Excelsior Stadium
Encyclopedia
The Excelsior Stadium is the home of Airdrie United F.C.
of the Scottish Football League Second Division
. It was built in 1998 to house Airdrieonians F.C.
, and when Airdrieonians went into liquidation four years later, Airdrie United began playing their home games there.
When the stadium first opened it was officially titled Shyberry Excelsior Stadium ("Shyberry" being the company who sponsored the stadium when it first opened). The fans, and indeed sometimes the media often refer to the stadium as New Broomfield, which is more palatable from an Airdrie perspective due to its association with the former home of Airdrieonians
, Broomfield Park
.
home ground (Broomfield Park
) to large supermarket
chain Safeway in 1994, the club searched for several years for a suitable site, and planning permission for, a new home. The motive for the move was to build a stadium that would allow the club entry to Scottish Premier League
(Clubs were required to have a stadium with a seating capacity
of at least ten thousand). The building work on Excelsior Stadium was eventually completed in 1998, and Airdrieonians
played here until the club went out of business due to heavy debts in May 2002. This left an opening in the Scottish League, which was filled by Northern Premier League
side Gretna
To attain a position in the league, the Airdrie United
owner, Jim Ballantyne, bought out the ailing Clydebank
, and changed their name and strip and relocated the side to Airdrie
.
The ground seats 10,171 and, as well as hosting Airdrie United
first, youth and ladies team games, various local amateur sides and several charity events, it has also played host to a Scottish Challenge Cup final, as well as Scotland
Under-21 fixtures and Old Firm
reserve matches.
In 2003 Falkirk
enquired about groundsharing at the stadium for a season, as their former home, Brockville
did not meet SPL
criteria. This was later rejected in a meeting between SPL chairmen, meaning Falkirk were denied a place in the SPL. In August 2008 it played host to Queen of the South
's UEFA Cup
2nd qualifying round 1st leg against Nordsjælland
. The stadium also hosted all of Motherwell
's Europa League qualifying round ties in the 2009-10 season, against Llanelli
, Flamurtari
and Steaua Bucharest.
Since Airdrieonians FC went into liquidation, the ownership of the stadium has been in several hands. Currently the stadium is owned by a limited liability partnership called Excelsior Stadium LLP. The current stadium management company is called Excelsior Stadium Ltd. The Directors of Excelsior Stadium Limited incorporated a new company on 11 March 2011 called Broomfield Stadium Ltd. Excelsior Stadium Limited is currently active with the latest annual accounts due to be lodged at Companies House by 30 September 2011. The owners work in close co-operation with Airdrie United, with personnel involved in coaching youth players, along with various commercial and sponsorship initiatives.
, played between Hamilton Academical
and St. Mirren
on 6 November 2005. 9,613 spectators attended the game, which St. Mirren won 2–1.
The highest attendance for an Airdrieonians match was 8,762 and this was set when Airdrie played against Celtic
in a Scottish League Cup
match on August 1998. Currently the highest attendance for an Airdrie United game is 5,924 and this was set during the Scottish Cup
third round tie against Lanarkshire derby
rivals Motherwell
on January 2007.
Excelsior Stadium is the second highest altitude stadium in Scottish league football, at 124 metres above sea level, 3 metres below the highest, Clyde's Broadwood Stadium.
Nine five-a-side football pitches were installed for community use in early 2010, adjacent to the stadium on the South stand side and to the East stand side. The car parks were resurfaced, and new fencing and gates were erected around the perimiter of the stadium and land.
At the end of the 2009–10 season, a new 3G artificial surface was installed. Although due for completion prior to season 2010-2011, in July Airdrie United played their opening Alba Challenge Cup 1st Round game v Ayr United at Alloa Athletic's Recreation Park ground, as the work had been delayed due to heavy rain. The first competitive game played on the new surface was on August 14, 2010, as Airdrie entertained Ayr United
.
Airdrie United F.C.
Airdrie United Football Club are a Scottish professional football team based in the town of Airdrie, North Lanarkshire. They are currently managed by ex-Airdrieonians player and former Airdrie United Under 19s coach Jimmy Boyle. They are members of the Scottish Football League and play in the...
of the Scottish Football League Second Division
Scottish Football League Second Division
The Scottish Football League Second Division is the second highest division of the Scottish Football League and the third highest overall in the Scottish football league system....
. It was built in 1998 to house Airdrieonians F.C.
Airdrieonians F.C.
Airdrieonians Football Club, more commonly known as Airdrie, were a Scottish professional football team from the town of Airdrie, in the Monklands area of Lanarkshire....
, and when Airdrieonians went into liquidation four years later, Airdrie United began playing their home games there.
When the stadium first opened it was officially titled Shyberry Excelsior Stadium ("Shyberry" being the company who sponsored the stadium when it first opened). The fans, and indeed sometimes the media often refer to the stadium as New Broomfield, which is more palatable from an Airdrie perspective due to its association with the former home of Airdrieonians
Airdrieonians F.C.
Airdrieonians Football Club, more commonly known as Airdrie, were a Scottish professional football team from the town of Airdrie, in the Monklands area of Lanarkshire....
, Broomfield Park
Broomfield Park
Broomfield Park was a football stadium in Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, home of Airdrieonians F.C. from 1892 until it was closed after the 1993-94 football season....
.
History
Following the sale of AirdrieoniansAirdrieonians F.C.
Airdrieonians Football Club, more commonly known as Airdrie, were a Scottish professional football team from the town of Airdrie, in the Monklands area of Lanarkshire....
home ground (Broomfield Park
Broomfield Park
Broomfield Park was a football stadium in Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, home of Airdrieonians F.C. from 1892 until it was closed after the 1993-94 football season....
) to large supermarket
Supermarket
A supermarket, a form of grocery store, is a self-service store offering a wide variety of food and household merchandise, organized into departments...
chain Safeway in 1994, the club searched for several years for a suitable site, and planning permission for, a new home. The motive for the move was to build a stadium that would allow the club entry to Scottish Premier League
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
(Clubs were required to have a stadium with a seating capacity
Seating capacity
Seating capacity refers to the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, both in terms of the physical space available, and in terms of limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that seats two to a stadium that seats...
of at least ten thousand). The building work on Excelsior Stadium was eventually completed in 1998, and Airdrieonians
Airdrieonians F.C.
Airdrieonians Football Club, more commonly known as Airdrie, were a Scottish professional football team from the town of Airdrie, in the Monklands area of Lanarkshire....
played here until the club went out of business due to heavy debts in May 2002. This left an opening in the Scottish League, which was filled by Northern Premier League
Northern Premier League
The Northern Premier League, is one of the regional English football leagues which sits directly below the Football Conference featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs. Geographically, the league covers all of Northern England, and the northern areas of the Midlands. Originally just one...
side Gretna
Gretna F.C.
Gretna Football Club was a Scottish football club that represented the town of Gretna, Dumfries and Galloway, close to the border between England and Scotland...
To attain a position in the league, the Airdrie United
Airdrie United F.C.
Airdrie United Football Club are a Scottish professional football team based in the town of Airdrie, North Lanarkshire. They are currently managed by ex-Airdrieonians player and former Airdrie United Under 19s coach Jimmy Boyle. They are members of the Scottish Football League and play in the...
owner, Jim Ballantyne, bought out the ailing Clydebank
Clydebank F.C.
Clydebank Football Club are a Scottish football club based in the town of Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire, near Yoker. The present club, formed in 2003, is a member of the Scottish Junior Football Association, and currently plays in West Super League Premier Division...
, and changed their name and strip and relocated the side to Airdrie
Airdrie, North Lanarkshire
Airdrie is a town within North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It lies on a plateau roughly 400 ft above sea level, and is approximately 12 miles east of Glasgow city centre. Airdrie forms part of a conurbation with its neighbour Coatbridge, in the former district known as the Monklands. As of 2006,...
.
The ground seats 10,171 and, as well as hosting Airdrie United
Airdrie United F.C.
Airdrie United Football Club are a Scottish professional football team based in the town of Airdrie, North Lanarkshire. They are currently managed by ex-Airdrieonians player and former Airdrie United Under 19s coach Jimmy Boyle. They are members of the Scottish Football League and play in the...
first, youth and ladies team games, various local amateur sides and several charity events, it has also played host to a Scottish Challenge Cup final, as well as Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
Under-21 fixtures and Old Firm
Old Firm
The Old Firm is a common collective name for the association football clubs Celtic and Rangers, both based in Glasgow, Scotland.The origin of the term is unclear. One theory has it that the expression derives from Celtic's first game in 1888, which was played against Rangers. However, author,...
reserve matches.
In 2003 Falkirk
Falkirk F.C.
Falkirk Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in Falkirk. It is one of two professional football teams from the town, the other being East Stirlingshire...
enquired about groundsharing at the stadium for a season, as their former home, Brockville
Brockville Park
Brockville Park was a football stadium located on Hope Street in Falkirk, Scotland, north-west of the town centre. It was the home of Falkirk F.C. from 1885 until the end of 2002–03 Scottish football season. The record attendance at Brockville Park was 23,100 on 21 February 1953 in a match...
did not meet SPL
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
criteria. This was later rejected in a meeting between SPL chairmen, meaning Falkirk were denied a place in the SPL. In August 2008 it played host to Queen of the South
Queen of the South F.C.
Queen of the South Football Club is a Scottish professional football club founded in 1919 and located in Dumfries. The club currently plays in the Scottish First Division, the second tier of Scottish football. They are officially nicknamed The Doonhamers, but usually referred to as Queens or QoS...
's UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
2nd qualifying round 1st leg against Nordsjælland
FC Nordsjælland
Football Club Nordsjælland is a professional Danish football team from the North Zealand town of Farum, Denmark. Founded as Farum Boldklub from the merger of the town's two football clubs Farum IK and Stavnsholt BK in 1991, the club changed its name to F.C...
. The stadium also hosted all of Motherwell
Motherwell F.C.
Motherwell Football & Athletic Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire. The club compete in the Scottish Premier League and are one of only seven teams to have remained in this league since it was founded in 1998...
's Europa League qualifying round ties in the 2009-10 season, against Llanelli
Llanelli A.F.C.
Llanelli Association Football Club is a Welsh semi-professional football club that plays in the Welsh Premier League for the 2010–11 season. The team has been based at Stebonheath Park since 1920, and as of 2009 is managed by Andy Legg....
, Flamurtari
KS Flamurtari Vlorë
Klubi Sportiv Flamurtari Vlorë or KS Flamurtari Vlorë is an Albanian football club based in Vlorë, Albania. It plays in the Albanian Superliga, the top division in Albanian football. Their home ground is Stadiumi Flamurtari....
and Steaua Bucharest.
Since Airdrieonians FC went into liquidation, the ownership of the stadium has been in several hands. Currently the stadium is owned by a limited liability partnership called Excelsior Stadium LLP. The current stadium management company is called Excelsior Stadium Ltd. The Directors of Excelsior Stadium Limited incorporated a new company on 11 March 2011 called Broomfield Stadium Ltd. Excelsior Stadium Limited is currently active with the latest annual accounts due to be lodged at Companies House by 30 September 2011. The owners work in close co-operation with Airdrie United, with personnel involved in coaching youth players, along with various commercial and sponsorship initiatives.
Records and facts
The record attendance at New Broomfield was for the 2005 Scottish Challenge Cup Final2005 Scottish Challenge Cup Final
-References:...
, played between Hamilton Academical
Hamilton Academical F.C.
Hamilton Academical Football Club, often known as Hamilton Academical, or Accies, are a Scottish football club from Hamilton in South Lanarkshire. They were established in 1874 from the school football team at Hamilton Academy. They remain the only professional club in British football to have...
and St. Mirren
St. Mirren F.C.
St Mirren Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Paisley, Renfrewshire who play in the Scottish Premier League, having been promoted from the First Division in 2005–06.St...
on 6 November 2005. 9,613 spectators attended the game, which St. Mirren won 2–1.
The highest attendance for an Airdrieonians match was 8,762 and this was set when Airdrie played against Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
in a Scottish League Cup
Scottish League Cup
The Scottish League Cup is a football competition open to all Scottish Football League and Scottish Premier League clubs. At present it is also known as the Scottish Communities League Cup owing to the sponsorship deal in place with the Scottish Government. In the past it has been sponsored by...
match on August 1998. Currently the highest attendance for an Airdrie United game is 5,924 and this was set during the Scottish Cup
Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
third round tie against Lanarkshire derby
Lanarkshire derby
The Lanarkshire Derby is a football rivalry that is based in Lanarkshire, Scotland, and matches are contested between any two from Motherwell, Airdrie United, Hamilton Accies and Albion Rovers,-Motherwell vs Airdrie:...
rivals Motherwell
Motherwell F.C.
Motherwell Football & Athletic Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire. The club compete in the Scottish Premier League and are one of only seven teams to have remained in this league since it was founded in 1998...
on January 2007.
Excelsior Stadium is the second highest altitude stadium in Scottish league football, at 124 metres above sea level, 3 metres below the highest, Clyde's Broadwood Stadium.
Facilities
In addition to the executive match-viewing boxes that look onto the pitch, the stadium boasts conference and banqueting facilities, with six separate spaces and a public bar being situated within the main (Jack Dalziel) stand. Disabled facilities are also provided in the North, East and South stands. A Sports Injury Clinic operates from the main stand.Nine five-a-side football pitches were installed for community use in early 2010, adjacent to the stadium on the South stand side and to the East stand side. The car parks were resurfaced, and new fencing and gates were erected around the perimiter of the stadium and land.
At the end of the 2009–10 season, a new 3G artificial surface was installed. Although due for completion prior to season 2010-2011, in July Airdrie United played their opening Alba Challenge Cup 1st Round game v Ayr United at Alloa Athletic's Recreation Park ground, as the work had been delayed due to heavy rain. The first competitive game played on the new surface was on August 14, 2010, as Airdrie entertained Ayr United
Ayr United F.C.
Ayr United Football Club are a Scottish association football team based in Ayr, South Ayrshire, that plays in the First Division of the Scottish Football League. Formed in 1910 after the merger of former clubs Ayr Parkhouse F.C. and Ayr F.C...
.
External links
- Excelsior Stadium official website
- Airdrie United FC