Newforge Lane is a private-members' country club for members of the RUC Athletic Association, located in

Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdo ...

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...

. It hosts multiple sports facilities, principally the football stadium, which serves as the home ground of the Police Service of Northern Ireland Football Club. From 2003-11, Queen's University Football Club also used Newforge Lane as its home ground.

Newforge Lane football ground

The club was opened in May 1956, and part of the grounds was laid out with a football field, which today is known by the name of the country club itself. Only one side of the ground is developed with two turnstiles at the entrance at the country club side. These lead to the David Whatton Stand, built in 2003 and providing seating for 112 spectators, a small disabled enclosure, toilet facilities and a small covered terrace opened in 2010. The club offices and dressing rooms are situated behind the stand and are accessed via a bowling green behind the ground. The remaining three sides of the ground do not have any spectator facilities, although large lawned areas are situated behind both goals at the Newforge Lane end and Lagan End, allowing spectators to view games from behind both goals. The Lagan Meadows side of the ground contains only a narrow flagstone footpath but again spectators can view a game from here if they choose. The pitch itself is fully fenced off by a five-foot high barrier. There are no refreshment facilities as the football ground itself but the country club is situated fifty metres away and contains a bar and restaurant. PSNI, originally under the name RUC, have played at the venue since it was opened. In 2004 Queen's University were also granted permission to use the venue when their own ground was considered unsuitable for the newly created

IFA Championship The Northern Ireland Football League Championship (known as the Lough 41 Championship for sponsorship reasons) is the second level of the Northern Ireland Football League, the national football league in Northern Ireland. Clubs in the Championshi ...

of which both clubs were founder members. Queen's moved back to Upper Malone in 2011. The official capacity of the stadium is 478 but matches rarely attract attendances above a few dozen spectators. The ground is also regularly used as a training base for the

Northern Ireland national football team The Northern Ireland national football team represents Northern Ireland in international association football. From 1882 to 1920, all of Ireland was represented by a single side, the Ireland national football team (1882–1950), Ireland natio ...

External links

PSNI F.C. official website

Ulster Groundhopper video tour of the ground {{coord missing, County Antrim Police Service of Northern Ireland Sports venues in Belfast Sports venues completed in 1956 1956 establishments in Northern Ireland