In the north-east both Middlesbrough and Sunderland have built impressive new stadiums, which stand in splendid isolation amidst a lot of empty ground.

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The road curved along the back side of the Johnson Space Center, an expanse of empty ground bordered by leafless winter trees, where deer patrolled the fence line and joggers wended in and out of sight, following the exercise trail through a thin screen of forest.

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Concerned by the debt the club has accumulated under the Glazers, a number of fans plan to enter the ground 10 minutes after kick-off to expose empty seats at the ground with millions of people watching around the world.

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On Memorial Day weekend, three Marines from the 24th Expeditionary Unit who had been wounded in Iraq were joined by 300 other service members for a wreath-laying ceremony at the empty pit of Ground Zero.

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He said the stadium was "really important to the city" but the firm was embarrassed about the old ground being empty.

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That area of the parking lot has cigarette butts on the ground and sometimes empty, discarded cigarette packages.

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