Brockville Park
Encyclopedia
Brockville Park was a football stadium located on Hope Street in Falkirk
, Scotland
, 0.25 mile (0.402335 km) north-west of the town centre. It was the home of Falkirk F.C.
from 1885 until the end of 2002–03 Scottish football season. The record attendance at Brockville Park was 23,100 on 21 February 1953 in a match against . Nowadays the stadium has since been replaced with a Morrisons
supermarket
. An old turnstile is on display next to the supermarket's car park.
on several occasions due to regulations and criteria which Brockville Park did not meet. The most recent was in the 2002-03 season
when Falkirk, despite winning the First Division, were refused entry to the SPL. In preparation for winning the First Division that season, and the prospect of promotion, Falkirk started talks with several clubs over a ground-sharing
partnership for the 2003-04 season. However, the SPL criteria stated at the time that ground-sharing was prohibited for clubs in the Premier League so Falkirk remained in the First Division and tried to make a ground-share agreement whilst Brockville Park was demolished. Two potential partners were Airdrie United
with their Excelsior Stadium
and Clyde
with their ground of Broadwood Stadium
in nearby Cumbernauld, a third option was to share Ochilview Park
with local rivals and eventually an agreement was made for Falkirk to play their home games at Ochilview for one season.
, the home of was deemed unsuitable by police to host a match against Celtic due to its small capacity, Brockville Park was chosen as the venue for the Scottish Cup
third-round tie. This was met with criticism from both clubs over the Scottish Football Association
and their decision because the ground lacked under-soil heating
, which was significant because the match was scheduled to be played in January at the height of winter. Another argument was that a previous match between Alloa and Celtic was relocated to Firhill Stadium
in Glasgow
, which is an all-seater stadium. Alloa Athletic's manager at the time, Terry Christie, had shown confusion to why the Scottish Cup tie was not also hosted at a similar venue, rather than Falkirk's Brockville Park, which contained terracing
and was not an all-seater stadium
.
due to its largely terraced spectator areas. The site was then sold to supermarket chain Morrisons
who built a new branch in place of Brockville Park. The supermarket contains memorabilia commemorating Falkirk's history at Brockville Park. An old turnstile
from the stadium is located just outside the supermarket. The club ground-shared with local rivals at Ochilview Park
for the 2003–04 football season whilst their new home, the Falkirk Stadium
was being constructed. In 2004 Falkirk moved to their newly built stadium on the outskirts of the town.
Falkirk
Falkirk is a town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. It lies in the Forth Valley, almost midway between the two most populous cities of Scotland; north-west of Edinburgh and north-east of Glasgow....
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, 0.25 mile (0.402335 km) north-west of the town centre. It was the home of Falkirk F.C.
Falkirk F.C.
Falkirk Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in Falkirk. It is one of two professional football teams from the town, the other being East Stirlingshire...
from 1885 until the end of 2002–03 Scottish football season. The record attendance at Brockville Park was 23,100 on 21 February 1953 in a match against . Nowadays the stadium has since been replaced with a Morrisons
Morrisons
Wm Morrison Supermarkets plc is the fourth largest chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom, headquartered in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. The company is usually referred to and is branded as Morrisons formerly Morrison's, and it is part of the FTSE 100 Index of companies...
supermarket
Supermarket
A supermarket, a form of grocery store, is a self-service store offering a wide variety of food and household merchandise, organized into departments...
. An old turnstile is on display next to the supermarket's car park.
Layout
The main stand was situated to the West of the pitch and was mostly for home supporters and directors, with a small part towards the North end allocated to away fans. The Cooperage Lane terracing was to the South of the pitch and was for home supporters. The Watson Street terracing was to the North of the pitch and was for away fans. Part of the Watson Street end was closed in latter years as it failed to gain a safety certificate. The Hope Street end was divided into home and away fans separated by a metal 'cage'.SPL criteria
Falkirk were denied promotion to the Scottish Premier LeagueScottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
on several occasions due to regulations and criteria which Brockville Park did not meet. The most recent was in the 2002-03 season
2002-03 in Scottish football
The 2002–03 season was the 106th season of competitive football in Scotland.-Scottish Premier League:The 2002–03 Scottish Premier League was won on goal difference by Rangers by a single goal over Celtic. Both Rangers and Celtic qualified for the 2003–04 UEFA Champions League and...
when Falkirk, despite winning the First Division, were refused entry to the SPL. In preparation for winning the First Division that season, and the prospect of promotion, Falkirk started talks with several clubs over a ground-sharing
Groundshare
Groundshare is the principle of sharing a stadium between two local sport teams. This is usually done for the purpose of reducing the costs of either construction of two separate facilities and related maintenance. -Intersport Groundshares:...
partnership for the 2003-04 season. However, the SPL criteria stated at the time that ground-sharing was prohibited for clubs in the Premier League so Falkirk remained in the First Division and tried to make a ground-share agreement whilst Brockville Park was demolished. Two potential partners were Airdrie United
Airdrie United F.C.
Airdrie United Football Club are a Scottish professional football team based in the town of Airdrie, North Lanarkshire. They are currently managed by ex-Airdrieonians player and former Airdrie United Under 19s coach Jimmy Boyle. They are members of the Scottish Football League and play in the...
with their Excelsior Stadium
Excelsior Stadium
The Excelsior Stadium is the home of Airdrie United F.C. of the Scottish Football League Second Division. It was built in 1998 to house Airdrieonians F.C., and when Airdrieonians went into liquidation four years later, Airdrie United began playing their home games there.When the stadium first...
and Clyde
Clyde F.C.
Clyde Football Club are a Scottish professional football team currently playing in the Third Division of the Scottish Football League. Although based for the last fifteen years in the new town of Cumbernauld, they are traditionally associated with an area that covers Rutherglen in South...
with their ground of Broadwood Stadium
Broadwood Stadium
Broadwood Stadium, also referred to as simply Broadwood, is a football stadium and multi-use community sports complex situated in Cumbernauld, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. The stadium was opened in 1994 and since then has been the home venue of Scottish Third Division side, Clyde F.C....
in nearby Cumbernauld, a third option was to share Ochilview Park
Ochilview Park
Ochilview Park is a football stadium in Stenhousemuir, Scotland. It is the home ground of Stenhousemuir who currently share it with local rivals East Stirlingshire.-History:...
with local rivals and eventually an agreement was made for Falkirk to play their home games at Ochilview for one season.
Poor facilities
In 2001, when Recreation ParkRecreation Park, Alloa
Recreation Park is a football stadium located in Alloa, Clackmannanshire, Scotland. It has been the home ground of Scottish Football League side Alloa Athletic F.C. since 1895....
, the home of was deemed unsuitable by police to host a match against Celtic due to its small capacity, Brockville Park was chosen as the venue for the Scottish Cup
Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
third-round tie. This was met with criticism from both clubs over the Scottish Football Association
Scottish Football Association
The Scottish Football Association is the governing body of football in Scotland and has the ultimate responsibility for the control and development of football in Scotland. Members of the SFA include clubs in Scotland, affiliated national associations as well as local associations...
and their decision because the ground lacked under-soil heating
Under-soil heating
Under-soil heating is a method used in various sports stadia which heats the underside of the pitch to avoid any bad weather, such as snow and ice, from building up and ultimately helps the club avoid having to postpone any matches.The first ground in England to have under-soil heating installed...
, which was significant because the match was scheduled to be played in January at the height of winter. Another argument was that a previous match between Alloa and Celtic was relocated to Firhill Stadium
Firhill Stadium
Firhill Stadium or Firhill Arena is a football, rugby union and rugby league stadium located in the Maryhill area of Glasgow, Scotland. As of 2010 it is the home ground of football club Partick Thistle F.C...
in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, which is an all-seater stadium. Alloa Athletic's manager at the time, Terry Christie, had shown confusion to why the Scottish Cup tie was not also hosted at a similar venue, rather than Falkirk's Brockville Park, which contained 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...
and was not an all-seater stadium
All-seater stadium
An all-seater stadium is a sports stadium in which every spectator has a seat. This is commonplace in football stadiums in nations such as the United Kingdom, Spain, and the Netherlands. Most soccer and American football stadiums in the United States and Canada are all-seaters, as are most baseball...
.
Closure
Brockville Park was demolished towards the end of 2003, having remained largely unchanged for decades, and was considered unsafe to host matches in the Scottish Premier LeagueScottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
due to its largely terraced spectator areas. The site was then sold to supermarket chain Morrisons
Morrisons
Wm Morrison Supermarkets plc is the fourth largest chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom, headquartered in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. The company is usually referred to and is branded as Morrisons formerly Morrison's, and it is part of the FTSE 100 Index of companies...
who built a new branch in place of Brockville Park. The supermarket contains memorabilia commemorating Falkirk's history at Brockville Park. An old turnstile
Turnstile
A turnstile, also called a baffle gate, is a form of gate which allows one person to pass at a time. It can also be made so as to enforce one-way traffic of people, and in addition, it can restrict passage only to people who insert a coin, a ticket, a pass, or similar...
from the stadium is located just outside the supermarket. The club ground-shared with local rivals at Ochilview Park
Ochilview Park
Ochilview Park is a football stadium in Stenhousemuir, Scotland. It is the home ground of Stenhousemuir who currently share it with local rivals East Stirlingshire.-History:...
for the 2003–04 football season whilst their new home, the Falkirk Stadium
Falkirk Stadium
The Falkirk Stadium is a football stadium in Falkirk in central Scotland, which plays host to the home matches of Falkirk F.C. although the stadium itself sits partly within the boundaries of the neighbouring town of Grangemouth...
was being constructed. In 2004 Falkirk moved to their newly built stadium on the outskirts of the town.
External links
- Brockville Park at the Scottish Football Archive
- Brockville Park on FootballFans.eu contains facts about stadiums and matches