Stair Park
Encyclopedia
Stair Park is a public park and football stadium in the town of Stranraer
, Scotland
. It is owned by Dumfries & Galloway Council and is situated next to the London Road
and the railway line
in the town. It is home to Stranraer F.C.
, Wigtownshire RFC and Stranraer and Rhins Agricultural Show. The park features a bandstand, all weather tennis & netball courts, skatepark, football pitch and a football stadium. The park and stadium were named after the Earl of Stair
, who bequeathed the land to the local authorities.
A stand was first constructed for football in 1932. The record attendance of 6,000 was set by a Scottish Cup
tie against Rangers
in 1948. When Stranraer F.C. entered the Scottish Football League
in 1955, a terrace cover was erected, called the Shed. There were no significant further changes until 1981, when Stair Park became the last ground in league football in either England or Scotland to install floodlights. Stair Park was significantly improved in the 1990s. 300 seats were installed in the Shed, then a new main stand with 1,524 seats was constructed. This cost £520,000 to build, with the club committee raising £120,000 of the cost and the rest financed by grants from the Football Trust
and the district council. There isn't normally segregation at Stranraer matches, but there are 2,000 places for away fans. When there is no segregation away fans normally settle down in the Coo Shed.
Stranraer
Stranraer is a town in the southwest of Scotland. It lies in the west of Dumfries and Galloway and in the county of Wigtownshire.Stranraer lies on the shores of Loch Ryan on the northern side of the isthmus joining the Rhins of Galloway to the mainland...
, 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 owned by Dumfries & Galloway Council and is situated next to the London Road
A75 road
The A75 is a major road in Scotland, heading west along the south coast of Scotland from its junction with the A74 motorway at Gretna. It continues past Eastriggs, Annan, Dumfries, Castle Douglas, Gatehouse of Fleet, Newton Stewart and Glenluce before ending at Stranraer.The majority of the road...
and the railway line
Glasgow South Western Line
The Glasgow South Western Line is a mainline railway in Scotland that runs from Glasgow to Kilmarnock, and then either via Dumfries, or Stranraer via Ayr, with a branch to East Kilbride.- History :...
in the town. It is home to Stranraer F.C.
Stranraer F.C.
Stranraer Football Club is a Scottish semi-professional football team based in the town of Stranraer, Dumfries and Galloway. They are members of the Scottish Football League, and currently play in the Third Division.-History:...
, Wigtownshire RFC and Stranraer and Rhins Agricultural Show. The park features a bandstand, all weather tennis & netball courts, skatepark, football pitch and a football stadium. The park and stadium were named after the Earl of Stair
Earl of Stair
Earl of Stair is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1703 for the lawyer and statesman John Dalrymple, 2nd Viscount of Stair. He actively supported William III's claim to the throne and served as Secretary of State for Scotland. However, he was forced to resign after he authorised...
, who bequeathed the land to the local authorities.
A stand was first constructed for football in 1932. The record attendance of 6,000 was set by a Scottish Cup
Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
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 1948. When Stranraer F.C. entered the Scottish Football League
Scottish Football League
The Scottish Football League is a league of football teams in Scotland, comprising theScottish First Division, Scottish Second Division and Scottish Third Division. From the league's foundation in 1890 until the breakaway Scottish Premier League was formed in 1998, the Scottish Football League...
in 1955, a terrace cover was erected, called the Shed. There were no significant further changes until 1981, when Stair Park became the last ground in league football in either England or Scotland to install floodlights. Stair Park was significantly improved in the 1990s. 300 seats were installed in the Shed, then a new main stand with 1,524 seats was constructed. This cost £520,000 to build, with the club committee raising £120,000 of the cost and the rest financed by grants from the Football Trust
Football Trust
The Football Trust was a Government funded body to improve the safety of sports stadiums in the United Kingdom.It was set up by the Labour Government in 1975, with the assistance of the pools companies and the Football League...
and the district council. There isn't normally segregation at Stranraer matches, but there are 2,000 places for away fans. When there is no segregation away fans normally settle down in the Coo Shed.