeter-Salisbury line but you can’t see it without craning your neck because the line is runs through a cutting.

[LS7]

Can't quite visualise it, but you're probably right about Hibernian's Easter Road as you approach Edinburgh Waverley from the east (on the East coast Mainline) to the north. I think, therefore, you can also see the Meadowbank Stadium (used for the 1970 and 1986 Commonwealth Games) and now home to Edinburgh City on the same side and closer.

However, if you approach Edinburgh Haymarket (and Waverley) from the west you can definitely see Heart of Midlothian's Tynecastle Park to the south (and more or less opposite) Murrayfield (although clearly that's for fans of egg-chasing and stadium bands only).

I'm sure there's others in Scotland but I need to give it more thought.

Yes Hibs is just visible (green girders on the roof) as you come into Edinburgh from Berwick direction on the ECML, from the right hand side of the train

[LS7]

St James’s Park Exeter is an odd one. Has its own station and is right next to the Exeter-Salisbury line but you can’t see it without craning your neck because the line is runs through a cutting.

This is perfect - exactly why it would be such an interesting quest.

[LS7]

If you know where to look you can just see the floodlights of The Lamex Stevenage! Beyond the retail park on the right just south of the station coming from KX. Great Northern and / or East Coast Mainline

I shall be trying that next week thanks

[ArmchairDetective]

I regularly catch the train from Shrewsbury to Manchester Piccadilly. Three grounds are visible on this shortish trip. Crewe Alexandra, Stockport County, Manchester City.

Not saying it's on your route because it sounds a different direction, but Isn't there a train line that goes directly past Shrewsbury's ground too?

[NickBFC]

Amex Stadium very visible from Falmer station.

[IanMcL]

Little bit different but Inverness Callie Thistle is visible from the Whale/Dolphin watch boat we were on out of Inverness

I saw the stadium, as I was driving over the Kessock Bridge. Was that you in that kittle boat, having your arms? I would have waved, if I had known!

[Malvern claret]

Reading’s old ground at Elm Park on Oxford to London Paddington.

[Bosscat]

I saw the stadium, as I was driving over the Kessock Bridge. Was that you in that kittle boat, having your arms? I would have waved, if I had known!

Always whale watch from a kittle boat ... they are attracted to the kittles

[IanMcL]

Always whale watch from a kittle boat ... they are attracted to the kittles

Not a lot of people know that! Shhh!


kittle1
/ˈkɪtl/
adjectiveARCHAIC
difficult to deal with; prone to erratic behaviour.

[South West Claret.]

I seem to remember that the old showground or Scunthorpe’s new Glanford park was near a railway line.

Can someone confirm please one way or another.