The necessity for a football club to make as much money as possible these days means that original, vintage stadia are increasingly becoming a thing of the past. The era of shiny new all-seater stadia has been upon us for two decades, with Everton the latest to join the party.
They bid farewell to their long-standing Goodison Park home in May 2025, a venue at which they’ve celebrated good times and commiserated the bad since 1892. Its replacement, the Hill Dickinson Stadium, features all mod cons and an increased capacity, too.
The Toffees were one of the few Premier League regulars to resist the urge to move to a new stadium sooner, but in an age of Profit & Sustainability Rules (PSR), every penny counts – particularly when it comes to putting bums on seats and making money through hospitality, merchandise sales and the like. Here’s a question: how many Premier League clubs still play at their original stadium?
Wolves (Molineux, 1889)
You might be surprised to learn that the oldest stadium still standing in the Premier League, with specific reference to their current team having played there, is Molineux. The home of Wolverhampton Wanderers since 1889, Molineux boasts two unique historic firsts: it was the first stadium purposely built for a Football League club, and it was amongst the first stadia to have floodlights installed.
In the early 1990s, Wolves had a choice to make: stay at Molineux, or move to a more modern venue? That came in the wake of the Taylor Report into ground safety, which dictated that all football grounds in professional football in England had to be all-seater.
The club’s officials decided to splash the cash on refurbishment and modernisation, helping to futureproof Molineux until the present day. Wolves have shown no signs of agitating for a move to a new ground, despite Molineux being relatively small at a capacity of 31,000. Instead, they plan to continue improving and extending their current home, with a proposal to increase the capacity over time to 46,000.
Liverpool (Anfield, 1892)
While Everton prepare for life in their new home, across Stanley Park their old Merseyside rivals Liverpool are hanging tough at Anfield. A stadium steeped in history and heritage, Anfield has been the home of Liverpool FC since 1892 – in that time, it has seen the club win pretty much every major club competition in football.
There will have been a temptation to move many times – Liverpool filled Anfield to a capacity of 98.7%, on average, during the 2024/25 season, but so far Reds chiefs have resisted the urge. Instead, they’ve spent more than £200 million on bringing Anfield up to modern day specifications, although there are no plans to expand beyond the current 61,000 capacity.
Newcastle United (St James’ Park, 1892)
It’s official: Newcastle United had the best average attendance by stadium capacity during the 2024/25 Premier League season, literally filling St James’ Park to 99.9%. So, with rather rich Saudi owners, the question is: will the club move from the ground it has called home since 1892?
The answer is: yes, they will. According to reports, Newcastle will leave St James’ Park and move to a newly-constructed stadium nearby, which will boast a capacity of 65,000 – up 13,000 on their current home.
Fulham (Craven Cottage, 1896)
Fulham had a nomadic existence in their early years, taking up residence at eight different stadia before finally settling upon Craven Cottage in 1896. There was even a season-and-a-half stint at nearby Loftus Road, home of QPR, in the early noughties when Craven Cottage was being renovated in line with the safety requirements of the Taylor Report.
They have remained ever since, despite the relatively small capacity of 28,800, with no plans to move given how expensive – and thin on the ground – spare land is in the south-west of London.
Aston Villa (Villa Park, 1897)
Aston Villa’s original home was at Wellington Road, however issues with the facilities there – including a sloping pitch – forced club officials to seek out a new home. A deal was brokered to occupy Villa Park from 1897, agreeing to pay £300 per season to rent the venue. The club has remained in situ ever since.
Modernised and expanded to 42,000, with further plans to increase the capacity to 50,000, Villa Park played host to more FA Cup semi-finals than any other ground – back in the days when those ties were played at a neutral venue away from Wembley. And the enduring appeal of Villa Park will see the stadium host games at the upcoming EURO 2028, too.
Nottingham Forest (City Ground, 1898)
One other Premier League club moved into their current ground back in the 1800s. Nottingham Forest are one of the oldest football clubs in the world, but back when the sport was gaining popularity in the second half of the nineteenth century, they were playing on public land – meaning that they couldn’t sell tickets and food/drink at half time.
So they needed a home at which they could take advantage of football’s increasing commercialism, and after a stint at the Trent Bridge Cricket Ground, the City Ground was considered the most viable option. The move was ratified in 1898, with 15,000 witnessing the grand opening ahead of a clash with Blackburn Rovers. Standing at a capacity of 30,000 today, ambitious owner Evangelos Marinakis wants to almost double that in the years to come.
Three other Premier League clubs have occupied their current home for more than a century. Chelsea moved into Stamford Bridge in 1905, and despite rumours of a move to pastures new, that’s where the Blues will remain for the foreseeable future.
Manchester United will leave Old Trafford, the venue they have occupied since 1910, but as far as we know Crystal Palace – who celebrated their centenary at Selhurst Park in 1924 – have no plans to up sticks.
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