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Last day at Brockville.

I couldn't get in to Cooperage Lane as it was too busy. I had to settle in the away end until racing round when the gates opened for the last 10 minutes. It was quite poignant facing the spot I'd stood in since I started going aged 9.

The first "real" football game I saw was at Brockville and I too, was about 9. I have no idea who Falkirk were playing that day but they got their heads kicked in and the crowd weren't happy about it. My vocabulary increased considerably that day. Although it was 40+ years ago, I can still recall the smell of pee.

Happy days.

Edited by Shotgun
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  • 2 weeks later...

Beresford Park

Ayr FC (1884-1888), Ayr Parkhouse (1888-1910), Ayr United Reserves (1910-1926)

Opened: 1884

Closed: 1926

Demolished: 1926

Ayr FC moved to Beresford Park, adjacent to Burns Statue Square, from Springvale Park in 1884, and after only four years at the top of the town, Ayr FC moved to Somerset Park, as an alternative venue was required for a 'glamour friendly' for FA Cup holders, Aston Villa, as Beresford Park was already booked for the annual Ayr cattle show (the image below shows sheep grazing on the park at Beresford Park pitch).

Ayr Parkhouse moved in after Ayr FC moved out and stayed there until the two clubs merged in 1910. Following the merger, Beresford Park was used by Ayr United for training and reserve games (I think the club may have played some first team games there as well).

The ground was closed in 1926, and then demolished. In 1936, ODEON opened there first Scottish cinema on the site, which still stands there today.

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Somerset Park

Ayr FC (1888-1910), Ayr United (1910- )

Opened: 1888

In 1888, Ayr FC moved north of the River Ayr to Somerset Park, taking the Grandstand and club house from Beresford Park with them. In 1896, Ayr FC transformed Somerset Park to 'improve athletics provisions' by incorporating a running track. This remained the same until 1924, when the club remodelled Somerset Park to have a new stand (the main stand that still stands today) and to run parallel to Tryfield Place. In 1933 a roof was constructed over the Railway End and split into two sections, male and female.

No further changes where made to Somerset Park until 1970, when floodlights where added and inaugurated with a friendly with Newcastle United, which Ayr United won 2-0. A year later, a new roof was erected over the Somerset Road End, and this time was opened with a 1-1 draw with Sunderland.

In 1989, the club added an extension on to the main stand, now known as 'The Panda Pen' or 'The Family Stand' and in the 1990's the hospitality suite was built on the North Terrace.

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1888

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1897

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The North Terrace in the 1950's.

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An uncovered Somerset Road End in 1965.

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The main stand after a Graham penalty seals the three points for Ayr over Dunfermline in the Division 1 clash in 1975.

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The Somerset Road End celebrates a 2-0 win over Aberdeen in 1975.

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The North Terrace, without the hospitality suite on it, in 1985 against Brechin City.

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A packed main stand in 1988 for the Second Division trophy presentation.

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The North Terrace in 1999, with the hospitality suite (now the Ally MacLeod Hospitality Suite) on it, during a very famous 3-0 Scottish Cup win over Kilmarnock.

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The Family Stand in 2012.

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The Railway End in 2013.

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  • 1 month later...

This was our home for a while.

Nothing special

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You're welcome ;)

The Hampden you see is actually the third Hampden. The second Hampden is also in the picture, the green patch about a third down and in from the left. When Third Hampden was built in 1903 Second Hampden became the home of Third Lanark and renamed Cathkin Park. Lesser Hampden is to the left of the main stadium.

Cathkin still exists as a playing venue managed by Glasgow City Council.

Third Lanark lives on as a community-based amateur club and have ambition to reclaim the old ground. There's a petition here if you have time for a good cause. Good luck to them.

http://www.third-lanark.co.uk/cathkin-park-appeal/cathkin-park-appeal/

Smashing thread btw :guinness

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  • 1 month later...

Million times better than the new ground

Tell me about it!!!

Biggest mistake the Club ever made, it was all down to one man's deluded masterplan to self-promote himself to within the SFA hierarchy!!!

Danskin screwed our Club in so many ways it isn't true, we are still feeling the effects of that NONCE's tenure to this day with the Rankine debacle!!!

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Perhaps the perfect example of the "Them & Us" attitude that has always pervaded the atmosphere at Bayview (both Old and Nou) with regard to the Directors and the Fans, in my time supporting them!!!

In 1971 the Board decided to treat themselves to some nicy comfy, warm facilities by constructing the First (and only) self-contained "Director's Box" in Scottish Football!!!

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But it took them until 1980-81 to get the Terracing into a safe state for fans,it wasn't always the glorious, sweeping concrete steps you see in the photos above, while the Directors were passing out the brandies and cigars in their "Box", the fans were still risking life and limb on substandard terracing like this...

bayviewcrumble.jpg

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