Stradey Park
Encyclopedia
Stradey Park was a rugby union
stadium
located near the centre of the town of Llanelli
in Carmarthenshire
, Wales
. It was the home of the Scarlets region and Llanelli RFC
rugby teams. The stadium was a combination of seating and standing with a total capacity of 10,800. With the Scarlets having moved to Parc y Scarlets
, Stradey Park was demolished in 2010 and is to be replaced with housing.
, with the opening home match for Wales
being against England
. The game was arranged for the 8 January and a temporary stand was erected to allow a seating area so the club could charge higher ticket prices; but on the day the English team refused to play on the ground as the pitch was frozen. The adjacent cricket ground was in better condition, so the match was moved there along with the entire crowd, many members of which were extremely unhappy as they lost their seating area.
Four years later, Stradey Park was given another chance to host the national side when they were again selected to host the Home Nations Championship
. In the final match, Stradey Park played host to Ireland
and again temporary stands were erected, this time on the east and west sides. On this occasion there were no problems and the ground successfully hosted an international match on 7 March, 1891. Although no official attendance figures were taken, the South Wales Daily News stated 'an immense concourse of people assembled on the park; in fact it was the largest that had ever been witnessed at a football match in the tin plate town'. Two years later, Stradey Park was the final venue of the 1893 Home Nations Championship
, hosting Wales against Ireland
. Wales, under the captaincy of Welsh rugby legend Arthur Gould, beat the Irish team by a single try scored by Gould's brother, Bert Gould
. The score not only gave Wales the win but also saw Wales lift the Triple Crown
for the very first time in the country's history.
The ground has seen many memorable games including the defeat of Australia in 1967 and the All Blacks
in 1972. It also hosted the match between Argentina and Samoa during the 1999 Rugby World Cup
.
One rugby league
game was held at Stradey Park. This was between Wales
and Lebanon
in the 2000 Rugby League World Cup
on November 2, 2000. Wales won 24-22.
Due to the ground's owners, Llanelli RFU Ltd., having financial difficulties following the game turning professional, Stradey Park was sold to the Welsh Rugby Union
in 1997 for £1.25 million. The ground was repurchased by Llanelli RFU Ltd. in 2005.
On 24 October 2008, the Scarlets defeated Bristol in the last ever game to be held at the ground by 28 points to nil, a crowd of over 10,800 witnessing the event.
When the Scarlets regional side was formed in 2004, it was decided that they would play the majority of their home fixtures at Stradey Park. Llanelli RFC continued to play their home matches at the ground. The stadium was also host for the Llanelli A.F.C.
UEFA Cup
games in the 2006/07 season.
The last ever game to be played at Stradey Park was played on 24 October 2008. In an EDF Energy Cup match between the Scarlets and Bristol, the Scarlets won 27-0. The emotional occasion featured a procession of former club captains, as well as choirs, traditional songs, and a firework display to commemorate the closing of the old stadium.
and cost an estimated £23 million. The funding came partly from the re-development of the Stradey
site and also from the sale of a fast-food outlet and hotel on the site of the new stadium. Parc y Scarlets opened on 15 November 2008.
Stradey Park Stadium will be demolished and a small garden of remembrance placed on the site to remember the sporting heroes who played there and the fans whose ashes were scattered on the pitch. Residents at Stradey still oppose the high density housing development on the stadium site and the threat to nearby Sandy Lake which may be lost by planned diversion of the Cille River to allow building of these new homes.
This has caused some controversy as the ground is built on what has been designated by Carmarthenshire County Council as 'Recreation Land', and this has led many local residents to petition for no houses to be built on this land and instead for Stradey Park to be renovated. The site remained derelict for two years after its final match and was eventually demolished in 2010 to be replaced with housing.
The ground is divided up into 6 separate blocks for the purposes of accommodating spectators. There are two standing terraces at the far ends of the ground, known as the East Terrace (which has no roof) and may also be referred to as the Town End, or more informally the Tanner Bank, and the West Terrace or for sponsorship reasons the CSA Covered Terrace which as suggested has a roof. The West Terrace may be referred to as the Pwll End. There are two seating blocks, the North and South Stands. Again for sponsorship reasons the North Stand is known as the WRW Stand. In front of both stands are standing areas called the North and South enclosures respectively.
There are several bars located around the ground both inside and out. Also outside of the ground are the car park, the ticket office and official Scarlets shop.
One unusual feature of the ground is the scarlet saucepans placed atop each goalpost. The utensils are a reference to the past of Llanelli as a major tin plating centre, as well as to the traditional club anthem, "Sosban Fach
" (Welsh
for "little saucepan").
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
stadium
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...
located near the centre of the town of Llanelli
Llanelli
Llanelli , the largest town in both the county of Carmarthenshire and the preserved county of Dyfed , Wales, sits on the Loughor estuary on the West Wales coast, approximately west-north-west of Swansea and south-east of the county town, Carmarthen. The town is famous for its proud rugby...
in Carmarthenshire
Carmarthenshire
Carmarthenshire is a unitary authority in the south west of Wales and one of thirteen historic counties. It is the 3rd largest in Wales. Its three largest towns are Llanelli, Carmarthen and Ammanford...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. It was the home of the Scarlets region and Llanelli RFC
Llanelli RFC
Llanelli Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union club founded in 1875 and its senior team is one of the leading club sides in Wales. The club began the 2008-09 season at their historic home ground of Stradey Park in Llanelli, but moved in November 2008 to the new Parc y Scarlets in adjacent...
rugby teams. The stadium was a combination of seating and standing with a total capacity of 10,800. With the Scarlets having moved to Parc y Scarlets
Parc y Scarlets
Parc y Scarlets is a rugby union stadium in Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, that opened in November 2008 as the new home of the Scarlets and Llanelli RFC. The ground replaced Stradey Park, the home of Llanelli's rugby teams for almost 130 years...
, Stradey Park was demolished in 2010 and is to be replaced with housing.
History
The ground originally opened in 1879 for use by Llanelli RFC. In 1887, Stradey Park was chosen to host its first international rugby union match. In the early days of international rugby, all the British countries switched venues on a regular basis to allow supporters the chance to see their team and clubs the opportunity of share gate receipts. Stradey Park was selected as part of the 1887 Home Nations Championship1887 Home Nations Championship
The 1887 Home Nations Championship was the fifth series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Six matches were played between 8 January and 12 March. It was contested by England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales....
, with the opening home match for Wales
Wales national rugby union team
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
being against England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
. The game was arranged for the 8 January and a temporary stand was erected to allow a seating area so the club could charge higher ticket prices; but on the day the English team refused to play on the ground as the pitch was frozen. The adjacent cricket ground was in better condition, so the match was moved there along with the entire crowd, many members of which were extremely unhappy as they lost their seating area.
Four years later, Stradey Park was given another chance to host the national side when they were again selected to host the Home Nations Championship
1891 Home Nations Championship
The 1891 Home Nations Championship was the ninth series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Six matches were played between 3 January and 7 March...
. In the final match, Stradey Park played host to Ireland
Ireland national rugby union team
The Ireland national rugby union team represents the island of Ireland in rugby union. The team competes annually in the Six Nations Championship and every four years in the Rugby World Cup, where they reached the quarter-final stage in all but two competitions The Ireland national rugby union...
and again temporary stands were erected, this time on the east and west sides. On this occasion there were no problems and the ground successfully hosted an international match on 7 March, 1891. Although no official attendance figures were taken, the South Wales Daily News stated 'an immense concourse of people assembled on the park; in fact it was the largest that had ever been witnessed at a football match in the tin plate town'. Two years later, Stradey Park was the final venue of the 1893 Home Nations Championship
1893 Home Nations Championship
The 1893 Home Nations Championship was the eleventh series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Six matches were played between 17 January and 11 March. It was contested by England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales...
, hosting Wales against Ireland
Ireland national rugby union team
The Ireland national rugby union team represents the island of Ireland in rugby union. The team competes annually in the Six Nations Championship and every four years in the Rugby World Cup, where they reached the quarter-final stage in all but two competitions The Ireland national rugby union...
. Wales, under the captaincy of Welsh rugby legend Arthur Gould, beat the Irish team by a single try scored by Gould's brother, Bert Gould
Bert Gould
George Herbert 'Bert' Gould was a Welsh international rugby union centre who played club rugby for Newport Rugby Football Club and won three caps for Wales...
. The score not only gave Wales the win but also saw Wales lift the Triple Crown
Triple Crown (Rugby Union)
In rugby union, the Triple Crown is an honour contested annually by the four national teams of the British Isles who compete within the larger Six Nations Championship: England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. If any one team manages to win all their games against the other three they win the...
for the very first time in the country's history.
The ground has seen many memorable games including the defeat of Australia in 1967 and the All Blacks
All Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
in 1972. It also hosted the match between Argentina and Samoa during the 1999 Rugby World Cup
1999 Rugby World Cup
The 1999 Rugby World Cup was the fourth Rugby World Cup, and the first to be held in rugby union's professional era. The principal host nation was Wales, although the majority of matches were played outside the country, shared between England, France, Scotland and Ireland...
.
One rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
game was held at Stradey Park. This was between Wales
Wales national rugby league team
The Wales national rugby league team represent Wales in international rugby league football matches. Currently the team is seventh in the RLIF World Rankings. The team were run under the auspices of the Rugby Football League, but an independent body, Wales Rugby League, now runs the team from...
and Lebanon
Lebanon national rugby league team
The Lebanon national rugby league team is the representative side of Lebanon in rugby league football. They are nicknamed "The Cedars" after the Lebanon Cedar tree, which is also on the Lebanese flag. The team has been participating in international competition since 1998 and has quickly became one...
in the 2000 Rugby League World Cup
2000 Rugby League World Cup
The 2000 Rugby League World Cup was the twelfth staging of the Rugby League World Cup and was held during October and November of that year in Great Britain, Ireland and France...
on November 2, 2000. Wales won 24-22.
Due to the ground's owners, Llanelli RFU Ltd., having financial difficulties following the game turning professional, Stradey Park was sold to the Welsh Rugby Union
Welsh Rugby Union
The Welsh Rugby Union is the governing body of rugby union in Wales, recognised by the International Rugby Board.The union's patron is Queen Elizabeth II, and her grandson Prince William of Wales became the Vice Royal Patron of the Welsh Rugby Union as of February 2007.-History:The roots of the...
in 1997 for £1.25 million. The ground was repurchased by Llanelli RFU Ltd. in 2005.
On 24 October 2008, the Scarlets defeated Bristol in the last ever game to be held at the ground by 28 points to nil, a crowd of over 10,800 witnessing the event.
When the Scarlets regional side was formed in 2004, it was decided that they would play the majority of their home fixtures at Stradey Park. Llanelli RFC continued to play their home matches at the ground. The stadium was also host for the Llanelli A.F.C.
Llanelli A.F.C.
Llanelli Association Football Club is a Welsh semi-professional football club that plays in the Welsh Premier League for the 2010–11 season. The team has been based at Stebonheath Park since 1920, and as of 2009 is managed by Andy Legg....
UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
games in the 2006/07 season.
The last ever game to be played at Stradey Park was played on 24 October 2008. In an EDF Energy Cup match between the Scarlets and Bristol, the Scarlets won 27-0. The emotional occasion featured a procession of former club captains, as well as choirs, traditional songs, and a firework display to commemorate the closing of the old stadium.
List of international matches
List of full cap international matches:| Date | Competition | Home team | Away team | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 March 1891 | 1891 Home Nations Championship 1891 Home Nations Championship The 1891 Home Nations Championship was the ninth series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Six matches were played between 3 January and 7 March... |
6 | 4 | ||
| 1 March 1893 | 1893 Home Nations Championship 1893 Home Nations Championship The 1893 Home Nations Championship was the eleventh series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Six matches were played between 17 January and 11 March. It was contested by England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales... |
2 | 0 | ||
| 4 October 1991 | 1991 Rugby World Cup 1991 Rugby World Cup The 1991 Rugby World Cup was the second edition of the Rugby World Cup, and was jointly hosted by England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and France; at that time, the five European countries that participated in the Five Nations Championship making it the first Rugby World Cup to be staged in the... (Pool 3) |
32 | 19 | ||
| 7 February 1998 | Friendly | 23 | 20 | ||
| 21 November 1998 | Friendly | 43 | 30 | ||
| 10 October 1999 | 1999 Rugby World Cup 1999 Rugby World Cup The 1999 Rugby World Cup was the fourth Rugby World Cup, and the first to be held in rugby union's professional era. The principal host nation was Wales, although the majority of matches were played outside the country, shared between England, France, Scotland and Ireland... (Pool 4) |
32 | 16 |
Future
Stradey Park was sold to developer Taylor Wimpey in February 2008. A new stadium, Parc y Scarlets, was built at Pemberton on the eastern outskirts of Llanelli, financed by Carmarthenshire County CouncilCarmarthenshire County Council
Carmarthenshire County Council is the local authority for the county of Carmarthenshire, Wales, providing a range of services under the control of elected county councillors that include education, planning, transport, social services and public safety...
and cost an estimated £23 million. The funding came partly from the re-development of the Stradey
Stradey
Stradey is an area of the town of Llanelli in the county of Carmarthenshire in Wales, home to Stradey Park, where the Llanelli RFC and Llanelli Scarlets rugby teams were formerly based. Stradey is also home to the town's only Welsh language secondary school, Ysgol y Strade....
site and also from the sale of a fast-food outlet and hotel on the site of the new stadium. Parc y Scarlets opened on 15 November 2008.
Stradey Park Stadium will be demolished and a small garden of remembrance placed on the site to remember the sporting heroes who played there and the fans whose ashes were scattered on the pitch. Residents at Stradey still oppose the high density housing development on the stadium site and the threat to nearby Sandy Lake which may be lost by planned diversion of the Cille River to allow building of these new homes.
This has caused some controversy as the ground is built on what has been designated by Carmarthenshire County Council as 'Recreation Land', and this has led many local residents to petition for no houses to be built on this land and instead for Stradey Park to be renovated. The site remained derelict for two years after its final match and was eventually demolished in 2010 to be replaced with housing.
Layout
There are several bars located around the ground both inside and out. Also outside of the ground are the car park, the ticket office and official Scarlets shop.
One unusual feature of the ground is the scarlet saucepans placed atop each goalpost. The utensils are a reference to the past of Llanelli as a major tin plating centre, as well as to the traditional club anthem, "Sosban Fach
Sosban Fach
Sosban Fach is a traditional Welsh folk song. It is one of the best-known and most often sung songs in the Welsh language....
" (Welsh
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
for "little saucepan").