Memorial Stadium (Bristol)

Memorial Stadium
Location	Filton Avenue, Horfield, Bristol, BS7 0AQ
Opened	24 September 1921
Owner	The Memorial Stadium Company
Surface	Grass
Former names	Memorial Ground
Tenants	Bristol Rovers Bristol Rugby
Capacity

The Memorial Stadium (also commonly known by its previous name of The Memorial Ground) is a sports ground in Bristol, dedicated to the memory of the rugby union players of the city killed during World War I. It was built on an area of land called Buffalo Bill's Field which was previously occupied by allotments and opened on 24 September 1921 by G B Britton, the Lord Mayor of Bristol, as a home for Bristol Rugby Club. Situated on Filton Avenue in Horfield, Bristol, it has developed significantly over the years. A massive crowd turned out to watch the first ever game to be held there against Cardiff, but did so from wooden terraces and stands. The Ground has remained a focal point for the wider Bristol community, and a minute's silence is held annually at the closest game to Remembrance Sunday, while on November 11th a service of remembrance is held at the Memorial Gates. With the advent of leagues in the late 1980s, Bristol looked to develop the Ground, replacing the old Shed on the north side with the Centenary Stand to mark the club's 100th anniversary in 1988. The West Stand, an original feature of the Ground, was demolished in 1995 having been condemned and replaced. Coordinates: 51°29′10″N 2°35′01″W / 51.4862, -2.5836

Shown within Bristol and the UK

In 1996, Bristol Rovers moved in as tenants of Bristol Rugby Club, and soon took joint ownership through the Memorial Stadium Company. The rugby club was relegated from the Premiership in 1998, causing severe financial difficulties, and they lost control of the Memorial Stadium Company to Bristol Rovers. The rugby club has since been tenants in their original home. By 2005, the Memorial Stadium was hosting Bristol Rugby Club back in the Guinness Premiership, with Bristol Rovers competing in the Football League. A roof has been added to the Clubhouse Terrace and a temporary stand at the east of the ground has brought capacity up to 11,750.

Centenary Stand at the Memorial Stadium

Stadium redevelopment

The Memorial Stadium Company proposed a wide ranging £35 million refurbishment of the Memorial Stadium, bringing it up to an 18,500 capacity.^[1] On January 17, 2007, Bristol City Council granted permission for the stadium redevelopment. ^[2] The new stadium will include:^[3]

• An 84-room hotel
• 105 student flats
• A restaurant
• A convenience store
• Conference facilities
• Offices

On August 17, 2007, it was announced that the stadium's redevelopment had been delayed and would now commence in May 2008 and finish in December 2009.^[4] On January 4, 2008. the Section 106 legal agreement, which was the main cause for the delay in the redevelopment, was finally signed, meaning the redevelopment was back on track.^[5]

References

1. ^ Club submits revised stadium plan BBC News. Retrieved 23 October 2006
2. ^ Memorial stadium given go-ahead BBC News. Retrieved 17 January 2007
3. ^ Bristol City Council planning consultation: Memorial Stadium, Filton Avenue Bristol City Council. Retrieved 25 April 2007
4. ^ Football and rugby stay in city BBC News. Retrieved 1 October 2007
5. ^ Signed, Sealed, Delivered bristolrovers.co.uk. Retrieved 4 January 2008

Sources

• This is Bristol Bristol Evening Post
• Bristol Football Club (RFU), Dave Fox and Mark Hoskins, 2 vols., Tempus Publishing
• Bristol Rovers: The Definitive History 1883-2003, Stephen Byrne and Mike Jay, Tempus Publishing