Memorial Stadium (Bristol)
| Memorial Stadium | |
|---|---|
| The Mem | |
 DriBuild Stand at the Memorial Stadium |
|
| Former names | Memorial Ground |
| Location | Filton Avenue, Horfield, Bristol, BS7 0AQ |
| Coordinates | 51°29′10″N 2°34′59″W / 51.48622°N 2.583134°W |
| Opened | 24 September 1921 |
| Owner | The Memorial Stadium Company |
| Surface | Grass |
| Capacity | 12,100 (12,011[1] after segregation) {2,500 seated} |
| Record attendance | 12.011 (Bristol Rovers vs West Bromwich Albion, 9 February 2008) |
| Field dimensions | 101 x 68 metres |
| Tenants | |
| Bristol Rugby 1921- Bristol Rovers 1996- |
|
The Memorial Stadium, also commonly known by its previous name of The Memorial Ground, is a sports ground in Bristol, England, dedicated to the memory of the rugby union players of the city killed during World War I. It is currently the home ground of Bristol Rovers and Bristol Rugby Club. The stadium is also used for the rugby varsity between the city's two universities, University of the West of England and University of Bristol. In 2013, the stadium will host the Rugby League World Cup Group D match between the Cook Islands and the USA.
History
.jpg)
The stadium was built on an area of land called Buffalo Bill's Field that was previously occupied by allotments and was opened on 24 September 1921 by G B Britton, the Lord Mayor of Bristol, as a home for Bristol Rugby Club.
Situated on Filton Avenue in Horfield, Bristol, it has developed significantly over the years. A massive crowd turned out to watch the first ever game to be held there against Cardiff, but did so from wooden terraces and stands. With the advent of leagues in the late 1980s, Bristol looked to develop the Ground, replacing the old Shed on the north side with the Centenary Stand to mark the club's 100th anniversary in 1988. The West Stand, an original feature of the ground, was demolished in 1995 having been condemned, and replaced.
In 1996, Bristol Rovers moved in as tenants of Bristol Rugby Club, and soon took joint ownership through the Memorial Stadium Company. This arrangement lasted just two years however, as in 1998 the rugby club was relegated from the Premiership, causing them severe financial difficulties, and they lost control of the Memorial Stadium Company to Bristol Rovers. The rugby club has since been tenants in their original home.
By 2005, the Memorial Stadium was hosting Bristol Rugby Club back in the Guinness Premiership, with Bristol Rovers continuing to compete in the lower levels of the Football League. A roof has been added to the Clubhouse Terrace and temporary stands at the south and east of the ground has brought capacity up to 12,100 (12,011 for football due to terracing that cannot be used due to segregation of home and away fans). Bristol Rugby were again relegated out of the Premiership in 2009 and have not yet returned.
In February 2013, after months of speculation,[2] Bristol Rugby announced that they would move in with Bristol City at either a redeveloped Ashton Gate Stadium or the proposed stadium at Ashton Vale.[3] The rugby club are currently under contract to play at the Mem during the 2013-14 season and are expected to move prior to the 2014-15 season[4] which is expected to be the last season Bristol Rovers will play there before moving to UWE Stadium.
The Ground has remained a focal point for the wider Bristol community, and a minute's silence is held annually at the closest game to Remembrance Sunday, while on 11 November a service of remembrance is held at the Memorial Gates with players and officials from both Bristol Rovers and Bristol Rugby attending the service each year.
Stadium future
The Memorial Stadium Company proposed a wide ranging £35 million refurbishment of the Memorial Stadium, bringing it up to an 18,500 all-seater capacity.[5] On 17 January 2007, Bristol City Council granted permission for the stadium redevelopment.[6]
The new stadium will include:[7][8]
- A 97-room hotel
- 99 student flats
- A restaurant
- A convenience store
- Offices
- A Public Gym
On 17 August 2007, it was announced that the stadium's redevelopment had been delayed and would commence in May 2008 and finish in December 2009. During this time period of reconstruction, Bristol Rovers would've ground shared with Cheltenham Town at Whaddon Road[9] while Bristol Rugby would've play across the Severn Bridge, sharing Newport Gwent Dragons' Rodney Parade ground.[10] The Section 106 legal agreement, which was the main cause for the delay in the redevelopment, was finally signed on 4 January 2008,[11] but more delays were encountered when on 30 May 2008 Rovers admitted that their preferred student accommodation providers had pulled out of the project, leaving the club to find an alternative company.[12] This caused the redevelopment to be put back another year, to 2009.[13] More delays, mostly attributed to the ongoing financial crisis, meant that by mid-2011, the stadium redevelopment had yet to begin.
In June 2011, Bristol Rovers announced its intentions to relocate the club to the newly proposed UWE Stadium instead of redeveloping the Memorial Stadium. In order to fund the new stadium, the Mem is to be sold to supermarket chain Sainsbury's.[14] Planning permission was granted for the UWE Stadium site in July 2012[15] and the Sainsbury's plans for the Memorial Stadium in January 2013.[16] Work is expected to begin on the UWE Stadium in summer 2013, to be completed in time for the 2015/16 season. The Memorial Stadium will continue to be used during this time with work to redevelop the site not beginning until Rovers complete their move to the new stadium.
Average Attendances
| Season | Bristol Rovers | Bristol Rugby | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attendance | League | Attendance | League | |
| 2012-13 | 6,308 | League Two | 4,859 | Championship |
| 2011-12 | 6,035 | League Two | 5,351 | Championship |
| 2010-11 | 6,253 | League One | 4,273 | Championship |
| 2009-10 | 7,042 | League One | 5,261 | Championship |
| 2008-09 | 7,170 | League One | 7,435 | Premiership |
| 2007-08 | 6,849 | League One | 9,175 | Premiership |
| 2006-07 | 7,931 | League Two | 10,152[17] | Premiership |
| 2005-06 | 5,989 | League Two | 9,265 | Premiership |
| 2004-05 | 7,077 | League Two | 5,234 | National One |
| 2003-04 | 7,141 | Third Division | 3,683 | National One |
References
- ^ http://www.footballgroundguide.com/bristol_rovers/
- ^ "We might not move to Ashton Gate, says Bristol Rugby chief". ThisIsBristol. 2 October 2012. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
- ^ "Club Will Groundshare With Bristol City". Bristol Rugby. 5 February 2013. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
- ^ "Bristol Rugby chairman Chris Booy: We will soon have biggest and best club rugby stadium in England". ThisIsBristol. 5 February 2013. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
- ^ Club submits revised stadium plan BBC News. Retrieved 23 October 2006
- ^ Memorial stadium given go-ahead BBC News. Retrieved 17 January 2007
- ^ Bristol City Council planning consultation: Memorial Stadium, Filton Avenue Bristol City Council. Retrieved 25 April 2007
- ^ "Stadium Amendments Given The OK". Bristol Rovers FC. 2 April 2008. Retrieved 30 May 2008.
- ^ Football and rugby stay in city BBC News. Retrieved 1 October 2007
- ^ Bristol confirm move to Newport BBC News. Retrieved 6 January 2013
- ^ Signed, Sealed, Delivered bristolrovers.co.uk. Retrieved 4 January 2008
- ^ "Memorial Stadium plans hit hurdle". BBC News. 30 May 2008. Retrieved 1 June 2008.
- ^ "Stadium regeneration delayed". bristolrovers.co.uk. 3 June 2008. Retrieved 3 June 2008.
- ^ "ROVERS ANNOUNCE NEW STADIUM PLANS". bristolrovers.co.uk. 9 June 2011. Retrieved 9 June 2011.
- ^ "Councillors approve stadium plans". South Gloucestershire Council (southglos.gov.uk). 19 July 2012. Retrieved 22 January 2013.
- ^ "SAINSBURY'S APPROVED". Bristol Rovers Official Website (bristolrovers.co.uk). 16 January 2013. Retrieved 21 January 2013.
- ^ Excludes two home matches played at Ashton Gate Stadium
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Memorial Stadium |
- The Memorial Ground, Flickr Group Photographic record of the Memorial Stadium
- This is Bristol Bristol Evening Post
- Bristol Football Club (RFU), Dave Fox and Mark Hoskins, 2 vols., Tempus Publishing
- Bristol Rovers: The Definitive History 1883–2003, Stephen Byrne and Mike Jay, Tempus Publishing
|
|||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||
