Cricket at Lord's (C), the Azteca Stadium in Mexico (L) and Madison Square Garden in the USA (r). Photo / Getty Images.
Cricket at Lord's (C), the Azteca Stadium in Mexico (L) and Madison Square Garden in the USA (r). Photo / Getty Images.
Cam McMillan ranks the top five sport grounds in the world and recruits NZME journalists who have been there, to write about them.
There are plenty of great sporting grounds around the globe but only five can make the top five, it's kind of the rules. So apologies to Augusta,Wembley, Anfield, St Andrews, Gower Park, Forsyth Barr Stadium, Millennium Stadium, Suncorp Stadium and the Municipal Ground at Čierny Balog. You have all had strong careers to date but you just didn't make the cut.
5. Ellis Park, Johannesburg
The best rugby ground in the world and host of some amazing matches. Also a former test cricket venue where New Zealand was playing in 1953 when Bob Blair learned his fiancee had died in the Tangiwai disaster.
A panoramic view of Ellis Park before the quarter final game between Spain and Paraguay on July 03, 2010 during the FIFA World Cup 2010. Photo / Getty Images.
Liam Napier on being at Ellis Park: From Twickenham to Cardiff, rugby has many famed venues. Nothing compares to Ellis Park, though. The spiritual home of South African rugby, set in a typically shady Johannesburg neighbourhood, is the most intimidating atmosphere on the planet.
Locals don't throw items at visiting team buses anymore – much to the disappointment of one young reporter who waited to witness missiles flying from the stands as the All Blacks arrived. But history emanates from every seat. Pour in 64,000 beer-filled South Africans, fly a 474 over the roof just before kickoff and the heart rate lifts several notches with the decibels.
For an outsider, there's no sense of comfort, especially when after spending too long watching a Springboks captain's run you are told an Afrikaans phrase states 'there's many ways to skin an apple'. It's no surprise this venue is the scene of many epic modern-day tests - the All Blacks' 38-27 victory in 2013 the greatest of all in my mind.
The Springboks record (9-5) over the All Blacks there which, of course, includes the '95 World Cup final, speaks to the difficulties of attaining success in such a daunting location.
4. Wimbledon, London
I really wanted to keep this list limited to one per country but, spoiler alert, Wimbledon is just a Tube ride up the District line and a leisurely walk away from another top five ground. History helps a lot when considering these lists and Wimbledon certainly has that, going back to 1877 and the grand slam (and it's rain delays) is a key part of the English summer.
Aerial Photograph of the Wimbledon, All England Lawn Tennis Club on June 27th, 2018. Photo / Getty Images.
Matt Brown: Strawberries and Cream, Henman Hill, overnight lining up for tickets, (up until now no play on Middle Sunday) the immaculate grass, an iconic centre court, history and tradition , the wearing whites as opposed to the coloured clothing at every other tournament is what makes Wimbledon special. Throw in the beautiful grounds, the flowers and a fair degree of British snobbery.
3. Estadio Azteca, Mexico City
There's Ellis Park intimidating and then there's the next level up which is the Azteca. Upwards of 87,000 Mexican fans cheering on their national team seems life a life experience everyone must take on. Venue of 'The Goal of the Century' in Maradona's quarter-final run against England in 1986 and also 'The Game of the Century' - Italy's 4-3 win over West Germany in 1970. So a pretty good CV.
Aerial view of Azteca stadium prior the final first leg match between America and Cruz Azul as part of the Torneo Apertura 2018 Liga MX at Azteca Stadium. Photo / Getty Images.
Michael Burgess: The first thing that strikes you about Azteca Stadium is the size. It's an absolute monster. On match day I arranged to catch up with some All Whites fans but took ages to find them as I walked around the outside of the complex. I was also delayed by reading the various commemorative plaques; what other ground has witnessed the goal of the century (Diego Maradona vs England, 1986), the match of the century (Italy 4 Germany 3, 1970), as well as the 'Hand of God' goal? The grandstands in the upper tier are steeply banked – which can induce vertigo if you look down too long. It's also a tiring climb, as the stadium is at an altitude of 2,200m (around the same height as Mt Ngauruhoe).
Capacity has been reduced over the years, but there were still more than 100,000 people inside. It was one of the most difficult environments the All Whites have ever faced, and the noise was deafening at times. And that was just for the national anthems.
The visitors weathered the storm for the first 30 minutes, and the EL Tri fans started to get edgy and nervous, even booing their own team at times. But the All Whites then conceded a scrappy goal, which released all the pressure, and their second in the 40th minute was the signal for party time.
Despite the 5-1 scoreline, Glen Moss had an amazing game and was hailed as 'Superman' in the Mexican newspapers the next day.
2. Madison Square Garden, New York
The US has revolutionised sporting arenas in recent years from the staggering big screen at AT&T Stadium in Dallas to the just about every aspect of the new Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. But The Garden remains the king when it comes to providing a true venue of sporting theatre.
Madison Square Garden (MSG) stands in Manhattan at dusk in this aerial photograph taken with a tilt-shift lens above New York, U.S., on Friday, June 19, 2015. Photo / Getty Images.
Chris Rattue: History. Boxing. That's what I kept thinking of while watching a 2014 pre-season NBA match between the Raptors and Knicks at the latest version of New York's famous Garden. The name holds so much mystique. Two of the three Ali-Frazier fights were held there, and for a sports-obsessed child of the 1970s, there was nothing more momentous than the battle between those two legendary heavyweights.
Oozes history. The Member's End, the Father Time weather-vane, the honour's board, the original Ashes trophy in the museum.
A general view of play during Day 1 of the test England and New Zealand at Lord's Cricket Ground on June 02, 2021 in London, England. Photo / Getty Images.
Andrew Alderson: If you're looking for cricketing hedonism, nothing beats Lord's. Some of the best days of my life* have been spent worshipping at the emerald shrine in London's St John's Wood. The 19th century pavilion, the Long Room, the slope, the bacon-and-egg tie queue to the ground, the murmur in the stands, the Michelin-star quality lunches. "Would you like another jam and cream scone with your afternoon tea, sir?" "Why, don't mind if I do." *Wedding and births excepted.
