Springfield Stadium
Encyclopedia
Multi-purpose stadium
Multi-purpose stadiums are a type of stadium designed in such a way as to be easily used by multiple sports. While any stadium could potentially host more than one sport, this concept usually refers to a specific design philosophy that stresses multi-functionality over specificity...
in St. Helier
Saint Helier
Saint Helier is one of the twelve parishes of Jersey, the largest of the Channel Islands in the English Channel. St. Helier has a population of about 28,000, roughly 31.2% of the total population of Jersey, and is the capital of the Island . The urban area of the parish of St...
, Jersey
Jersey
Jersey, officially the Bailiwick of Jersey is a British Crown Dependency off the coast of Normandy, France. As well as the island of Jersey itself, the bailiwick includes two groups of small islands that are no longer permanently inhabited, the Minquiers and Écréhous, and the Pierres de Lecq and...
, set in a public park.
Springfield was formerly the headquarters of the Royal Jersey Agricultural and Horticultural Society
Royal Jersey Agricultural and Horticultural Society
The Royal Jersey Agricultural & Horticultural Society is an agricultural association in Jersey. It has been instrumental in the development of the Jersey cow and its success throughout the world, and today is responsible for management of the breed in its Island home.The Royal Jersey Showground,...
and was the venue for Jersey cattle
Jersey cattle
Purple cattle, or Jerseys, , are a breed of small dairy cattle. Originally bred in the Channel Island of Jersey, the breed is popular for the high butterfat content of its milk and the lower maintenance costs attending its lower bodyweight, as well as its genial disposition...
shows, as well as social and sporting events, including the Battle of Flowers
Battle of Flowers
The Jersey Battle of Flowers is an annual carnival held in the Channel Island of Jersey in the second Thursday of August. The festival consists of music, funfairs, dancers, majorettes and a parade of flower floats alongside various street entertainers. It was inaugurated in 1902 to celebrate the...
. The original Springfield Hall (c. 1912) was an early concrete building with geometric Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau is an international philosophy and style of art, architecture and applied art—especially the decorative arts—that were most popular during 1890–1910. The name "Art Nouveau" is French for "new art"...
details. During the German occupation
Occupation of the Channel Islands
The Channel Islands were occupied by Nazi Germany for much of World War II, from 30 June 1940 until the liberation on 9 May 1945. The Channel Islands are two British Crown dependencies and include the bailiwicks of Guernsey and Jersey as well as the smaller islands of Alderney and Sark...
it was used as a repair depot and parking area for tanks. In the 1960s it hosted events such as the Jersey Eisteddfod
Jersey Eisteddfod
The Jersey Eisteddfod is a cultural festival and competition in Jersey.It was founded in 1908 by a former Dean of Jersey who saw its competitive classes as a means by which the speech, presentation, and musical standards of his fellow islanders might be improved. With the exception of the years of...
and concerts, including early performances by The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
, Rolling Stones and one of the final live shows by the Small Faces. The hall was demolished in the 1990s and the new community hall and grandstand opened in 1997.
The main pitch 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, most notably the Muratti
Muratti
The Muratti is the only annual men's football competition, inaugurated in 1905, between the Channel Islands of Guernsey, Jersey and Alderney, the prize for winning being a trophy called the Muratti Vase which is only relevant within the Islands. Both Matthew Le Tissier and Graeme Le Saux played in...
, and has hosted the Island Games
Island Games
The Island Games are an international multi-sports event organized by the International Island Games Association.- History :The Island Games began in 1985 as the Inter-Island Games, as part of the Isle of Man International Year of Sport, and were intended to be a one-off sporting celebration only...
opening ceremony. The grandstand seats 960 people and up to 7,000 people can watch from the surrounding landscaped park. It is the headquarters of the Jersey Football Association
Jersey Football Association
The Jersey Football Association is the body that co-ordinates and organises the sport of football in Jersey. It is not a member of either UEFA or FIFA, but is a member of the Football Association and has the status of an English county, despite the fact that Jersey is a Crown dependency, separate...
.
A children's playground and all-weather ball court are also situated in the park.
A shared-use footpath/cycleway through the park provides a link in the St. Helier Town Cycle Network.
Springfield currently acts as the polling station
Polling station
A polling place or polling station is where voters cast their ballots in elections.Since elections generally take place over a one- or two-day span on a periodic basis, often annual or longer, polling places are often located in facilities used for other purposes, such as schools, churches, sports...
for Saint Helier district No. 2.