Premier League football grounds ranked: Adrian Durham’s definitive list after completing the 92 challenge

20. London Stadium (West Ham)

It’s not a football ground, is it? It suffers because of the comparison with the old ground. Upton Park was terrific, it was such a good ground in such a good spot.

There couldn’t be a bigger gulf between the two. I tried to warm to it again at West Ham v Ipswich and it was exactly the same. I get why they’re there because they needed a bigger space to play in and corporate money. But they’ve lost so much by losing Upton Park, that stadium just cannot replace it. I’d put it bottom of the 92.

Durham isn’t a fan of the old Olympic stadiumGetty

19. Molineux (Wolverhampton Wanderers)

I just can’t warm to Wolves’ ground.

Molineux has hosted England internationals and some of the earliest European club games in the 1950s – but it’s not for me.

The newly renovated stadium was officially opened in December 1993GETTY

18. Etihad (Manchester City)

It’s not a football ground. Because I work there, whenever I go there I never experienced it as a football fan. City took it over after the Commonwealth Games and even though they kind of reconfigured it, it just still doesn’t feel like a proper football ground.

Their old ground, Maine Road was one of those rare grounds where the atmosphere from the home fans was generated from a terrace along the side rather than behind a goal. There’s something special and unique about that place. When they moved, it kind of lost that.

The Etihad has hosted some pivotal moments in recent Premier League historyGetty

17. St Mary’s (Southampton)

It’s so soulless. It’s in a really weird part of town where there’s no life.

Their old ground The Dell was so good. It was so special. It had so many features that you loved, even though it was tiny. St Mary’s just feels like a churned out stadium, really. It just doesn’t feel like it’s their home.

Southampton’s ground is back in the Premier League again this seasonGetty

16. Vitality Stadium (Bournemouth)

It’s just tiny. It just isn’t fit for purpose, really – and they’ve been in the Premier League for so long.

As tidy as it is, it’s not a scruffy ground at all, but it’s just not fit for purpose because it’s just not big enough. They’ve had time to do something with it. And I know they’ve got some plans in place, but for it to be still this size is, it’s just not on, really.

Bournemouth is largely unchanged since their days in the EFL

15. Selhurst Park (Crystal Palace)

Quite a number of people quite like Selhurst Park, but I don’t. And it’s slightly personal because we [Peterborough] got relegated there in 2013.

But it just feels like there’s no cohesion to the ground. So the main stand is quite old, none of the stands really look like each other. It just feels like it’s just all different stands plonked together and doesn’t have that cohesive feel.

Crystal Palace are set to redevelopment Selhurst ParkGetty

14. Stamford Bridge (Chelsea)

I don’t mind it but it is ageing. I’ve been in all the stands and watched from various different angles at Chelsea. Some of the inner stadium has tiny, quite narrow corridors and little stairways and things that are very old and not really part of modern football anymore.

So it is ageing in parts, but I don’t mind Stamford Bridge. I like the fact that it’s in that part of town, it’s fairly easy to get to as well.

Stamford Bridge has undergone previous upgrades since it opened in 1877Getty

13. AMEX (Brighton)

It really does look like a spaceship plonked in the middle of the Sussex Downs. When you drive into it, and if you drive beyond it into the country and look back at it, it just looks so weird. It really looks like something out of a movie. It’s a bit spooky.

Inside, it’s quite good. I quite like it. I’ve been in the away end and the views were good. It’s one of the better new grounds, I would say.

The AMEX hosted European football for the first time last seasonALAMY

12. Goodison Park (Everton)

It’s very old. Very, very old and about to be replaced. I like the romance of it, how old it is and the history of it and the players that have played there. And it was part of the ’66 World Cup as well.

But it’s so ancient now, it’s tough to defend it.

Everton will leave their home at the end of the seasonGetty

11. Portman Road (Ipswich)

It’s old, but I think they’ve done quite well with it. It’s still got the look of an old stadium and the feel of an old stadium and the history of it as well. So I feel really positive about Portman Road – and it’s near the train station in the middle of town. I love grounds like that.

There’s certain elements of it that make you feel like you’re still in the 70s or the 80s or even older because of the fact they’ve not done much to it. But there’s something joyous about Portman Road that I like.

Portman Road is packed out every weekGetty

10. Old Trafford (Manchester United)

It’s falling apart, but the history keeps it special. When you walk up Matt Busby Way and there’s all the stalls with the scarves and the food and all that, you know you’re heading to somewhere special. If they actually spent a bit of money on it, it could still be one of the best stadiums in the country.

But there’s something romantic about it. All the history in it, the Munich Tunnel for example, there’s the Munich clock at the time the crash happened. I love the fact that it gives a nod to the club’s own history. There’s a lot to love about it, but they do need to look after it better.

Plenty of Man United fans want Old Trafford to be upgradedGetty

9. King Power Stadium (Leicester)

It’s another modern stadium and there are reasons why you wouldn’t like it. But I went a lot during the title winning season, and the atmosphere was off the charts. It was very, very special.

I’ve witnessed that quite a number of times at Leicester now. So they’re capable of creating a really, really good atmosphere. That’s why I put it quite high up the list.

The King Power opened in 2002

8. Anfield (Liverpool)

Anfield’s always been very special. What they’ve really done well that I can appreciate is that it couldn’t stay as it was because it was too old, too small. But instead of moving, they’re staying where they are and they’re building.

And at first I thought this work is just going to look like a mess, sticking one stand on top of another. But actually, they’ve done it really, really well. So it’s an impressive structure.

Anfield is one of the most iconic grounds in football

7. Emirates (Arsenal)

There’s no bad view in the house. The Emirates needed, for a long, long time, to have a memorable night. Under the lights, it needed something special. And they started to have a few of those come back, so it’s started to develop.

It’s taken a long time, but it’s started to develop its own history, its own character. It’s a nice looking stadium from the outside and on the inside as well.

The Emirates opened in 2006Getty

6. Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (Tottenham)

Now this is stunning inside – I mean, truly stunning. Outside, it looks terrible. It’s a big grey mess and it doesn’t look like a stadium. But inside, it’s incredible.

I’ve done that sky walk, that’s a very special feature. I think more grounds need to have something like that.

The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium hosts NFL as well as SpursRex

5. GTech Community Stadium (Brentford)

It’s a bit weird, this one, because it’s so small. I’m kind of contradicting myself a little bit, compared to the Bournemouth one, but this is so much more interesting.

If you look at where the M4 is and where the Thames is, they’ve plonked this stadium and built this stadium in the middle of that little pocket, it’s an incredible feat of architecture. There’s a really good atmosphere. I used to love their old ground, and I didn’t think they could replace it – but they’ve actually come up with something even better.

Brentford moved grounds in their promotion season

4. City Ground (Nottingham Forest)

I love grounds that are near city centres. It’s by the River Trent. The other ground in Nottingham, Notts County, is a short walkway. When you look at Forest you think of the rich history.

You’re thinking of [Brian] Clough and the European Cups when you see the ground and you’re heading towards it. That’s all I can think about. So I really love that ground.

Forest’s home is right next to the River Trent

3. Craven Cottage (Fulham)

I just love that walk through Bishops Park by the Thames. Everybody says it. And then you’ve got this quaint cottage which is the centre piece of the ground. They’ve even built this new stand and the quaint cottage is still the centrepiece of the ground.

It’s a lovely old thing, that’s why I love it. I’m glad they’ve never moved.

Fulham recently upgraded their home

2. St. James’ Park (Newcastle)

I used to live up there. I went a lot and it’s right in the middle of town. It’s a unique ground. One side that can’t be built up and it’s quite shallow. The stand is not bad, it doesn’t look terrible, but the other three sides are gigantic and this one side is quite small.

Some people might think that that’s a flaw in it and they might not like it for that reason, whereas I think it’s absolutely brilliant. When it’s full of fans and flags, it is a magical place.

Newcastle’s home is always packed to the raftersGetty

1. Villa Park (Aston Villa)

The first stadium other than Peterborough that I went to. It was the size of it, the architecture of it. I mean, the steps that lead up to the stand, they just look amazing really.

So things looked spectacular, it took my breath away. Again, it’s an emotional thing because of the feelings I had at that time. Villa’s home is the best in the Premier League.

Villa Park takes Durham’s top spotGetty Images – Getty

Here’s Adrian’s final list