Excelsior Stadium

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Excelsior Stadium
New Broomfield
Excelsior Stadium.png
Location in North Lanarkshire
Location Airdrie
Coordinates Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Capacity 10,101 (all seated)[1]
Field size 115 × 75 yds
Surface 3G artificial pitch
Opened 1998
Tenants
Airdrieonians FC (2002–present)
Airdrieonians F.C. (1878) (1998–2002)
Queen's Park FC (2013–2014)
Glasgow City LFC

The Excelsior Stadium is the home of Airdrieonians of the Scottish League One and Glasgow City FC of the Scottish Women's Premier League. It was built in 1998 to house the original Airdrieonians club, which went into liquidation four years later. Since then the new Airdrieonians have played their home games there, between 2002 and 2013 under their original name of Airdrie United.

When the stadium first opened it was officially titled Shyberry Excelsior Stadium ("Shyberry" being the company who sponsored the stadium when it first opened). The Airdrie fans, and indeed sometimes the media often refer to the stadium as New Broomfield, which is more palatable from an Airdrie perspective due to its association with the former home of the original Airdrieonians, Broomfield Park.

History

Following the sale of Airdrieonians' home ground (Broomfield Park) to large supermarket chain Safeway in 1994, the club searched for several years for a suitable site, and planning permission for, a new home. The motive for the move was to build a stadium that would allow the club entry to Scottish Premier League (clubs were required to have a stadium with a seating capacity of at least ten thousand). The building work on Excelsior Stadium was eventually completed in 1998, and Airdrieonians played here until the club went out of business due to heavy debts in May 2002. This left an opening in the Scottish League, which was filled by Northern Premier League side Gretna. To attain a position in the league, Jim Ballantyne bought out the ailing Clydebank, renamed the club Airdrie United, changed the strip and relocated the club to Airdrie. Airdrie United are now known as 'Airdrieonians', which is the same name as the club that was dissolved in 2002.

The ground seats 10,101[1] and, as well as hosting Airdrieonians first and youth team games, various local amateur sides and several charity events, it has also played host to a Scottish Challenge Cup final, as well as Scotland under-21 fixtures and Old Firm reserve matches.

In 2003 Falkirk enquired about groundsharing at the stadium for a season, as their former home, Brockville did not meet SPL criteria. This was later rejected in a meeting between SPL chairmen, meaning Falkirk were denied a place in the SPL. In August 2008 it played host to Queen of the South's UEFA Cup 2nd qualifying round 1st leg against Nordsjælland. The stadium also hosted all of Motherwell's Europa League qualifying round ties in the 2009-10 season, against Llanelli, Flamurtari and Steaua Bucharest.[2]

Since the original Airdrieonians FC went into liquidation, the ownership of the stadium has been in several hands. Currently the stadium is owned by a limited liability partnership called Excelsior Stadium LLP. The current stadium management company is called Excelsior Stadium Ltd. The Directors of Excelsior Stadium Limited incorporated a new company on 11 March 2011 called Broomfield Stadium Ltd. The owners work closely with Airdrieonians, with personnel involved in coaching youth players, along with various commercial and sponsorship initiatives.

Queen's Park used Excelsior Stadium as their regular home ground while Hampden Park was being converted for use as an athletics stadium in the 2014 Commonwealth Games.[3]

Records and facts

File:AirdrieFC.jpg

The record attendance at New Broomfield was 9,612 for the 2005 Scottish Challenge Cup Final, played between Hamilton Academical and St. Mirren on 6 November 2005.[4] The highest attendance for an Airdrieonians match was 9,044 for a Scottish League One fixture against Rangers on 23 August 2013.[4] Excelsior Stadium is the second highest stadium in Scottish league football, at 124 metres above sea level, 3 metres below the highest, Clyde's Broadwood Stadium.

Facilities

View from Jack Dalziel stand toward South stand

In addition to the executive match-viewing boxes that look onto the pitch, the stadium boasts conference and banqueting facilities, with six separate spaces and a public bar being situated within the main (Jack Dalziel) stand. Disabled facilities are also provided in the North, East and South stands. A Sports Injury Clinic operates from the main stand.

Nine five-a-side football pitches were installed for community use in early 2010, adjacent to the stadium on the South stand side and to the East stand side. The car parks were resurfaced, and new fencing and gates were erected around the perimeter of the stadium and land.

At the end of the 2009–10 season, a new 3G artificial surface was installed.[5] Although due for completion prior to season 2010-2011, in July Airdrie United played their opening Challenge Cup 1st Round game v Ayr United at Alloa Athletic's Recreation Park ground, as the work had been delayed due to heavy rain. The first competitive game played on the new surface was on 14 August 2010, as Airdrie entertained Ayr United.

File:Excelsioroverhead1.svg
Stadium dimensions

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links


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