Murrayfield Stadium
Murrayfield Stadium is another stadium that proves you don't necessarily need to knock everything down and build something shiny and modern to create a great sporting venue.
Murrayfield is old, it shows its age in places and it has character, which for me is a definite advantage. It feels like a rugby stadium rather than a giant modern entertainment complex that happens to have a rugby pitch in the middle.And then there is the atmosphere.
When Scotland are playing and the locals launch into Flower of Scotland, it can send the hairs on the back of your neck standing up. I'm not even Scottish, but there is something about thousands of people singing it together that is genuinely spine-tingling. It is one of those sporting moments where you can understand why people keep coming back.
Getting there is relatively easy. Murrayfield even has its own tram stop, although unsurprisingly this gets extremely busy on match days. Many supporters choose to walk from the city centre instead, which is perfectly manageable and has the added advantage of getting you away from the crowds on the tram.
Once inside, the stadium has plenty of the facilities you'd expect, although it isn't trying to be luxurious. There is a good selection of food and drink available, with enough choice to keep most people happy.
More importantly, you don't get the feeling that you are being fleeced simply because you have entered a stadium. Prices are certainly not giveaway, but compared with some of the other major stadia, they seem reasonably fair.Perhaps that is the Scottish approach to money coming through: the Scots are canny with their money and apparently don't see why rugby supporters shouldn't be the same.
Murrayfield also benefits from being in Edinburgh. There are countless pubs, cafés and restaurants around the city, so there is no need to rely entirely on stadium catering. A day at Murrayfield can easily be combined with a visit to the city, making it more of an occasion than simply turning up, watching a match and going home.
It isn't perfect. The stadium's age means that some facilities aren't quite as polished as those in the newest grounds, but personally I would take a bit of age and character over acres of concrete and corporate gloss any day.
And when the Scottish supporters are singing, you soon forget about the imperfections anyway.
Old Moaner verdict: An old-fashioned rugby stadium in the best possible sense. Plenty of character, a superb atmosphere, decent food and drink at reasonable prices and that unforgettable moment when Murrayfield erupts into Flower of Scotland.
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