Dumbarton Football Stadium
| The Rock | |
|
The stadium seen from Dumbarton Rock | |
  Cheaper Insurance Direct Stadium Location in West Dunbartonshire | |
| Former names | Strathclyde Homes Stadium |
|---|---|
| Location | Dumbarton, West Dunbartonshire, Scotland |
| Coordinates | 55°56′18.41″N 4°33′41.18″W / 55.9384472°N 4.5614389°W |
| Owner | Dumbarton F.C. |
| Capacity | 2,020[1][2] |
| Surface | Grass |
| Opened | 2000 |
Dumbarton Football Stadium, also known as The Cheaper Insurance Direct Stadium[3] for sponsorship reasons, is a stadium in Dumbarton, Scotland, used mostly for football matches; it is the home ground of Dumbarton Football Club. The stadium has a capacity of 2,020,[1] and was built in 2000 after the move away from Dumbarton's former home, Boghead Park. It was built on part of the site formerly occupied by Denny's shipyard. The stadium is 5-10 minutes walk from Dumbarton East railway station[4] on the North Clyde Line. Dumbarton have the smallest stadium in the Scottish Championship, and the second smallest in the SPFL.
History
The stadium has just one stand, officially opened on Saturday 2 December 2000 prior to the visit of Elgin City; a match which ended 3–0 to the Sons. It is nicknamed The Rock by fans, as it is adjacent to Dumbarton Castle. Open areas ring the three sides without stands, which could be used for future expansion, were Dumbarton to undergo a revival and secure a place in the Scottish Premiership.
The Scotland international team have also used the stadium for training purposes before playing home matches.[5]
Aside from football the stadium also hosts many other events; wedding receptions, conferences & various parties are held in the Allied Distillers suite. The ground has also been used for Cruise for Charity, an event which brings together modified car enthusiasts from around Scotland to raise money for charity.
Names
The original name of the stadium, Strathclyde Homes Stadium, changed after the stadium sponsor, Strathclyde Homes, went into receivership in September 2011.[6] On 18 February 2012, the stadium was officially renamed Dumbarton Football Stadium, sponsored by DL Cameron.[7] It was renamed again, just five months later on 20 July 2012, The Bet Butler Stadium.[8] On 9 July 2015, the stadium was unveiled as the Cheaper Insurance Direct Stadium, after fan Alex Couper and his company took over the sponsorship.[9]
References
- 1 2 "Dumbarton Football Club". Scottish Professional Football League. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
- ↑ http://stadiumdb.com/stadiums/sco/the_rock_stadium_dumbarton
- ↑ STADIUM SPONSORSHIP, dumbartonfootballclub.com, 10 July 2015.
- ↑ http://www.dumbartonfootballclub.com/directions/
- ↑ Dumbarton investigate new stadium, BBC Sport, 4 July 2009.
- ↑ STADIUM SPONSORSHIP, dumbartonfootballclub.com, 12 September 2011.
- ↑ STADIUM SPONSORSHIP, dumbartonfootballclub.com, 18 February 2012.
- ↑ STADIUM IS RENAMED, dumbartonfootballclub.com, 20 July 2012.
- ↑ STADIUM SPONSORSHIP, dumbartonfootballclub.com, 10 July 2015.