Abbs Field was a
football ground located in the
Fulwell area of
Sunderland. It was the home of
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club (, ) is an English professional football club based in the city of Sunderland, Tyne and Wear. Formed in 1879, Sunderland play in the Championship, the second tier of English football. The club has won six t ...
between 1884 and 1886, the
fifth ground to host the club. Sunderland played their first game at Abbs Field on 27 September 1884, winning a
friendly 2 - 1 against
Birtley.
Abbs Field was the first ground in which spectators were charged an entrance fee to watch games and also the home of Sunderland when they changed their team colours to Red & White stripes.
On 14 March 1885, approximately 1,500 paying spectators watched holders Sunderland defeat Birtley 1 - 0 at Abbs Field in the Semi-Final of the
Durham Challenge Cup
The Durham County Challenge Cup (commonly known as the Durham Challenge Cup) is an annual football competition held between the clubs of the Durham County Football Association which was first played in 1884. It is the senior county cup for the ...
. Sunderland were beaten by
Darlington F.C.
Darlington Football Club is an association football club based in Darlington, County Durham, England. As of the 2022–23 season, the team competes in the National League North, at the sixth tier of English football.
The club was founded in 1 ...
in the final. Sunderland had a good record at Abbs Field, including a comprehensive 23 - 0 victory over Castletown on 20 December 1884.
Sunderland lost only three games at Abbs Field, each time to touring sides from
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...
- the biggest defeat came at the hands of Port Glasgow Athletic; a heavy 11 - 1 defeat on 3 January 1885.
The final game at Abbs Field came in March 1886; a 6 - 0 victory over Middlesbrough St. Johns.
Sunderland left Abbs Field to move to
Newcastle Road in 1886 after the landlord increased rent by 500%.
References
Defunct football venues in England
Home Grounds of Sunderland A.F.C.
Sports venues in Tyne and Wear
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