Friday, 6 May 2022

Original Artworks of England International Test Cricket Grounds

 This collection of Test Cricket Ground pictures was created by me recently and uploaded to YouTube and ClickASnap. All current test cricket venues that host the England international Team are featured.


More information and all the pictures can also be found below, they are also available to view on Clickasnap, where they can be seen full size, resolution and un-watermarked. The pictures are shown in the order of newest test ground to oldest. There are 2 pictures of each ground roughly from opposite side.

The Rose Bowl

The Rose Bowl

Currently known as the Ageas Bowl for sponsorship reason's, the Rose Bowl was opened in 2001, as the new home of  Hampshire CCC. It has a current capacity of 25000 and hosted a first test match from 16 - 20 June 2011, when England drew with Sri Lanka.

Sophia Gardens

Sophia Gardens.

The Cardiff Wales Stadium opened in 1967, the home of Glamorgan CCC the stadium also host's England games as the cricket team represents England and Wales. The current capacity is 15643 and it hosted a first test match from 8-12 June 2009 when England and Australia played out a draw in the 2009 Ashes series. 

The Riverside Ground

The Riverside Ground

The Riverside Ground at Chester-le-Street is the home of Durham CCC. Opened in 1995 it can hold up to 17000 for international games. The first test match hosted at the Riverside was England v Zimbabwe on from the 5-7 June 2003, England won by an innings and 69 runs.
 
Edgbaston

Edgbaston

Edgbaston Ground opened in 1882 and is home to Warwickshire CCC, Birmingham Bears and Pheonix Cricket Teams. It has a capacity of 25000 and hosted its first test match from the 29 - 31 May 1902 when England met Australia in the first test, the match ended in a draw.

Headingley, both Cricket and Rugby Stadiums

Headingley

Headingley is the home of Yorkshire CCC and was opened in 1890. The current capacity 18350 and it hosted its first test match from 29 June - 1 July 1899 when England and Australia drew the third test of that's years ashes series. The cricket ground is joined on to the home ground of the Leeds Rhino's Rugby League team.

Trent Bridge

Trent Bridge

Trent Bridge opened in 1841 and is the home of Nottinghamshire CCC and has a current capacity of 17500. The first test match hosted was England V Australia from the 1-3 June 1899 in a drawn match.

Lord's

Lord's

Lord's is known as the Home of Cricket and is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club. It was opened at it's current location in 1814 and is also home to Middlesex CCC. The ground hosted England for the first time in a test match from 21-23 July 1884, England beating Australia by an innings and 5 runs.

Old Trafford

Old Trafford

Old Trafford is the home of Lancashire CCC and opened in 1857, the capacity for international cricket is 26000. The first test match hosted was England v Australia from 10-12 July 1884, a match that ended in a draw.

The Oval

The Oval

The Kia Oval named for sponsorship reasons is the oldest test cricket ground in England. Opened as the home of Sussex CCC in 1845 the ground is traditionally the home of the final test in each series. The current capacity is 27500 and it has also be home to FA Cup Finals and England Football matchers. The first test match hosted here was from 6-8 September 1880 England beating Australia by 5 wickets.

Thanks for looking and please take a moment to share and follow me on social media, All the pictures can also be seen on Clickasnap.

All the pictures remain the copyright of Colin Green.

Thursday, 5 May 2022

Top of Eastwood and Staups Lanes, Blackshaw Head.

 A small set of picture taken earlier today around the Eastwood Lane, Staups Lane area of Blackshaw Head, Hebden Bridge. I was here on a walk towards Staups Mill near the top of Jumble Hole Clough, having walked up Eastwood lane from the site of the former railway station that served the area until closure in December 1951, when I reached the top of Eastwood Lane at the junction with Staups Lane and Eastwood Road I was greeted by a Rock Formation as seen below.

Great Rock

Great Rock is a natural rock made from Kinderscout Grit, a form of Millstone Grit on the edge of Staups Moor. Their are many a local legend regards the rock but the one I know best is the one that gives the rock the name Devil's Rock. The Devil bet with God that he could step across the valley from Stoodley Pike to Great Rock, despite his failure to make the it, legend says you can see his hoof print upon the rock.

The following pictures were taken along Staups Lane before i took the path down to Jumble Hole Clough.




The last picture was taken at the top of Jumble Hole Clough before heading down to find Staups Mill, the purpose of my visit. The stream would have powered the mill and eventually flows in to the River Calder at the valley bottom.

The pictures were taken using a Nikon d3300 SLR on the 4th May 2022, they can also be seen on my Clickasnap account, click any image to view the un-watermarked, higher resolution version in another window.

Thanks for looking and please take a moment to share and follow me on social media.

All the pictures remain the copyright of Colin Green

Wednesday, 4 May 2022

Scottish Premiership Football Stadiums Season 2021/22

 My latest upload to YouTube is a slideshow of artworks of Scottish Premiership Football Stadiums season 2021 / 22 created by me, based on public domain images. The stadiums are featured in team alphabetical order in the video


The images below feature in the video, although below they are in stadium name order.

Almondvale Stadium opened in 1995 as the home of Livingston FC, it has
a current capacity of 9512. The record attendance was 10112 v Rangers Fc
on the 27 October 2001.

Celtic moved to their current location in 1892, the stadium has been modernised
several times and now has a capacity of 60411. The record attendance is
83500 v Rangers on the 1 January 1938.

Dens Park is the home ground of Dundee FC and opened in 1899. It is just 200yds
from the ground of city rivals Dundee United. The capacity is 11775 and the record
attendance 43024 was v Rangers on 7 February 1953.

Hibernian FC play at Easter Road, Edinburgh which has a current
capacity of 20421. The largest crowd ever was 65860 on the 2 January 1950
when they played city rivals Hearts of Midlothian. They played their first
game here in 1893.

Fir Park has been the home of Motherwell FC since 1895 and has a capacity of 13677.
The largest crowd ever was 35632 for a game against Rangers on 12 March 1952.

Rangers FC have played at Ibrox Park, changed to Ibrox Stadium in
1997, since 1899 and the current capacity is 50817. The record attendance which is
also the largest ever for a domestic football match in Britain is 118567 for a league
fixture against Old Firm Rivals Celtic on the 2 January 1939.

McDiarmid Park in Pert is the home stadium of
St Johnstone FC. The capacity is 10696 and since opening in 1989
the record attendance is 10721 v Rangers on the 26 February 1991.

Pittodrie Stadium has been the home to Aberdeen FC since September 1899,
there are plans to replace the ground with a new build stadium but this has
been planned for at least 15 years. The current capacity is 20866 and the
record attendance is 45061 v Hearts of Midlothian 13 March 1954.

St Mirren Park hosted it's first game on the 31 January 2009, built to replace
the previous home of Love Street the ground has a capacity of 8023. The
record attendance is 7732 v Dundee United on the 26 May 2019. Their best
at Love Street was 47438.

Dundee United have called their home Tannadice Park since 1909 and the record
attendance is  28000 v Barcelona on the 16 November 1966. This is unlikely
to ever be beaten as the current capacity is around half that at 14223.

Tynecastle Park has a current capacity of 19852 and has been home to Hearts
of Midlothian since 1886. The record attendance is 53396 for a Scottish
Cup game against Rangers FC on the 13 February 1932.

Victoria Park opened in 1929 as the home ground of Ross County FC.
It has been the most northerly ground in senior British football since being
elected to Scottish Football League Division Three in 1994. The
current Capacity is 6541 and the record attendance was set
v Rangers in the Scottish Cup on the 28 February 1966.

I thought that because Celtic had the biggest home ground in Scotland and had massive support that they would also feature mostly in the other teams record attendances, surprisingly they were only the highest attendance once for a game against Rangers, Rangers were highest 7 times with Hearts of Midlothian featuring twice. Dundee United had the only non domestic highest for a game against Barcelona.

Thanks for looking and please take a moment to follow me and share on social media.

The pictures are the copyright of Colin Green.

Monday, 2 May 2022

Copley Railway Viaduct (The Lesser Known One)

Copley Railway Viaduct, its official title being MVN2/160 or Copley Bottom Bridge is a railway crossing over the River Calder. The bridge is hidden away at the bottom end of Old Rishworthians Sports Ground and North Dean Woods to the east side of the village of Copley, West Yorkshire.

Opened in August 1840 by the Manchester and Leeds Railway the bridge once carried the main railway traffic through the Calder Valley until the nearby lines at Milner Royd and Greetland Junctions were built to carry rail traffic in the direction of Halifax. The line over the bridge was subject to closure plans during the late 1970's after the removal of Brighouse (Closed 1970) and Elland (closed 1962) Stations, but continued as a diversionary route for passenger trains and carried freight only traffic during this period. until the reopening of Brighouse Station in 2000 saw passenger traffic crossing the bridge regularly again. The open nature of the North Dean Side of the viaduct allows great opportunities to photograph the steam trains that pass over the bridge quite often, but if seeking out this chance please remember to always keep a safe distance away from the tracks, I normally stay well within the tree line.

These pictures were taken using a Nikon d3300 SLR on the 25 February 2019. They can also be seen full size, resolution and un-watermarked on Clickasnap.

The Copley side of the viaduct

Taken on the North Dean side of the bridge, looking in the
direction of Copley.

The bridge again taken from the North Dean side.

Taken from the far end of Old Rishworthians sports ground.

The top of the bridge, the open nature of the track at the bottom of North
Dean Woods allows great access for taking pictures of trains passing.
Please be aware of a safety when near the lines, this is level with the tree
line which i consider a safe distance from the track. although when
trains are approaching I stand much further back than this.

The River Calder flows underneath the bridge,

The River Calder, taken looking towards Copley from underneath
the viaduct.

Again in the direction of Copley but from the other side of the bridge.

Thanks for looking and please take a moment to share and follow me on social media.

All the pictures remain the copyright of Colin Green.

Through a Glass, Darkly: Hebden Bridge Railway Station in Negative

 There's something hauntingly beautiful about old photographs, especially when they're presented in a way that flips our perception....