Abandoned football stadiums before and after nature reclaimed once-loved venues
One of the saddest aspects of modern football is that, when blessed with success and the riches that come with it, top clubs often wave goodbye to their old stomping grounds and go in search of pastures new.
The smaller stadiums where supporters witnessed history being made over several years are traded for bigger, swankier and pricier arenas, but they rarely match up in terms of atmosphere.
Sometimes these former homes are knocked down and replaced in the exact same spot, while on other occasions the land is used for other purposes.
However, there are some venues that remain unused and unloved for a number years after their previous owner departs.
Daily Star Sport have taken a look at six stadiums that are either still abandoned today or were forgotten about for quite some time.
Nene Park – Rushden & Diamonds
The 6,441-capacity ground, located in Irthlingborough, Northamptonshire, was the home of former League Two outfit Rushden and Diamonds from 1969 up until 2011, when they relocated to Corby due to financial problems.
Demolition of the ground didn't begin until 2017, meaning it was left largely abandoned for six years.
Which stadium were you most disappointed to see close down? Let us know in the comments section below.
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Millmoor Stadium – Rotherham
After being used by Rotherham from 1907 until 2008, Millmoor has been without a professional tenant over the past 13 years.
It has been used for local youth football since 2016, however, while it also supports scrap operations for C F Booth, the metal and recycling company situated next door.
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Grimonprez-Jooris – Lille
French side Lille played their home games at this 21,128-capacity venue from 1975 up until 2004, when the ground was closed amid plans to redevelop it into a 33,000-seater stadium.
Yet, when the proposal was rejected by Lille's new owners – who instead constructed the 50,000-seater Grand Stade Lille Metropole – Grimonprez-Jooris remained abandoned until it was finally demolished in 2010.
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Mcain Stadium – Scarborough
Located in North Yorkshire, the McCain Stadium – also known as the Athletic Ground – opened all the way back in 1898 when Scarborough moved from playing at Scarborough Cricket Club.
It was left without an owner when the club was dissolved in 2007 and remained abandoned until demolition began four years later. A Lidl supermarket has since been built on the site.
Boothferry Park – Hull City
Before their switch to the KC Stadium in 2002, Hull played their home fixtures at the 15,160-capacity Boothferry Park, which opened back in 1946.
The Yorkshire club made the move to their new 25,000-capacity stadium 56 years later, and their old home was not demolished completely until eight years after they left.
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Stadion Petrzalka – MFK Petrzalka
Home of Slovakian outfit MFK Petrzalka, the 7,500-capacity arena opened back in 1990 and was demolished 22 years later.
The Bratislava-based team packed up and moved to Stadium FC Petrzalka 1898 in 2012.
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