Fir Park - Structure and Facilities

Structure and Facilities

Fir Park is an all-seater stadium with a capacity of 13,742. The stadium has an unbalanced look about it, with one large stand contrasting with three smaller stands. Until recently, the Davie Cooper and South stands had their advertising slogans changed in line with the club's main sponsor. For example, Motorola was displayed in the mid-1990s. Both of these stands were designed by Bill Dickie, who was also a club director and SFA president.

The Phil O'Donnell Stand, on the west side of the ground, was built in the early 1960s, with two players being sold to fund its development. The stand is an unusual structure in that the steel girders run for the full length of the pitch, but the stand only runs for two thirds the length of the pitch. This was due to a dispute with a home owner beside the stadium during construction, which the club lost, and thus were unable to complete the stand across the whole length of the pitch. During the construction of the South and Davie Cooper Stands, the main stand was re-clad and given a makeover to complement the modernised stadium, with windshields constructed at each end offering protection to fans. The stand has two hospitality suites, named The Centenary Suite and The Millennium Suite. It also has a roof-mounted gantry for television cameras, and press facilities.

The East Enclosure was formerly an area of open terracing, which was roofed in 1954. To meet the Taylor Report requirements, it was converted to seating and re-cladded in the early 1990s. Although the East Enclosure is shallow, it allows sufficient legroom by only having seats on every second step. It houses the more vocal home support at Fir Park. The Scottish Health Council slogan "Keep cigarettes away from the match" adorned the roof for many years, but this was replaced by a Cash Converters advertisement in 2011. The Enclosure backs onto a concourse and then Knowetop Primary School.

The South Stand dominates the surrounding area, as it can be seen from all around Motherwell and the nearby M74 motorway. It is a two-tiered structure holding 4,856 fans and was opened in 1993. The upper deck offers a panoramic view, beyond the centre of Motherwell to the distant Ochil Hills and Ben Lomond. It normally houses the away support. When the South Stand was first opened, Motherwell offered £20 debentures guaranteeing tickets for the games played by the relevant visiting team at Fir Park. This offer targeted supporters of the Old Firm clubs, with 600 debentures sold by late 1995, mostly to Rangers fans. Unusually for a stand designated for away fans, it has a row of corporate boxes running along between the two tiers. The South Stand also houses a gymnasium and warm up area.

The Davie Cooper (north) Stand is of relatively similar design to the South Stand, but it only has one tier and a capacity of 2,373 seats. Motherwell were refused planning permission to construct a two-tier structure at that end. It also houses a club shop, the Davie Cooper Suite, and hospitality boxes in the rear.