Boothferry Park
Encyclopedia
Boothferry Park was a football stadium in Kingston upon Hull
, and was home to the football club Hull City
for over 50 years from 31 August 1946 until December 2002, when they moved to the Kingston Communications Stadium
.
In later years financial constraints forced Hull City to allow Kwik Save
and Iceland
supermarkets to embed themselves into part of the stadium's structure. Parts of the ground were finally demolished in early 2008, more than five years after the last game was played there, though other parts remain due to the existence of the supermarkets.
. Financial difficulties severely hampered this development, with the playing area and part of the terracing
appearing over the following 12 months before work and progress ground to a halt. A proposal in 1939 for a sports stadium on the site was the catalyst for further development, as even though this threw up doubt for the original stadium plans, no suitable financial offer for the land was forthcoming, and instead the Hull City board enquired after, and were granted, a Football Association
loan to the sum of £6,600. This meant the new ground would be ready for the opening of the 1941 season.
The onset of World War II
was to again frustrate the development of the football ground, as during the war, the ground was used by the Home Guard
, and was, for a period, used to repair tanks. This, not unexpectedly, had an adverse effect on the playing area - following the end of the war, the pitch was in very poor shape and prone to waterlogging.
Building materials were hard to come by in the postwar years for something as "frivolous" as a football stadium in the heavily-bombed city, this and the state of the pitch meant that the ground was still not in a usable state by the 1945/46 season, so the club was forced to return to playing its matches at one of its former homes, The Boulevard
, the then home of Hull F.C., one of the city's two rugby league
clubs.
. Twenty-thousand people gathered to watch the opening ceremony performed by the city's lord mayor. The teams were led onto the pitch by Sergeant JT "Tommy" Brooke riding a white horse. Sergeant Brooke was a detective and mounted officer in the Hull police and was a veteran of the first world war and the Battle of the Somme where he was a machine gunner with the Royal Horse Guards.
By 1948 the attendance record had swelled to 40,179 as the stadium hosted visitors Middlesbrough
in the FA Cup
. The terracing embankments were raised and by February 1949 a ground and club record which still stands was hit - 55,019 turned out to watch Hull play Manchester United
. Due to the overwhelming crowd, ferries had to be employed to take fans away from the ground as the streets near 'Fer Ark' became clogged. This gave the team one of their nicknames, The Ferrymen, which can be seen as a double entendre on Boothferry Park as well.
The locally famous Boothferry Halt
opened in 1951. The ground now had its own railway station, its first use being a fixture against Everton
when six trains ran the football service between Paragon Station
, Hull's central railway station and Boothferry Park. At the same time, work proceeded on the covering of the North Stand.
The East Terrace was the next to be covered, albeit with a temporary structure. This temporary structure was never replaced, and stood throughout the years of the ground. The popular East terrace became known as the Kempton Stand after Kempton Road on the other side of the railway station. With the three stands completed, the ground was now suited to a floodlight installation. Two gantries housing 96 lamps were built, one on the west and one opposite on the east following a licence being granted. Although this lighting system was the envy of many clubs, advancements in stadium lighting came rapidly, and the system soon needed replacement. A six pylon system replaced the old gantries in 1963.
The new lights were used for the first time in 1964, using 4 of the 6 available, in an evening match against Barnsley
which ended in a 7-0 win for the Tigers.
In 1965 a new South Stand was built over the Bunker's Hill Terrace. The new two-tiered structure included a propped cantilever
roof, 2,500 seats in the upper tier and terracing for 4,000 more in the lower tier. The new stand was arguably the best stand at Boothferry Park, and a reminder of the golden days in the declining years to come.
On 20 March 1967, Boothferry Park hosted an FA Cup
2nd replay between Leeds United
and Sunderland
. Over 40,000 fans attended and Leeds won 2–1. It was standard procedure in the pre penalty shoot-out days for 2nd and subsequent replays to be held on neutral grounds.
On 15 February 1972 Boothferry Park hosted a full international match between Northern Ireland
and Spain
. The result was drawn at 1–1.
Boothferry Park was also the scene of a rugby league
international when it hosted the 1st ashes test of the 1982 Kangaroo Tour
between Great Britain
and Australia
. The Aussies ran in 8 tries
to nil in a 40-4 thrashing watched by a vocal crowd of 26,771.
Demolition of the ground eventually started on 10 January 2008, over five years after the final game was played there, and was completed during March. The North Stand and the terracing on the South and East Stands were eventually demolished in January 2010 after years of vandalism and arson attacks. Humberside Fire and Rescue Service
had to be called out nearly 100 times during 2009 to deal with the situation.
The six floodlights that had dominated the West Hull skyline were finally dismantled in early 2011.
in the FA Cup
. In 1949 55,019 witnessed the visit of Manchester United
when the height of the terracing was increased.
The stadium became affectionately known by supporters as "Fer Ark" in its later days, due to the lack of finances for maintenance which meant that only those letters were illuminated on the large "boothFERry pARK" signage. Prior to this it had been known as "Bothferry Park" when one of the illuminated Os fell off.
Boothferry Park was also known simply as BP.
Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of...
, and was home to the football club Hull City
Hull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...
for over 50 years from 31 August 1946 until December 2002, when they moved to the Kingston Communications Stadium
KC Stadium
The KC Stadium, often shortened to the KC, is a multi-purpose facility in the city of Kingston upon Hull , England. Conceived as early as the late 1990s, it was completed in 2002 at a cost of approximately £44 million. It is named after the stadium's sponsors, telecommunications provider KC,...
.
In later years financial constraints forced Hull City to allow Kwik Save
Kwik Save
Kwik Save was a discount supermarket chain in the United Kingdom until 2007. Its stores were small to medium sized high street supermarkets, mainly located in areas with below average incomes...
and Iceland
Iceland (supermarket)
Iceland is a supermarket chain in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Iceland's primary product lines include frozen foods, such as frozen prepared meals and frozen vegetables - hence the name of the company...
supermarkets to embed themselves into part of the stadium's structure. Parts of the ground were finally demolished in early 2008, more than five years after the last game was played there, though other parts remain due to the existence of the supermarkets.
The planning years
The ground was originally planned in 1929, and work began on the site from 1932 based near the Humber EstuaryHumber
The Humber is a large tidal estuary on the east coast of Northern England. It is formed at Trent Falls, Faxfleet, by the confluence of the tidal River Ouse and the tidal River Trent. From here to the North Sea, it forms part of the boundary between the East Riding of Yorkshire on the north bank...
. Financial difficulties severely hampered this development, with the playing area and part of the terracing
Terrace (stadium)
A terrace or terracing in sporting terms refers to the traditional standing area of a sports stadium, particularly in the United Kingdom and Ireland...
appearing over the following 12 months before work and progress ground to a halt. A proposal in 1939 for a sports stadium on the site was the catalyst for further development, as even though this threw up doubt for the original stadium plans, no suitable financial offer for the land was forthcoming, and instead the Hull City board enquired after, and were granted, a Football Association
The Football Association
The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
loan to the sum of £6,600. This meant the new ground would be ready for the opening of the 1941 season.
The onset of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
was to again frustrate the development of the football ground, as during the war, the ground was used by the Home Guard
British Home Guard
The Home Guard was a defence organisation of the British Army during the Second World War...
, and was, for a period, used to repair tanks. This, not unexpectedly, had an adverse effect on the playing area - following the end of the war, the pitch was in very poor shape and prone to waterlogging.
Building materials were hard to come by in the postwar years for something as "frivolous" as a football stadium in the heavily-bombed city, this and the state of the pitch meant that the ground was still not in a usable state by the 1945/46 season, so the club was forced to return to playing its matches at one of its former homes, The Boulevard
The Boulevard (Stadium)
The Boulevard was a multi-purpose stadium in Hull, England. The venue was saved from demolition and reopened on 25 October 2007 as the home of greyhound racing in the city. It can also be used as a community stadium hosting amateur rugby league matches...
, the then home of Hull F.C., one of the city's two 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...
clubs.
Opening and continued construction
The ground was opened in August 1946, 17 years after its initial proposal, but only had planning permission for one stand along the west side with an upper cost limit of £17,000. The ground was still not fully completed and it became a race against time to make the stadium ready for its opening match against visiting Lincoln CityLincoln City F.C.
Lincoln City Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Lincoln, Lincolnshire. The club are currently members of the Conference National in 2011–12 following relegation from the Football League....
. Twenty-thousand people gathered to watch the opening ceremony performed by the city's lord mayor. The teams were led onto the pitch by Sergeant JT "Tommy" Brooke riding a white horse. Sergeant Brooke was a detective and mounted officer in the Hull police and was a veteran of the first world war and the Battle of the Somme where he was a machine gunner with the Royal Horse Guards.
By 1948 the attendance record had swelled to 40,179 as the stadium hosted visitors Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
in the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
. The terracing embankments were raised and by February 1949 a ground and club record which still stands was hit - 55,019 turned out to watch Hull play Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
. Due to the overwhelming crowd, ferries had to be employed to take fans away from the ground as the streets near 'Fer Ark' became clogged. This gave the team one of their nicknames, The Ferrymen, which can be seen as a double entendre on Boothferry Park as well.
The locally famous Boothferry Halt
Boothferry Park Halt railway station
Boothferry Park Halt railway station opened in 1951 on an embankment of the former Hull and Barnsley Railway to serve the Boothferry Park football stadium which had opened in Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire in August 1946...
opened in 1951. The ground now had its own railway station, its first use being a fixture against Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
when six trains ran the football service between Paragon Station
Hull Paragon railway station
Hull Paragon Interchange is a transport complex in the centre of the city of Kingston upon Hull , England, which opened in September 2007. It integrates the city's railway station with the formerly separate bus and coach station...
, Hull's central railway station and Boothferry Park. At the same time, work proceeded on the covering of the North Stand.
The East Terrace was the next to be covered, albeit with a temporary structure. This temporary structure was never replaced, and stood throughout the years of the ground. The popular East terrace became known as the Kempton Stand after Kempton Road on the other side of the railway station. With the three stands completed, the ground was now suited to a floodlight installation. Two gantries housing 96 lamps were built, one on the west and one opposite on the east following a licence being granted. Although this lighting system was the envy of many clubs, advancements in stadium lighting came rapidly, and the system soon needed replacement. A six pylon system replaced the old gantries in 1963.
Barnsley F.C.
Barnsley Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Nicknamed the Tykes, they were founded in 1887 under the name Barnsley St. Peter's...
which ended in a 7-0 win for the Tigers.
In 1965 a new South Stand was built over the Bunker's Hill Terrace. The new two-tiered structure included a propped cantilever
Cantilever
A cantilever is a beam anchored at only one end. The beam carries the load to the support where it is resisted by moment and shear stress. Cantilever construction allows for overhanging structures without external bracing. Cantilevers can also be constructed with trusses or slabs.This is in...
roof, 2,500 seats in the upper tier and terracing for 4,000 more in the lower tier. The new stand was arguably the best stand at Boothferry Park, and a reminder of the golden days in the declining years to come.
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
2nd replay between Leeds United
Leeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...
and Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
. Over 40,000 fans attended and Leeds won 2–1. It was standard procedure in the pre penalty shoot-out days for 2nd and subsequent replays to be held on neutral grounds.
On 15 February 1972 Boothferry Park hosted a full international match between Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland national football team
The Northern Ireland national football team represents Northern Ireland in international association football. Before 1921 all of Ireland was represented by a single side, the Ireland national football team, organised by the Irish Football Association...
and Spain
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
. The result was drawn at 1–1.
Boothferry Park was also the scene of a 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...
international when it hosted the 1st ashes test of the 1982 Kangaroo Tour
Kangaroo Tour
Kangaroo Tour is the name given to Australian national rugby league team tours of Great Britain and France. The first Kangaroo Tour was in 1908. Traditionally, Kangaroo Tours took place every four years and involved a three-Test Ashes series against Great Britain and a number of tour matches...
between Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
and 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 Aussies ran in 8 tries
Try
A try is the major way of scoring points in rugby league and rugby union football. A try is scored by grounding the ball in the opposition's in-goal area...
to nil in a 40-4 thrashing watched by a vocal crowd of 26,771.
Demolition
Humberside Fire and Rescue Service
Humberside Fire and Rescue Service is the statutory fire and rescue service covering the area of what was the county of Humberside , but now consists of the unitary authorities of East Riding of Yorkshire, Kingston upon Hull, North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire in northern England.-Fire...
had to be called out nearly 100 times during 2009 to deal with the situation.
The six floodlights that had dominated the West Hull skyline were finally dismantled in early 2011.
Records
The highest attendance before the new stand was built was 40,179 in 1948 when Hull City played MiddlesbroughMiddlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
in the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
. In 1949 55,019 witnessed the visit of Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
when the height of the terracing was increased.
Nicknames
Boothferry Park was also known simply as BP.