Favourite grounds

Desmond Okafor

@dez_ok79

8Items

1Likes

Not quite a grand tour, more the places I end up orbiting when I’m not in surgery or on call. A mix of big-ticket temples and slightly muddy realities. Good for remembering there’s life beyond the waiting room and that sport is mostly about watching other people be tired. Anyway...

See all 8 items Follow Desmond OkaforOpen in app

The list

Showing 1–8 of 8

Favourite grounds — 8 items
Name	Address	City	My take
1Emirates Stadium	Hornsey Road, London N7 7AJ	London	Closest I get to elite football these days, if you ignore Brisbane Road. Good for admiring how far removed the Premier League is from Sunday league bruises in one train ride.
2London Stadium	Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Stratford, London E20 2ST	London	Looks like a spaceship landed in Stratford and decided to host athletics. West Ham have moved in, but it still feels vaguely temporary, like the Olympics might start again any minute.
3Lord's Cricket Ground	St John’s Wood Road, London NW8 8QN	London	The only place where sitting still for five days counts as an occasion. Gentle murmur, occasional roar, and enough gaps in play to rewrite your life plan between overs.
4Lee Valley VeloPark	Abercrombie Road, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London E20 3AB	London	Watching people ride a bike at 45 degrees to the ground is oddly soothing. Nice reminder that quads are a thing other people have.
5All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club	Church Road, Wimbledon, London SW19 5AE	London	For two weeks a year the entire country remembers what a backhand is. Strawberries, queueing, and an annual attempt to understand the draw before giving up and just cheering.
6Twickenham Stadium	200 Whitton Road, Twickenham TW2 7BA	Twickenham	Feels less like a stadium, more like a national scrum with a gift shop. The singing is loud enough to qualify as a cardiovascular workout, which is comforting.
7Hackney Marshes Centre	Hackney Marshes Centre, Homerton Road, London E9 5PF	London	Where Sunday league dreams go to pick up bruises and questionable tan lines. Endless pitches, flying tackles, and at least three stories in every changing room.
8The O2 Arena	Peninsula Square, London SE10 0DX	London	Technically a music venue, practically a giant sports TV with occasional basketball or tennis thrown in. Good if you like your live sport with a side of overpriced nachos.

Conversation

All 1 posts

Join the conversation