Morton Stadium
Encyclopedia
Morton Stadium, or the National Athletics Stadium, is an athletics stadium in Santry
, in the north of Dublin City. Often called Santry Stadium, it is the centre for athletics events in Ireland
, and home track of Clonliffe Harriers
. It was home to Sporting Fingal FC. The modern capacity of the ground is 4,000 http://irl.worldfootball.net/spielorte/morton-stadium-dublin/#redirect with a single 800 seat, covered stand.
shattered the world record for the mile run
with a time of 3 minutes 54.5 seconds. This was the first race in which five athletes had run a four minute mile
.
In 1978 the stadium was resurfaced with a tartan track
, the first such in the Republic of Ireland
. In the early 1990s it was renamed after Billy Morton, the late administrator who had initiated the original track and who brought famous athletes to compete in the stadium. It hosted the athletics events of the Special Olympics World Games
in 2003.
The stadium consists of a small covered stand
with 800 seats and three sides of open terracing
, bringing the total capacity up to 4,000. The stand encompasses dressing rooms and other facilities; there are also separate clubhouses for the associated clubs. The stadium complex also has indoor athletics training facilities.
On 25 July 2008, a special event was held in the stadium called the Morton Memorial Meeting to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the aforementioned world mile record in an event promoted by the late Billy Morton. The event website is www.mortonmemorial.com where there are photos of the 1958 event.
The track (both indoor and outdoor) was relayed in late 2010. The indoor track is now blue.
Santry has also hosted the home games of soccer
clubs Shamrock Rovers (from 1999–2001) and Dublin City
.
Sporting Fingal of the League of Ireland
played at the stadium though they were expected to move to the Fingal Sports Complex
after its construction.
Santry
Santry is a suburb on the Northside of Dublin, Ireland, bordering Coolock, Glasnevin and Ballymun. Today it straddles the boundary of Dublin City and Fingal County Council area....
, in the north of Dublin City. Often called Santry Stadium, it is the centre for athletics events in Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
, and home track of Clonliffe Harriers
Clonliffe Harriers
Clonliffe Harriers is a Dublin-based athletics club. They were founded in 1886, and are the oldest athletic club in Ireland. They have been based in Morton Stadium since the 1950s. The club has top-class international coaches in all disciplines and a lively training programme for all levels. The...
. It was home to Sporting Fingal FC. The modern capacity of the ground is 4,000 http://irl.worldfootball.net/spielorte/morton-stadium-dublin/#redirect with a single 800 seat, covered stand.
History
The stadium was opened in 1958 with a cinder track. An inaugural series of meetings was held, and on 6 August 1958, Australian Herb ElliottHerb Elliott
Herbert James "Herb" Elliott AC MBE is a former Australian athlete, one of the world's greatest middle distance runners...
shattered the world record for the mile run
Mile run
The mile run is a middle-distance foot race which is among the more popular events in track running.The history of the mile run event began in England, where it was used as a distance for gambling races...
with a time of 3 minutes 54.5 seconds. This was the first race in which five athletes had run a four minute mile
Four Minute Mile
Four Minute Mile is the first full-length album released by Kansas City, Missouri emo band The Get Up Kids.-Recording:The album was recorded in April 1997 on a budget of $4,000. It was produced by Shellac bassist Bob Weston in Chicago over the course of two and a half days. It was released by...
.
In 1978 the stadium was resurfaced with a tartan track
Tartan track
Tartan Track is the trademarked all-weather synthetic track surfacing made of polyurethane which is used for track and field competitions. It lets athletes compete in bad weather without serious performance loss and improves their results over other surfaces...
, the first such in the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
. In the early 1990s it was renamed after Billy Morton, the late administrator who had initiated the original track and who brought famous athletes to compete in the stadium. It hosted the athletics events of the Special Olympics World Games
Special Olympics World Games
The Special Olympics World Games are an international sporting competition for athletes with intellectual disabilities, organized by Special Olympics....
in 2003.
The stadium consists of a small covered stand
Stand
Stand may refer to:*Stand, Greater Manchester, a residential area in the Metropolitan Borough of Manchester, England*A partnership in cricket*STAND: A Student Anti-Genocide Coalition...
with 800 seats and three sides of open 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...
, bringing the total capacity up to 4,000. The stand encompasses dressing rooms and other facilities; there are also separate clubhouses for the associated clubs. The stadium complex also has indoor athletics training facilities.
On 25 July 2008, a special event was held in the stadium called the Morton Memorial Meeting to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the aforementioned world mile record in an event promoted by the late Billy Morton. The event website is www.mortonmemorial.com where there are photos of the 1958 event.
The track (both indoor and outdoor) was relayed in late 2010. The indoor track is now blue.
Santry has also hosted the home games of soccer
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...
clubs Shamrock Rovers (from 1999–2001) and Dublin City
Dublin City F.C.
Dublin City Football Club was an Irish association football club that played in the League of Ireland. They were formed in 1999 after a split within Home Farm Everton and they originally played as Home Farm Fingal before changing their name for the 2001–02 season...
.
Sporting Fingal of the League of Ireland
League of Ireland
The League of Ireland is the national association football league of the Republic of Ireland. Founded in 1921, as a league of eight clubs, it has expanded over time into a two-tiered league of 22 clubs. It is currently split into the League of Ireland Premier Division and the League of Ireland...
played at the stadium though they were expected to move to the Fingal Sports Complex
Fingal Sports Complex
The Fingal Sports Complex is a facility set to be built in Lusk, North County Dublin by Fingal County Council. The facility will cost €10 million and will presumably be the home of Sporting Fingal.- Facilities :...
after its construction.
External links
- Morton Stadium from Clonliffe Harriers website