Stadium
| Somerset Park | |
|---|---|
Somerset Park, looking onto the Somerset Road end |
|
| Location | Tryfield Place, Ayr, Scotland |
| Opened | 1888 |
| Owner | Ayr United F.C. |
| Surface | Grass |
| Architect | Archibald Leitch |
| Capacity | 10,185 (1,597 seated) |
| Field dimensions |
Ayr F.C. (1888–1910) |
Ayr play their football at Somerset Park in Ayr's New Town. One of the few surviving traditional stadium designs, it consists of one stand, two covered terraces, and one open terrace. It has a capacity of 10,128. The first match to take place at Somerset Park was between the former Ayr F.C. and Aston Villa in a 3–0 victory for Ayr.
During the 1990s the club's chairman was Bill Barr, who owned and managed the company which built modern-style stadiums and stands for several other clubs around the UK. United also sought — and obtained — planning permission from South Ayrshire Council for a new 10,200 all-seated stadium at Heathfield in Ayr with an associated retail development. The Scottish Executive then "called in" the application and reversed the decision in respect of the retail development. Since the club considered this aspect of the proposal necessary to fund the construction, the development did not proceed.
In November 2006, United signed a contract with Barratt Homes for the sale of Somerset Park, having secured a 20-acre (81,000 m2) site in the Heathfield area of Ayr. The site would house a new GB£18 million stadium seating 7,650 as part of a "sports and business campus".
Read more about this topic: Ayr United F.C.
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