McCain Stadium
Encyclopedia
The McCain Stadium was a football stadium
located on Seamer Road in Scarborough, England
. It was the home of Scarborough FC
, a defunct football club who last played in the English Conference North
before they were dissolved on 20 June 2007 with debts of £2.5 million.
The ground was first opened in 1898, when Scarborough FC moved from playing at Scarborough Cricket Club. It was then called the Athletic Ground. In 1988, under a sponsorship deal, Scarborough FC sold the naming rights of the Athletic Ground to McCain Foods and, until its closure in 2007, the stadium was known as the McCain Stadium.
Demolition of the stadium began in September 2011 and was completed in November 2011. The gates at the entrance to the ground are to be preserved and incorporated into a new sports village complex to serve as a lasting reminder of the former Athletic Ground/McCain Stadium.
The ground had four main stands:
Main Stand
The Main Stand ran along one side of the pitch
. It was an old grandstand-style stand and was all seater.
The Shed (Also known as "The Cow Shed")
The Shed ran along the other side of the pitch and was covered terracing. This was the most popular part of the ground and was usually where the singing supporters stood.
The East Stand
The East Stand was behind one of the goals and was an all seater stand in which the seats were red and the letters SFC were spelled out in white seats. This was the newest part of the ground along with The West Stand.
The West Stand
The West Stand was identical to The East Stand but was behind the other goal. It was where the away fans were located.
Corners
In three of the four corners of the ground there was uncovered terracing although the north-west corner had become overrun with grass and weeds so was not normally used. The other corner of the ground was two-step terracing in front of the social club.
Shops and Food
In the north-east corner of the ground there was a social club, known as the McCain Lounge, and a club shop which was located in a hut. There was also a programme shop, food outlet and coffee hut.
) for around £4.1 million and this would have been enough to pay off all of the clubs debts and fund the new stadium.
failed to convince the Scarborough Borough Council
that its proposals to sell the McCain Stadium to a housing developer would raise enough money to both to pay off the debts and build a new ground.
On Tuesday 12 June, Scarborough F.C. were given an eight day 'stay of execution' following a 'change of heart' by their local Borough Council. But, on 20 June, they were wound up in the High Court, ending its 128-year run as a club with debts of £2.5 million.
However, the winding up of Scarborough F.C. paved the way for the supporters' trust
to form a new club as Scarborough Athletic F.C.
and secure a place in the Northern Counties East League, Division One with effect from 2007–08.
On 26 September 2007, Scarborough Borough Council
announced its intention to purchase the ground from the liquidators. The liquidators, Begbies Traynor
, applied to have the covenant lifted. This was contested by the Council. As a result the stadium remained empty and derelict, and has been subject to vandalism.
The stadium was damaged by a fire on 17 October 2008, that started in the changing rooms. A director of Scarborough Athletic criticised administrators Begbies Traynor for the lack of security. He said that the club would be interested in moving back to the stadium but that the vandalism was making that option more difficult and expensive. In December 2008 the Council finally purchased the ground from the liquidators.
On 15 December 2009, the Council announced that it had decided to invest money in a new facility rather than regenerate the stadium.
On 13 March 2010 Scarborough Council stated it was about to discuss demolition work at the stadium. Further discussions took place in April 2011 and on 13 April 2011 the Council voted to demolish the stadium. It was also revealed that Featherstone Rovers RLFC
had agreed to purchase the East and West stands and undertake the demolition works that the council required for nil cost.
On 19 September 2011 bulldozers finally moved in to begin the demolition of the ground completing in late November 2011.
Soccer-specific stadium
Soccer-specific stadium is a term used mainly in the United States, Canada, Australia and South Korea coined by Lamar Hunt, to refer to a sports stadium either purpose built or fundamentally redesigned for soccer and whose primary function is to host soccer matches, as opposed to a multipurpose...
located on Seamer Road in Scarborough, 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...
. It was the home of Scarborough FC
Scarborough F.C.
Scarborough Football Club was an English football club based in the seaside resort of Scarborough, North Yorkshire. They were one of the oldest football clubs in England, formed in 1879, before they were wound up on 20 June 2007, with debts of £2.5 million.In the 2006–07 season...
, a defunct football club who last played in the English Conference North
Conference North
The Conference North also known as Blue Square Bet North for sponsorship reasons, is a division of the Football Conference in England, taking its place immediately below the Conference National. Along with Conference South it is at Step 2 of the National League System and the sixth overall tier of...
before they were dissolved on 20 June 2007 with debts of £2.5 million.
The ground was first opened in 1898, when Scarborough FC moved from playing at Scarborough Cricket Club. It was then called the Athletic Ground. In 1988, under a sponsorship deal, Scarborough FC sold the naming rights of the Athletic Ground to McCain Foods and, until its closure in 2007, the stadium was known as the McCain Stadium.
Demolition of the stadium began in September 2011 and was completed in November 2011. The gates at the entrance to the ground are to be preserved and incorporated into a new sports village complex to serve as a lasting reminder of the former Athletic Ground/McCain Stadium.
Layout
Main Stand
The Main Stand ran along one side of the pitch
Association football pitch
An association football pitch is the playing surface for the game of association football made of turf. Its dimensions and markings are defined by Law 1 of the Laws of the Game, "The Field of Play".All line markings on the pitch form part of the area which they define...
. It was an old grandstand-style stand and was all seater.
The Shed ran along the other side of the pitch and was covered terracing. This was the most popular part of the ground and was usually where the singing supporters stood.
The East Stand
The East Stand was behind one of the goals and was an all seater stand in which the seats were red and the letters SFC were spelled out in white seats. This was the newest part of the ground along with The West Stand.
The West Stand
The West Stand was identical to The East Stand but was behind the other goal. It was where the away fans were located.
Corners
In three of the four corners of the ground there was uncovered terracing although the north-west corner had become overrun with grass and weeds so was not normally used. The other corner of the ground was two-step terracing in front of the social club.
Shops and Food
In the north-east corner of the ground there was a social club, known as the McCain Lounge, and a club shop which was located in a hut. There was also a programme shop, food outlet and coffee hut.
2006 plans
In March 2006 the plan was for a new stadium to be completed well before the start of the 2007–08 season. The stadium was to be located in Eastfield, Scarborough. The planned capacity was around 4,000 and the amount of land that the club would own was 15 acres (60,702.9 m²) of which some would have been used for the stadium, with room for expansion, and the rest used to lease to offices etc. that would cover the club's operating losses. The McCain Stadium was to be sold to property developers (Persimmon HomesPersimmon plc
Persimmon plc is a British housebuilding company, headquartered in York, England, at a building called Persimmon House. The Company is named after a horse which won the 1896 Derby and St. Leger for the Prince of Wales. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange, and is a constituent of the FTSE...
) for around £4.1 million and this would have been enough to pay off all of the clubs debts and fund the new stadium.
Demise of Scarborough FC
A covenant existed on the McCain Stadium that restricted its use only to sporting activities. Scarborough F.C.Scarborough F.C.
Scarborough Football Club was an English football club based in the seaside resort of Scarborough, North Yorkshire. They were one of the oldest football clubs in England, formed in 1879, before they were wound up on 20 June 2007, with debts of £2.5 million.In the 2006–07 season...
failed to convince the Scarborough Borough Council
Scarborough (borough)
Scarborough is a non-metropolitan district and borough of North Yorkshire, England. In addition to the town of Scarborough, it covers a large stretch of the coast of Yorkshire, including Whitby and Filey....
that its proposals to sell the McCain Stadium to a housing developer would raise enough money to both to pay off the debts and build a new ground.
On Tuesday 12 June, Scarborough F.C. were given an eight day 'stay of execution' following a 'change of heart' by their local Borough Council. But, on 20 June, they were wound up in the High Court, ending its 128-year run as a club with debts of £2.5 million.
However, the winding up of Scarborough F.C. paved the way for the supporters' trust
Supporters' trust
In British sports, a supporters' trust is a formal, democratic and not-for-profit organisation of fans who attempt to strengthen the influence of supporters over the running of the club they support...
to form a new club as Scarborough Athletic F.C.
Scarborough Athletic F.C.
Scarborough Athletic Football Club are an English football club formed on 25 June 2007 following the winding up of Scarborough. Although they bear the name of Scarborough in North Yorkshire, they ground-share with Bridlington Town...
and secure a place in the Northern Counties East League, Division One with effect from 2007–08.
Subsequent events
Scarborough (borough)
Scarborough is a non-metropolitan district and borough of North Yorkshire, England. In addition to the town of Scarborough, it covers a large stretch of the coast of Yorkshire, including Whitby and Filey....
announced its intention to purchase the ground from the liquidators. The liquidators, Begbies Traynor
Begbies Traynor
Begbies Traynor is a firm specialising in corporate restructuring. They were formed in 1989, expanded through mergers and organic growth and were floated in 2004. The company employs over 500 people and has 45 offices around the United Kingdom.-History:The company was formed as Traynor & Partners...
, applied to have the covenant lifted. This was contested by the Council. As a result the stadium remained empty and derelict, and has been subject to vandalism.
The stadium was damaged by a fire on 17 October 2008, that started in the changing rooms. A director of Scarborough Athletic criticised administrators Begbies Traynor for the lack of security. He said that the club would be interested in moving back to the stadium but that the vandalism was making that option more difficult and expensive. In December 2008 the Council finally purchased the ground from the liquidators.
On 15 December 2009, the Council announced that it had decided to invest money in a new facility rather than regenerate the stadium.
On 13 March 2010 Scarborough Council stated it was about to discuss demolition work at the stadium. Further discussions took place in April 2011 and on 13 April 2011 the Council voted to demolish the stadium. It was also revealed that Featherstone Rovers RLFC
Featherstone Rovers
Featherstone Rovers are a semi-professional rugby league club, based in Featherstone, West Yorkshire, England. They currently play in the Championship. The Rovers are one of the last vestiges of "small town teams" that were once common in rugby league during the early twentieth century...
had agreed to purchase the East and West stands and undertake the demolition works that the council required for nil cost.
On 19 September 2011 bulldozers finally moved in to begin the demolition of the ground completing in late November 2011.