Misplaced Pages

Gayfield Park

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
(Redirected from Gayfield) Football stadium in Arbroath, Scotland

Gayfield Park
Gayfield
The main stand at Gayfield
Gayfield Park is located in AngusGayfield ParkGayfield ParkLocation in Angus
LocationArbroath, Angus, Scotland
Coordinates56°33′08″N 2°35′29″W / 56.55222°N 2.59139°W / 56.55222; -2.59139
Public transitArbroath railway station
OwnerArbroath F.C.
Capacity6,600 (861 seated)
Record attendance13,510 (23 February 1952, Arbroath v Rangers)
Field size115 yd × 71 yd (105 m × 65 m)
SurfaceGrass
Construction
Opened1880
Renovated1925
Tenants
Arbroath F.C. (1880–Present)

Gayfield Park, commonly known as Gayfield, is a football stadium in Arbroath, Angus, Scotland. It is the home ground of Scottish Professional Football League team Arbroath F.C. The club have played at Gayfield since 1880, although the pitch has only been on its current alignment since the ground was redeveloped in 1925. The ground has a capacity of 6,600, including 861 seats.

History

Arbroath F.C. was formed in 1878 and played at Woodville Park and Hospitalfield before acquiring a former rubbish tip on the seafront to build Gayfield. The new ground was opened in 1880, with the first match being a Scottish Cup tie against Rob Roy. The original site was very cramped, with no room for spectators on the Dundee Road side; when Rangers lost to Arbroath in the Scottish Cup they complained that the pitch wasn't playable due to its size, saying they had been "beaten on a back green", and won the rematch. In September 1885, Arbroath played Bon Accord in the Scottish Cup at Gayfield and won 36–0, which remains a British record score for a senior football match.

Arbroath joined the Scottish Football League in 1921, with the first League match at Gayfield being against Johnstone. The club's plans to construct a "Greater Gayfield" led to the pitch being moved 60 yards, so that the original halfway line became the goal line and a stand could be constructed along Dundee Road. The new ground was opened on 29 August 1925 against East Fife. Gayfield's record attendance of 13,510 was set against Rangers in February 1952. Floodlights were first installed in 1955. The main stand had to be rebuilt following a fire in 1958. This stand was replaced in 2002 by the present main stand, which was extended in 2010.

Upgrades to the stadium exterior (main front wall, club shop, turnstiles and main entrance) were carried out in 2022, replacing structures which had been largely unchanged since 1925.

Structure and facilities

Gayfield is situated on the sea front, to the west of Arbroath harbour, on the southern edge of the town. Due to its position next to the North Sea, in winter spectators can be exposed to severe cold and winds.

The ground has a capacity of 6,600. The only seating area is the single tier, covered, Gayfield Stand. The stand was opened in 2002 and seats 861 spectators. The stadium has standing terracing around the entire pitch with covered pleasureland stand (South End), the East Terrace and the bellrock buffet stand (North End). When segregation is required, the away support is allocated the pleasureland stand End and half of the East Terrace, but this can be reduced to just the pleasureland end if required. The pitch size is 115 by 71 yards (105 m × 65 m).

Records

References

  1. ^ "Arbroath Football Club". Scottish Professional Football League. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
  2. ^ Inglis, Simon (1996). Football grounds of Great Britain (3rd ed.). London: CollinsWillow. p. 429. ISBN 0002184265.
  3. Famous Arbroath stadium Gayfield to undergo upgrades, The Courier, 11 April 2022
Arbroath Football Club
Home stadium
Seasons
Rivalries
Notable match
Football venues in Scotland
National Stadium
2024–25 Premiership
2024–25 Championship
2024–25 League One
2024–25 League Two
2024–25 Highland Football League
2024–25 Lowland Football League
East of Scotland Football League
South of Scotland Football League
West of Scotland Football League
North Caledonian Football Association
Junior football
Other
Defunct stadiums, closed before 1914
Defunct stadiums, closed 1914–1945
Defunct stadiums, closed since 1945
Proposed stadiums
Football in Angus
SPFL teams
Highland League teams
Former senior teams
Junior / Midlands League teams
Former junior teams
Women's teams
Venues
Other topics


Flag of ScotlandSport icon

This article about a Scottish sports venue is a stub. You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it.

Categories: