Fragments of Elm Park

[STAR Liaison]

Quite a while back (2003 possibly) it was said that there were five fragments of Elm Park still standing.

I think I can remember two of them - a vertical blue wooden strip at the Town End on Norfolk Rd, the rear wall of the away toilets.

Anyone help with any more or know if they are still there.

Asking for a school project.

[AthleticoSpizz]

Blue vertical strip (old gate upright) had gone the last time I drove down Wantage Road a couple of years ago....imagine the old walls (one of which was the Tilehurst End) still remain (they are boundary walls at the ends of peoples gardens).

Not a lot of help I'm afraid

[The Cube]

Yes, it was 2003 when the "five fragments" got mentioned. I'm sure of four of them.


Tilehurst End - there was a bit of brick wall left standing because the other side was something like a sub-station.

South Bank towards the Tilehurst End - there was painted white wall left because it backed on to the Tilehurst Road houses.

There was another bit of wall somewhere at the Town End - so that would be the away toilets as mentioned in the OP, probably backing on to the houses on Suffolk Road.

Blue gatepost attached to the last house on Norfolk Road at the Town End - and I thought that was the best one.

Also, there was a metal pole (phone line?) attached to the same house that had some blue paint on it and certainly survived longer than the gatepost.

I can't remember if the last two were combined, though - if they were, there is one other.

The fifth might be the plaque on Quinn Court behind the Tilehurst End, or there was some stuff in the Spread Eagle, although I think the fifth really was part of the ground itself.


If it is a school project, all they need to do is visit and use their eyes.

[Jagermesiter1871]

Just used google street view and found the"Tilehurst End - there was a bit of brick wall left standing because the other side was something like a sub-station."

Can't find any of the others.

[STAR Liaison]

Yes, it was 2003 when the "five fragments" got mentioned. I'm sure of four of them.


Tilehurst End - there was a bit of brick wall left standing because the other side was something like a sub-station.

South Bank towards the Tilehurst End - there was painted white wall left because it backed on to the Tilehurst Road houses.

There was another bit of wall somewhere at the Town End - so that would be the away toilets as mentioned in the OP, probably backing on to the houses on Suffolk Road.

Blue gatepost attached to the last house on Norfolk Road at the Town End - and I thought that was the best one.

Also, there was a metal pole (phone line?) attached to the same house that had some blue paint on it and certainly survived longer than the gatepost.

I can't remember if the last two were combined, though - if they were, there is one other.

The fifth might be the plaque on Quinn Court behind the Tilehurst End, or there was some stuff in the Spread Eagle, although I think the fifth really was part of the ground itself.


If it is a school project, all they need to do is visit and use their eyes.

Thanks chaps for all your replies . I think you’ve nailed it.

The kids are eight!! They won’t have a clue what EP looked like.

[Mid Sussex Royal]

Be interesting to know what fans out there bought stuff from the auction soon after we moved into the Madstad.

I was on holiday sadly and missed it; I'm sure the dugouts and maybe parts of the floodlights got sold to local non league clubs

I'm also sure I saw a picture of one of the turnstiles in someone's house

[kirkrich]

I never made it to the auction all those years back. Would love to have bought something of the old ground. There must be stuff buried in the back of people’s sheds that has never seen the light of day, anyone got something interesting they want to sell?

[RoyalBlue]

Be interesting to know what fans out there bought stuff from the auction soon after we moved into the Madstad.

I was on holiday sadly and missed it; I'm sure the dugouts and maybe parts of the floodlights got sold to local non league clubs

I'm also sure I saw a picture of one of the turnstiles in someone's house

Sit up bench. Boot pegs from home dressing room. Network South East admission Signs from Southbank turnstiles.

[Forbury Lion]

I'd like to think in 100 years an android version of Tony Robinson will be presenting Time Team and the resident artist will re-create Elm Park based on the 5 remaining fragments found on the site.

The drawing will probably look something like this:

[Forbury Lion]

Yes, it was 2003 when the "five fragments" got mentioned. I'm sure of four of them.


Tilehurst End - there was a bit of brick wall left standing because the other side was something like a sub-station.

South Bank towards the Tilehurst End - there was painted white wall left because it backed on to the Tilehurst Road houses.

There was another bit of wall somewhere at the Town End - so that would be the away toilets as mentioned in the OP, probably backing on to the houses on Suffolk Road.

Blue gatepost attached to the last house on Norfolk Road at the Town End - and I thought that was the best one.

Also, there was a metal pole (phone line?) attached to the same house that had some blue paint on it and certainly survived longer than the gatepost.

I can't remember if the last two were combined, though - if they were, there is one other.

The fifth might be the plaque on Quinn Court behind the Tilehurst End, or there was some stuff in the Spread Eagle, although I think the fifth really was part of the ground itself.


If it is a school project, all they need to do is visit and use their eyes.

Thanks chaps for all your replies . I think you’ve nailed it.

The kids are eight!! They won’t have a clue what EP looked like.

They might well find a 6th fragment as they look at the site with fresh eyes.

[Sutekh]

Be interesting to know what fans out there bought stuff from the auction soon after we moved into the Madstad.

I was on holiday sadly and missed it; I'm sure the dugouts and maybe parts of the floodlights got sold to local non league clubs

I'm also sure I saw a picture of one of the turnstiles in someone's house

Sit up bench. Boot pegs from home dressing room. Network South East admission Signs from Southbank turnstiles.

Jumpers for goalposts, spotlight keepers and first to 3 you’re in.

[Ark Royal]

Be interesting to know what fans out there bought stuff from the auction soon after we moved into the Madstad.

I was on holiday sadly and missed it; I'm sure the dugouts and maybe parts of the floodlights got sold to local non league clubs

I'm also sure I saw a picture of one of the turnstiles in someone's house

I got four sods of turf from the pitch and put it in my mum's garden. House and garden are still standing, so I assume some of the grass survived.

[Forbury Lion]

If only we had a 3d model of Elm Park, we could start to piece it back together with all the fragments still in existence, sold on toto fans or taken by fans for safe keeping (you know who you are), sold on elsewhere and then just replicate the rest. I can contribute some urine towards a recreation of the South Bank river and maybe a bucket of sand towards a Elm Park pitch replica.

[Ark Royal]

If only we had a 3d model of Elm Park, we could start to piece it back together with all the fragments still in existence, sold on toto fans or taken by fans for safe keeping (you know who you are), sold on elsewhere and then just replicate the rest. I can contribute some urine towards a recreation of the South Bank river and maybe a bucket of sand towards a Elm Park pitch replica.

Stalactites from the Tilehurst End pissoir?

[RoyalBlue]

If only we had a 3d model of Elm Park, we could start to piece it back together with all the fragments still in existence, sold on toto fans or taken by fans for safe keeping (you know who you are), sold on elsewhere and then just replicate the rest. I can contribute some urine towards a recreation of the South Bank river and maybe a bucket of sand towards a Elm Park pitch replica.

Not quite washing machine water but I do have a bit of soap from the players' bath in the home dressing room! Should've nipped into the away dressing room to see whether there were any remnants of that infamous turd!

Some rancid fat to recreate the scent of the burger van?

Blue Collar really have taken us into Europe and indeed onto the global stage with their offering!

[bcubed]

I'd like to think in 100 years an android version of Tony Robinson will be presenting Time Team and the resident artist will re-create Elm Park based on the 5 remaining fragments found on the site.

The drawing will probably look something like this:

They like to extrapolate don't they?!

[Millsy]

Oh what I'd give for just one more afternoon on the Southbank

[Tony Le Mesmer]

Oh what I'd give for just one more afternoon on the Southbank

I had a very vivid dream fairly recently that we were back there for one game. A spent the whole time having a go at all the younger fans for bringing their modern chants into Elm Park and that they had " completely ruined it".

[STAR Liaison]

Oh what I'd give for just one more afternoon on the Southbank

I know. Especially on a wet Saturday afternoon, muddy, greasy top, rain hissing down on to the pitch, drips coming through the roof, crazy crazy people standing on the Tilehurst End regardless, away fans suffering the chant of ' you're getting wet, you're getting wet, we're not.'

Wettest games at Elm Park.

- Bury in the LC -1996? abandoned
- Port Vale 1970 - much worse than Bury
- Luton 1970

Madejski

- Leicester 2003 - abandoned at HT with 5,000 clutching fresh hot dogs!

[boycey]

Oh what I'd give for just one more afternoon on the Southbank

I know. Especially on a wet Saturday afternoon, muddy, greasy top, rain hissing down on to the pitch, drips coming through the roof, crazy crazy people standing on the Tilehurst End regardless, away fans suffering the chant of ' you're getting wet, you're getting wet, we're not.'