Stebonheath Park
Encyclopedia
Stebonheath Park is a multi-use stadium
in Llanelli
, West Wales
with a capacity of 3,700. It is primarily used as a football ground and is the home of Llanelli Football Club
.It is also used for athletics and Llanelli Amateur Athletic Club (Llanelli AAC) are based at the stadium. It is owned by Llanelli Town Council
.
The stadium has been owned by Llanelli Town Council since 1977. The council undertook major redevelopmemts of the stadium which included floodlighting
, a new 700 seater main stand, new terracing, a function room social club as well as all-weather training facilities for the athletics club. In July 2008, a new open seated stand was built on existing terracing along one side of the ground with about 300 seats.
Around the pitch is a narrow 400 metre running track with four lanes on each straight. It is the narrowest 400m track in the United Kingdom
.
On 28 February 2006 the stadium hosted an international match between Wales Under-21s
and Northern Ireland Under-21s
, with the Northern Irish side winning 1-0.
Local junior football finals are held at the stadium. The Welsh Cup
final has been staged at the stadium including the 2002-03 season final between Barry Town
and Cwmbran Town as well as the 2004-05 final between Total Network Solutions
and Carmarthen Town. On 6 May 2007 Stebonheath Park staged the 120th Welsh Cup final between Carmarthen Town and Afan Lido
.
On 31 October 2008 the stadium hosted a Victory Shield
match
between Wales under-16 and England under-16
which was shown live on Sky Sports
.
which had a capacity of 10,800. However it was demolished in late 2008 and it is expected that Llanelli will in future play their major games at the new 14,340 capacity Parc y Scarlets
.
The new open seated stand at Stebonheath Park has enabled Llanelli to host European matches, the first being a UEFA Champions League
qualifier against Latvia
n club FK Ventspils
in July 2008.
, cross-country running and road running
.
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 Llanelli
Llanelli
Llanelli , the largest town in both the county of Carmarthenshire and the preserved county of Dyfed , Wales, sits on the Loughor estuary on the West Wales coast, approximately west-north-west of Swansea and south-east of the county town, Carmarthen. The town is famous for its proud rugby...
, West Wales
West Wales
West Wales is the western area of Wales.Some definitions of West Wales include only Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire, an area which historically comprised the Welsh principality of Deheubarth., an area called "South West Wales" in the Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics....
with a capacity of 3,700. It is primarily used as a football ground and is the home of Llanelli Football Club
Llanelli A.F.C.
Llanelli Association Football Club is a Welsh semi-professional football club that plays in the Welsh Premier League for the 2010–11 season. The team has been based at Stebonheath Park since 1920, and as of 2009 is managed by Andy Legg....
.It is also used for athletics and Llanelli Amateur Athletic Club (Llanelli AAC) are based at the stadium. It is owned by Llanelli Town Council
Llanelli Town Council
Llanelli Town Council is the community council that governs the majority of wards in Llanelli town. The council appoints a presiding officer who is then known as the Mayor of Llanelli....
.
History
Stebonheath Park has been used as a football ground since 1920. It almost hosted League football in the 1930s but the club lost out coming second in the vote. At the time the ground had a large wooden grandstand, a covered end terrace and a large bank on the south side, and it could easily have been developed into a Third Division ground. The stand was subsequently demolished and the ground re-shaped to allow the building of an adjacent by-pass road.The stadium has been owned by Llanelli Town Council since 1977. The council undertook major redevelopmemts of the stadium which included floodlighting
Floodlights (sport)
Floodlights are broad-beamed, high-intensity artificial lights often used to illuminate outdoor playing fields while an outdoor sports event is being held during low-light conditions....
, a new 700 seater main stand, new terracing, a function room social club as well as all-weather training facilities for the athletics club. In July 2008, a new open seated stand was built on existing terracing along one side of the ground with about 300 seats.
Around the pitch is a narrow 400 metre running track with four lanes on each straight. It is the narrowest 400m track in the United Kingdom
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...
.
On 28 February 2006 the stadium hosted an international match between Wales Under-21s
Wales national under-21 football team
The Wales national under-21 football team, also known as the Wales U21s, is the national under-21 football team of Wales and is controlled by the Football Association of Wales. The team competes in the UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship, held every two years...
and Northern Ireland Under-21s
Northern Ireland national under-21 football team
The Northern Ireland national under-21 football team is the national under-21 football team of Northern Ireland.-Former coaches:* To 20 August 2008.-2008/09 Matches:-Current squad:Squad to play San Marino.-Other Recent Call-Ups:...
, with the Northern Irish side winning 1-0.
Local junior football finals are held at the stadium. The Welsh Cup
Welsh Cup
The Welsh Cup is a knock-out football competition contested annually by teams from Wales.The Football Association of Wales is the organising body of this competition, which has been run every year since its inception in 1877-78...
final has been staged at the stadium including the 2002-03 season final between Barry Town
Barry Town F.C.
Barry Town FC are a football team based in Barry. They dominated the League of Wales during the 1990s, but finished bottom in 2003-04 and were relegated...
and Cwmbran Town as well as the 2004-05 final between Total Network Solutions
The New Saints F.C.
The New Saints of Oswestry Town & Llansantffraid Football Club , also known as The New Saints or simply TNS is a full-time-professional British football club representing Llansantffraid-ym-Mechain in Powys, Wales and Oswestry in Shropshire, England . They play in the Welsh Premier League...
and Carmarthen Town. On 6 May 2007 Stebonheath Park staged the 120th Welsh Cup final between Carmarthen Town and Afan Lido
Afan Lido F.C.
Afan Lido F.C. is a football team based in Aberavon playing in the Welsh Premier League.-History:The club was founded in 1967, and they play at the Marston Stadium, Aberavon, which accommodates 4200 spectators .-Current squad:...
.
On 31 October 2008 the stadium hosted a Victory Shield
Victory Shield
The Victory Shield is an annual football tournament competed for by the under-16 teams of England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. The competition is broadcast live in the UK by Sky Sports who also sponsor the competition...
match
2008 Victory Shield
The Victory Shield 2008 is the 63rd edition of the Victory Shield, an annual football tournament that began in 1925 and is competed for by the Under 16 level teams of England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. It was held from 3 October to 29 November 2008 and won by England.-Venues:-Final...
between Wales under-16 and England under-16
England national under-16 football team
-Latest squad:The following players were named in the squad for the Victory Shield match against Scotland.-Recent call-ups:The following players have also been called up to the England U-16 squad and remain eligible.-External links:*...
which was shown live on Sky Sports
Sky Sports
Sky Sports is the brand name for a group of sports-oriented television channels operated by the UK and Ireland's main satellite pay-TV company, British Sky Broadcasting. Sky Sports is the dominant subscription television sports brand in the United Kingdom and Ireland...
.
Llanelli AFC
Although the stadium is the home of Llanelli, they used to play major games at Stradey ParkStradey Park
Stradey Park was a rugby union stadium located near the centre of the town of Llanelli in Carmarthenshire, Wales. It was the home of the Scarlets region and Llanelli RFC rugby teams. The stadium was a combination of seating and standing with a total capacity of 10,800...
which had a capacity of 10,800. However it was demolished in late 2008 and it is expected that Llanelli will in future play their major games at the new 14,340 capacity Parc y Scarlets
Parc y Scarlets
Parc y Scarlets is a rugby union stadium in Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, that opened in November 2008 as the new home of the Scarlets and Llanelli RFC. The ground replaced Stradey Park, the home of Llanelli's rugby teams for almost 130 years...
.
The new open seated stand at Stebonheath Park has enabled Llanelli to host European matches, the first being a UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
qualifier against Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
n club FK Ventspils
FK Ventspils
FK Ventspils is a Latvian football club, based at Ventspils Olimpiskais Stadions in Ventspils city and is one of the most popular football clubs in the country. FK Ventspils plays in the Latvian Virsliga. They are the current champions of the tournament....
in July 2008.
Llanelli AAC
Lanelli AAC, which was formed in 1978, is based at the stadium and caters for all standards of track and field athleticsTrack and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
, cross-country running and road running
Road running
Road running is the sport of running on a measured course over an established road . These events would be classified as long distance according to athletics terminology, with distances typically ranging from 5 kilometers to 42.2 kilometers in the marathon. They may involve large numbers of runners...
.