Good Old Highfield Road (1 Viewer)

You'll Never Beat McPake · Aug 18, 2022

Taken from "12 lost English Football.Grounds" by Gary Winter, May 2022.

Highfield Road opened in September 1899. This Aerofilms photograph was taken in 1953 but shows the ground as it would have looked before the outbreak of the Second World War.

The dark section of terracing at the top-left corner of the Kop was known as the Crow’s Nest. It was added in 1938 and survived at Highfield Road until 1981. © Historic England Archive. Aerofilms Collection EAW051854.

At the far end of the ground is the Kop, a mass of terrace constructed using rubble collected when tram lines were laid in the city. A new Main Stand was built in 1936. Opposite the Kop is the West Terrace, which was covered in 1927 with a roof acquired from Twickenham rugby ground.

Nick · Aug 18, 2022

Look at how "green" the surroundings are.

I know the park is still there but it just seems a bit more "desolate" now.

napolimp · Aug 18, 2022

What's all that farmland above the stadium - Willenhall and Binley now? Looks like they really built out that way in the second half of the 20th century.

Irish Sky Blue · Aug 18, 2022

Just looking at all the fields in the distance. All of that built on now. Would that be areas such as Stoke Aldermoor?

Sick Boy · Aug 18, 2022

napolimp said:
What's all that farmland above the stadium - Willenhall and Binley now? Looks like they really built out that way in the second half of the 20th century.

Yeah I’d say so - it’s incredible how much it changed in a relatively short timeframe.

Irish Sky Blue · Aug 18, 2022

Binley Village would have been there but I would think the Willenhall estates hadn’t been built at that time. Ernsford Grange certainly wasn’t around as I can remember all of that going up.

sotvtoday · Aug 18, 2022

A case of 'be careful what you wish for'. 15(?) years later how much better off would we have been?

speedie87 · Aug 18, 2022

Great pic, can see the house my grandparents and dad lived at the time!

Loving the steam train on the track right of pic too

thekidfromstrettoncamp · Aug 18, 2022

Used to stand on the Crows Nest in the 50's terrific view if you wanted to admire the pattern of play.Then in the 60's moved to the shed that was the west terrace for atmosphere just like Singers Corner today.They built a West Stand above where we stood.Sat the Main Stand a few times before it burnt down. Moved back toSwan Lane end of the ground to stand with son and father.Never sat in the Sky Blue Stand 1 regret.

Sky Blue Harry H · Aug 18, 2022

thekidfromstrettoncamp said:
Used to stand on the Crows Nest in the 50's terrific view if you wanted to admire the pattern of play.Then in the 60's moved to the shed that was the west terrace for atmosphere just like Singers Corner today.They built a West Stand above where we stood.Sat the Main Stand a few times before it burnt down. Moved back toSwan Lane end of the ground to stand with son and father.Never sat in the Sky Blue Stand 1 regret.

Never really thought about it before, but 99% sure I stood/sat in every area of Highfield Road at one time or another.

usskyblue · Aug 18, 2022

Sky Blue Harry H said:
Never really thought about it before, but 99% sure I stood/sat in every area of Highfield Road at one time or another.

Think I win m8

Over the years I did the Main Stand, West Stand, East Terrace, West Terrace, Skyblue Stand (once), Directors box… and…

….I even got dragged through the Man Utd fans in the East End Away Terrace by two rather irritated police officers

thekidfromstrettoncamp · Aug 18, 2022

Stood in front of the main stand the night of the Sunderland cup tie. 1963 (great night that was) It felt very strange when the gates were broke down and a surge of fans behind us, pushed us foward being in my teens then though nothing of it but I could see how the Hillsborough disaster took place years later..Just read a peice that said kids were passed down to the pitch that night don't remember that .Think that was the Wolves game or has dementia set in .

HerneBayGaz · Aug 18, 2022

Sky Blue Harry H said:
Never really thought about it before, but 99% sure I stood/sat in every area of Highfield Road at one time or another.

Me too sat and stood in ever part of the ground. Really miss the West End. Happy memories

Sky Blue Harry H · Aug 18, 2022

usskyblue said:
Think I win m8

Over the years I did the Main Stand, West Stand, East Terrace, West Terrace, Skyblue Stand (once), Directors box… and…

….I even got dragged through the Man Utd fans in the East End Away Terrace by two rather irritated police officers

You beat me - never did the directors box. I did manage to watch (very very drunk) a home game against Ipswich (Wark, Gates, Brazil era), where I started off in the West End and ended up in the Kop - along with a few from the West End (where the Ipswich 'mob' of about 100 were. Probably the most drunk I've ever been at a game (late teens) and remembered next to nothing about the game about 10 minutes after it had finished.

Johhny Blue · Aug 19, 2022

usskyblue said:
Think I win m8

Over the years I did the Main Stand, West Stand, East Terrace, West Terrace, Skyblue Stand (once), Directors box… and…

….I even got dragged through the Man Utd fans in the East End Away Terrace by two rather irritated police officers

Don’t forget on the field from the ankles down at the wolves game

Frank Sidebottom · Aug 19, 2022

That can't be Highfield Road, Where's the A444 and the giant neon sign on top of the Binley Mega Chippy in the distance?

Domo · Aug 19, 2022

I really miss that ground. never should have left.

Terry_dactyl · Aug 19, 2022

lacesoutdom said:
I really miss that ground. never should have left.

A bloke I play football with turned round to me last week and said, in relation to our current pitch crisis, “things really have gone to shit for Cov since they moved to that ground. What a disaster it’s been”.
I didn’t argue with him.

Having said that the last few years have been great.

AiS86 · Aug 19, 2022

Different angle, presumably from the same flight

Skyblueweeman · Aug 19, 2022

Didn't know that the West Terrace had a roof that came from Twickenham. Interesting.

Irish Sky Blue · Aug 19, 2022

Pitch looking worn in the last photo!

Brighton Sky Blue · Aug 19, 2022

Interesting to see the advert still there for a cinema which had been destroyed over 10 years before the photo

AiS86 · Aug 19, 2022

Can't say I'd ever heard of Rex cinema before, just had a look and found this though, would be great if they ever highfield road too The Rex Cinema – Coventry Rebuilt

Brighton Sky Blue · Aug 19, 2022

AiS86 said:
Can't say I'd ever heard of Rex cinema before, just had a look and found this though, would be great if they ever highfield road too The Rex Cinema – Coventry Rebuilt

Yes was a very good cinema for its time, then completely destroyed by bombing in 1940. Interesting the HR advertising was still there years later.

Imagine if somebody rebuilt one now along those same lines with a full restaurant, bar and tropical birds it’d get some interest.

Hutch11 · Aug 19, 2022

See the Mercers on the bottom photo , what a lively place that was at times

Gint11 · Aug 19, 2022

I’ve got tons of memories at HR over the years but one of my favorites was when we went to HR on a school trip one sunny afternoon and i remember sitting in a random seat looking around. It was really quiet and tranquil but you’d hear noises from the ground staff or some bloke fixing a seat in the distance etc and just couldn’t take my eyes away from the view and how beautiful it looked. What a stadium. Miss it loads.

Honestly, if any of the hierarchy read these threads, if you are genuinely building a new stadium, please please please replicate HR with obviously in a modern way

I can see it now, New Highfield rd

letsallsingtogether · Aug 19, 2022

Skyblueweeman said:
Didn't know that the West Terrace had a roof that came from Twickenham. Interesting.

And the flood lights.
seems we have had a relationship wirh Rugby football for nearly 100 years.

Macca1987 · Aug 19, 2022

thekidfromstrettoncamp said:
Stood in front of the main stand the night of the Sunderland cup tie. 1963 (great night that was) It felt very strange when the gates were broke down and a surge of fans behind us, pushed us foward being in my teens then though nothing of it but I could see how the Hillsborough disaster took place years later..Just read a peice that said kids were passed down to the pitch that night don't remember that .Think that was the Wolves game or has dementia set in .

I was there, it was the Wolves match, remember getting passed over heads all the way down to the grass at the front, sat there for the rest of the game

COVKIDSNEVERQUIT · Aug 19, 2022

Irish Sky Blue said:
Pitch looking worn in the last photo!

Yeah and they still played on it.

thekidfromstrettoncamp · Aug 19, 2022

Macca1987 said:
I was there, it was the Wolves match, remember getting passed over heads all the way down to the grass at the front, sat there for the rest of the game

Glad someone else remembers.Talking about the Wolves game stood on west terrace but in the corner wife with me she could not see a lot of the game I had to tell here what was happening .

MTK · Aug 19, 2022

I can see Mowbray Street where I grew up in the 60s/70s. Living so close is how I came to love football. I don't miss the ladies toilets behind the West Terrace though - they were not pleasant to use

Brylowes · Aug 19, 2022

You'll Never Beat McPake said:
Taken from "12 lost English Football.Grounds" by Gary Winter, May 2022.

Highfield Road opened in September 1899. This Aerofilms photograph was taken in 1953 but shows the ground as it would have looked before the outbreak of the Second World War.
View attachment 25870
The dark section of terracing at the top-left corner of the Kop was known as the Crow’s Nest. It was added in 1938 and survived at Highfield Road until 1981. © Historic England Archive. Aerofilms Collection EAW051854.

At the far end of the ground is the Kop, a mass of terrace constructed using rubble collected when tram lines were laid in the city. A new Main Stand was built in 1936. Opposite the Kop is the West Terrace, which was covered in 1927 with a roof acquired from Twickenham rugby ground.

Stood on the Crows nest as a boy, I used to find it fascinating and even as a young kid I was never convinced how safe it was, amazing to think how long it lasted.
also interesting to see how the city has grown in that time, a photo of the same view today would show the built up area has reached almost as far as you can see.

Old Warwickshire lad · Aug 19, 2022

letsallsingtogether said:
And the flood lights.
seems we have had a relationship wirh Rugby football for nearly 100 years.

Back in the day, the saying was “ there’s only one football club in Coventry , and they play at Coundon Rd. “

Old Warwickshire lad · Aug 19, 2022

MTK said:
I can see Mowbray Street where I grew up in the 60s/70s. Living so close is how I came to love football. I don't miss the ladies toilets behind the West Terrace though - they were not pleasant to use

Should have seen the gents

Legia Sky Blue · Aug 20, 2022

Hutch11 said:
See the Mercers on the bottom photo , what a lively place that was at times

It also looks like the car park behind it was a park or playing field of some kind.

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