Victoria Park, Dingwall
Encyclopedia
Victoria Park is a football stadium situated in the town of Dingwall
, Ross-shire
, Scotland. It is the home stadium of Ross County F.C.
who currently play in the Scottish Football League First Division
. It is the most northerly ground in the Scottish Football League
.
There are two stands; the West (Main Stand) and the East, which have covered seats, that run either side of the pitch. There are also two standing-only terraces – North Terrace and South Terrace – situated behind each goal, known as the Academy End (North Terrace) and The Jail End (South Terrace). The Jail End is known as this because of the old County Jail and Sheriff Court that was positioned behind that end of the ground. The jails have since been converted to housing, although the Sheriff Court is still used.
Away fans are housed in the North end of the West Stand and, depending on the size of support anticipated, can also have access to the Academy Terrace. Home fans occupy all other sections of the stadium. There is corporate hospitality facilities and executive boxes in both the East and West Stands. It has a total capacity of 6,310 (2,590 seated) so currently has less than 50 per cent of the Scottish Premier League
(SPL) criterion of 6,000 seats. To date, the board have spent more than £3.5 million on renovating the stadium and plans are being made to create a modern all-seater stadium, should the team win promotion to the SPL.
In terms of capacity, the stadium holds more people than the town of Dingwall
, which had a population of 5,521 at the last census
in 2001. The largest crowd ever to witness a match at Victoria Park was reported as 8,000 for the Scottish Cup
match between Ross County and Rangers
in February 1966. The revenue from this match helped to fund construction of the Jail End terrace.
The Dingwall campus of the Highland Football Academy is situated behind the Academy End. It has a three-quarter size 3G astroturf
pitch under cover and a full size astroturf pitch adjacent to the East Stand, which has markings for football, 5-a-side football and hockey
. The Academy also has three full size grass pitches, plus additional grassed training and warm-up areas.
Dingwall
Dingwall is a town and former royal burgh in the Highland council area of Scotland. It has a population of 5,026. It was formerly an east-coast harbor but now lies inland. Dingwall Castle was once the biggest castle north of Stirling. On the town's present-day outskirts lies Tulloch Castle, parts...
, Ross-shire
Ross-shire
Ross-shire is an area in the Highland Council Area in Scotland. The name is now used as a geographic or cultural term, equivalent to Ross. Until 1889 the term denoted a county of Scotland, also known as the County of Ross...
, Scotland. It is the home stadium of Ross County F.C.
Ross County F.C.
Ross County Football Club are a Scottish professional football team from the town of Dingwall, Ross and Cromarty. Founded in 1929 they currently compete in the Scottish Football League First Division and play their home matches at Victoria Park. Prior to the 1994–95 season they played in the...
who currently play in the Scottish Football League First Division
Scottish Football League First Division
The Irn-Bru Scottish Football League First Division Championship is the highest division of the Scottish Football League and the second highest in the Scottish football league system....
. It is the most northerly ground in 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...
.
There are two stands; the West (Main Stand) and the East, which have covered seats, that run either side of the pitch. There are also two standing-only terraces – North Terrace and South Terrace – situated behind each goal, known as the Academy End (North Terrace) and The Jail End (South Terrace). The Jail End is known as this because of the old County Jail and Sheriff Court that was positioned behind that end of the ground. The jails have since been converted to housing, although the Sheriff Court is still used.
Away fans are housed in the North end of the West Stand and, depending on the size of support anticipated, can also have access to the Academy Terrace. Home fans occupy all other sections of the stadium. There is corporate hospitality facilities and executive boxes in both the East and West Stands. It has a total capacity of 6,310 (2,590 seated) so currently has less than 50 per cent of the Scottish Premier League
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
(SPL) criterion of 6,000 seats. To date, the board have spent more than £3.5 million on renovating the stadium and plans are being made to create a modern all-seater stadium, should the team win promotion to the SPL.
In terms of capacity, the stadium holds more people than the town of Dingwall
Dingwall
Dingwall is a town and former royal burgh in the Highland council area of Scotland. It has a population of 5,026. It was formerly an east-coast harbor but now lies inland. Dingwall Castle was once the biggest castle north of Stirling. On the town's present-day outskirts lies Tulloch Castle, parts...
, which had a population of 5,521 at the last census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
in 2001. The largest crowd ever to witness a match at Victoria Park was reported as 8,000 for the 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...
match between Ross County and 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 February 1966. The revenue from this match helped to fund construction of the Jail End terrace.
The Dingwall campus of the Highland Football Academy is situated behind the Academy End. It has a three-quarter size 3G astroturf
AstroTurf
AstroTurf is a brand of artificial turf. Although the term is a registered trademark, it is sometimes used as a generic description of any kind of artificial turf. The original AstroTurf product was a short pile synthetic turf while the current products incorporate modern features such as...
pitch under cover and a full size astroturf pitch adjacent to the East Stand, which has markings for football, 5-a-side football and hockey
Field hockey
Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
. The Academy also has three full size grass pitches, plus additional grassed training and warm-up areas.