Borough Sports Ground
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| Full name | Gander Green Lane |
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| Location | London Borough of Sutton |
| Owner | Sutton United F.C. |
| Capacity | 5,013 (765 seated)[1] |
| Construction | |
| Built | 1898 |
| Opened | 1912 |
| Tenants | |
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Sutton United F.C. (1912–1913; 1919–present) Sutton Common Rovers F.C. (ground share) 2015- AFC Wimbledon Ladies 2015- | |
Gander Green Lane is the home of Sutton United F.C. The record attendance for Gander Green Lane is 14,000 when Sutton United lost 6–0 to Leeds United in the fourth round of the 1969–70 FA Cup.
In recent times, the pitch has played host to England C team and FA Sunday Cup matches.
History
The ground was originally used as a racing track. Due to this, the terraces are further away from the pitch than average, making the crowd seem quieter. To fix the effects of this, in 2014 the ground was refurbished, with new dugouts, player tunnels, and a new stand being built, with all stands being moved closer to the pitch and the race track removed.
Sutton United's first match at Gander Green Lane (then known as the Adult School Sports Ground) was in 1912 against Guards Depot F.C. in the FA Cup. The first league match was against Redhill and was won 1–0. Sutton left the ground at the end of the 1912–13 season, but returned after World War I.
The main stand was built in 1951, although it has been altered throughout the years. The stand's blues seats were donated by Chelsea.
In the 1980s, two small wooden stands were replaced by a covered terrace, with a small remnant remaining known by the Sutton supporters as "the shoebox". Behind this, there is a small food hut called "Roses Tea Hut", name after a lady called Rose, who ran the hut for over 4 decades.
In 1997, the Gander Green Lane end of the stadium was levelled off and new terracing was placed, sponsored by the then team sponsor Securicor.
The main hall, currently known as the Times Square lounge is home to the Boom Boom Club music venue.
On 22 April 2015, Sutton United announced that Mole Valley SCR will be ground sharing Gander Green Lane from the start of the 2015-16 season.
In the summer, a new artificial pitch was installed at Gander Green Lane, and was officially opened on 14 July 2015 by Alan Pardew, manager of Crystal Palace F.C.[2]
References
Footnotes
Coordinates: 51°22′03.37″N 0°12′15.63″W / 51.3676028°N 0.2043417°W
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