The Old Recreation Ground
Encyclopedia
The Old Recreation Ground was a football stadium, located in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent
and home to Port Vale
for almost 40 years. The Rec had been Vale's home between 1913 and 1950 and was the sixth ground the club used.
. The dressing rooms were bare, there were no toilet facilities throughout the entire ground, and racing pigeon
s were kept by The Sentinel and a number of supporters so as to relay the scoreline to different parts of the city.
on the site forcing the club to move to their current home of Vale Park
.
Stoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent , also called The Potteries is a city in Staffordshire, England, which forms a linear conurbation almost 12 miles long, with an area of . Together with the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme Stoke forms The Potteries Urban Area...
and home to Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...
for almost 40 years. The Rec had been Vale's home between 1913 and 1950 and was the sixth ground the club used.
Structure and facilities
The stadium was in rather bad condition, especially following years of neglect during World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The dressing rooms were bare, there were no toilet facilities throughout the entire ground, and racing pigeon
Racing Homer
A Racing Homer is a breed of pigeon that has been selectively bred for more speed, and enhanced homing instinct for the sport of Pigeon racing. A popular domestic pigeon breed, the Racing Homer is also one of the newest.-Development:...
s were kept by The Sentinel and a number of supporters so as to relay the scoreline to different parts of the city.
Leaving the ground
Port Vale were forced to sell the land to the city council, under the chairmanship of Tom W.Flint after suffering a financial crisis, they received £13,500. This came after the club's president Major William Huntbach died in 1943, leaving £3,000 of loans to be repaid to his estate. The council initially refused to allow the club to play at their ground, but eventually relented for rent of £400 a year. In 1950, the city council decided to construct a shopping centrePotteries Shopping Centre
The Potteries Shopping Centre is an indoor shopping centre in Hanley, Stoke on Trent. It is the major indoor shopping centre in the city. The town of Hanley is generally regarded as the commercial city centre of Stoke-on-Trent....
on the site forcing the club to move to their current home of Vale Park
Vale Park
Vale Park is a football stadium in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, England. It is the home ground of Port Vale F.C., who have played at the ground since 1950....
.