Central Park, Cowdenbeath
Encyclopedia
Central Park is a football stadium
in Cowdenbeath
, Scotland
. It is the home ground of Cowdenbeath F.C.
. The ground is situated in the centre of the town, just off the High Street. Central Park has a capacity of 4,370. The most unusual feature of the ground is a tarmac
race-track circling the pitch, which is because the stadium is regularly used for stock car racing
. The track means fans on the east and west terraces are quite far away from the pitch. The pitch size is 107 x 66 yards.
tie against Rangers
in 1949. Floodlights were first used in 1968, in a match against Celtic
. Central Park was also used for greyhound racing
and speedway
. It became a stock car racing
track in 1970, and has since hosted four world championships.
Half of the main stand was destroyed by a fire in 1992. The surviving section of this stand is called the West Stand, or the Old Stand. Beside this the ' Alex Menzies
Stand' (or New Stand) was opened in March 1995, giving a total seated capacity of 1,622. Along with this the club built new dressing rooms, a board room, function suite, and office facilities. Both stands have a row of floodlight pylons in front of them, which can obstruct supporters views. Three sides of the ground are uncovered terraces.
is five minutes' walk from Central Park. The M90 motorway
passes near Cowdenbeath, with Central Park reached by leaving the motorway at junction 3, taking the A92
for Kirkcaldy
. The A909 road then leads into Cowdenbeath and free car parking is provided at the 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 Cowdenbeath
Cowdenbeath
Cowdenbeath is a town and burgh in west Fife, Scotland. It is 5 miles north-east of Dunfermline and 18 miles north of the capital, Edinburgh. The town grew up around the extensive coalfields of the area and became a Police Burgh in 1890...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. It is the home ground of Cowdenbeath F.C.
Cowdenbeath F.C.
Cowdenbeath Football Club are a professional Scottish football team based in the town of Cowdenbeath, Fife. They currently play in the Second Division of the Scottish Football League. The club plays its home games at Central Park in the centre of the town which has the unusual feature of a motor...
. The ground is situated in the centre of the town, just off the High Street. Central Park has a capacity of 4,370. The most unusual feature of the ground is a tarmac
Tarmac
Tarmac is a type of road surface. Tarmac refers to a material patented by Edgar Purnell Hooley in 1901...
race-track circling the pitch, which is because the stadium is regularly used for stock car racing
Stock car racing
Stock car racing is a form of automobile racing found mainly in the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Great Britain, Brazil and Argentina. Traditionally, races are run on oval tracks measuring approximately in length...
. The track means fans on the east and west terraces are quite far away from the pitch. The pitch size is 107 x 66 yards.
History
Originally, Cowdenbeath F.C. played at another ground called North End Park. The club moved to Central Park when it was opened in 1917. A main stand was built in 1921. A record crowd of 25,586 attended a Scottish League CupScottish League Cup
The Scottish League Cup is a football competition open to all Scottish Football League and Scottish Premier League clubs. At present it is also known as the Scottish Communities League Cup owing to the sponsorship deal in place with the Scottish Government. In the past it has been sponsored by...
tie against 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...
in 1949. Floodlights were first used in 1968, in a match against Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
. Central Park was also used for greyhound racing
Greyhound racing
Greyhound racing is the sport of racing greyhounds. The dogs chase a lure on a track until they arrive at the finish line. The one that arrives first is the winner....
and 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...
. It became a stock car racing
Stock car racing
Stock car racing is a form of automobile racing found mainly in the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Great Britain, Brazil and Argentina. Traditionally, races are run on oval tracks measuring approximately in length...
track in 1970, and has since hosted four world championships.
Half of the main stand was destroyed by a fire in 1992. The surviving section of this stand is called the West Stand, or the Old Stand. Beside this the ' Alex Menzies
Alex Menzies
Alex "Big Ming" Menzies was a Scottish professional footballer, who played for Cowdenbeath and Stirling Albion amongst others.A former coal-miner, Menzies joined Cowdenbeath,his hometown club, in 1948. Menzies, a tough-tackling wing half was a member of the side that took Rangers to the brink of ...
Stand' (or New Stand) was opened in March 1995, giving a total seated capacity of 1,622. Along with this the club built new dressing rooms, a board room, function suite, and office facilities. Both stands have a row of floodlight pylons in front of them, which can obstruct supporters views. Three sides of the ground are uncovered terraces.
Future
There are currently plans for Cowdenbeath to move to a new stadium which will be located on the outskirts of Cowdenbeath.Transport
Cowdenbeath railway stationCowdenbeath railway station
Cowdenbeath railway station is a railway station in the town of Cowdenbeath, Fife, Scotland. The station is managed by First ScotRail and is on the Fife Circle Line, 36 km north of ....
is five minutes' walk from Central Park. The M90 motorway
M90 motorway
The M90 is a motorway in Scotland. It runs from Inverkeithing, at the north end of the Forth Road Bridge, to Perth, passing Dunfermline, Cowdenbeath and Kinross on the way...
passes near Cowdenbeath, with Central Park reached by leaving the motorway at junction 3, taking the A92
A92 road
The A92 is a major road in Fife and Angus, Scotland. It runs from Dunfermline to Stonehaven.Starting at its junction with the M90 motorway near Dunfermline, it runs north east past Cowdenbeath, Lochgelly, Kirkcaldy, Glenrothes, Ladybank and Newport-on-Tay...
for Kirkcaldy
Kirkcaldy
Kirkcaldy is a town and former royal burgh in Fife, on the east coast of Scotland. The town lies on a shallow bay on the northern shore of the Firth of Forth; SSE of Glenrothes, ENE of Dunfermline, WSW of Dundee and NNE of Edinburgh...
. The A909 road then leads into Cowdenbeath and free car parking is provided at the ground.