Having expressed his fears about Derby's new home, Tony Davis returned to check on the progress so far

A crowd of 200 has gathered in foul weather on the edge of an industrial estate on the outskirts of Derby to watch an unveiling. The photographers snap away as the cord is pulled back, local councillors applaud and Rammy the Ram waves his mittens in the air. It’s the foundation stone for Derby County’s new stadium. Rising up in the distance are the framework of two stands, hastily erected to give the visitors something to look at. Owner Lionel Pickering, uncomfortable in the public glare, makes a terse speech matched by club captain Igor Stimac, suspended for that afternoon’s match, “This is to be an exciting time . . . it’s a new ground . . . let’s go and beat Middlesbrough.”

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Richard Darn pays tribute to Bradford's HSG stand which would be even better if you could actually watch the game

Got a swish ground yet? New stands, dazzling snack bar menu, toilets with hand lotion? Well, if you’re an Arsenal or Manchester United supporter you’ll probably answer yes. But as a die-hard traditionalist watching my footie in the lower divisions you can keep your corporate-style entertainment and £20 admission fee and just give me a decent view of the game.

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Manchester bids to become the new natioanl football centre even though the odds are firmly stacked in Wembley's favour. Adam Brown reports

It is now a year since the Sports Council made the curious decision of asking Manchester and Wembley to revise and re-submit their bids for the national stadium. The ‘race’ for the national stadium saw the final, final bids re-entered on 6th November.

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As Sunderland bid farewell to Roker Park Tom Lynn explains how their move to a new site came about

“We meet this day to bring Martin Thwaites to his final resting place, a place he loved to come to for many years, to watch the team he loved and the game he loved . . .” Roker Park, 18th March 1994.

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In the build up to the 1998 World Cup Simon Harris assesses whether Hungary's fortunes may be changing for the better – and explains how they came to sink so low in the first place

Poor old Ferenc Puskas. It doesn’t matter which Hungarian team is playing in Europe, his old club Honved, Ferencvaros, Ujpest or lesser names like Videoton or MTK, the foreign press are there waiting for their Puskas quote.

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