This post focuses on my travels to various sports grounds over the past year.
Firstly, there is the brand spanking new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in north London. It also occasionally hosts American NFL games that are used to promote the sport over this side of the pond and can hold almost 63,000 people.
Full size image here: https://ibb.co/zJxWZ38
Next is the London Stadium in east London. It was originally built for track and field sports as part of the 2012 Olympics & Paralympics complex. Post games, the area was renamed to the 'Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park' and is maintained as a continuing legacy.
In the foreground is a velodrome used for cycle sports. Most recently, West Ham Football Club have been using it to host their home games but is also a venue for concerts too. It can hold up to 80,000 people. Just visible to the left side of the stadium is the controversial 'ArcelorMittal Orbit'.
Like the aforementioned QEOP, it was also intended to represent the legacy of the games. However, there was great public criticism after work completed due to the visual aesthetic of the structure.
The total cost to build it was £22.7m which was mostly funded by the steel manufacturing company chosen to supply material.
By 2015, visitor numbers had dropped so much, it was revealed that the tower was losing just over £500k of revenue per year.
Full size image here: https://ibb.co/26BLVbZ
Next up is Centre Court and the surrounding tennis complex in Wimbledon, south west of London. It was also used to host tennis matches at the 2012 London Olympics. Centre court can hold just under 25,000 people.
Full size image here: https://ibb.co/BCyq2kX
Lastly, there is Selhurst Park, home to Crystal Palace, in the heart of the community in south London. It has certainly been around for a long time, almost 100 years! The condition of the exterior leaves a little to be desired but it has held up well! It can hold just over 25,000 people. An extension project has been planned for some time but has been pushed back due to the current climate.
Full size image here: https://ibb.co/2YyvM8q