Seeing the Principality Stadium on a trip to Cardiff the other day, I was reminded of the last time I walked along the River Taff outside this ground was a full 23 years ago, disconsolately trudging back to the railway station after Norwich had lost on penalties in the Championship Play Off Final, to Birmingham.

It was then called the Millennium Stadium, of course - and held important football matches as Wembley was under construction. The match was played with the roof shut, which felt both weird and very modern - the Millennium was only three years old at the time.

It was interesting revisiting this stadium a few days after visiting the current RIBA exhibition on football stadium architecture, Home Ground. I'd recommend that show to anyone who is near Liverpool and has posted on this site. As far as I recall, the Principality Stadium is not featured - which is not to say it shouldn't be; in my picture you can see the old Cardiff Arms Park stand still attached to the North Stand which is fascinating.

But, 26 years after it was completed, there is something telling about how this massive structure in the middle of Cardiff has aged. It looks... ok architecturally. It doesn't actually host that many events every year now either - there have been more concerts than Wales rugby matches this year and no football here since 2018.

So, despite being the thing that everyone always hopes for - a new stadium in a city centre rather than in some reclaimed brown field site on the edge of town - the Principality does feel a bit of an anachronism, a home for no-one except the Wales rugby team who play here just six times this year.

Which makes me think, perhaps the success of a new stadium or indeed old stadiums lies in the communities who call them home.

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