Edgar Street
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Edgar Street | |
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 The Blackfriars End with the cathedral and church in the background |
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| Full Name | Edgar Street Athletic Ground |
| Location | Hereford, England |
| Built | late 19th century |
| Opened | late 19th century |
| Owner | Hereford City Council |
| Surface | Grass |
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Edgar Street is a football stadium in Hereford, England and is the home of Hereford United who currently play in League Two. It is located close to the city centre of Hereford on the road of the same name (A49).
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[edit] History
The site has been used as a stadium since the late 19th century although it is unclear exactly when it was built. In its early years it was a multi-purpose stadium used mainly for football and athletics. This is evident by the characteristic curved ends of the stadium which accommodated the athletics track.
The stadium was originally owned by the Hereford Athletic Ground Company and was also used by amateur football side Hereford City. In 1924 Hereford United was formed by the amalgamation of two local clubs and began ground-sharing with City while paying rent to the Athletics company. Even in those days Hereford United struggled financially and the landlord obligingly reduced the rent to help the club. In 1931 the stadium was purchased by Hereford City Council for £3,000, and in 1952 United secured a lease on the stadium for the first time.
Due to the club's financial crisis in 1997, the lease was handed over to developers, who are expected to take an active role in the redevelopment of the stadium
[edit] Stands
The Merton Stand, on the eastern side of the ground, is the main stand and was built in 1968. It was extended to cover the entire length of the pitch in the 1970s, previously standing areas known as the Cowshed were located on each side of the stand. It is the nominated family stand and includes the director's box and press box, with the dugouts and players' tunnel located in front of the stand. The stand is unusual in that it is built on the club's main buildings with various windows at pitch level. These include the Vice Presidents' Club and Legend's, the supporters's bar.
The Meadow End, at the northern end of the ground, is a covered terrace and is home to the club's most vocal supporters. It has a distinctive curve (see above) with a flat area in front of the terracing enabling supporters to stand directly behind the perimeter wall of the pitch. It has a capacity of approximately 3,500. Located behind this end is the substantial Merton Meadow car park.
The Len Weston Stand, on the western side of the ground, comprises two tiers and was built in 1974, replacing the previous wooden granstand. It is unusual in that the lower tier is terraced and the upper tier seated. The upper tier contains just five rows of seating but offers perhaps the best view in the ground as it is higher up than the Merton Stand. The view from the terracing on the lower tier can be obscured by a number of supporting pillars but with the benefit of being close to the pitch. Allocation is split between home and away supporters; the half on the Meadow End side is allocated to home supporters. The rebuilt stand was named after the former president and benefactor of the club, Len Weston, of the cider and perry making family business. However it was renamed the "Floors-2-Go Stand" for the 2006-07 season, with the stand being painted to reflect this. Immediately behind the stand is Edgar Street itself, which may restrict any future development.
The Blackfriars Street End, on the southern side of the ground, is a covered terrace but is much less populated than the Meadow End. The terrace is significantly further back from the pitch than and has fallen into a state of disrepair somewhat. This end is the most likely to be redeveloped first for these reasons. Half of the end is allocated to away supporters, on the Len Weston Stand side with fencing separating the two sections. It also has a large flat area in front of the terracing which, like at the other end, allows supporters to stand directly behind the perimeter wall.
[edit] Planned Redevelopment
Herefordshire Council and Advantage West Midlands, the Regional Development Agency, have formed a company, ESG Herefordshire, to redevelop the area around the football ground including the market area. The current (2003) draft masterplan includes a new stadium. The site of the new stadium overlaps with the area of the current football ground suggesting the need for United to find an alternative venue for an extended period during the redevelopment. In October 2006, ESG Herefordshire appointed Urban Initiatives to revise and develop the masterplan [1].
[edit] Trivia
- The record attendance is 18,114 against Sheffield Wednesday in the 1958-59 season FA Cup Third Round.
- Floodlights were installed in 1952, before some much bigger clubs in the League.
- At 76 yards, the ground has one of the widest pitches in the Football League.
- The capacity of the ground is currently lower (around 7,900) due to health and safety reasons.
- An electronic scoreboard was put up at the Blackfriars Street End in 2000.
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- ^ ESG Herefordshire (2006-10-26). Urban Initiatives to design masterplan to revitalise and expand Hereford city centre. Press release. Retrieved on 2007-01-31.
| Football League Two venues, 2006-2007 |
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| Adams Park | Bescot Stadium | Blundell Park | County Ground The Darlington Arena | Edgar Street | Edgeley Park | Field Mill Fraser Eagle Stadium | Gay Meadow | Gigg Lane | London Road Meadow Lane | Memorial Stadium | Moss Rose | National Hockey Stadium Plainmoor | Racecourse Ground | Saunders Honda Stadium | Sincil Bank Spotland Stadium | Underhill Stadium | Victoria Park | York Street |
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