This weekend marks 30 years since a ball was last kicked at our former home of Ayresome Park.
The stadium, designed by renowned architect Archibald Leitch and initially served as a significant venue for both club and international football, and was our home for almost 92 years, from 1903 to 1995.
Key Facts...
- Ayresome Park officially opened for the 1903/04 season, with the first league match played on 12 September 1903 against Sunderland.
- At its peak, the stadium could accommodate over 50,000 spectators. Due to safety regulations and structural limitations, its capacity was significantly reduced in later years.
- Ayresome Park was one of the venues for the 1966 World Cup, hosting three matches. It was the site of one of the tournament's biggest upsets when North Korea defeated Italy 1–0, advancing to the quarter-finals.
- The club were locked out of the stadium in the summer of 1986 by the bailiffs and played the first home game of that season at Hartlepool United.
- The last competitive match at Ayresome took place on 30 April 1995, when Boro secured a 2–1 victory over Luton Town, clinching promotion to the Premier League. John Hendrie scored the last goal.
- The final ever game was a testimonial match for long-serving goalkeeper Stephen Pears, who also scored the final goal on the ground for a Select XI against a Boro XI in front of a crowd of 19,000.
- Ayresome Park remained in use as a training base for a couple of years before being demolished in 1997.
Ayresome Park Legacy
The Taylor Report's recommendations for all-seater stadiums led to the club moving to Middlehaven after building the Riverside.
Middlesbrough F.C. moved to the newly constructed Riverside Stadium in 1995. Ayresome Park was subsequently used as a training ground before being demolished in 1997.
The site of Ayresome Park was redeveloped into a housing estate after the ground was demolished. Street names such as 'The Turnstile' and 'The Midfield' are a tribute, along with the site of the old penalty spot (in someone's garden!)
The stadium's original gates were relocated and installed outside the Riverside Stadium, while the centre circle of the former pitch has been preserved and marked with a commemorative statue, serving as a lasting reminder of the historic ground.