Dumbarton Football Stadium

Cheaper Insurance Direct Stadium

The Rock
The stadium seen from Dumbarton Rock
Cheaper Insurance Direct Stadium Location in West Dunbartonshire
Former names	Strathclyde Homes Stadium
Location	Dumbarton, West Dunbartonshire, Scotland
Coordinates	55°56′18.41″N 4°33′41.18″W / 55.9384472°N 4.5614389°W / 55.9384472; -4.5614389
Owner	Dumbarton F.C.
Capacity	2,020[1]
Surface	Grass
Opened	2000

Dumbarton Football Stadium, also known as The Cheaper Insurance Direct Stadium^[2] for sponsorship reasons, is a stadium in Dumbarton, Scotland situated below the Dumbarton Rock. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home ground of Dumbarton Football Club. The stadium has a capacity of 2,020,^[1] and was built in 2000 after the move away from Dumbarton's traditional home, Boghead Park. It was built on part of the site formerly occupied by Denny's shipyard. The stadium is located 5/10 minutes walk from Dumbarton East railway station^[3] which is on the North Clyde Line. Dumbarton have the smallest stadium in the Scottish Championship, and the second smallest in the SPFL.

History

The stadium has just one stand, officially opened on Saturday 2 December 2000 prior to the visit of Elgin City; a match which ended 3–0 to the Sons. It is nicknamed 'The Rock' by Sons fans, as it is adjacent to Dumbarton Castle. Open areas ring the three sides without stands, which could be used for future expansion, were Dumbarton to undergo a revival and secure a place in the Scottish Premiership.

The Scotland international team have also used the stadium for training purposes before playing home matches.^[4]

Aside from football the stadium also hosts many other events; wedding receptions, conferences & various parties are held in the Allied Distillers suite. The ground of the stadium have also been used for 'Cruise for Charity' an event which brings together modified car enthusiasts from around Scotland to raise money for charity, arranged by WestCruise.

Names

The original name of the stadium, Strathclyde Homes Stadium, changed after the stadium sponsor, Strathclyde Homes, went into receivership in September 2011.^[5] On 18 February 2012 the stadium was officially renamed as Dumbarton Football Stadium, sponsored by DL Cameron.^[6] It was renamed again, just five months later on 20 July 2012, to The Bet Butler Stadium.^[7] On 9 July 2015, the stadium was unveiled as the Cheaper Insurance Direct Stadium, after local Sons fan Alex Couper and his company took over the sponsorship.^[8]

References