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Ochilview Park is a
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
stadium in Stenhousemuir in the Falkirk council area
Falkirk (; sco, Fawkirk; gd, An Eaglais Bhreac) is one of 32 unitary authority council areas of Scotland. It was formed on 1 April 1996 by way of the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994 from the exact boundaries of Falkirk District, one ...
of Scotland. It is the home ground of Scottish League Two
The Scottish League Two, known as cinch League Two for sponsorship reasons, is the fourth tier of the Scottish Professional Football League, the league competition for men's professional football clubs in Scotland. The Scottish League Two was e ...
club Stenhousemuir, and is also currently shared by Scottish Championship
The Scottish Championship, known as the cinch Championship for sponsorship reasons, is the second tier of the Scottish Professional Football League, the league competition for men's professional football clubs in Scotland
Scotland (, ...
club Queen's Park and East of Scotland Football League Second Division club Syngenta. The stadium has a capacity of with 626 seated.
Ochilview was opened in 1890 and has been the home of Stenhousemuir since then. It has also temporarily hosted home games of other nearby clubs including Stirling Albion
Stirling Albion Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the city of Stirling. The club was founded in 1945 following the demise of King's Park after World War II. The club currently competes in Scottish League Two as a member of the ...
, Falkirk
Falkirk ( gd, An Eaglais Bhreac, sco, Fawkirk) is a large town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland, historically within the county of Stirlingshire. It lies in the Forth Valley, northwest of Edinburgh and northeast of Glasgow.
Falkirk had a ...
and East Stirlingshire
East Stirlingshire Football Club is a Scotland, Scottish association football club based in the town of Falkirk. The club was founded in 1881 and competes in the , in the fifth tier of the Scottish football league system. The club's origins ca ...
. The record attendance of 12,525 was set during a Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,East Fife on 11 March 1950.
Stenhousemuir F.C. Retrieved 16 May 2012. The name ''Ochilview'' derives from the nearby
Stenhousemuir F.C. Retrieved 16 May 2012. In 1928 a new main stand was constructed with bench seating for 310 spectators. It was built to replace the previous stand which was gutted by a fire on 2 April that year. Club folklore has it that during the build it was discovered late into the project that the architect had omitted plans for access to the seating area which had to be quickly rectified; two external staircases were added later.
Ochilview Park recorded its largest official attendance on 11 March 1950, when 12,525 spectators attended the club's
, ''scottishgrounds.co.uk''. 1 January 2012. Retrieved 16 May 2012. In 1994, Stenhousemuir were considering relocation, having provisionally agreed to sell Ochilview to the Safeways supermarket chain for £2.5 million. The scheme, however, was frustrated by planning regulations, and instead it was decided to upgrade the existing stadium. At the end of season 1994–95, the covered terracing on the south side of Ochilview was removed to make way for a new 626 seater main stand. The new stand, which opened in season 1996–97, was subsequently named as the Norway Stand due to a sponsorship deal with Stenhousemuir's
The next club to share the ground was
Apart from the new main stand, only one side of the ground is usually in use for spectators, this being the terracing at the Tryst Road end (west). In season 2004–05, a new roof was installed here, constructed by club volunteers. The former grass banking at the east end of Ochilview was removed some years ago, and the area has since been flattened and replaced with artificial pitches for community use. The hard standing at this end of the ground has occasionally been used to accommodate standing spectators at higher profile games in recent years. Ochilview Park today has a total capacity of .
Ochilview boasts a
GreenFields Sports Turf Systems. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
History
Stenhousemuir F.C. was founded in 1884 following the breakaway from a local team called ''Heather Rangers''. The club played at two other grounds, Tryst Park and Goschen Park, before moving to Ochilview in 1890.A Brief History of Stenhousemuir Football ClubStenhousemuir F.C. Retrieved 16 May 2012. The name ''Ochilview'' derives from the nearby
Ochil Hills
The Ochil Hills (; gd, Monadh Ochail is a range of hills in Scotland north of the Forth valley bordered by the towns of Stirling, Alloa, Kinross, Auchterarder and Perth. The only major roads crossing the hills pass through Glen Devon/ Gl ...
which are visible from the stadium.OchilviewStenhousemuir F.C. Retrieved 16 May 2012. In 1928 a new main stand was constructed with bench seating for 310 spectators. It was built to replace the previous stand which was gutted by a fire on 2 April that year. Club folklore has it that during the build it was discovered late into the project that the architect had omitted plans for access to the seating area which had to be quickly rectified; two external staircases were added later.
Ochilview Park recorded its largest official attendance on 11 March 1950, when 12,525 spectators attended the club's Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,quarter-final
A single-elimination, knockout, or sudden death tournament is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of each match-up is immediately eliminated from the tournament. Each winner will play another in the next round, until the final matc ...
tie against East Fife. A year later, Ochilview wrote itself into Scottish football history when it was the venue of the first ever floodlit match in Scotland, during a friendly against Hibernian on 7 November 1951.Scottish Football Ground Guide – Ochilview Park, ''scottishgrounds.co.uk''. 1 January 2012. Retrieved 16 May 2012. In 1994, Stenhousemuir were considering relocation, having provisionally agreed to sell Ochilview to the Safeways supermarket chain for £2.5 million. The scheme, however, was frustrated by planning regulations, and instead it was decided to upgrade the existing stadium. At the end of season 1994–95, the covered terracing on the south side of Ochilview was removed to make way for a new 626 seater main stand. The new stand, which opened in season 1996–97, was subsequently named as the Norway Stand due to a sponsorship deal with Stenhousemuir's
Norwegian
Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to:
*Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe
* Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway
* Demographics of Norway
*The Norwegian language, including ...
supporters' club. It is now the only seated accommodation available at the ground, as the old main stand opposite had to be demolished in April 1999 after being refused a safety certificate. The north side of the ground is now largely used for car-parking.
Ground-sharing
Ochilview Park has played host to several ground-sharing agreements throughout its history from clubs near Stenhousemuir in towns such asStirling
Stirling (; sco, Stirlin; gd, Sruighlea ) is a city in central Scotland, northeast of Glasgow and north-west of Edinburgh. The market town, surrounded by rich farmland, grew up connecting the royal citadel, the medieval old town with its me ...
and Falkirk
Falkirk ( gd, An Eaglais Bhreac, sco, Fawkirk) is a large town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland, historically within the county of Stirlingshire. It lies in the Forth Valley, northwest of Edinburgh and northeast of Glasgow.
Falkirk had a ...
. However, the first to do so was Stenhousemuir Juniors in the late 1900s for one season in 1909–10.
The next club to share the ground was Stirling Albion
Stirling Albion Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the city of Stirling. The club was founded in 1945 following the demise of King's Park after World War II. The club currently competes in Scottish League Two as a member of the ...
who played their home games at Ochilview for the 1992–93 season whilst the club's previous home of Annfield Stadium
Annfield Stadium was a football stadium in Stirling, Scotland. The stadium was home to Stirling Albion F.C. for almost 50 years until 1993 when it closed after Stirling Albion moved to Forthbank Stadium.
History
Before World War II, King's ...
was demolished. The club moved to their new home of Forthbank Stadium
Forthbank Stadium is a football stadium in Stirling, Scotland. Opened in 1993, it has been the home ground of Scottish Professional Football League club Stirling Albion since then. Since 2013 it has also hosted the first team matches of Lowl ...
in 1993.
Other close rivals and neighbours to have shared the stadium include Falkirk
Falkirk ( gd, An Eaglais Bhreac, sco, Fawkirk) is a large town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland, historically within the county of Stirlingshire. It lies in the Forth Valley, northwest of Edinburgh and northeast of Glasgow.
Falkirk had a ...
in 2003–04, who did the same as Stirling Albion by sharing the ground for one season, whilst their home of Brockville Park was demolished and replaced by the Falkirk Stadium
The Falkirk Stadium is a football stadium in Falkirk, central Scotland, which is the home ground of Scottish League One club Falkirk and Lowland Football League club East Stirlingshire. The stadium has a capacity of and currently consists of t ...
on the outskirts of the town. Marquee-type stands were erected on the north and east sides of the ground to temporarily raise the ground's capacity to 5,267 during Falkirk's period of tenancy.
The next club to ground share at Ochilview was the other Falkirk club East Stirlingshire
East Stirlingshire Football Club is a Scotland, Scottish association football club based in the town of Falkirk. The club was founded in 1881 and competes in the , in the fifth tier of the Scottish football league system. The club's origins ca ...
, who played at the venue for a number of years commencing from the 2008–09 season, having moved from their ground at Firs Park the previous season. The agreement was initially intended to be for a period of five years, during which the club hoped to develop a new venue in Falkirk.Shire explain Firs Park DepartureBBC Sport
BBC Sport is the sports division of the BBC, providing national sports coverage for BBC television, radio and online. The BBC holds the television and radio UK broadcasting rights to several sports, broadcasting the sport live or alongside flag ...
. 30 April 2008. Retrieved 11 June 2011. In April 2018 it was announced that East Stirlingshire had agreed to play their home games at the Falkirk Stadium from the start of the 2018–19 season, signalling the end of a decade-long relationship with Ochilview for the club.
East of Scotland League
The East of Scotland Football League (EoSFL) is a senior football league based in the east and south-east of Scotland. The league sits at levels 6–9 on the Scottish football league system, acting as a feeder to the Lowland Football League.
Fo ...
side Syngenta, originally based in Grangemouth, agreed a ground share at Ochilview in 2021. Scottish Championship
The Scottish Championship, known as the cinch Championship for sponsorship reasons, is the second tier of the Scottish Professional Football League, the league competition for men's professional football clubs in Scotland
Scotland (, ...
side Queen's Park would also briefly use the facilities in 2022 for the first few months of the 2022–23 season, while waiting for their new stadium of Lesser Hampden
Lesser Hampden is a football stadium in Mount Florida, Glasgow, Scotland, which is located immediately beside the western end of Hampden Park stadium.
History
In 1923, Queen's Park were looking for an alternative venue for their reserves and y ...
to complete its renovations.
Structure and facilities
Apart from the new main stand, only one side of the ground is usually in use for spectators, this being the terracing at the Tryst Road end (west). In season 2004–05, a new roof was installed here, constructed by club volunteers. The former grass banking at the east end of Ochilview was removed some years ago, and the area has since been flattened and replaced with artificial pitches for community use. The hard standing at this end of the ground has occasionally been used to accommodate standing spectators at higher profile games in recent years. Ochilview Park today has a total capacity of .
Ochilview boasts a FIFA
FIFA (; stands for ''Fédération Internationale de Football Association'' ( French), meaning International Association Football Federation ) is the international governing body of association football, beach football and futsal. It was found ...
approved two star synthetic surface.Stenhousemuir Football Club 3rd FIFA recommended 2 STARGreenFields Sports Turf Systems. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
Other uses
In 1926–27,greyhound
The English Greyhound, or simply the Greyhound, is a breed of dog, a sighthound which has been bred for coursing, greyhound racing and hunting. Since the rise in large-scale adoption of retired racing Greyhounds, the breed has seen a resurge ...
racing was introduced to raise revenue.
Transport
The closest railway station to Ochilview Park isLarbert railway station
, symbol_location = gb
, symbol = rail
, image = Larbert railway station, Falkirk, Stirlingshire (geograph 5980015).jpg
, caption = Larbert railway station following electrification in 2018
, boroug ...
which is within a 15-minute walk of the stadium being approximately 1.0 km (0.6 miles) distant. The station is located on the main Edinburgh to Dunblane Line
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of ...
and the Croy Line
The Croy Line is a suburban railway route linking Glasgow Queen Street and Croy in Scotland. It is part of the Strathclyde Partnership for Transport network.
Following completion of the project to reopen the line to Alloa to passenger s ...
from Glasgow Queen Street
, symbol_location = gb
, symbol = rail
, image = Queen Street railway station (geograph 6687389).jpg
, caption = Main entrance in 2020
, borough = Glasgow
, country = Scotland
, coordinates =
, grid_name = Grid reference
, grid_positi ...
, which alternates between Alloa
Alloa (Received Pronunciation ; educated Scottish pronunciation /ˈaloʊa/; gd, Alamhagh, possibly meaning "rock plain") is a town in Clackmannanshire in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. It is on the north bank of the Forth at the spot wher ...
and Dunblane
Dunblane (, gd, Dùn Bhlàthain) is a small town in the council area of Stirling in central Scotland, and inside the historic boundaries of the county of Perthshire. It is a commuter town, with many residents making use of good transport links ...
via Stirling
Stirling (; sco, Stirlin; gd, Sruighlea ) is a city in central Scotland, northeast of Glasgow and north-west of Edinburgh. The market town, surrounded by rich farmland, grew up connecting the royal citadel, the medieval old town with its me ...
.
See also
* Scottish stadium movesReferences
*Inglis, Simon (1997) ''Football Grounds of Britain'', CollinsWillow, London *Moulds, Peter; Richardson, James (1984). ''The Warriors: A Centenary History of Stenhousemuir Football Club'', Stenhousemuir Football Club, Larbert. .External links
{{Football venues in Scotland East Stirlingshire F.C. Falkirk F.C. Stenhousemuir F.C. Stirling Albion F.C. Football venues in Scotland Sports venues in Falkirk (council area) Scottish Football League venues Scottish Professional Football League venues Sports venues completed in 1890 Lowland Football League venues Stenhousemuir Queen's Park F.C.