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UK Football Stadiums and Cricket Stadiums in India - a Comparison

UK Football Stadiums and Cricket Stadiums in India - a Comparison

Football in the UK and cricket in India have something in common; they are both the most popular spectator sport in that country. Almost 400,000 fans attend Premier League games in a single weekend in the UK with 850,000 fans attending other games across the UK. There is not as much information about attendances at cricket stadiums in India. However, the popularity of the sport is clear with the largest attendance for a test match in India being 465,000 for the India vs Pakistan test in Kolkata (Calcutta), in 1998-99.

Given these figures, it's not surprising that there are many impressive football stadiums in the UK and cricket stadiums in India. Let's take a closer look at how they compare.

Number of stadiums

In England alone, there are 124 football stadiums with a capacity of more than 5,000. Across the UK there are 361 football grounds that host professional games. The biggest concentration of football stadiums is in the capital London.

There are 22 stadiums in the city. This includes iconic venues such as Wembley Stadium, the Emirates Stadium, and White Hart Lane.

In India, there are 52 cricket venues that have hosted at least one international match. Of course, this does not cover all stadiums in the country, but these venues are the largest and have the most facilities.

The city with the most cricket grounds in India is Mumbai. It's home to Gymkhana Ground, Brabourne Stadium, and Wankhede stadium.

Largest and smallest stadia

When it comes to size, you cannot beat the Narendra Modi Stadium at Motera in Ahmedabad in the world of cricket venues. It's the largest cricket stadium in the world with a capacity of 110,000 spectators.

The stadium was built on the site of a previous structure and construction began in 2016. The total cost of the construction was around ₹800 crore.

The stadium is not all about cricket, it also houses an Olympic-size swimming pool, restaurants, a gym, and a 3D projector theatre.

The largest football stadium in the UK is Wembley. It has a capacity of 90,000. The stadium is one of the largest in the world and hosts a myriad of different sporting events and concerts as well as top football matches.

The stadium was also built on the site of a previous construction. It opened in 2007 and has quickly established itself as one of the premier modern arenas in the world.

Although Wembley is used for a variety of events, it's owned by The Football Association and operated by Wembley National Stadium Limited, part of The FA Group. This means that it's primarily considered to be a football venue.

Betting at a football or cricket match

Betting is one area where football stadiums in the UK and cricket stadiums in India are very different. In India, betting on cricket and sports in person is illegal. So, cricket fans cannot legitimately bet on games in the stadium they are attending.

Instead, they place bets on sports at reputable online sites as seen on this link. Using these offshore betting sites is not illegal and gives fans the opportunity to place a wager on cricket action.

Compare this to the situation in the UK where betting at a bookmaker in the stadium is an important part of the live football experience for many fans.

In summary

Football stadiums in the UK and cricket stadiums in India are a reflection of the popularity of the sports in each country. Modern venues like Narendra Modi Stadium and Wembley Stadium provide an exceptional fan experience with an array of modern amenities.

There are more football stadiums in the UK than cricket stadiums in India, but India has the most international cricket stadiums in the world.

The most obvious difference between the stadium experience in the two countries is that placing a bet at a bookmaker is part of the day for many fans in the UK whilst it's illegal to do this in India.




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