New Meadow
Encyclopedia
The New Meadow, also known as the Greenhous Meadow for sponsorship purposes, is the home ground of Shrewsbury Town Football Club
and is a UEFA Category Four stadium. The stadium is situated on the southern outskirts of Shrewsbury
, England
, between the districts of Meole Brace
and Sutton Farm. It was built to replace the Gay Meadow
stadium, home of the Shrews since 1910.
The ground was completed in the summer of 2007, in time for the 2007–08 English football season
. 'The New Meadow' was an unofficial name, used as the working title for ground during planning/construction, and along with other descriptive titles, such as 'Oteley Road Stadium' (pronounced Ot-Lee) was used during the first year of its existence. However, on 21 July 2008, along with launching their new team-wear range, the stadium was named after sports kit manufacturer Prostar, a sponsor that the club had spent a year looking for. The naming rights deal was supposed to last for four years, but only lasted two seasons. In April 2010, a public vote was held amongst supporters by club sponsor Greenhous on the name of the stadium, which was to include "Greenhous". A majority voted for Greenhous Meadow with reference to their previous stadium Gay Meadow.
stadiums and grandstands. It currently has a capacity of 9,875 seated spectators, with on-site supporters' bars, including plasma-screen TVs, showing re-runs of recent Shrewsbury matches, as well as live streaming football updates.
In addition, there are several corporate and hospitality suites, which the club states will be used both on match days and for general community use, therefore assisting the club in gaining revenue. The stadium can expand to a capacity of up to 40,000 through future development if necessary.
Following consultation with supporters groups, the stadium consists of blue seating, with the club's initials (STFC) spelt out in amber on each side of the ground. This is following considerable outcry when the club initially stated that seating would consist of the club's original blue and white colour scheme. Despite originally being blue and white, the club has adopted a distinctive blue and amber colour scheme since the 1970s, which many supporters feel is a unique and distinctive part of the club.
Like many modern football grounds, the ground has 'cashless turnstiles', meaning that no payments are accepted on the turnstile itself. To obtain access to the ground, non season ticket holding spectators must purchase a ticket from the club in advance of the game, or on the day from ticket booths situated at the ground (away fans have their own designated ticket booth).
fairs and company meetings.
The restaurant itself has earned rave reviews from local and far flung visitors, and is generating a constant flow of income for the club, coupled with this, many events such as charity balls, and sportsmans' dinners have been held at the club, enabling after-dinner speakers such as Ron Atkinson
, Neil Ruddock
and others to come to the club.
Other events the stadium has held include an amateur boxing event in order to raise money for local charities.
Greenhous Meadow now also has a fully operational clubshop open throughout the week; the club shop is now purpose-built, as opposed to being a stand-alone cabin, as they once had.
The ground has good access to the A5 road/A49 road (at the Shrewsbury by-pass), and also sits adjacent to the Shrewsbury to Hereford railway line (plans for a small halt for football supporters have been mentioned but there have been no firm plans for this.)
The ground is adjacent to the large Meole Brace Retail Park and the Bannatyne's
Health Club/Meole Brace Municipal Golf Course complex, however neither site allows football supporter car-parking on match days. Although parking is limited, there is more car parking and far better vehicular access than at the club's old Gay Meadow.
In February 2008 work was completed on a 7-pitch artificial turf
complex by the company Powerleague. The complex is located within the grounds of the stadium, between the North Stand and Oteley Road. The company organises 5-a-side football tournaments as well as offering a 7-a-side pitch and bar facilities.
Moving to the new ground, enabled the club for the first time, to win the award of 'League 2 Pitch of the Year' in 2007/08. The award had previously evaded the club owing to the situation of the previous pitch at Gay Meadow which was prone to flooding because of its proximity to the River Severn.
The Club are also shortlisted for 'Family Club of the Year 2009' an award made on the criteria of the club's family facilities, along with the general operation of the club and stadium.
Should the club become established at a higher level within the Football League, it is likely the ground would be expanded.
, home of Rushden and Diamonds as an influence behind the designs, in terms of the high level of build quality and attention to detail evident at the ground.
A local property development company, Alaska Properties was the key to the success of the project. The company secured the land for the New Meadow and masterminded and funded (to almost £1m) the planning strategy, planning applications and even High Court Proceedings which eventually secured the permission. Then in a deal with Jennings Estates, Alaska eventually secured funding for the new stadium by gaining permission for redevelopment of the Gay Meadow as apartments. At present, where the Gay Meadow once stood, lies deserted as the company that owns the land to develop it into housing, has insufficient funds to do this.
. This is in stark contrast to the official record attendance at Gay Meadow, 18,917 for the league match against Walsall on 26 April 1961. Local legend says over 22,000 were estimated to be inside the stadium in the league match against Wrexham
on 21 August 1950, despite the official figure given as 16,000.
Redevelopment of the old ground was cited as a possibility, however it had been stated that if the ground was accessible on all sides of the stadium with exit through the neighbouring Abbey Gardens, the stadium capacity could still only rise to no more than 10,000, the current capacity for the New Meadow.
In addition, the Gay Meadow's location on the banks of the River Severn
, whilst picturesque, meant the club suffered with flooding. Severe floods in 1998, 2000 and frequently since have affected the club badly, with several matches postponed, a flooded pitch and flooded offices and changing rooms.
Supporters of the move claimed that the risk of flooding along with the Gay Meadow's cramped location, meant that a move to a new ground was essential in order for the club to remain as a Football League
club.
, in charge of the club during the move from Gay Meadow, often claimed that the prospect of playing at the new ground helped entice many of his players to the club.
Opposition to the move has also come from outside of the football club, in particular from local residents who are concerned about disruption and extra traffic on match days. Many residents of the neighbouring Sutton Farm housing estate are against the move, and formed a protest group known as the Sutton Area Residents Association (SARA), protesting against the move due to the overcrowding. Since the initial planning applications were drawn up in 1999, SARA members have fought a campaign against the move, gathering petitions from the local residents, attending local council meetings and writing many letters to the local papers. Recently, SARA has criticised the football club after it controversially asked for permission to scrap plans to build community football pitches on the site, offering instead to donate £350,871 towards building them elsewhere in the town, where is it stated by the club they will be more widely used, the local council later admitted that this was a council officer suggestion after letters were leaked to the local press.
Many local pubs will use shuttle buses, and the club will be operating a park and ride
system for fans, using car parks near to the ground. In addition, special supporter buses will be running in Shrewsbury town centre and from across Shropshire.
Strong talk of a railway halt being constructed behind the West Stand at the New Meadow, have been circulating for a while, however nothing has come to fruition as of yet.
season. Heading the list of All-Stars players was Gianfranco Zola
, with the team being managed by Ron Atkinson
. The match took place on Saturday 14 July 2007, and Shrewsbury Town ran out 4–0 winners, Shrewsbury striker Dave Hibbert taking the honour of being the first ever goalscorer at the new ground.
The first competitive match at what was then called 'The New Meadow' was a League Cup
match against Colchester United
, of The Championship
, two divisions above Shrewsbury. It took place on Tuesday 14 August 2007, Shrewsbury winning 1–0 thanks to a header from Darran Kempson
in extra time. The first league fixture, in League Two
, was against Bradford City
on Saturday 18 August, with Shrewsbury winning 1–0 from a first half penalty scored by Dave Hibbert.
The record crowd for a match at the stadium is 8,817 for Shrewsbury Town's match vs Oxford United
in League Two
on 7 May 2011.
On 18 October 2010 it was announced that New Meadow has been selected as part of England's bid to host the UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship
in 2013. On 28 January 2011, however, it was ruled Israel will host the Under 21's Finals.
An England under-20
international against France took place there on 9 February 2011.
The game against Oxford United on 7 May 2011 was the first game to achieve a home sell out.
Shrewsbury Town F.C.
Shrewsbury Town Football Club is an English Association football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, who play in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club was formed in 1886 and has played in all the bottom three divisions in various guises since being elected into the Football...
and is a UEFA Category Four stadium. The stadium is situated on the southern outskirts of Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury is the county town of Shropshire, in the West Midlands region of England. Lying on the River Severn, it is a civil parish home to some 70,000 inhabitants, and is the primary settlement and headquarters of Shropshire Council...
, 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...
, between the districts of Meole Brace
Meole Brace
Meole Brace is a suburb of Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England.The Rea Brook flows through the area, a tributary of the River Severn. The brook was in the past known as the "Meole Brook". The name Meole Brace comes from the old Saxon manor house, which no longer stands, owned by the Brace family...
and Sutton Farm. It was built to replace the Gay Meadow
Gay Meadow
The Gay Meadow is the former home ground of Shrewsbury Town FC, a football club in England. It was situated just outside the town centre of Shrewsbury, on the banks of the River Severn and it opened in August 1910....
stadium, home of the Shrews since 1910.
The ground was completed in the summer of 2007, in time for the 2007–08 English football season
2007-08 in English football
The 2007–08 season was the 128th season of competitive football in England.-European competitions:In October 2007 Arsenal equalled the UEFA Champions League record victory with a 7–0 win over Slavia Prague at the Emirates Stadium. The record was broken the following month when Liverpool...
. 'The New Meadow' was an unofficial name, used as the working title for ground during planning/construction, and along with other descriptive titles, such as 'Oteley Road Stadium' (pronounced Ot-Lee) was used during the first year of its existence. However, on 21 July 2008, along with launching their new team-wear range, the stadium was named after sports kit manufacturer Prostar, a sponsor that the club had spent a year looking for. The naming rights deal was supposed to last for four years, but only lasted two seasons. In April 2010, a public vote was held amongst supporters by club sponsor Greenhous on the name of the stadium, which was to include "Greenhous". A majority voted for Greenhous Meadow with reference to their previous stadium Gay Meadow.
The stadium
The stadium was constructed by Hall Construction, a construction company who have built several Football LeagueThe Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
stadiums and grandstands. It currently has a capacity of 9,875 seated spectators, with on-site supporters' bars, including plasma-screen TVs, showing re-runs of recent Shrewsbury matches, as well as live streaming football updates.
In addition, there are several corporate and hospitality suites, which the club states will be used both on match days and for general community use, therefore assisting the club in gaining revenue. The stadium can expand to a capacity of up to 40,000 through future development if necessary.
Following consultation with supporters groups, the stadium consists of blue seating, with the club's initials (STFC) spelt out in amber on each side of the ground. This is following considerable outcry when the club initially stated that seating would consist of the club's original blue and white colour scheme. Despite originally being blue and white, the club has adopted a distinctive blue and amber colour scheme since the 1970s, which many supporters feel is a unique and distinctive part of the club.
Commercial and hospitality
The Club now also has a plush hospitality suite, offering services day and night, on a full week basis; this consists of one major restaurant and over ten corporate boxes, these are held for an array of occasions varying from businesses holding meetings or for clients to entertain business colleagues, private functions such as group meals and parties, and for other events for the public to attend such as Slimming World, football programmeFootball programme
The purchase of a football programme has long been part of the 'ritual' of attending a football match in Great Britain, along with a pint and/or a pie. Due to their initial expendible nature it took many decades for the format to gain respectability as a collectable...
fairs and company meetings.
The restaurant itself has earned rave reviews from local and far flung visitors, and is generating a constant flow of income for the club, coupled with this, many events such as charity balls, and sportsmans' dinners have been held at the club, enabling after-dinner speakers such as Ron Atkinson
Ron Atkinson
Ronald Ernest Atkinson, commonly known as "Big Ron" and "Bojangles" is an English former football player and manager. In recent years he has become one of Britain's best-known football pundits...
, Neil Ruddock
Neil Ruddock
Neil "Razor" Ruddock is a retired English footballer, who played as a central defender.He made his debut at Millwall , and he had a long career playing for Tottenham Hotspur, Southampton, Liverpool, West Ham, Crystal Palace, and finally a short-lived spell as a player/coach at Swindon Town Neil...
and others to come to the club.
Other events the stadium has held include an amateur boxing event in order to raise money for local charities.
Greenhous Meadow now also has a fully operational clubshop open throughout the week; the club shop is now purpose-built, as opposed to being a stand-alone cabin, as they once had.
The ground has good access to the A5 road/A49 road (at the Shrewsbury by-pass), and also sits adjacent to the Shrewsbury to Hereford railway line (plans for a small halt for football supporters have been mentioned but there have been no firm plans for this.)
The ground is adjacent to the large Meole Brace Retail Park and the Bannatyne's
Bannatyne's
Bannatyne's is the name of a UK based chain of health clubs, well known for being founded and co-directed by famous Scottish businessman Duncan Bannatyne OBE....
Health Club/Meole Brace Municipal Golf Course complex, however neither site allows football supporter car-parking on match days. Although parking is limited, there is more car parking and far better vehicular access than at the club's old Gay Meadow.
In February 2008 work was completed on a 7-pitch artificial turf
Artificial turf
Artificial turf is a surface manufactured from synthetic fibers made to look like natural grass. It is most often used in arenas for sports that were originally or are normally played on grass. However, it is now being used on residential lawns and commercial applications as well...
complex by the company Powerleague. The complex is located within the grounds of the stadium, between the North Stand and Oteley Road. The company organises 5-a-side football tournaments as well as offering a 7-a-side pitch and bar facilities.
Moving to the new ground, enabled the club for the first time, to win the award of 'League 2 Pitch of the Year' in 2007/08. The award had previously evaded the club owing to the situation of the previous pitch at Gay Meadow which was prone to flooding because of its proximity to the River Severn.
The Club are also shortlisted for 'Family Club of the Year 2009' an award made on the criteria of the club's family facilities, along with the general operation of the club and stadium.
Expansion
In November 2007, chairman Roland Wycherley announced that the ground would be expanded by filling in the corners between the Roland Wycherley Stand, South Stand and West Stand. This would leave the North Stand, which houses away fans, the only stand isolated. Capacity is expected to rise to around 12,500 to 13,000. A start date for this project has yet to be announced. Reports suggest this plan has been postponed indefinitely due to the current economic crisis and that the current match attendances do not merit ground expansion.Should the club become established at a higher level within the Football League, it is likely the ground would be expanded.
Reasons for moving from Gay Meadow
Shrewsbury Town chairman Roland Wycherley has been the driving force behind the move, as he first submitted planning application for the new ground as early as 1999 (considerable local opposition amongst other things meant building did not commence until mid 2006). Local media at the time cited Nene ParkNene Park
Nene Park is a football stadium situated by Irthlingborough, Northamptonshire, England, along the bank of the River Nene, and holds 6,441, with 4,641 seated and 1,800 standing. The car park can hold 800 vehicles. From 1992 until 2011 it was the home ground of Rushden & Diamonds football club...
, home of Rushden and Diamonds as an influence behind the designs, in terms of the high level of build quality and attention to detail evident at the ground.
A local property development company, Alaska Properties was the key to the success of the project. The company secured the land for the New Meadow and masterminded and funded (to almost £1m) the planning strategy, planning applications and even High Court Proceedings which eventually secured the permission. Then in a deal with Jennings Estates, Alaska eventually secured funding for the new stadium by gaining permission for redevelopment of the Gay Meadow as apartments. At present, where the Gay Meadow once stood, lies deserted as the company that owns the land to develop it into housing, has insufficient funds to do this.
Gay Meadow
Whilst the old Gay Meadow ground was homely with a good atmosphere, access to the ground was very poor, via a small back-street known as 'The Narrows'. This poor access meant that the capacity at Gay Meadow was slashed from 14,500 to 8,000 following the Taylor ReportTaylor 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...
. This is in stark contrast to the official record attendance at Gay Meadow, 18,917 for the league match against Walsall on 26 April 1961. Local legend says over 22,000 were estimated to be inside the stadium in the league match against Wrexham
Wrexham
Wrexham is a town in Wales. It is the administrative centre of the wider Wrexham County Borough, and the largest town in North Wales, located in the east of the region. It is situated between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley close to the border with Cheshire, England...
on 21 August 1950, despite the official figure given as 16,000.
Redevelopment of the old ground was cited as a possibility, however it had been stated that if the ground was accessible on all sides of the stadium with exit through the neighbouring Abbey Gardens, the stadium capacity could still only rise to no more than 10,000, the current capacity for the New Meadow.
In addition, the Gay Meadow's location on the banks of the River Severn
River Severn
The River Severn is the longest river in Great Britain, at about , but the second longest on the British Isles, behind the River Shannon. It rises at an altitude of on Plynlimon, Ceredigion near Llanidloes, Powys, in the Cambrian Mountains of mid Wales...
, whilst picturesque, meant the club suffered with flooding. Severe floods in 1998, 2000 and frequently since have affected the club badly, with several matches postponed, a flooded pitch and flooded offices and changing rooms.
Supporters of the move claimed that the risk of flooding along with the Gay Meadow's cramped location, meant that a move to a new ground was essential in order for the club to remain as a Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
club.
Controversy
The proposed move to the new ground was controversial, with some fans feeling the club was disregarding its history and should remain at Gay Meadow. However others were keen to move to the new ground, and saw it as an essential move if the club were to remain as a Football League club. The former Shrewsbury manager Gary PetersGary Peters (footballer)
Gary David Peters is an English former professional footballer and now manager. He is currently Director of Football at Hereford United.-Playing career:...
, in charge of the club during the move from Gay Meadow, often claimed that the prospect of playing at the new ground helped entice many of his players to the club.
Opposition to the move has also come from outside of the football club, in particular from local residents who are concerned about disruption and extra traffic on match days. Many residents of the neighbouring Sutton Farm housing estate are against the move, and formed a protest group known as the Sutton Area Residents Association (SARA), protesting against the move due to the overcrowding. Since the initial planning applications were drawn up in 1999, SARA members have fought a campaign against the move, gathering petitions from the local residents, attending local council meetings and writing many letters to the local papers. Recently, SARA has criticised the football club after it controversially asked for permission to scrap plans to build community football pitches on the site, offering instead to donate £350,871 towards building them elsewhere in the town, where is it stated by the club they will be more widely used, the local council later admitted that this was a council officer suggestion after letters were leaked to the local press.
Transport systems
With the ground not being centrally located like Gay Meadow, concerns have been raised about travel arrangements. In response, the club has consulted with local authorities and produced a comprehensive brochure for fans, detailing travel arrangements for the new ground.Many local pubs will use shuttle buses, and the club will be operating a park and ride
Park and ride
Park and ride facilities are car parks with connections to public transport that allow commuters and other people wishing to travel into city centres to leave their vehicles and transfer to a bus, rail system , or carpool for the rest of their trip...
system for fans, using car parks near to the ground. In addition, special supporter buses will be running in Shrewsbury town centre and from across Shropshire.
Strong talk of a railway halt being constructed behind the West Stand at the New Meadow, have been circulating for a while, however nothing has come to fruition as of yet.
Notable fixtures
The first match at the new ground was an 'All-Stars' friendly game as part of Shrewsbury Town's new sponsorship deal with Italian sportswear manufacturer A-Line, who made Shrewsbury's kit for the 2007-082007-08 in English football
The 2007–08 season was the 128th season of competitive football in England.-European competitions:In October 2007 Arsenal equalled the UEFA Champions League record victory with a 7–0 win over Slavia Prague at the Emirates Stadium. The record was broken the following month when Liverpool...
season. Heading the list of All-Stars players was Gianfranco Zola
Gianfranco Zola
Gianfranco Zola, OBE, Ufficiale OMRI is a retired Italian footballer and manager, who most recently managed West Ham United from 2008 to 2010, after having been assistant manager of the Italy U-21 under Pierluigi Casiraghi...
, with the team being managed by Ron Atkinson
Ron Atkinson
Ronald Ernest Atkinson, commonly known as "Big Ron" and "Bojangles" is an English former football player and manager. In recent years he has become one of Britain's best-known football pundits...
. The match took place on Saturday 14 July 2007, and Shrewsbury Town ran out 4–0 winners, Shrewsbury striker Dave Hibbert taking the honour of being the first ever goalscorer at the new ground.
The first competitive match at what was then called 'The New Meadow' was a League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
match against Colchester United
Colchester United F.C.
Colchester United Football Club is an English football club based in Colchester. The club was formed in 1937, and briefly shared their old Layer Road home with now defunct side Colchester Town who had previously used the ground from 1910....
, of The Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
, two divisions above Shrewsbury. It took place on Tuesday 14 August 2007, Shrewsbury winning 1–0 thanks to a header from Darran Kempson
Darran Kempson
Darran Kempson is an English professional footballer who plays as a defender for Conference National side Grimsby Town...
in extra time. The first league fixture, in League Two
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
, was against Bradford City
Bradford City A.F.C.
Bradford City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, playing in League Two....
on Saturday 18 August, with Shrewsbury winning 1–0 from a first half penalty scored by Dave Hibbert.
The record crowd for a match at the stadium is 8,817 for Shrewsbury Town's match vs Oxford United
Oxford United F.C.
Oxford United Football Club is an English association football club based in Oxford, Oxfordshire. The club play in League Two, following promotion from the Conference National in May 2010. The club had been a non-League side since their relegation from the Football League in the 2005–06 season. The...
in League Two
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
on 7 May 2011.
On 18 October 2010 it was announced that New Meadow has been selected as part of England's bid to host the UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship
UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship
The European Under-21 Football Championship is a football competition organised by the sport's European governing body, UEFA. It is held every two years. The competition has existed in its current form since 1978. It was preceded by the Under 23 Challenge Cup which ran from 1967 to 1970...
in 2013. On 28 January 2011, however, it was ruled Israel will host the Under 21's Finals.
An England under-20
England national under-20 football team
- Round of 16 :-Friendlies:-Latest squad:The following players were named in the squad for the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup running from 29 July to the 20 August 2011.-Recent call-ups:...
international against France took place there on 9 February 2011.
The game against Oxford United on 7 May 2011 was the first game to achieve a home sell out.
External links
- New Meadow Website for New Meadow
- BBC News article on SARA/New Meadow controversy
- Goodbye Gay Meadow STFC book about the old ground Gay Meadow