Agree in some cases, as it would prevent us from having identikit flat pack stadia where the only difference is the colour of the seats. But then you wouldn't get Tesco paying for a stadium, or in the case of some clubs be able to make money from the sale of the land that the old ground used to occupy.

We are lucky in that the new stadium is in a prime location on the fringe of the town centre. The St James' Park of Rugby League if you will. Obviously this means there are dozens of pubs within a short distance, and none of the pre and post-match culture associated with going to the game has been lost. In fact it is probably better than at Wilderspool when only The Causeway was nearby. This helps to keep traditions alive, and makes it one of the best grounds in the country to go to, probably for away fans as well.

However some unfortunate teams like Salford have their new arenas built in the middle of nowhere, and attending games could seem like a soulless experience compared to their spiritual homes. This also applies to stadia built on retail parks as well

Exactly, and this is probably also one of the reasons for the HJ recently being granted glamour ties such as CC semi finals and internationals. The stadium itself might not be much to look at, but its location and proximity to mainline railway stations is what sets it apart.

Headingley is my other favourite ground, because although it's a couple of miles outside the city centre, it's in a built up area with numerous eateries and pubs full of student girls. Compare that to Elland Road, which apart from being a hole is in the middle of nowhere by the motorway.

Sometimes we take this for granted, and fans of other North West clubs must be envious of the Halliwell Jones, as they walk to their grounds past discount stores or sewage works, longing for a return to their old homes.

It's also near a small railway station with regular services to and from Leeds, although it's not as obvious which way the stadium is (keep getting asked for directions, especially with the Test game on recently) so they put up a map to it in the station.

Fair point, but if we're all being brutally honest who gives a rag about the architectural quality (or otherwise) of a stadium. Ours is clean and inoffensive, it didn't break the bank to design and build (meaning it's finished, and there are no wind-battered concourses, unlike Langtree), and easy to expand (we used to be shiite, but now we're alright...).
Some fans of other teams may mock our flat-pack, but I wouldn't swap our ground with any other in SL at the moment.

Why don't you do a survey monkey & post it on all the forums?

I've not done that because replies to other peoples posts gives me a better insight

From the outside the HJ is certainly not a Qatar world cup stadium, but on the inside I think it's one of the best RL grounds in the country (or at least will be when all four corners are done). It's close to the pitch, with a standing stand along the side (which I've always preferred and some Saints fans have even said their ground should have) and as you say all the benefits it has around it too.

shame you can't get a bus on a Sunday after 5pm

has moving to a new stadium changed the atmosphere for fans?
Have you noticed a difference when travelling to new away grounds?

Drool. I did'nt even mind the gypsy's bit. It's become sanitised and dull despite it all.

+1

Also, the smell of lineament when changing ends down the stand side. Steam rising when the packs formed the scrum. The shear intensity of the Fletcher End, when the opposition were getting on top.

All that said, I wouldn't want to go back to Wilderspool. Watching the U20s games makes you realise how tired it was.

I sense that for me it might be a bit different from most people on here because I go back a long way and have been living away from Warrington for 45 years. It’s different from much of football because there isn’t the hatred between fans. Perhaps we see ourselves primarily as R.L. fans. Paradoxically when Warrington played Wigan (for example) at Wilderspool you got the feeling that it really was the towns playing each other.
I wish it wasn’t called the Halliwell Jones stadium and that it had a bit more character but I agree that it is well placed. I’ve got some great photos of Wilderspool which I took including one of a deserted, depressing exterior (not match day) with the sign ‘Welcome to Warrington’s Premiere Entertainment Centre’ on the wall. I might photoshop a stray dog on there to complete the picture. Makes me homesick.

Yes, smell of embrocation as they ran out to 'March of the Gladiators'.

These new stadiums aint too bad. Its a shame that they employ knuckle draggers as "bouncers" offering the crowd out