Shamrock Park
|
| |
| Location | Brownstown Road, Portadown, County Armagh, Northern Ireland. |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 54°24′47″N 6°27′28″W / 54.41306°N 6.45778°WCoordinates: 54°24′47″N 6°27′28″W / 54.41306°N 6.45778°W |
| Owner | Portadown Football Club |
| Capacity | 3,940[1] |
| Surface | Grass |
| Tenants | |
| Portadown Football Club | |
Shamrock Park is a football stadium in Portadown, Northern Ireland. It is the home ground of Portadown F.C.. Shamrock Park used to be used for stock-car racing, but this has been discontinued in recent years. The stadium is classed as an all-seater stadium but has only has two seated stands around the pitch totaling 2,765 seats, with one side containing a training pitch and the other having an older seated stand which is no longer in use. When grant aid is available, the older stand will be demolished and replaced with a brand new seated stand. The stadium capacity is currently restricted to 3,940 under safety legislation.[1]
Ground redevelopment
A £1.8-million 1,840-seater stand was built at the unreserved end of the ground, replacing the "shed" and opened in late 2008. It was named "The MET Steel Stand" after Portadown's long-serving sponsors. At the same time the pitch was moved closer to the Chalet end of the stadium allowing supporters from every angle to have a better view of the football. In early February 2009 the old floodlights were replaced with new 800 lux floodlights at each corner of the pitch. In the future the club plans to demolish the old grandstand and build a new stand similar to that of 'The MET Steel Stand' at the other side of the pitch. It is also planned that the pitch will be raised and a new pitch laid because at the presently there is a slope in the pitch. There is also plans for a large training pitch to be positioned at the undeveloped end of the ground.
International matches
Due to the extensive redevelopment of the stadium, the Irish Football Association has recognised that Shamrock Park is a venue which can be used for under-age Northern Ireland matches. Shamrock Park was chosen for the under-21 friendly between Northern Ireland and Ukraine on 31 March 2009.
On 24 November 2009 Shamrock Park staged its second international fixture, an under-23 match between Northern Ireland and Wales in the International Challenge Trophy.
In April 2014 the Sweden women's national football team beat Northern Ireland 4–0 at Shamrock Park. Swedish team manager Marika Domanski-Lyfors ridiculed the sloping pitch and inadequate facilities, saying they were wholly unfit for international matches and like a return to the 1980s.[2]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Sport NI Annual review 2008/09". sportni.net. p. 18. Retrieved 14 May 2013.
- ↑ Hur kunde Shamrock Park godkännas för VM-kval? Damfotboll.com, April 6, 2014