Familiarity Breeds Contempt
In America, things are big. Stadiums are big, as are the distances that separate them. In other parts of the world, however, the distances between stadiums are, in some case, very small. Here is a sampling of some stadiums that are very close to each other.
The photos are taken from that most miraculous of tools, Google Earth. Click on them to see full-size images.
In Madrid, city rivals Atletico and Real have stadiums that are, for this survey, relatively far apart, at nearly 4 miles.
Meanwhile, Barcelona and rivals Espanyol have stadiums a mere 2 miles apart.
The city of Seville hosts rivals Sevilla and Betis, whose stadiums are separated by a hop, skip, and a jump of only 2 miles.
Rangers and Celtic are known for their fierce rivalry. So it was a surprise to me to find out that their stadiums are only 4 miles apart.
In Lisbon, the two major clubs are Benfica and Sporting. Their stadiums are separated by a 1.5-mile distance.
There has occasionally been talk of Everton and Liverpool sharing a stadium. It makes sense given that they play a mere half-mile from each other, but makes no sense given the historical rivalry between the two clubs.
The award for closest stadiums, though, goes to Racing Club and Independiente of Argentina. The two clubs, based in the suburb of Buenos Aires called Avellaneda, have stadiums which nearly touch each other. It even appears from the picture that they share a parking lot.
Why is it that these teams have stadiums so close to each other? In many cases, history explains it. Liverpool and Everton, for example, were once a single club and only a dispute between members led to two clubs’ existence. Not surprisingly, both clubs wanted to keep their stadiums close to their origins.
All of these clubs have long histories, as do their stadiums. Many were constructed at a time when the metropolitan areas in which the clubs are based were much smaller than they are today. There was, therefore, less space to build stadiums and it was natural that they would be built close to each other.
In some ways, it’s incredible that clubs with such strong rivalries would have stadiums so close to each other. But then, of course, perhaps that is why the rivalries came to be so strong in the first place. Familiarity, as they say, breeds contempt.
Know of any other stadiums close to each other? Leave a comment and let me know.
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August 3rd, 2007 15:19
Rangers play in Ibrox. Hampden is for the Scottish national team.
I think Everton came before Liverpool as well. From Wikipedia, Everton originally played in Anfield. Some guy raised the rent on them, Everton moved, and the guy formed Liverpool to fill his empty stadium.
August 3rd, 2007 15:29
United and City in Manchester are just over 4 miles apart, according to Google maps directions. Can’t you see one stadium from the stands of the other? Something like that.
August 3rd, 2007 15:48
Chris - Thanks for your corrections on both of those counts. How embarrassing for me!
Lee - Could be with United and City. I appreciate the addition to the list.
August 3rd, 2007 16:10
Great post. I believe Dundee and Dundee United are literally just a hundred yards from each other. It’s really pretty amazing, I just looked at it on google maps myself.
August 3rd, 2007 16:18
Great observation. Not sure if it counts but Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro may qualify as it is the home of Botafogo, Flamengo, and Fluminense. I saw a Vasco at Botafogo match there (hoping to see Romario’s “1000th”) and it was something to see. Good article, thanks.
August 3rd, 2007 16:43
Take a look at this pic to see how close Dundee’s grounds are: http://www.flickr.com/photos/94393112@N00/342456560/
August 3rd, 2007 21:42
Liverpool and Everton definitely have the closest grounds of any two major clubs I know of. Split by Stanley Park (where Liverpool are going to build their new stadium, literally across the road from where they currently sit), on one side Anfield, on the other Goodison Park. I have to say I’ll be sad when Everton move ground to a part of Liverpool called Kirkby a good few miles away. There is something special about these two rivals, so intimately glaring at each other within from just down the road, that adds to the city and the atmosphere of the rivalry.
August 3rd, 2007 21:43
Wow Tom, I just clicked on your link showing the proximity of the Dundee clubs, on the same street. Amazing.
August 4th, 2007 01:02
It is strange, isn’t it? But then I’ve always wondered how clubs like Lazio and Roma (or the two Milan giants) could share a stadium. I can’t imagine it happening in Spain.
August 4th, 2007 10:00
[...] Local derbies mapped by Google Earth (Culture of Soccer) [...]
August 4th, 2007 11:41
Notts County’s Meadow Lane and Nottingham Forest’s City Ground are separated by the River Trent. Both grounds can be seen from parts of the other, which is slightly surreal. Also, just south of Forest’s City ground lies Nottinghamshire CCC’s Trent Bridge cricket ground, which once hosted an international football game, between England and Ireland in 1897.
http://maps.google.co.uk/?ie=UTF8&ll=52.939884,-1.134274&spn=0.006931,0.020084&t=k&z=16&om=1
August 5th, 2007 12:17
[...] by the Culture of Soccer blog’s feature on stadiums in close proximity, entitled “familiarity breeds contempt.” In Dundee’s case, though, it seems there’s something of an exception. About [...]
April 17th, 2008 23:03
Guarani F.C. and A.A. Ponte Preta are fierce rivals whose stadiums are mere blocks from one another in the Brazilian city of Campinas, population of a little under 1 million.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=campinas+brasil&jsv=107&ie=UTF8&ll=-22.911677,-47.047791&spn=0.008617,0.011759&t=k&z=16&iwloc=addr
April 18th, 2008 10:29
How about Remo and Paysandu, the two largest clubs from the city of Belém, northern Brazil?
The link below shows how close the stadia for these two clubs are. Closer than anyone shown here.
http://maps.google.com.br/maps?ie=UTF8&ll=-1.444592,-48.464062&spn=0.005631,0.009999&t=h&z=17
May 6th, 2008 10:32
I like one of your readers think that Dundee and Dundee Utd are literaly yards from each other(Across the road infact!)be that as may! I loved your site!! The first thing I do if I travel to another city anywhere in the world,I check out the the soccer stadium!! You have been most helpful!
Graham