Belmore Sports Ground
Encyclopedia
Belmore Sports Ground, formerly known as Belmore Oval, is a multi-purpose stadium
in Belmore, New South Wales
, Australia
. The park covers 22 acres (89,030.9 m²) and from 1951 has contained the Belmore Bowling Recreation Club green. It is close to Belmore railway station.
The stadium has a capacity of 25,000 people and was built in 1920. The ground record crowd for Belmore was set on 12 April 1993 when 27,804 fans saw Canterbury defeat local rivals Parramatta
42-6. The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs are the current main tenants of the ground.
, a team in the New South Wales Premier League
.
The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs NRL
team played their home games at Belmore Sports Ground from 1935 until 1998, after which time the club moved its home games to a series of more modern stadiums (currently ANZ Stadium at Sydney Olympic Park
). The club still used Belmore for training and administration, but subsequently moved these functions to a facility at Olympic Park in early 2008, leaving the club with no connection to the Sports Ground for the first time since the 1930s. However, the club has recently announced its intention to redevelop the facilities at Belmore and move training and administration back to the ground. The Canterbury-Bankstown club will relocate their offices and begin training at the ground by the end of the year. http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/bulldogs-moving-home-base-back-to-beloved-belmore-sports-ground-20100521-vzb7.html
The spectators' hill on the eastern side of the ground is named after Bulldogs legend Terry Lamb
.
area. The park was named after the suburb it was located: Belmore Park. Belmore Park was eventually purchased in three sections between 1918 and 1921. The first two parcels were purchased by the State government and the third by Council. The park was opened around the early 1920s, the land was formerly known as Gunn's Paddock. In 1936, council purchased a large stand from the Sydney Cricket Ground
and had it re-erected at the park as part of unemployment relief works. This stand was opened on March 14, 1936 by Mayor SE Parry and was named after him. Around 1967, council moved other sports played at the park to grounds else-where and rugby league
was given priority.
Multi-purpose stadium
Multi-purpose stadiums are a type of stadium designed in such a way as to be easily used by multiple sports. While any stadium could potentially host more than one sport, this concept usually refers to a specific design philosophy that stresses multi-functionality over specificity...
in Belmore, New South Wales
Belmore, New South Wales
Belmore is a suburb, of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Belmore is located 15 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Canterbury.-History:...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. The park covers 22 acres (89,030.9 m²) and from 1951 has contained the Belmore Bowling Recreation Club green. It is close to Belmore railway station.
The stadium has a capacity of 25,000 people and was built in 1920. The ground record crowd for Belmore was set on 12 April 1993 when 27,804 fans saw Canterbury defeat local rivals Parramatta
Parramatta Eels
The Parramatta Eels are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Sydney suburb of Parramatta. The Parramatta District Rugby League Football Club was formed in 1947, with their First Grade side playing their first season in the New South Wales Rugby Football League...
42-6. The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs are the current main tenants of the ground.
Uses
The ground is mainly used for Association football as the home ground for Sydney Olympic FCSydney Olympic FC
Sydney Olympic Football Club is an Australian football club that plays in the NSW Premier League. It competed in the National Soccer League from 1977 until the league's demise in 2004, having won the championship in 1989–90, 2001–02, the League Cup in 1980, the minor premiership in 2002–03 and the...
, a team in the New South Wales Premier League
New South Wales Premier League
The New South Wales Premier League is the highest state-level men's soccer competition in New South Wales, Australia. Nationally, it is considered one grade lower than the A-League...
.
The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs NRL
National Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
team played their home games at Belmore Sports Ground from 1935 until 1998, after which time the club moved its home games to a series of more modern stadiums (currently ANZ Stadium at Sydney Olympic Park
Sydney Olympic Park
Sydney Olympic Park is a suburb in western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Sydney Olympic Park is located 16 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Auburn Council....
). The club still used Belmore for training and administration, but subsequently moved these functions to a facility at Olympic Park in early 2008, leaving the club with no connection to the Sports Ground for the first time since the 1930s. However, the club has recently announced its intention to redevelop the facilities at Belmore and move training and administration back to the ground. The Canterbury-Bankstown club will relocate their offices and begin training at the ground by the end of the year. http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/bulldogs-moving-home-base-back-to-beloved-belmore-sports-ground-20100521-vzb7.html
The spectators' hill on the eastern side of the ground is named after Bulldogs legend Terry Lamb
Terry Lamb
Terry Lamb OAM, is an Australian retired professional rugby league footballer and coach. He played 349 games , with Wests , and Canterbury . Lamb was known for his support of the ball-carrier - his ability to be in the right place at the right time netted him 164 tries. This earned him the moniker...
.
History
In 1920, the local council took steps to acquire park areas around the BelmoreBelmore, New South Wales
Belmore is a suburb, of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Belmore is located 15 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Canterbury.-History:...
area. The park was named after the suburb it was located: Belmore Park. Belmore Park was eventually purchased in three sections between 1918 and 1921. The first two parcels were purchased by the State government and the third by Council. The park was opened around the early 1920s, the land was formerly known as Gunn's Paddock. In 1936, council purchased a large stand from the Sydney Cricket Ground
Sydney Cricket Ground
The Sydney Cricket Ground is a sports stadium in Sydney in Australia. It is used for Australian football, Test cricket, One Day International cricket, some rugby league and rugby union matches and is the home ground for the New South Wales Blues cricket team and the Sydney Swans of the Australian...
and had it re-erected at the park as part of unemployment relief works. This stand was opened on March 14, 1936 by Mayor SE Parry and was named after him. Around 1967, council moved other sports played at the park to grounds else-where and rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
was given priority.