Eastville Stadium
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| Eastville Stadium | |
 The aftermath of the fire in the South Stand, August 1980 |
|
| Building Information | |
|---|---|
| Location | Bristol |
| Country | England |
| Client | Bristol Rovers F.C. |
| Completion Date | 1897 |
| Date Demolished | 1998 |
Eastville Stadium was a stadium in Eastville, a northern suburb of the English city of Bristol.
Constructed in 1897, it was the home of Bristol Rovers F.C. and the Bristol Bulldogs speedway team and was also a greyhound racing venue. Rovers played their home games at Eastville (nicknamed 'The Ville') until forced to leave by financial difficulties in 1986. Rovers then spent a decade at Twerton Park in Bath before returning to the city to play at the Memorial Stadium where they remain to this day.
Parts of stadium were still in existence a decade after the ground's closure, but these were demolished in 1998 to make way for an IKEA superstore.
Built near to a gas holder, the constant smell of town gas in the air gave rise to the derogatory name used for Bristol Rovers by Bristol City fans of 'The Gas'. [1]
Another unique feature of Eastville were the flower beds behind each goal.
[edit] Important dates
- 1897 - Bristol Rovers first make an appearance at Eastville
- 1921 - Bristol Rovers purchase the stadium.
- 1924 - The mostly wooden south stand was built.
- 1935 - The original Tote End constructed.
- 1940 - The stadium is sold to the Bristol Greyhound Company.
- 1959 - The North Stand opened, and floodlights installed.
- 1960 - Highest recorded attendance for a Rovers match. 38,472 v Preston North End in the FA Cup 4th Round, January 30th.
- 1961 - A roof and new terracing installed at the Tote End.
- 1969 - M32 motorway opened.
- 1977 - Speedway introduced to the ground.
- 1980 - South Stand fire in August.
- 1986 - Bristol Rovers play their last ever game at Eastville.
- 1998 - Eastville stadium demolished.
| Bristol Rovers Football Club |
|---|
| The Club | Women's team | History | Managers |
| Former players | International appearances |
| Eastville Stadium | Twerton Park | Memorial Stadium |
| Seasons: 1883-84 | 2006-07 |
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