Eastville Stadium
Encyclopedia
Eastville Stadium, also known as Bristol Stadium and Bristol Stadium – Eastville, was a stadium
in Eastville
, a northern suburb of the English
city of Bristol
.
Constructed in 1897, it was the home of Bristol Rovers F.C.
, the Bristol Bulldogs
speedway
team and was also a greyhound racing
venue. During 1986 it was also the home of the short-lived Bristol Bombers American Football
team.
Rovers played their home games at Eastville (nicknamed 'The Ville') until forced to leave by financial difficulties in 1986. Rovers then spent a decade at Twerton Park
in Bath before returning to the city to play at the Memorial Stadium
where they remain to this day. The record attendance was 39,462.
Parts of stadium were still in existence a decade after the ground's closure, but these were demolished in 1998 to make way for an IKEA
superstore.
Built near to a gas holder, the constant smell of town gas in the air gave rise to the name used for Bristol Rovers fans of 'The Gas' or 'Gasheads'. http://www.bristolrovers2.co.uk/eastvillestadium.html The nickname 'The Gas' began as a derogatory nickname used by Bristol City fans, however Rovers fans now refer to themselves as Gasheads as a badge of honour. The number 12 squad shirt has been officially allocated to 'Gasheads' by the club in honour of the crowd being the 12th man.
Another unique feature of Eastville were the flower beds behind each goal.
behind one of the goals. Originally built in 1935, the Tote End terrace was built following the curve of the greyhound racing
track. It had a small covered section in the South-West corner.
The totaliser clocks mounted first on the back of the terrace and then after a larger roof was added in 1961 to cover most of the terrace, on the roof fascia, gave it its name.
With a boisterous and intimidating atmosphere, largely due to it being a favoured spot for the more vociferous Rovers supporters, and given the nature of football in Britain in the 1970s, it became notoriously linked with bovver boys and hooliganism
- a period documented by the book Bovver by Chris Brown.
Shortly after Rovers left Eastville in 1986 The Tote End was bulldozed.
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 Eastville
Eastville, Bristol
Eastville is the name of both a council ward in the city of Bristol in the United Kingdom and a suburb of the city that lies within that ward. The Eastville ward covers the areas of Eastville, Crofts End , Stapleton and part of Fishponds...
, a northern suburb of the English
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...
city of Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
.
Constructed in 1897, it was the home of Bristol Rovers F.C.
Bristol Rovers F.C.
Bristol Rovers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Bristol, that competes in Football League Two. The team plays its home matches at the Memorial Stadium, in the Horfield area of the city....
, the Bristol Bulldogs
Bristol Bulldogs
The Bristol Bulldogs were a British motorcycle speedway team based in the Knowle Stadium, Bristol, England.The club was formed prior to World War II. The track operated a season of challenge matches in 1946 with the team known as Ex-Bristol. They competed in the National League Division Two from 1947...
speedway
Motorcycle speedway
Motorcycle speedway, usually referred to as speedway, is a motorcycle sport involving four and sometimes up to six riders competing over four anti-clockwise laps of an oval circuit. Speedway motorcycles use only one gear and have no brakes and racing takes place on a flat oval track usually...
team and was also a greyhound racing
Greyhound racing
Greyhound racing is the sport of racing greyhounds. The dogs chase a lure on a track until they arrive at the finish line. The one that arrives first is the winner....
venue. During 1986 it was also the home of the short-lived Bristol Bombers American Football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
team.
Rovers played their home games at Eastville (nicknamed 'The Ville') until forced to leave by financial difficulties in 1986. Rovers then spent a decade at Twerton Park
Twerton Park
Twerton Park is a multi-purpose stadium in the Twerton suburb of Bath, England. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home ground of Bath City. From 1986 to 1996 Bristol Rovers played there due to financial problems...
in Bath before returning to the city to play at the Memorial Stadium
Memorial Stadium (Bristol)
The Memorial Stadium, also commonly known by its previous name of The Memorial Ground, is a sports ground in Bristol, England, dedicated to the memory of the rugby union players of the city killed during World War I...
where they remain to this day. The record attendance was 39,462.
Parts of stadium were still in existence a decade after the ground's closure, but these were demolished in 1998 to make way for an IKEA
IKEA
IKEA is a privately held, international home products company that designs and sells ready-to-assemble furniture such as beds and desks, appliances and home accessories. The company is the world's largest furniture retailer...
superstore.
Built near to a gas holder, the constant smell of town gas in the air gave rise to the name used for Bristol Rovers fans of 'The Gas' or 'Gasheads'. http://www.bristolrovers2.co.uk/eastvillestadium.html The nickname 'The Gas' began as a derogatory nickname used by Bristol City fans, however Rovers fans now refer to themselves as Gasheads as a badge of honour. The number 12 squad shirt has been officially allocated to 'Gasheads' by the club in honour of the crowd being the 12th man.
Another unique feature of Eastville were the flower beds behind each goal.
The Tote End
The Tote End or simply The Tote was a large section of covered terracingTerrace (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...
behind one of the goals. Originally built in 1935, the Tote End terrace was built following the curve of the greyhound racing
Greyhound racing
Greyhound racing is the sport of racing greyhounds. The dogs chase a lure on a track until they arrive at the finish line. The one that arrives first is the winner....
track. It had a small covered section in the South-West corner.
The totaliser clocks mounted first on the back of the terrace and then after a larger roof was added in 1961 to cover most of the terrace, on the roof fascia, gave it its name.
With a boisterous and intimidating atmosphere, largely due to it being a favoured spot for the more vociferous Rovers supporters, and given the nature of football in Britain in the 1970s, it became notoriously linked with bovver boys and hooliganism
Hooliganism
Hooliganism refers to unruly, destructive, aggressive and bullying behaviour. Such behaviour is commonly associated with sports fans. The term can also apply to general rowdy behaviour and vandalism, often under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs....
- a period documented by the book Bovver by Chris Brown.
Shortly after Rovers left Eastville in 1986 The Tote End was bulldozed.
Important dates
- 1897 - Bristol Rovers first appearance at Eastville
- 1921 - Bristol Rovers purchase the stadium.
- 1924 - The mostly wooden south stand was built.
- 1935 - The Tote End was constructed.
- 1940 - The stadium is sold to the Bristol Greyhound Company.
- 1952 - First Commentary Broadcast to the Bristol Hospitals by The Bristol Hospital Broadcasting Service. 23 August v Shrewsbury Town Rovers won 2-1.
- 1959 - The North Stand opened, and floodlights installed.
- 1960 - Highest recorded attendance for a Rovers match. 38,472 v Preston North End in the FA CupFA CupThe 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...
4th Round, January 30. - 1961 - A roof and new terracingTerrace (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...
installed at the Tote End. - 1969 - M32 motorwayM32 motorwayThe M32 is a motorway in South Gloucestershire and Bristol, England. It provides a link from Bristol city centre to the M4 and is part of the Bristol Parkway. At about , it is one of Britain's shortest motorways...
opened. - 1977 - Motorcycle speedwayMotorcycle speedwayMotorcycle speedway, usually referred to as speedway, is a motorcycle sport involving four and sometimes up to six riders competing over four anti-clockwise laps of an oval circuit. Speedway motorcycles use only one gear and have no brakes and racing takes place on a flat oval track usually...
introduced to the ground. - 1980 - South Stand fire in August.
- 1986 - Bristol Rovers play their last ever game at Eastville.
- 1998 - Eastville stadium demolished.
External links
- http://www.flickr.com/photos/89492733@N00/301074684/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/89492733@N00/301074684/ Pictures showing the Tote End with the large Hofmeister advert that replaced the totaliser clocks in 1982.