Shielfield Park
Encyclopedia
Shielfield Park is a football stadium that is home to Berwick Rangers
and the Berwick Bandits
speedway
team. Although Berwick Rangers is a Scottish Football League
club, Shielfield Park is situated in Tweedmouth
, England
.
played at a number of other sites in Berwick
, including a ground adjacent to the present site at Shielfield. Berwick Rangers first entered the Scottish Football League
in 1951. After a successful run in the 1953–54 Scottish Cup, a stand was purchased from Bradford City
and the team settled at Shielfield. The ground was opened with a game against Aston Villa
. The record attendance at Shielfield Park is 13,365, for the Scottish Cup
game against Glasgow Rangers
on 28 January 1967, which Berwick won 1–0
in a famous cup upset.
Due to financial problems, Berwick Rangers was forced to sell Shielfield Park to the local council in 1985, who leased it back to the club. Both stand roofs were dismantled in 1990 as a safety precaution. Berwick Rangers nearly went out of business in 1992 and the lease was sold to a greyhound company. The greyhound company initially locked Berwick Rangers out, forcing the club to groundshare with other Second Division clubs. The company eventually relented and allowed the club back in for part of each week. The club's supporters took eventually bought the lease out in August 1995.
first used Shielfield Park in 1968, but the speedway team left in 1980. Arguments with Berwick Rangers forced the Bandits to find a new home, which was Berrington Lough near Ancroft, Northumberland. The club moved back into Berwick in 1996 and have remained there ever since, enjoying much success during this time and good crowd attendances.
.
Berwick Rangers F.C.
Berwick Rangers Football Club are a football team based in the English Border town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, although they play in the Scottish Football League Third Division...
and the Berwick Bandits
Berwick Bandits
The Berwick Bandits are a speedway team based at Shielfield Park, Berwick upon Tweed, the club competes in the British Premier League.-Brief history:...
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. Although Berwick Rangers is a Scottish Football League
Scottish Football League
The Scottish Football League is a league of football teams in Scotland, comprising theScottish First Division, Scottish Second Division and Scottish Third Division. From the league's foundation in 1890 until the breakaway Scottish Premier League was formed in 1998, the Scottish Football League...
club, Shielfield Park is situated in Tweedmouth
Tweedmouth
Tweedmouth may refer to*The River Tweed*Berwick-upon-Tweed*Baron Tweedmouth...
, 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...
.
History
There has been a ground at Shielfield Park, named after land owned by local butcher William Shiel Dods, since 1890. Berwick RangersBerwick Rangers F.C.
Berwick Rangers Football Club are a football team based in the English Border town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, although they play in the Scottish Football League Third Division...
played at a number of other sites in Berwick
Berwick-upon-Tweed
Berwick-upon-Tweed or simply Berwick is a town in the county of Northumberland and is the northernmost town in England, on the east coast at the mouth of the River Tweed. It is situated 2.5 miles south of the Scottish border....
, including a ground adjacent to the present site at Shielfield. Berwick Rangers first entered the Scottish Football League
Scottish Football League
The Scottish Football League is a league of football teams in Scotland, comprising theScottish First Division, Scottish Second Division and Scottish Third Division. From the league's foundation in 1890 until the breakaway Scottish Premier League was formed in 1998, the Scottish Football League...
in 1951. After a successful run in the 1953–54 Scottish Cup, a stand was purchased from Bradford City
Bradford City A.F.C.
Bradford City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, playing in League Two....
and the team settled at Shielfield. The ground was opened with a game against Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
. The record attendance at Shielfield Park is 13,365, 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...
game against Glasgow Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
on 28 January 1967, which Berwick won 1–0
Berwick Rangers F.C. 1–0 Rangers F.C.
The first round Scottish FA Cup match between Berwick Rangers and Rangers was a football match played on 28 January 1967. Berwick Rangers ran out 1–0 winners. The match has been described as one of the biggest upsets in Scottish football.-Background:...
in a famous cup upset.
Due to financial problems, Berwick Rangers was forced to sell Shielfield Park to the local council in 1985, who leased it back to the club. Both stand roofs were dismantled in 1990 as a safety precaution. Berwick Rangers nearly went out of business in 1992 and the lease was sold to a greyhound company. The greyhound company initially locked Berwick Rangers out, forcing the club to groundshare with other Second Division clubs. The company eventually relented and allowed the club back in for part of each week. The club's supporters took eventually bought the lease out in August 1995.
Speedway
Berwick BanditsBerwick Bandits
The Berwick Bandits are a speedway team based at Shielfield Park, Berwick upon Tweed, the club competes in the British Premier League.-Brief history:...
first used Shielfield Park in 1968, but the speedway team left in 1980. Arguments with Berwick Rangers forced the Bandits to find a new home, which was Berrington Lough near Ancroft, Northumberland. The club moved back into Berwick in 1996 and have remained there ever since, enjoying much success during this time and good crowd attendances.
Structure and facilities
The current capacity of Shielfield Park is 4,131, of which 1,366 are seated in the Main Stand. Opposite the Main Stand is a small covered terrace, nicknamed the "Ducket". Both of the ends are turfed and unused as spectator areas. Behind the west end curve is the Simpsons Maltings plant and the East Coast Main LineEast Coast Main Line
The East Coast Main Line is a long electrified high-speed railway link between London, Peterborough, Doncaster, Wakefield, Leeds, York, Darlington, Newcastle and Edinburgh...
.