The Bowl (Douglas)
Encyclopedia
The King George V Bowl is a multi-use stadium
in Douglas, Isle of Man
. It is currently used mostly for football matches and serves as the home of the Isle of Man national football team
. The stadium has a capacity of about 3,000.
and Saint Marys F.C.
who play in the Isle of Man Football League
. They play their home matches at The Bowl but their changing rooms for home matches are at the nearby National Sports Centre. The stadium hosts the Isle of Man Football League's annual cup competitions finals such as the Manx FA Cup, the Charity Shield, Hospital Cup and the Railway Cup, as well as the Isle of Man Tournament, an annual four team football competition between the amateur FA teams of the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man. The now defunct annual Isle of Man Steam Packet Football Festival was also held at The Bowl.
The Bowl was the most regularly used venue for the Rugby League Charity Shield (Great Britain)
, which was a trophy for British
rugby league
clubs that was held as a one-off match at the beginning of a new season. The stadium hosted the contest on four occasions in the 1980's.
The Bowl has also staged pop concerts such as a Toyah Wilcox concert held at the venue in front of an audience of 4,000 on 11 June 2002 as part of her "Here and Now 2002" Tour and Status Quo who played there in the early 1990s.
The stadium is one of the venues for the 2011 Commonwealth Youth Games
which is to be staged on the Isle of Man. It is due to stage the rugby sevens
and the opening ceremony.
which will be staged on the island, would see capacity at the stadium rise to 8,000 including 4,000 temporary seats in a covered section as well as the installation of a giant screen. The plan being for the stadium to be used for different sports as well as staging concerts and to be used as a community facility complementing the nearby National Sports Centre
(NSC), which is owned and run by the Department of Tourism and Leisure
of the Isle of Man Government
. The council stated that they would be submitting a report to the Isle of Man Government's Tourism and Leisure Minister
and possibly the Council of Ministers of the Isle of Man
to seek their support and that they hoped to partner with organisations such as the Isle of Man Football Association and the Isle of Man Sports Council, and also with the private sector.
The Council leader, Councillor David Christian said, "The bowl has not had any major investment for a number of years. It will become a national stadium, a national facility but in Corporation ownership. It's an exciting project and we think it's the right place for a national stadium, which will complement the NSC." The Isle of Man Sports Council has pledged to cover the cost of new floodlights at the stadium.
However, after it was announced in August 2008, that building tests were to be made to find out whether the stadium is suitable to convert into a larger venue with bore holes sunk at the venue to check ground conditions David Cretney
the Member of the House of Keys
(MHK) for Douglas South
and current Minister of Trade and Industry
raised concerns over the cost to ratepayers of drilling boreholes to test whether the ground was suitable for the stadium scheme, although he did confirm that he supported the scheme.
Stadium
A modern stadium is a place or venue for outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.)Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event...
in Douglas, Isle of Man
Douglas, Isle of Man
right|thumb|250px|Douglas Promenade, which runs nearly the entire length of beachfront in Douglasright|thumb|250px|Sea terminal in DouglasDouglas is the capital and largest town of the Isle of Man, with a population of 26,218 people . It is located at the mouth of the River Douglas, and a sweeping...
. It is currently used mostly for football matches and serves as the home of the Isle of Man national football team
Isle of Man national football team
The Isle of Man national football team is the national football team of the Isle of Man and is controlled by the Isle of Man Football Association. The team plays in a yellow and red home kit and an all navy blue away kit....
. The stadium has a capacity of about 3,000.
History
The Bowl is owned by Douglas Borough Council. It is the home of the Isle of Man Football AssociationIsle of Man Football Association
The Isle of Man Football Association is the governing body of football on the Isle of Man. The IoMFA is not a member of either UEFA or FIFA, but is a member of the English Football Association and has the status of a County Football Association, despite the Isle of Man being a Crown dependency, a...
and Saint Marys F.C.
Saint Marys F.C.
St Marys A.F.C. are a football club from Douglas on the Isle of Man. They compete in the Isle of Man Football League and they wear a yellow and green kit. They play their home games at The Bowl in Douglas.-History:...
who play in the Isle of Man Football League
Isle of Man Football League
The Isle of Man Football League, also known as Canada Life Premier League due to sponsorship purposes, is a football league for clubs on the Isle of Man run by the Isle of Man Football Association. The league does not form part of the English football league system. All clubs on the island are...
. They play their home matches at The Bowl but their changing rooms for home matches are at the nearby National Sports Centre. The stadium hosts the Isle of Man Football League's annual cup competitions finals such as the Manx FA Cup, the Charity Shield, Hospital Cup and the Railway Cup, as well as the Isle of Man Tournament, an annual four team football competition between the amateur FA teams of the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man. The now defunct annual Isle of Man Steam Packet Football Festival was also held at The Bowl.
The Bowl was the most regularly used venue for the Rugby League Charity Shield (Great Britain)
Rugby League Charity Shield (Great Britain)
The Rugby League Charity Shield was a trophy for British rugby league clubs that was held as a one-off match at the beginning of a new season. It was modelled on English football's Charity Shield, and was held between 1985 and 1995. Normally the team that had won last season's championship would...
, which was a trophy for British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
clubs that was held as a one-off match at the beginning of a new season. The stadium hosted the contest on four occasions in the 1980's.
The Bowl has also staged pop concerts such as a Toyah Wilcox concert held at the venue in front of an audience of 4,000 on 11 June 2002 as part of her "Here and Now 2002" Tour and Status Quo who played there in the early 1990s.
The stadium is one of the venues for the 2011 Commonwealth Youth Games
2011 Commonwealth Youth Games
The 2011 Commonwealth Youth Games, officially known as the IV Commonwealth Youth Games is a multi-sport event which took place in the British Crown Dependency of Isle of Man from 7 to 13 September 2011. As per the original quadrennial cycle, the Games were scheduled for 2012...
which is to be staged on the Isle of Man. It is due to stage the rugby sevens
Rugby sevens
Rugby sevens, also known as seven-a-side or VIIs, is a variant of rugby union in which teams are made up of seven players, instead of the usual 15, with shorter matches. Rugby sevens is administered by the International Rugby Board , the body responsible for rugby union worldwide...
and the opening ceremony.
Redevelopment
In April 2008 Douglas Borough Council confirmed that they were looking to redevelop The Bowl, and that it could become a national stadium for the Isle of Man. The scheme which would see pitch improvements and better spectator facilities which the council hope to have in place in time for the 2011 Commonwealth Youth Games2011 Commonwealth Youth Games
The 2011 Commonwealth Youth Games, officially known as the IV Commonwealth Youth Games is a multi-sport event which took place in the British Crown Dependency of Isle of Man from 7 to 13 September 2011. As per the original quadrennial cycle, the Games were scheduled for 2012...
which will be staged on the island, would see capacity at the stadium rise to 8,000 including 4,000 temporary seats in a covered section as well as the installation of a giant screen. The plan being for the stadium to be used for different sports as well as staging concerts and to be used as a community facility complementing the nearby National Sports Centre
National Sports Centre (Isle of Man)
The National Sports Centre in Douglas Isle of Man is a large multi-sports centre and athletics stadium. The NSC is owned by the Department of Tourism and Leisure of the Isle of Man Government and operated by the Manx Sport & Recreation....
(NSC), which is owned and run by the Department of Tourism and Leisure
Department of Tourism and Leisure
The Department of Tourism and Leisure was a department of the Isle of Man Government.-History:The Department was created in 1986 as the Department of Tourism and Transport....
of the Isle of Man Government
Isle of Man Government
The Isle of Man Government is the government of the Isle of Man. The formal head of the Isle of Man Government is the Lieutenant Governor, representing HM Queen Elizabeth II, Lord of Mann...
. The council stated that they would be submitting a report to the Isle of Man Government's Tourism and Leisure Minister
Department of Tourism and Leisure
The Department of Tourism and Leisure was a department of the Isle of Man Government.-History:The Department was created in 1986 as the Department of Tourism and Transport....
and possibly the Council of Ministers of the Isle of Man
Council of Ministers of the Isle of Man
The Council of Ministers ) is the principal executive organ of the Isle of Man Government. Its role is similar to, though not identical with, that of the Cabinet in the United Kingdom...
to seek their support and that they hoped to partner with organisations such as the Isle of Man Football Association and the Isle of Man Sports Council, and also with the private sector.
The Council leader, Councillor David Christian said, "The bowl has not had any major investment for a number of years. It will become a national stadium, a national facility but in Corporation ownership. It's an exciting project and we think it's the right place for a national stadium, which will complement the NSC." The Isle of Man Sports Council has pledged to cover the cost of new floodlights at the stadium.
However, after it was announced in August 2008, that building tests were to be made to find out whether the stadium is suitable to convert into a larger venue with bore holes sunk at the venue to check ground conditions David Cretney
David Cretney
The Honourable David Clifford Cretney MHK is a Manx politician and entrepreneur, who is the current Minister of the Department of Community, Culture and Leisure, he is a former Tourism and Leisure Minister of the Isle of Man Government. He has been a Member of the House of Keys from 1985 for...
the Member of the House of Keys
Member of the House of Keys
Member of the House of Keys, or MHK is the title given to a person who has been elected into the House of Keys, the lower house of Tynwald, the parliament of the Isle of Man. There are twenty-four Members of the House of Keys. Elections are held every five years; the last election took place in...
(MHK) for Douglas South
Douglas South
Douglas South is a House of Keys constituency in Douglas, Isle of Man. It elects 2 MHKs.-MHKs & Elections:-External links:*...
and current Minister of Trade and Industry
Department of Trade and Industry (Isle of Man)
The Department of Trade and Industry was a department of the Isle of Man Government from 1996 to 2010.-History:Prior to 1996 the department was known as the Department of Industry...
raised concerns over the cost to ratepayers of drilling boreholes to test whether the ground was suitable for the stadium scheme, although he did confirm that he supported the scheme.