10 Best Stadiums in English Football League’s 92 Ranked by Journalist

There are so many fabulous stadiums and arenas in English football that there are plenty which don’t get the love or recognition they deserve. The fact of the matter is that if it’s not playing host to Premier League games, it is likely to remain a hidden gem that, on many occasions, might often have empty stands purely due to its stature.

However, Oliver Holt from the Daily Mail decided to test this theory by visiting all 92 stadiums in the English Football League (Premier League down to League Two), and he named his top 10, with just five coming from the country’s top flight.

10 Old Trafford, Manchester United

Capacity: 74,197

As decrepit and worn down as Old Trafford has become, the one thing it has maintained is its soul and roots to Manchester United‘s incredible history. And it is for that reason why Holt has placed the Theatre of Dreams inside the top 10.

“Yes, the roof leaks and, yes, Old Trafford could do with a bit of love and attention, but there is a magic about this stadium that can never fade,” the journalist detailed. “It’s a wonderful place, one of the stadiums that can lay claim to nurturing a chunk of the heart of the English game. They just need a team to be worthy of it again.”

Should the plans for a brand-new 100,000-seater home for United officially get underway, it will be interesting to see if its modern feel can come close to superseding the aura that Old Trafford currently holds.

9 Goodison Park, Everton

Capacity: 39,414

From one stadium that could soon be rendered obsolete to another whose fate is already sealed. Goodison Park will no longer be Everton‘s stomping ground come the 2025/2026 season, as the Toffees will move into their new home located on Bramley-Moore Dock. However, the mystique of their current home will be hard to replicate.

Goodison has stood for more than 130 years, which is part of its charm, and while it could use some TLC, Holt suggests that it is “just about the most authentic stadium and passionate crowd there is in the top flight.” The return of arguably the club’s most influential manager in the last two decades has at least ensured that they will wave goodbye to their castle still in the Premier League, and with happier memories than what may have been had David Moyes not turned the tide.

8 Elland Road, Leeds United

Capacity: 37,608

The first stadium in the top 10 to find itself outside of the top flight, though most would agree that both the ground and the club they host are worthy of Premier League status. Leeds United remain one of the teams with the richest history of English football, and through all the trials and tribulations, the fans have stood by the club to ensure their home is still a fiery temple.

“The stadium is a proper cathedral of our game, too. One-club cities sometimes generate that kind of passion and it’s evident at Elland Road,” Holt stated. “You feel the heat of English football at Elland Road, you feel the intensity of it and what it means. At a lot of big clubs, that feeling has been lost. But it’s alive here.”

7 Molineux Stadium, Wolverhampton Wanderers

Capacity: 31,750

General view of Molineux Stadium.

 

The heart of Wolverhampton beats fiercely at Molineux Stadium, where the Wolves faithful create an atmosphere that’s as intimidating as it is passionate. With a history stretching back to 1889, this ground blends tradition with a modern edge, making it a fortress for the home side. The South Bank stand, in particular, is a cauldron of noise, driving the team forward and unsettling opponents.

 

“Molineux has this raw, electric feel that’s hard to match,” Holt remarked. “The fans are right on top of the action, and when they’re in full voice, it’s like the whole place is alive. It’s a proper football ground, steeped in history, and the way it rallies behind Wolves makes it a nightmare for any away team.”

 

 

6 Holker Street, Barrow

Capacity; 6,500

The smallest stadium on the list in regards to its capacity, what Barrow’s Holker Street lacks in numbers, it more than makes up for in voices and passion. The Bluebirds find themselves sat in 15th position in League two at the time of writing, but while the quality off the pitch may not be top tier, Holt is certain that the quality off it more than makes up for that.

5 Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Tottenham Hotspur

Capacity: 62,850

It has now become the stadium that all other British stadiums are judged against. A standard-bearer, if you will. Sure, Tottenham’s fortunes on the pitch have hardly been stellar since they moved into their new home in 2019, but Daniel Levy won’t care as he sits in his executive suite, looking out at one of the best modern-day stadiums in the world, knowing it is his.

“There is an ambition about it that so many other new-builds lack, particularly the steepling end behind one of the goals that is said to be modelled on the Yellow Wall at the Westfalenstadion in Dortmund,” said Holt. “Spurs chairman Daniel Levy gets plenty of criticism for the failures of the club on the pitch but the new stadium is still a stunning legacy.”

4 Cherry Red Records Stadium, AFC Wimbledon

Capacity: 9,150

A club built from the ashes of a fallen giant, put together by a fanbase that was not prepared to watch it die. Wimbledon used to be one of the most notorious teams in English football. Led by Vinnie Jones, the ‘Crazy Gang’ were among the most feared opponents in the game, but when the team relocated to Milton Keynes and renamed themselves MK Dons, fans revolted. As a result, came a team that carries far more of the passion and history of the original club.

“Just setting foot in this stadium is to feel what it is like to support a team that is at the heart of its community and to be among a fanbase whose team means more to it than just wins and losses,” Holt stated. “The beauty of the architecture here is not in the stadium buildings. It is in the knowledge that this is something built by fans.”

3 St James’ Park, Exeter City

Capacity: 8,714

Some people may have expected St James’ Park to rank inside the top three. They just may not have realised that it wasn’t going to be the one they were thinking of. Pipping its Premier League namesake is the home of Exeter City, which has been standing since 1904.

“It was impossible not to be moved by the profound emotional connection between a city and its club and as the years have passed, St James Park has come to embody for me everything that a football ground should be,” Holt asserted. “Full of character and care and camaraderie and community and passion and pride in what it stands for.”

Another added perk was the voucher for a free cup of tea Holt was given on his return visit to the stadium, something more clubs should consider given the recent rise in ticket prices.

2 Anfield, Liverpool

Capacity: 61,726

Those who bet on Anfield to be number one will be sorely disappointed, as it just misses out on the top spot. However, it does at least hold status as the highest-ranked Premier League stadium.

What is there to say about Anfield that hasn’t already been said? It is a cauldron, especially on European nights, and when the Kop is in full voice, teams can get swallowed up by the atmosphere. Players have described it as feeling trapped in a tight box, with the walls closing in on them as the chants echo around the 61,000-seater. If you are playing for the home side, there is no greater place on the planet to be. If you’re a member of the opposition, you want to get out of there as fast as possible.

1 Edgeley Park, Stockport County

Capacity: 10,800

So, the honour of the best stadium in the Football League goes to none other than Stockport County. Currently fighting for a spot in the League One play-offs, Edgeley Park has been County’s home since 1891 and houses a little over 10,000 fans every matchday. As to why it’s number one, Holt revealed:

While it may be sentimental reasons that hand County the place at number one, as Holt mentions, that is what football is all about. A sense of purpose and belonging and one that can remain with you for the rest of your life.