Earlsmead Stadium
Encyclopedia
Earlsmead Stadium is a multi-use stadium
in Harrow
, England
. It is currently used mostly for football
matches and is the home ground of Harrow Borough F.C.
The stadium has a capacity of 3,070 people. This includes 350 seats and covering for 1000 people.
A local pavilion was dismantled and rebuilt on the Earlmead site in 1938. Having been presented to the Club by a local land owner Mr G Champniss, later club president, it was to call the Champniss Stand. This stand had room for 250 seated and a further 100 standing. During the Second World War the Pavilion
was successfully blacked out
and the club could continue playing. Hurricane lamps under biscuit tins with words such as 'way in' and 'turn left' punched out provided signage.
In 1947-48 extra covering was built out of Ex-Anderson shelter sheeting and ex-government 6" steel tubes. The remains of this covered terracing is still used on the South-east corner of the ground.
Earlsmead initially consisted of two pitches but the second was sold to the local council in the seventies who then built Earlsmead Primary School on it. With the money raised from its sale Harrow Borough F.C. built a new clubhouse, floodlights good enough for colour TV Cameras and concrete terracing. Whilst this major redevelopment took place the team would spend the 1973-74 season on opponents' or neutral grounds.
In 1995 The Champniss Stand was knocked after 57 years to be replaced with a modern stand to comply with new regulations. This new stand with a seated capacity of 350 was funded through private donations, club fundraising and the Football Foundation
.
in what was once known as Dabbs Field. In this area around 850 AD it is believed there was a now forgotten battle as commemorated in place names such as the Bonefield and the Hundred of Gore (spears).
The surrounding area was built as part of the Metro-land
developments in the 1930s. This development, the Earlsmead Housing Estate, appears to have given the ground its name.
The streets around the ground are largely named after castles in the British Isles; Windsor
, Warwick
, Kenilworth
, Walton
, Arundel
, Corfe
, Balmoral
, Ludlow
, Tregenna
. The only exceptions being Holyrood Avenue, which appears to be named after the Palace
, Ivy, Carlyon Avenue, Somervell Road, Eastcote Lane and Earlsmead itself.
Stations on three separate lines. Rayners Lane
(Met/Pic), South Harrow
(Pic) and Northolt
(Central).Northolt Park
(Chiltern Line)British Rail. Bus Routes 140 & 114 stop within minutes of the ground. The H10 through Rayners Lane
and 282 through Northolt
also pass nearby.
Stadium
A modern stadium is a place or venue for outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.)Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event...
in Harrow
London Borough of Harrow
The London Borough of Harrow is a London borough of north-west London. It borders Hertfordshire to the north and other London boroughs: Hillingdon to the west, Ealing to the south, Brent to the south-east and Barnet to the east.-History:...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is currently used mostly for football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
matches and is the home ground of Harrow Borough F.C.
Harrow Borough F.C.
Harrow Borough Football Club is a semi-professional English association football club based in Harrow, in Greater London. The club are currently members of the Isthmian League Premier Division and play at Earlsmead Stadium....
The stadium has a capacity of 3,070 people. This includes 350 seats and covering for 1000 people.
History
Harrow Borough F.C. took residency in 1934 a year after forming. They played their first season at a ground on nearby Northolt Road.A local pavilion was dismantled and rebuilt on the Earlmead site in 1938. Having been presented to the Club by a local land owner Mr G Champniss, later club president, it was to call the Champniss Stand. This stand had room for 250 seated and a further 100 standing. During the Second World War the Pavilion
Pavilion (structure)
In architecture a pavilion has two main meanings.-Free-standing structure:Pavilion may refer to a free-standing structure sited a short distance from a main residence, whose architecture makes it an object of pleasure. Large or small, there is usually a connection with relaxation and pleasure in...
was successfully blacked out
Blackout (wartime)
A blackout during war, or apprehended war, is the practice of collectively minimizing outdoor light, including upwardly directed light. This was done in the 20th century to prevent crews of enemy aircraft from being able to navigate to their targets simply by sight, for example during the London...
and the club could continue playing. Hurricane lamps under biscuit tins with words such as 'way in' and 'turn left' punched out provided signage.
In 1947-48 extra covering was built out of Ex-Anderson shelter sheeting and ex-government 6" steel tubes. The remains of this covered terracing is still used on the South-east corner of the ground.
Earlsmead initially consisted of two pitches but the second was sold to the local council in the seventies who then built Earlsmead Primary School on it. With the money raised from its sale Harrow Borough F.C. built a new clubhouse, floodlights good enough for colour TV Cameras and concrete terracing. Whilst this major redevelopment took place the team would spend the 1973-74 season on opponents' or neutral grounds.
In 1995 The Champniss Stand was knocked after 57 years to be replaced with a modern stand to comply with new regulations. This new stand with a seated capacity of 350 was funded through private donations, club fundraising and the Football Foundation
Football Foundation
The Football Foundation is the United Kingdom’s largest sports charity, investing £40m into communities each year thanks to money provided by its funding partners the Premier League, The FA and the Government...
.
Location
Earlsmead is on the site of common land on the furthest west side of RoxethRoxeth
Roxeth was a hamlet in the ancient Harrow on the Hill parish, which now forms part of the London Borough of Harrow in Greater London, England.The ancient parish of Harrow on the Hill, or simply Harrow, was one of the largest parishes in Middlesex...
in what was once known as Dabbs Field. In this area around 850 AD it is believed there was a now forgotten battle as commemorated in place names such as the Bonefield and the Hundred of Gore (spears).
The surrounding area was built as part of the Metro-land
Metro-land
Metro-land is a name given to the suburban areas that were built to the north west of London in the counties of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Middlesex in the early part of the 20th century, and were served by the Metropolitan Railway, an independent company until absorbed by the London...
developments in the 1930s. This development, the Earlsmead Housing Estate, appears to have given the ground its name.
The streets around the ground are largely named after castles in the British Isles; Windsor
Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle is a medieval castle and royal residence in Windsor in the English county of Berkshire, notable for its long association with the British royal family and its architecture. The original castle was built after the Norman invasion by William the Conqueror. Since the time of Henry I it...
, Warwick
Warwick Castle
Warwick Castle is a medieval castle in Warwick, the county town of Warwickshire, England. It sits on a bend on the River Avon. The castle was built by William the Conqueror in 1068 within or adjacent to the Anglo-Saxon burh of Warwick. It was used as a fortification until the early 17th century,...
, Kenilworth
Kenilworth Castle
Kenilworth Castle is located in the town of the same name in Warwickshire, England. Constructed from Norman through to Tudor times, the castle has been described by architectural historian Anthony Emery as "the finest surviving example of a semi-royal palace of the later middle ages, significant...
, Walton
Walton Castle
Walton Castle is a 17th Century, Grade II listed castle set upon a hill in Clevedon, North Somerset, on the site of an earlier Iron Age hill fort.-History:...
, Arundel
Arundel Castle
Arundel Castle in Arundel, West Sussex, England is a restored medieval castle. It was founded by Roger de Montgomery on Christmas Day 1067. Roger became the first to hold the earldom of Arundel by the graces of William the Conqueror...
, Corfe
Corfe Castle
Corfe Castle is a village and civil parish in the English county of Dorset. It is the site of a ruined castle of the same name. The village and castle stand over a gap in the Purbeck Hills on the route between Wareham and Swanage. The village lies in the gap below the castle, and is some eight...
, Balmoral
Balmoral Castle
Balmoral Castle is a large estate house in Royal Deeside, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is located near the village of Crathie, west of Ballater and east of Braemar. Balmoral has been one of the residences of the British Royal Family since 1852, when it was purchased by Queen Victoria and her...
, Ludlow
Ludlow Castle
Ludlow Castle is a large, partly ruined, non-inhabited castle which dominates the town of Ludlow in Shropshire, England. It stands on a high point overlooking the River Teme...
, Tregenna
Tregenna Castle
Tregenna Castle, in St Ives, Cornwall, was built by John Stephens in the 18th century. The estate was sold in 1871 and became an hotel, a purpose for which it is still used today.The castle is a Grade II Listed building...
. The only exceptions being Holyrood Avenue, which appears to be named after the Palace
Holyrood Palace
The Palace of Holyroodhouse, commonly referred to as Holyrood Palace, is the official residence of the monarch in Scotland. The palace stands at the bottom of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, at the opposite end to Edinburgh Castle...
, Ivy, Carlyon Avenue, Somervell Road, Eastcote Lane and Earlsmead itself.
Access
Earlsmead is within walking distance of three London UndergroundLondon Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
Stations on three separate lines. Rayners Lane
Rayners Lane tube station
Rayners Lane is a London Underground station in the district of Rayners Lane in north west London, amid a 1930s development originally named Harrow Garden Village. The station is on the Uxbridge branch of both the Metropolitan Line, between Eastcote and West Harrow stations, and the Piccadilly...
(Met/Pic), South Harrow
South Harrow tube station
South Harrow is a London Underground station on the Uxbridge branch of the Piccadilly Line. The station is between Sudbury Hill and Rayners Lane. It is located on Northolt Road . The station is in Travelcard Zone 5...
(Pic) and Northolt
Northolt tube station
Northolt tube station is a station on the London Underground Central line in Northolt in the London Borough of Ealing. It is in Travelcard Zone 5 and between Greenford and South Ruislip stations.-History:...
(Central).Northolt Park
Northolt Park railway station
Northolt Park railway station is a Network Rail station in Northolt, Greater London. It is in Cadogan Close and spans the boundary between the London Borough of Harrow and the London Borough of Ealing, with a footbridge connecting the north side to the south side .The service to the station has...
(Chiltern Line)British Rail. Bus Routes 140 & 114 stop within minutes of the ground. The H10 through Rayners Lane
Rayners Lane
Rayners Lane is a suburban district in the London Borough of Harrow between Pinner and West Harrow.-History:During the Middle Ages the Rayners Lane road was used when transporting grain to the mill on Pinner Green. The road was originally called Bourne Lane as it crossed several streams including...
and 282 through Northolt
Northolt
Northolt is a town in the London Borough of Ealing, England. The town has London Underground and Network Rail stations and is on the A40 road...
also pass nearby.