The Showgrounds (Newry)

Last updated

The Showgrounds
Newry Showground Panorama.jpg
The Showgrounds
The Showgrounds (Newry)
LocationGreenbank Industrial Estate, Newry, County Down, BT34 2QF
Capacity 7,949 (limited to 2,275 – 1,080 seated). [1]
SurfaceGrass (110 x 75 yds)
Construction
Opened1923
Expanded2010
Tenants
Newry City FC (1923–2012) Newry City AFC (2013–Present)

The Showgrounds is a football stadium in Newry, County Down, Northern Ireland. It was the home ground of Newry City F.C. and is now the home ground of their successor club, Newry City A.F.C. The stadium holds 7,949, but is currently restricted to 2,275 under safety legislation. [1]

Contents

The stadium is located in the Greenbank Industrial Estate on the Warrenpoint Road, close to the Down GAA home stadium of Páirc Esler.

History

In 2009, The Showgrounds had two new stands constructed. [2] In 2011, there were plans to turn The Showgrounds' pitch into an artificial turf pitch [3] however due to Newry City's financial troubles, these plans were shelved. [4] In 2012, on the eighteenth day of the 2012 Summer Olympics torch relay, the Olympic torch passed The Showgrounds on its way to Páirc Esler. [5]

In 2012, Newry City were liquidated after a High Court winding-up petition. Discussions on creating a phoenix club, initially titled "Newry City 2012" and eventually titled "Newry City AFC", [6] took place at The Showgrounds. [7] When Newry City was wound up, The Showgrounds were not sold off with the club as it was owned by Newry City's supporters and not the club. [8] This meant that Newry City AFC would be able to use it as their home ground. [9]

Usage

It was used to host Newry City's matches and also hosts the fixtures of Newry City AFC after Newry City was liquidated. It is also used for training. [8] In 2013, The Showgrounds were suggested as a temporary home ground for Warrenpoint Town after they were promoted to the NIFL Premiership as their Milltown Playing Field did not fulfill the criteria for use in the NIFL Premiership. However, the Irish Football Association blocked the move as the owners of The Showgrounds objected. [10] Newry City AFC also gave reasons for objecting the potential groundshare, citing the poor quality of the playing surface, the lack of a licence for The Showgrounds to host NIFL Premiership matches and a large increase in insurance and running costs for Newry City if the groundshare went ahead. [11]

The Showgrounds are also used to host the Bessbrook Cup Final, which is traditionally played on St. Stephen's Day. In 2013, the Bessbrook Cup final was postponed after one of The Showgrounds' floodlight pylons had been damaged in bad weather, which led to Health and Safety officials deeming that The Showgrounds were unsafe to be used for the match. [12]

International football

The Showgrounds have been used to host youth international fixtures. In 2005, it was a venue in the 2005 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship. [13] In 2009, it was used to host some of the 2009 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship qualification matches for Group 9. [14]

Panoramic view

Newry Showground Panorama.jpg

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newry City F.C.</span> Football club

Newry City Football Club was a Northern Irish football club founded in 1918 and dissolved in 2012. It was based in Newry, County Down and played its home matches at the Showgrounds. Club colours were blue and white. The club was relegated from the IFA Premiership in the 2010–11 season, and after narrowly missing out on promotion back to the top tier the following season, was dissolved in September 2012, when a winding up petition brought against the club by former player and manager Gerry Flynn was granted, and the club decided not to appeal the decision.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Annagh United F.C.</span> Association football club in Northern Ireland

Annagh United Football Club is a semi-professional, Northern Irish football club playing in the NIFL Championship. The club, founded in 1963, hails from Portadown and plays its home matches at the BMG Arena. The club home colours are all red and away all white.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stangmore Park</span>

Stangmore Park is a football stadium in Dungannon, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is the home ground of Dungannon Swifts, and holds around 2,000 spectators, 300 of whom can be seated.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mourneview Park</span> Football stadium in Lurgan, Northern Ireland

Mourneview Park is a football stadium in Lurgan, County Armagh, Northern Ireland, and is the home ground of NIFL Premiership club Glenavon. The stadium holds 4,160 and was originally built in 1895. The 2008–09 Irish League Cup, 2010–11 Irish League Cup and 2020-21 Irish Cup finals were held at the stadium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warrenpoint Town F.C.</span> Association football club in Northern Ireland

Warrenpoint Town Football Club is a semi professional Northern Irish football club playing in the NIFL Championship. The club's home ground is Milltown, Warrenpoint.

The 2012–13 IFA Premiership was the 5th season of the IFA Premiership, the highest level of league football in Northern Ireland, and the 112th season of Irish league football overall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newry City A.F.C.</span> Association football club in Northern Ireland

Newry City Athletic Football Club are a semi-professional Northern Irish football club who play in the NIFL Premiership. They are based in Newry, County Down and play at the Showgrounds. The club's colours are blue and white striped jerseys with blue shorts.

The 2013–14 NIFL Premiership was the 6th season of the NIFL Premiership, the highest level of league football in Northern Ireland, the 113th season of Irish league football overall, and the 1st season of the league operating as part of the newly-created Northern Ireland Football League.

The 2014–15 NIFL Premiership was the 7th season of the NIFL Premiership, the highest level of league football in Northern Ireland, the 114th season of Irish league football overall, and the 2nd season of the league operating as part of the newly-created Northern Ireland Football League.

The 2015–16 NIFL Premiership was the 8th season of the NIFL Premiership, the highest level of league football in Northern Ireland, the 115th season of Irish league football overall, and the 3rd season of the league operating as part of the Northern Ireland Football League.

Newry City Ladies Football Club is a women's association football club based in Newry, County Armagh, Northern Ireland. They were founded in 2011 and re-founded in 2012. They are currently affiliated to Newry City A.F.C. men's team and play at The Showgrounds.

The 2016–17 NIFL Premiership was the 9th season of the NIFL Premiership, the highest level of league football in Northern Ireland, the 116th season of Irish league football overall, and the 4th season of the league operating as part of the Northern Ireland Football League.

The 2016–17 NIFL Championship was the first season of the second-tier Irish League since gaining senior status. The fixtures were announced on 7 July 2016. The season began on 13 August 2016 and concluded on 29 April 2017.

The 2017–18 NIFL Premiership was the 10th season of the NIFL Premiership, the highest level of league football in Northern Ireland, the 117th season of Irish league football overall, and the 5th season of the league operating as part of the Northern Ireland Football League.

Milltown is a football stadium in Warrenpoint, County Down, Northern Ireland. It is the home ground of Warrenpoint Town of the NIFL Premiership. The stadium sits in the larger Milltown Sports Complex, in the area of Warrenpoint of the same name. The ground was upgraded in 2013 after Warrenpoint were promoted to the Premiership, to satisfy the rules of that league.

The 2018–19 NIFL Premiership was the 11th season of the NIFL Premiership, the highest level of league football in Northern Ireland, the 118th season of Irish league football overall, and the 6th season of the league operating as part of the Northern Ireland Football League.

The 2019–20 NIFL Premiership was the 12th season of the NIFL Premiership, the highest level of league football in Northern Ireland, the 119th season of Irish league football overall, and the 7th season of the league operating as part of the Northern Ireland Football League.

The 2020–21 Irish Cup was the 141st edition of the Irish Cup, the premier knock-out cup competition in Northern Irish football since its inauguration in 1881. The competition began on 27 April 2021 and concluded with the final at Mourneview Park, Lurgan on 21 May 2021.

The 2021–22 NIFL Premiership was the 14th season of the NIFL Premiership, the highest level of league football in Northern Ireland, the 121st season of Irish league football overall, and the 9th season of the league operating as part of the Northern Ireland Football League.

The 2022–23 NIFL Irish Premiership was the 15th season of the NIFL Premiership, the highest level of league football in Northern Ireland, the 122nd season of Irish league football overall, and the 10th season of the league operating as part of the Northern Ireland Football League.

References

  1. 1 2 Northern Ireland Assembly Answer to Written Question AQW1178/11 Archived 30 October 2010 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ↑ "Newry reveal forward thinking at Showgrounds". Belfast Telegraph (archived at Highbeam). Archived from the original on 10 June 2014. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
  3. ↑ "Cash-strapped Newry embrace amateur future". Belfast Telegraph. 22 December 2011. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
  4. ↑ "Newry City reboot denied League of Ireland access". Newry Democrat. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
  5. ↑ "Olympic Torch Relay – Londonderry to Newry". BBC. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
  6. ↑ "Newry City AFC launch heralds new era". BBC Sport. 12 March 2013. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
  7. ↑ "Newry City poised to make comeback after being wound-up". BBC Sport. 4 December 2012. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
  8. 1 2 "What does future hold for football in Newry?". BBC Sport. 7 November 2012. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
  9. ↑ "Newry launches new football club". UTV. Archived from the original on 11 March 2013. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
  10. ↑ "Warrenpoint Town's rise to Premiership football is almost too good to be true". Belfast Telegraph. 13 May 2013. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
  11. ↑ Category: Uncategorised. "Newry City clarify position on ground sharing". Newry.ie. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
  12. ↑ "Boxing Day Cup Final Postponed". Newry Democrat. 24 December 2013. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
  13. ↑ "Catney called up for U19 tourney". BBC News. 10 February 2005. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
  14. ↑ "UEFA European U-19 C'ship – Fixtures & Results". UEFA. 13 October 2008. Archived from the original on 8 July 2012. Retrieved 4 January 2014.

Coordinates: 54°09′01.60″N6°19′14.18″W / 54.1504444°N 6.3206056°W / 54.1504444; -6.3206056

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.