Blundell Park
Encyclopedia
Blundell Park is a football
ground
in Cleethorpes
, North East Lincolnshire
, England
and home to Grimsby Town Football Club
. The stadium was built in 1898, but only one of the original stands remain. The current capacity of the ground is 9546, though with the introduction of all seating in the late 1980s the capacity was reduced from the near 27,000 it could hold. Several relegations in previous years meant the expansion seating was also taken away, this reduced the capacity further more from in and around 12,000 to what it is now.
In the mid 1980s the Pontoon Stand became the away stand with the Osmond Stand reserved for home fans, the thought being that the Pontoon's more open design would make the Grimsby Town supporters' presence more noticeable in the remainder of the stadium. This was extremely unpopular with club supporters and reversed.
The Pontoon Stand was converted to an all-seater facility in the early 1990s in response to the Taylor Report
following the Hillsborough disaster
of 1989 and the seats were laid out in black and white stripes to reflect the club's colours. The Pontoon mainly houses the more vocal supporters of the club, and often houses a drummer.
The two tiered Findus
Stand runs along half of the length of the pitch on the west side. This was built with money from former fish processing company Findus and the stand was originally known as the Findus Family Stand, built by South Humberside Fabrication Services. It has subsequently been called the Stones Bitter
Stand, John Smith's Stand and most recently the Carlsberg Stand. Due to the Company Findus returning to Grimsby, the Carlsberg stand has now returned to its original name
This stand was opened in 1981, replacing the old Barrett Stand. The upper tier is covered and offers views of the River Humber, Spurn Point and the North Sea
over the top of the Main Stand. The lower tier is uncovered and between the two is a row of corporate boxes.
The club shop, ticket office and boardroom are also based in this stand. As well as this, the "McMenemy's Function Suite" which is also a fully functional restaurant and bar is also based in this stand. The suite is named after former Town manager Lawrie McMenemy
.
Opposite the Findus stand, on the east side of the ground, is the Main Stand which dates from 1901 and is often claimed to be the oldest stand in the football league. Only the central part of the stand dates from 1901, the rest having been modified in some guise or other. This stand houses the changing rooms and disabled supporters' areas.
The players' tunnel runs from the centre of this stand onto the pitch between the two dugouts.
Away fans sit in the Osmond stand at the south end of the ground, where there are around seats. This stand was built in 1939, shortly before the start of World War II
. The Osmond stand is also a two tier stand, but unlike the Findus Stand, the Osmond only has steps separating the two parts.
The corner between the Main Stand and the Osmond Stand is the only enclosed corner in the whole ground.
Relegation from the Champtionship led to reduced match attendance and temporary seating became largely redundant. In special cup fixtures, for instance the 2005 Carling Cup games with Tottenham Hotspur
and Newcastle United
the temporary seating is reinstalled for one-off use.
Due to the changes in seating, the ground's overall capacity dropped from just under 12,000 while in the Championship to just under 10,000 in League Two.
, adjacent to the A180 dual carriageway
. Planning permission has been granted for the provisionally-titled Conoco Stadium
, and if all goes to plan this will be ready for the 2010-11 season. Blundell Park is the lowest football stadium in the United Kingdom
, at a height of only 2 feet above sea-level. While not in immediate danger from rising tides, it is prudent for Grimsby Town to pursue a move to higher ground.
5th Round match on 20 February 1937 against Wolverhampton Wanderers
. Since the ground was converted to all seating for the start of the 1995–96 season after the Taylor Report
, the highest attendance was for a Football League Division One (Second Tier) match against Sunderland
on 13 March 1999.
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...
ground
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 Cleethorpes
Cleethorpes
Cleethorpes is a town and unparished area in North East Lincolnshire, England, situated on the estuary of the Humber. It has a population of 31,853 and is a seaside resort.- History :...
, North East Lincolnshire
North East Lincolnshire
North East Lincolnshire is a unitary authority in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, bordering the unitary authority of North Lincolnshire and the administrative county of Lincolnshire...
, 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...
and home to Grimsby Town Football Club
Grimsby Town F.C.
Grimsby Town Football Club is an English football club based in the seaside town of Cleethorpes, in North East Lincolnshire, England, who compete in the Conference National. They were formed in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham and later became Grimsby Town...
. The stadium was built in 1898, but only one of the original stands remain. The current capacity of the ground is 9546, though with the introduction of all seating in the late 1980s the capacity was reduced from the near 27,000 it could hold. Several relegations in previous years meant the expansion seating was also taken away, this reduced the capacity further more from in and around 12,000 to what it is now.
Pontoon Stand
The lowest priced tickets for home fans are usually to be found in the Pontoon Stand. This is at the north end of the ground behind one of the goals. It was built in 1961 with money for the construction raised by Grimsby Town's fans.In the mid 1980s the Pontoon Stand became the away stand with the Osmond Stand reserved for home fans, the thought being that the Pontoon's more open design would make the Grimsby Town supporters' presence more noticeable in the remainder of the stadium. This was extremely unpopular with club supporters and reversed.
The Pontoon Stand was converted to an all-seater facility in the early 1990s in response to the Taylor Report
Taylor Report
The Hillsborough Stadium Disaster Inquiry report, better known as the Taylor Report is a document, whose development was overseen by Lord Taylor of Gosforth, concerning the aftermath and causes of the Hillsborough disaster in 1989. An interim report was published in August 1989, and the final...
following the Hillsborough disaster
Hillsborough disaster
The Hillsborough disaster was a human crush that occurred on 15 April 1989 at Hillsborough, a football stadium, the home of Sheffield Wednesday F.C. in Sheffield, England, resulting in the deaths of 96 people, and 766 being injured, all fans of Liverpool F.C....
of 1989 and the seats were laid out in black and white stripes to reflect the club's colours. The Pontoon mainly houses the more vocal supporters of the club, and often houses a drummer.
The Findus Stand
Findus
Findus is a company that produces and retails frozen food. Its products include Crispy Pancakes, which were invented in the early 1970s.- Origins :...
Stand runs along half of the length of the pitch on the west side. This was built with money from former fish processing company Findus and the stand was originally known as the Findus Family Stand, built by South Humberside Fabrication Services. It has subsequently been called the Stones Bitter
Stones Bitter
Stones Bitter is a bitter beer first brewed in 1948 by William Stones Ltd at the Cannon Brewery, Sheffield, England. It was designed for the steelworkers of Sheffield's Lower Don Valley. In 1968 it became a part of Bass Brewery, who extended distribution across the north of England in 1977, and...
Stand, John Smith's Stand and most recently the Carlsberg Stand. Due to the Company Findus returning to Grimsby, the Carlsberg stand has now returned to its original name
This stand was opened in 1981, replacing the old Barrett Stand. The upper tier is covered and offers views of the River Humber, Spurn Point and the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
over the top of the Main Stand. The lower tier is uncovered and between the two is a row of corporate boxes.
The club shop, ticket office and boardroom are also based in this stand. As well as this, the "McMenemy's Function Suite" which is also a fully functional restaurant and bar is also based in this stand. The suite is named after former Town manager Lawrie McMenemy
Lawrie McMenemy
Lawrie McMenemy MBE is a retired English football coach, best known for his spell as manager of Southampton Football Club...
.
Main Stand
The players' tunnel runs from the centre of this stand onto the pitch between the two dugouts.
Osmond Stand
World 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 Osmond stand is also a two tier stand, but unlike the Findus Stand, the Osmond only has steps separating the two parts.
The corner between the Main Stand and the Osmond Stand is the only enclosed corner in the whole ground.
Additional Seating
When Blundell Park became an all seated stadium in the early nineties, the overall capacity of the ground decreased accordingly. The club erected temporary seating in the north-east and south-west corners, colloquially known as "the green seats". These consisted of four blocks of makeshift scaffold seating approximately 10 rows back. The temporary seating were intended to provide additional capacity when needed, but were in regular use on a weekly basis while the club enjoyed a lengthy spell playing in the English Championship.Relegation from the Champtionship led to reduced match attendance and temporary seating became largely redundant. In special cup fixtures, for instance the 2005 Carling Cup games with Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
and Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
the temporary seating is reinstalled for one-off use.
Due to the changes in seating, the ground's overall capacity dropped from just under 12,000 while in the Championship to just under 10,000 in League Two.
The future
The club is hoping to relocate to a new ground on the western outskirts of Grimsby at Great CoatesGreat Coates
Great Coates is a village and civil parish in North East Lincolnshire, England. It is to the north-west of the Grimsby urban area, and is served by Great Coates railway station...
, adjacent to the A180 dual carriageway
A180 road
The A180 is a primary route in northern England, that runs from the M180 motorway to Cleethorpes. The road is a continuation of the M180, but built to lower specifications: it is mainly dual two-lane without hard shoulders. The road is dual carriageway for from the M180 to Grimsby, and is a...
. Planning permission has been granted for the provisionally-titled Conoco Stadium
Conoco Stadium
The Conoco Stadium was the project name for the proposed new football stadium for Grimsby Town Football Club, with no current dates scheduled for work beginning or being completed...
, and if all goes to plan this will be ready for the 2010-11 season. Blundell Park is the lowest football stadium 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...
, at a height of only 2 feet above sea-level. While not in immediate danger from rising tides, it is prudent for Grimsby Town to pursue a move to higher ground.
Records
The highest ever attendance at the ground was for an FA CupFA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
5th Round match on 20 February 1937 against Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
. Since the ground was converted to all seating for the start of the 1995–96 season after the Taylor Report
Taylor Report
The Hillsborough Stadium Disaster Inquiry report, better known as the Taylor Report is a document, whose development was overseen by Lord Taylor of Gosforth, concerning the aftermath and causes of the Hillsborough disaster in 1989. An interim report was published in August 1989, and the final...
, the highest attendance was for a Football League Division One (Second Tier) match against Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
on 13 March 1999.