Central Park, Cowdenbeath
 Main Stand and Alex Menzies Stand | |
  Central Park Location in Fife | |
| Location | Cowdenbeath, Fife KY4 9QQ |
|---|---|
| Owner | Cowdenbeath F.C. |
| Capacity | 4,309[1] 12,370 standing[citation needed] |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1917 |
| Renovated | 1995 (Alex Menzies Stand) |
| Tenants | |
| Cowdenbeath F.C. | |
Central Park is a football stadium in Cowdenbeath, Scotland. It is the home ground of Cowdenbeath. The ground is situated in the centre of the town, just off the High Street.[2] Central Park has a capacity of 4,309.[1] The most unusual feature of the ground is a tarmac race-track circling the pitch, which is because the stadium is regularly used for stock car racing.[2] The track means fans on the east and west terraces are quite far away from the pitch. The pitch size is 107 x 66 yards.
History
Originally, Cowdenbeath F.C. played at another ground called North End Park. The club moved to Central Park when it was opened in 1917.[3] A main stand was built in 1921.[3] A record crowd of 25,586 attended a Scottish League Cup tie against Rangers in 1949.[2][3] Floodlights were first used in 1968, in a match against Celtic.[3] Central Park was also used for greyhound racing and speedway.[3] It became a stock car racing track in 1970, and has since hosted four world championships.[3]
Half of the main stand was destroyed by a fire in 1992.[3] The surviving section of this stand is called the West Stand, or the Old Stand. Beside this the ' Alex Menzies Stand' (or New Stand) was opened in March 1995,[3] giving a total seated capacity of 1,622. Along with this the club built new dressing rooms, a board room, function suite, and office facilities. Both stands have a row of floodlight pylons in front of them, which can obstruct supporters views.[2] Three sides of the ground are uncovered terraces.[3]
Future
In 2011, there were plans for Cowdenbeath to move to a new stadium, to be located on the outskirts of Cowdenbeath.[4][5]
Transport
Cowdenbeath railway station is five minutes' walk from Central Park.[2] The M90 motorway passes near Cowdenbeath, with Central Park reached by leaving the motorway at junction 3, taking the A92 for Kirkcaldy.[2] The A909 road then leads into Cowdenbeath and free car parking is provided at the ground.[2]
References
- ^ a b "Cowdenbeath Football Club". Scottish Professional Football League. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Cowdenbeath". Scottish Ground Guide. Duncan Adams. Retrieved 11 June 2013.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Inglis 1996, p. 437
- ^ Social networks... Facebook Twitter. "News". Central Fife Times. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
{{cite web}}:|author=has generic name (help) - ^ Cowdenbeath take step towards new stadium, BBC Sport, 11 April 2011
- Sources
- Inglis, Simon (1996). Football Grounds of Britain. Collins Willow. ISBN 0-00-218426-5.
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