Old Showground

The Old Showground was the original stadium of the English football club Scunthorpe United and had been built in c.1867.

Scunthorpe United played at the Old Showground until 1988, when they moved to Glanford Park - the first newly-constructed Football League stadium since Southend United's Roots Hall 33 years earlier.

The ground was the first in England to have a cantilever stand, which was built in 1958. The ground was situated in the centre of Scunthorpe, at the junction of Doncaster Road and Henderson Avenue. As part of the relocation deal the site was sold to the supermarket chain Safeway who constructed a store on the site. After Safeway were taken over in 2004 by Morrisons the store was subsequently sold to Sainsbury's. The site of the centre-spot was highlighted by a plaque in front of the delicatessen counter; however this was later removed and all that remains of the site's former use is a plaque by the entrance to the store.

Attempts to move the cantilever stand to Glanford Park proved impractical, and it was demolished along with the rest of the old stadium.

Scunthorpe's record attendance of 23,935 was set at the Old Showground on 30 January 1954 for an FA Cup 4th round tie against Portsmouth.^[1]

References

1. ^ Scunthorpe United Football Grounds Guide

Coordinates: 53°35′30.96″N 0°39′35.60″W / 53.5919333°N 0.659889°W / 53.5919333; -0.659889