Bloomfield Road

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Bloomfield Road
"Bloomers"
Phasing-in of the new stadium. Looking north.
Location	Seasiders Way, Blackpool, England
Opened	1900
Owner	Blackpool F.C.
Surface	Grass
Tenants	Blackpool F.C. (1899–present)
Capacity	9,788
Field dimensions	112 x 74 yards (pitch)

Bloomfield Road has been the home of English football club Blackpool Football Club since 1899. It is named after the road on which the ground's main entrance used to stand. After having two stands redeveloped between 2001 and 2002, the ground capacity was 11,295. Currently there are only three stands, since the South Stand was demolished in 2003, in preparation for the construction of a new stand, and the current capacity is 9,788 (all-seated, including the temporary East Stand). When the stadium is complete, the new capacity should be 16,000. The stadium was used during the 2005 UEFA Women's Championship.

Before moving to Bloomfield Road, Blackpool had called two other grounds home during their existence. Firstly, between 1886 and 1897, they played at Raikes Hall Gardens (also known as the Royal Palace Gardens). In 1897, they moved for two years to the Athletic Grounds at the town's Stanley Park. After a short spell back at Raikes Hall Gardens in 1899, Blackpool made the move to their current home. The record attendance is 38,098, which occurred when Blackpool played Wolverhampton Wanderers on 17 September 1955.

1 History
2 Stands
3 Gallery
4 Notes
5 References
6 External links

[edit] History

The ground was originally known as Gamble's Field, being named after the local farmer who owned the land, when South Shore F.C. played there in the Lancashire League in 1899. When Blackpool F.C. merged with South Shore F.C. later that year, the former club moved into the latter's ground and changed the name to Bloomfield Road. At this time there was only one stand at the ground, a small structure on the western side, which held about 300 seated.

Bloomfield Road in 1905, viewed from the south-east corner of the ground.

In 1906, the local Press were pleading with the club to provide a decent Press box, as they found themselves watching the games from the touch-line. The following year, a paddock was built in front of the stand to up the capacity. A decade later, however, a serious fire all but destroyed it, necessitating a complete rebuild.

Two years later, the Spion Kop, the former South Stand, was built, holding about a thousand standing spectators. Along the east side of the ground, the concreted East Paddock was built, costing roughly £3,000, which nearly broke the club but raised the ground to have a capacity of 18,000.

Bloomfield Road, circa 1950, prior to the installation of a roof over the Spion Kop (then the North Stand) in the 1960s. Note the dormers in the main facade.

A small stand was constructed on the north side of the ground, which was called the Motor Stand and made Bloomfield Road one of the only grounds in England to have stands on all four sides of the ground.

Bloomfield Road in the first half of the 20th century, looking north-west.

In 1925, a new South Stand was built to provide a new boardroom, offices, dressing rooms, baths, and refreshment bars. It cost just over £13,000 and held 4,000 people, bringing the total ground capacity to well over 20,000.^[1]

The historic South Stand, pulled down in 2003 after a 78-year existence.

With promotion to Division One in 1930 the locals raised some money to build a massive terrace at the north (Tower) end of the ground which could hold around 12,000 standing spectators, increasing the ground's total capacity to 30,000. The Motor Stand, which had previously occupied the spot, was moved into the northwest corner, where it stayed until 1985. The East Stand (or "Scratching Sheds") was covered once the team's fortunes increased. The boardroom in the South Stand was also said to contain oak panelling taken off one of Lord Nelson's old flagships that ran ashore on the famous Blackpool beach during bad weather.

On 17 October 1932, the first and only full international game took place at Bloomfield Road: England v. Ireland.^[2] The attendance was 23,000.^[3]

Between the 1930s and 2001, little changed at Bloomfield Road. After World War Two significant repairs were needed, not because of bomb damage, but due to the fact that the armed forces had used it extensively; however, the rent they received from this more than paid off the club's overdraft.

An aerial view of Bloomfield Road in the 1970s, looking west.

With an extension of the East Paddock, the capacity was raised to 38,000 in 1954. Floodlights were erected in the summer of 1957, and additional seating in the West Stand was added.

The capacity was reduced to 30,000 in the late 1960s when new seating was installed. During the following decade, the board introduced seats in the East Paddock, a move that proved so unpopular that it was reversed within twelve months.

A roof was put up over the Spion Kop at the north end of the ground; however, it was taken down in 1981 after only twenty years. The council thought it was dangerous, but the club could not afford to repair the roof, so it was torn off. This also caused the removal of seats that had been put into the East Stand. These seats were supposedly a very poor idea as the first three rows were below pitch level, thus providing a poor vantage point from which to watch games.

In the 1990s, with Bloomfield Road defining the word decrepit, new safety measures reduced the capacity from 18,000 to 12,000, and then down to 9,000. The western half of the Kop was closed, with the eastern half open only to visiting support, and the East Paddock became segregated. The atmosphere came almost exclusively from the south end, unless there was a large away following.

Also in the early 1990s, the old North-West Stand was pulled down, and the West Paddock was voted as the "most uncomfortable in England".^{[citation needed]}

The Spion Kop, with Blackpool Tower in the distance, viewed from the south-east corner of the ground.

Former chairman Owen Oyston submitted plans, on several occasions, to build a new 40,000 all-seater stadium adjoining a large entertainment complex.^[4] Planning permission for the new ground, which was to built at nearby Whyndyke Farm, was granted in June 1992. However, in 1996 Oyston was convicted of rape and jailed for six years, and nothing further was heard about the move to Whyndyke Farm.

In 1999 and 2001 respectively, the Spion Kop and West Stand were demolished to make way for the new stands, and the pitch was moved slightly north and west to make room for expansion on the south and east sides of the ground in future years.

The record attendance at Bloomfield Road was 38,098, against Wolves on 17 September 1955, which Blackpool won 2-1, with Stan Mortensen, whose statue now stands behind the North Stand,^[5] getting the first, and Stanley Matthews scoring.

The stadium was used for two matches during the 2005 UEFA Women's Championship. Blackpool Panthers rugby league club used the stadium for their home matches in National League Two in the 2005 and 2006 seasons and since 2005 it has staged the annual National League Cup final.

The stadium hosted a 2004-05 Victory Shield match between England under-16 team and Scotland under-16 team on 26 November 2004.^[6]

On 11 October 2007, England under-16s drew 2-2 with Northern Ireland under-16's in a Victory Shield 2007-08 match at Bloomfield Road. The match was televised live on Sky Sports.^[7]

In March 2008, following news that Whyndyke Farm is to be the home for a new mental-health hospital to replace the Parkwood unit at Victoria Hospital, and that the site is also earmarked for new housing, Blackpool chairman Karl Oyston confirmed that plans for a move to a new stadium at Whyndyke Farm were unlikely to ever be revived.^[4]

[edit] Stands

The main entrance to the ground used to be on Bloomfield Road, via the now-demolished South Stand; however, the development of the ground that began in the first few years of the 21st century meant it is now from Seasiders Way, via the Matthews Stand on the west side of the ground.

[edit] Blackpool International Airport Matthews Stand

Blackpool International Airport Stand, viewed from the now-demolished South Stand.

This stand, which is named after the Seasiders legend Sir Stanley Matthews, is on the west side of the ground and is the main stand. The players' tunnel, which was formerly located in the South Stand, is now in this stand, and behind the main seating is a hospitality balcony with executive boxes at the rear from the south end to the Directors' Box at the halfway line, from which point to the north-west corner is the Stanley Matthews Hospitality Suite. The stand also contains office space as well as all the club offices and main reception. The club's nickname, "Seasiders", is spelled out in white seats amongst the tangerine majority.

[edit] All-In-One Maintenance, Blackpool Leisure Mortensen North Stand (The Kop)

This stand is at the north end of the ground. It replaced the old Spion Kop and is connected to the West Stand by the North West corner stand. It is named after Stan Mortensen, who is the only player in history to score a hat-trick at Wembley in an FA Cup Final. The club use both The Kop and North Stand on tickets for this stand. The abbreviation "B.F.C." is spelled out by white seats. There is no hospitality balcony at the rear of the stand with additional rows of general seating and office space behind which during matches are "blacked out". The stand also houses the Safehands Green Start Nursery.^[8] Behind the stand is a statue of Mortensen which was unveiled on 23 August 2005 by his widow and Jimmy Armfield. The statue, which is life-size, shows "Morty" in the pose of scoring a goal. It cost £25,000, which was paid for by the club, Blackpool Council and Blackpool fans.^[5] In May 2008 building work began to fit out the remaining "boarded up" area behind the Kop, next to the nursery, into retail space.

[edit] Brands Scaffolding North-West Corner

This stand joins the West Stand and the North Stand (The Kop) together, it has the same number of rows as the west and has the rest of the hospitality balcony directly above. The stand also contains the stadium's Family section. The club shop is located to the rear of the North-West Corner.

[edit] East Stand

Known in its former guise as the East Paddock or the "Scratching Sheds", this stand has 1,965 seats. There was an incident in 2005 when Sheffield Wednesday supporters jumped up and down with this stand full and some of its middle section gave way; however, nobody was injured.

In December 2007, following a home match against Stoke City the stand was slightly damaged due to the appearance of a small hole in the floor. The stand had to be re-floored and following an inspection by the Safety Advisory Group, the capacity was reduced to 1,563 for the next home match against Coventry City on 22 December 2007. The stand passed an inspection after the Coventry game, and the capacity was restored to 1,965.^[9]

In January 2008, the club applied for planning permission to build a six-row extension to the East Stand which will increase the stand capacity by an additional 972 seats to 2,937, and the total stadium capacity to 10,760.^[10]^[11] They were granted permission in April 2008.^[12]

The second incarnation of the Bloomfield Road facade.

[edit] South Stand

A panorama of the ground, c. 1999, from the upper level of the South Stand.

The previous 1925 main stand was demolished in 2003. This is the stand that stood on Bloomfield Road. Currently there is a large open space closed off between the pitch and the road which is waiting to be developed into the new South Stand. In September 2006 the club announced the building of the south-west corner of the ground, which would seat 582. However, as of February 2008 building work has yet to commence. Building work has begun on the hotel (which is to be leased by Travelodge) on land formerly occupied by The Tangerine Night Club, which had been announced by the club to be built at the same time as the South-West Corner.

The continued delays for building work to commence have become a source of controversy with the club's fans.^[11] In a radio phone-in on BBC Radio Lancashire on 6 February 2008, club chairman Karl Oyston stated that, "The South will be built as and when it is right for the football business. I know we need to progress as a club and it is top of our agenda, believe me, but it wasn't right to do it now."^[13] He also confirmed that the club has no immediate plans to start building the stand.^[11] On 14 May, 2008, Blackpool-based radio station, Radio Wave 96.5 announced on their website and news bulletin that work was to commence on the South Stand in the summer.^[14] However, this prompted an immediate response by the football club who issued a statement on their official website expressing their disappointment that a local Press agency had issued a media report about the development. And they denied the report was true, stating that "the story about the South Stand developments is a complete fabrication", adding that "any future communications and announcements to be made with regards to the South Stand will come from the club itself."^[15] A week later it was claimed that the club looked certain to begin building work in summer 2008 and it was confirmed that the club had a number of options including building a temporary stand, a permanent stand or a mix with a permanent South West corner and a temporary South Stand, with Karl Oyston stating, "I've made it very clear to the board that if we don't increase our capacity by one of the scenarios that I've outlined to them - and I've outlined every scenario that I believe is available - then we will struggle. Adding that "The preferred option is obviously to build a permanent south west and south. The worst case scenario fallback is to build a temporary south." It was also stated that building a new South Stand and South West corner will now cost about £6-8 million and would raise the capacity of the stadium by 3,000.^[16] An Oystons Estate Agency sign was also erected advertising retail space for lease, a pub/restaurant and "hotel with with hospitality suites for match days" in the new South Stand.

[edit] Gallery

Another view of the old Bloomfield Road facade	Fans entering the turnstiles	A refreshments stand	One of the changing rooms, located beneath the South Stand
The corridor outside the changing rooms, looking towards the players' tunnel (on the right)	Looking down the players' tunnel	A view of the South Stand from the end of the players' tunnel	The South Stand's lower concourse
Beginning the climb up to the South Stand	The concourse immediately below the South Stand seating	Looking north-east over the players' tunnel from the South Stand	Blackpool Tower in the distance, viewed from the northern end of the West Stand
The East Paddock (also known as the "Scratching Sheds"), not long before it was pulled down in 2003