Windsor Park

Infobox Stadium
stadium_name = Windsor Park
nickname = Windsor


fullname =
location = Belfast
coordinates =
broke_ground = 1905
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tenants = Linfield F.C.
Northern Ireland national football team
seating_capacity = 20,332
dimensions = 110 x 75 yards
scoreboard =

Windsor Park, in Belfast, is the home ground of the Northern Irish football club, Linfield. It is also the home of the Northern Ireland national football team and Irish Cup and Irish League Cup finals.

Windsor Park was first opened in 1905, with a match between Linfield and Glentoran. Most of the stadium, however, was designed and built in the 1930s, to a design made by the Scottish architect Archibald Leitch (who also worked on Goodison Park, Celtic Park, Ibrox Park and Hampden Park). It had one main seated stand (the Grandstand, now known as the South Stand), with "reserved" terracing in front, and a large open terrace behind the goal to the west called the Spion Kop. To the north, there was a long covered terrace (the "unreserved" terracing) and behind the eastern goal at the Railway End another covered terrace. Windsor Park's peak capacity in this format was 60,000. In the early 1960s the Railway End terrace had seats put in (the Railway Stand), while in the early 1970s a social club/viewing lounge was constructed in the corner between the Railway Stand and the Grandstand. In 1982, the covered terrace opposite the main stand was damaged in a fire and so it was demolished and replaced with a modern 6800 seater (the North Stand), on two tiers and with a cantilever roof. In the late 1990s, the Kop terrace was also demolished and replaced with sleek 5000-seater West Stand (later renamed the Alex Russell Stand after the former Linfield player), but still referred to in common parlance as the Kop.

The current capacity of the ground is 20,332, of which 14,000 is seated. For most Linfield home games only the South Stand and Kop stand are opened. The North Stand is usually given to away supporters. The venue usually sees its biggest crowds for Northern Ireland internationals, from which Linfield receive 15% [ [http://www.newsletter.co.uk/football?articleid=3039898 "News Letter"] ] of the gate receipts.

In 2007, following a series of inspections that questioned the suitability of Windsor Park to host international football [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/irish/6291836.stm Report slams Windsor Park safety] BBC News] , combined with a reduction of capacity due to the closure of the Railway Stand, the IFA made it known that they wished to terminate their contract for the use of the stadium. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/irish/6902212.stm IFA wants out of Windsor contract] BBC News] There has been speculation about the construction of a new multi-purpose stadium either in Belfast or in Lisburn for football and gaelic games. A report on health and safety in October 2007 proposed that the South Stand be closed for internationals, reducing the stadium's capacity to 9,000. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/northern_ireland/7032434.stm South Stand future under threat] BBC News] Given the time that would be needed to build a new stadium, either significant work would have to be done improving Windsor Park, or else Northern Ireland would have to play their home games at a venue in either England or Scotland. A temporary move to the Ravenhill Stadium (home of Ulster Rugby) may be possiblefact|date=May 2008. But Linfield are exploring proposals which would enable Windsor Park to be turned into a 22,000 capacity ground capable of retaining international football. Linfield's project envisages the building of new Railway and South Stands plus a new roof on the North Stand at the south Belfast stadium. [1]

Notes

*There is a popularly held, but incorrect belief that Windsor Park was named after the British Royal Family House of Windsor. Windsor Park was opened twelve years prior to the Royal Family taking the Windsor name in 1917. The ground is in fact named after a long-standing area of south Belfast.
*The Kop Stand has been known as the Alex Russell Stand since 2004 in honour of Linfield's former goalkeeper and coach and one-time Northern Ireland international.
*All Northern Ireland national teams games will continue to be played at Windsor Park, despite reports in the press, as the ground, although barely, does meet international standards, as required by FIFA and UEFA.

References

External links

* [http://home.online.no/~smogols/ifcp/clubs/linfield/pictureslinfield.htm IFCP photos from Windsor Park]
* [http://hometown.aol.com/captainbeecher/LINFIELD.html Ground Hopper's tour of Windsor Park]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/irish/7527554.stm]