The Gnoll
|
The Gnoll in 2011 | |
| Full name | The Gnoll |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 51°39′48.49″N 3°47′49.78″W / 51.6634694°N 3.7971611°WCoordinates: 51°39′48.49″N 3°47′49.78″W / 51.6634694°N 3.7971611°W |
| Capacity | 5,000 |
| Surface | Grass |
| Tenants | |
|
Neath RFC (1871-present) Neath F.C. (2008-12) South Wales Scorpions (2010-2013) | |
The Gnoll (Welsh: Y Gnol) in Neath, Wales is a sports ground, with a capacity of 5,000.
In July 2009, Neath RFC presented plans for the redevelopment of the Gnoll, including building a community centre on the site, which were criticised as "too woolly".[1]
Rugby union
The Gnoll is the traditional home of Neath RFC, one of the leading Welsh clubs in the pre-regional era of rugby. The ground has a capacity of 7,500.
Association football
Welsh Premier League club Neath Athletic played at The Gnoll between 2008, and their liquidation in 2012.[2] The ground hosted its first ever football match when Neath Athletic played Swansea City in a pre-season friendly in July 2008.[3]
Cricket
The Gnoll started to host some Glamorgan championship fixtures in the 1930s, and in 1954 an indoor cricket school was opened at the site. However, problems with the pitch meant that from the late 1960s the ground was only used for one-day matches - in 1969 the Gnoll staged the county's first-ever home game in the Sunday League. In 1974, the Gnoll was dropped from the county's 1st XI fixture list, although it played host to Glamorgan's matches against the touring Australians in 1985 and 1993.[4]
Rugby league
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South Wales Scorpions have played at the Gnoll since their formation in 2010. The ground hosted a Wales national rugby league team match during the 2010 European Cup, and hosted Ireland at the Gnoll in an international friendly in the lead up to the 2011 Rugby League Four Nations. Wales won the game by 30 points to 6. The stadium is also hosting Wales v Cook Islands at the 2013 Rugby League World Cup
References
- ↑ "Neath Guardian". Gnoll plans too 'woolly'. Retrieved 22 November 2009.
- ↑ "Rugby stadium makes soccer space". BBC News. 16 May 2008. Retrieved 25 May 2010.
- ↑ "Gnoll hosts first football match". BBC News. 16 July 2008. Retrieved 25 May 2010.
- ↑ Hignell, A.K. "Brief History of The Gnoll, Neath". Retrieved 22 November 2009.
External links
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