Ochilview Park - History

History

Stenhousemuir F.C. was founded in 1884 following the breakaway from a local team called Heather Rangers. The club played at two other grounds, Tryst Park and Goschen Park, before moving to Ochilview in 1890. The name Ochilview derives from the nearby Ochil Hills which are visible from the stadium. In 1928 a new main stand was constructed with bench seating for 310 spectators. It was known by fans as the "Doll's House" due to its small size. It was built to replace the previous stand which was gutted by a fire in the same year. During the build it was discovered late into the project that the architect had omitted plans for access to the seating area which had to be quickly rectified; two external staircases were added later.

Ochilview Park recorded its largest official attendance on 11 March 1950, when 12,500 spectators attended the club's Scottish Cup quarter-final tie against East Fife. A year later, Ochilview wrote itself into Scottish football history when it was the venue of the first ever floodlit match in Scotland, during a friendly against Hibernian on 7 November 1951.

In 1994, Stenhousemuir were considering relocation, having provisionally agreed to sell Ochilview to a supermarket chain for £2.5 million. The scheme, however, was frustrated by planning regulations, and instead it was decided to upgrade the existing stadium.

At the end of season 1994–95, the covered terracing on the south side of Ochilview was removed to make way for a new 626 seater main stand. The new stand, which opened in season 1996–97, was subsequently named as the Norway Stand due to a sponsorship deal with Stenhousemuir's Norwegian supporters' club. It is now the only seated accommodation available at the ground, as the old "Doll's House" opposite had to be demolished in April 1999 after being refused a safety certificate. The north side of the ground is now largely used for car-parking, but could be used as standing accommodation in the event of a larger than usual crowd being expected.