Netherdale
Encyclopedia
Netherdale, is an area of Galashiels
, a town in the Scottish Borders
.
It is perhaps best known as being the home of Gala Rugby Club
, Gala Fairydean Football Club
and more recently the professional Border Reivers
rugby union
team. Gretna F.C.
was mooted as groundsharing with the promotion to the SPL
, however instead chose to play at Motherwell F.C.'s ground as it is bigger.
While both stadiums are referred to as ‘Netherdale’, the clubs actually play in two separate grounds, located beside each other.
The rugby stadium has a capacity of 6,000. A large grandstand overlooks the pitch and the nearby Eildon Hill
s.
Recently the success of the Border Reivers has meant that average crowds have increased and in the past year a second fully seated stand was installed, increasing the capacity to around 4,000 from the previous 2,000.
The stadium hosted the 1999 Rugby World Cup
Pool A match between Uruguay
and Spain
.
Gala Fairydean’s stadium has a capacity of around 2,000. The ground’s most striking feature is the main stand. With a capacity of 500 it is the largest stand in the Borders. Designed by the renowned British
architect
Peter Wormsley, the concrete
structure is sometimes sarcastically dubbed as “the San Siro
of the Borders.” In December 2006, it was controversially awarded a 'B listing' by Historic Scotland
, which means the "character and setting" of the building must be preserved for "future generations". Amateur club, Gala Rovers, who play in the Border Amateur Football League also play their home games at Netherdale.
Netherdale is also home to the 'Raid Stane' (Raid Stone). This stone marks the site of skirmish between the residents of Galashiels and English raiders during the Scottish wars of independence. The stone is marked by a small sign, located on the lawn next to Netherdale car park.
Galashiels
Galashiels is a burgh in the Scottish Borders, on the Gala Water river. The name is often shortened to "Gala" .Galashiels is a major commercial centre for the Scottish Borders...
, a town in the Scottish Borders
Scottish Borders
The Scottish Borders is one of 32 local government council areas of Scotland. It is bordered by Dumfries and Galloway in the west, South Lanarkshire and West Lothian in the north west, City of Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian to the north; and the non-metropolitan counties of Northumberland...
.
It is perhaps best known as being the home of Gala Rugby Club
Gala RFC
Gala Rugby Football Club are a rugby union team based in Galashiels in the Scottish Borders, founded in 1875, they play their home games at Netherdale....
, Gala Fairydean Football Club
Gala Fairydean F.C.
Gala Fairydean F.C. is a football club currently playing in Division 1 of the East of Scotland Football League.- History :Founded in 1907 as the result of a split in the Gala Fairydean Rovers club into Gala Fairydean and Gala Rovers, they play their home matches at the Netherdale ground in Galashiels...
and more recently the professional Border Reivers
Border Reivers (Rugby)
Border Reivers, originally known as 'Scottish Borders Rugby' and also known as 'The Borders' were one of four professional rugby union teams in Scotland, alongside Edinburgh, Caledonia Reds and Glasgow Warriors....
rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
team. Gretna F.C.
Gretna F.C.
Gretna Football Club was a Scottish football club that represented the town of Gretna, Dumfries and Galloway, close to the border between England and Scotland...
was mooted as groundsharing with the promotion to the SPL
SPL
-Sporting Leagues:*Scottish Premier League, or Clydesdale Bank Premier League, the highest professional football league in Scotland*Saudi Premier League, or Zain Saudi Premier League, the highest professional football league in Saudi Arabia...
, however instead chose to play at Motherwell F.C.'s ground as it is bigger.
While both stadiums are referred to as ‘Netherdale’, the clubs actually play in two separate grounds, located beside each other.
The rugby stadium has a capacity of 6,000. A large grandstand overlooks the pitch and the nearby Eildon Hill
Eildon Hill
Not to be confused with Eldon Hill, EnglandEildon Hill lies just south of Melrose, Scotland in the Scottish Borders, overlooking the town. The name is usually pluralised into "the Eildons" or "Eildon Hills", because of its triple peak....
s.
Recently the success of the Border Reivers has meant that average crowds have increased and in the past year a second fully seated stand was installed, increasing the capacity to around 4,000 from the previous 2,000.
The stadium hosted the 1999 Rugby World Cup
1999 Rugby World Cup
The 1999 Rugby World Cup was the fourth Rugby World Cup, and the first to be held in rugby union's professional era. The principal host nation was Wales, although the majority of matches were played outside the country, shared between England, France, Scotland and Ireland...
Pool A match between Uruguay
Uruguay national rugby union team
The Uruguay national rugby union team is the representative side of Uruguay, governed by the Unión de Rugby del Uruguay. They have been playing international rugby since 1948. Their jersey is blue and black and they are known as Los Teros. They qualified twice for the Rugby World Cup, in 1999 and...
and Spain
Spain national rugby union team
The Spain national rugby union team are a national sporting side of Spain, representing them at rugby union. Spain have been playing rugby since the late 1920s, playing their first international against Italy in 1929. They have qualified for one Rugby World Cup, in 1999 where they were pooled with...
.
Gala Fairydean’s stadium has a capacity of around 2,000. The ground’s most striking feature is the main stand. With a capacity of 500 it is the largest stand in the Borders. Designed by the renowned British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
Peter Wormsley, the concrete
Concrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
structure is sometimes sarcastically dubbed as “the San Siro
San Siro
The Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, originally and commonly referred to as the San Siro because of its location, officially given its current name on 3 March 1980, is a football stadium located in the San Siro district in Milan, Italy. It is the home of both A.C. Milan and F.C. Internazionale Milano...
of the Borders.” In December 2006, it was controversially awarded a 'B listing' by Historic Scotland
Historic Scotland
Historic Scotland is an executive agency of the Scottish Government, responsible for historic monuments in Scotland.-Role:As its website states:...
, which means the "character and setting" of the building must be preserved for "future generations". Amateur club, Gala Rovers, who play in the Border Amateur Football League also play their home games at Netherdale.
Netherdale is also home to the 'Raid Stane' (Raid Stone). This stone marks the site of skirmish between the residents of Galashiels and English raiders during the Scottish wars of independence. The stone is marked by a small sign, located on the lawn next to Netherdale car park.