Broadwood Stadium

Broadwood Stadium is a multi-use community stadium and sports complex in the Westfield area of Cumbernauld, North Lanarkshire. The stadium is shared by two football clubs: Clyde of the Scottish Professional Football League and Cumbernauld Colts of the Scottish Lowland Football League. Glasgow City of the Scottish Women's Premier League are also sharing the stadium temporarily for the 2020–21 season. The Scottish Rugby Academy for the Glasgow & The West region is based at Broadwood, and it is also home to the Cumbernauld Centurions BMX Club on the National Level BMX track.

Broadwood Stadium
LocationCumbernauld, Scotland
Coordinates55°56′41.19″N 4°02′13.51″W
OwnerBroadwood Stadium Company (owned by North Lanarkshire Council)[1]
Capacity8,086[2]
Field size112 x 76 yards (pitch)
Surface3G artificial pitch[3]
Construction
Opened1994
Construction cost£8 million
ArchitectWalker Group
Tenants
Clyde F.C. (1994–present)
Airdrieonians F.C. (1994–1998)
Cumbernauld Colts F.C. (2012–present)
Scottish Rugby Academy, West (2015–present)
Glasgow City F.C. (2020–present)

Broadwood has staged the final of football's Scottish Challenge Cup on four occasions and Scottish rugby's Finals Day.[4] The stadium has also held international Rugby league

Football

Clyde previously played in Glasgow at Barrowfield Park, from their creation in 1877 until 1898, and then Shawfield Stadium from 1898 until they were evicted in 1986. Clyde shared Firhill with fierce rivals Partick Thistle from 1986 until 1991, and then Douglas Park with Hamilton Academical until moving to the purpose built Broadwood in 1994.[1] The move to Broadwood, 10 miles outside Glasgow,[1] meant that the club would lose some fans in the move, but hoped to gain some new supporters in the new town of Cumbernauld, which had never hosted senior football before.

The stadium opened to the public in February 1994 to a full house at that time, of 6000 fans. Clyde lost the game 2–0 against Hamilton Academical. At the time of opening, only two stands, the Main Stand and the West Stand, had been completed, giving the stadium a capacity of 6,000. The third, South Stand was completed in 1997 to bring the overall capacity to just over 8,000. Plans to complete the stadium, and bring the overall capacity to 10,000 were shelved after Clyde failed to win promotion to the Scottish Premier League in 2004. The missing fourth stand has now been replaced by a community sports centre, and opened in 2013.

It also previously hosted another Scottish League club, Airdrieonians, between 1994 and 1998. Broadwood also formerly hosted Rangers reserve team matches on a regular basis. Broadwood has hosted many Scotland U-21 matches. Broadwood was the scene of a giant Scottish Cup shock in 2006, when Clyde beat holders Celtic 2–1. Broadwood has also hosted four Scottish Challenge Cup finals.

From 2015, Cumbernauld Colts will play senior games at the stadium having been accepted into the Scottish Lowland Football League.

Scottish Women's Premier League club Glasgow City will play at Broadwood temporarily for the 2020–21 season due to the unavailability of their regular ground, Petershill Park.[5]

Rugby

Broadwood has been used for one off games by Cumbernauld RFC.[6]

It was chosen to host the 2014 RBS Finals Day.[4] Heriots beat Hawks in the RBS Cup Final 31–10.

It is a home to BT Sport Scottish Rugby Academy, Glasgow and the West. Work is now underway to create a new purpose built facility, on-site, with fitness and medical equipment, all part of Scottish Rugby's major policy initiative to develop a regional Academy system that provides the best possible support to players, both male and female, who have been identified as having genuine potential for the future.[7]

The stadium was also home to the inaugural Rugby League Commonwealth Championships. This was a 9s competition entered by 8 teams from across the globe and was won by the Papua New Guinea national rugby league team.[8]

Structure and facilities

Broadwood Stadium from the air

Broadwood has three all seated stands with a capacity of 7,936.[2] It is equipped with a full size astroturf pitch. It also has four 5-a-side pitches for public use, changing rooms, and a gymnasium, the latter being located to the north side of the pitch.

For the 2012–13 season, Clyde will play their football on a new 3rd generation synthetic pitch.[3][9] Broadwood will hence become a multi-purpose stadium.

It has a purpose built rugby facility, on-site, with state-of-the-art fitness and medical equipment.

Future

Along with the introduction of a 3G surface, Broadwood is now shared between Cumbernauld Colts and Clyde.[3][10] Cumbernauld Colts are now the primary licence holders of the Stadium and the site is used 7 days a week. The Colts community development program means that all age ranges use the stadium on a daily basis. With Colts entering the Scottish Lowland League, Broadwood Stadium will host a second senior club from 2015 to 2016.[10]

Clyde announced in December 2010 their intention to leave Broadwood for a site elsewhere.[11] In October 2011, they revealed that East Kilbride was one of the possible locations that they were exploring. They continue to play home games at Broadwood as secondary licence holders.[12] Clyde do however have priority over first team matches. In June 2015, The Herald reported that Clyde's preferred option was to return to Glasgow, sharing with Shettleston Juniors.[13]

See also

References

  1. Council company to sue Clyde FC, BBC Sport, 2 April 2009.
  2. "Clyde Football Club". Scottish Professional Football League. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
  3. "Club Statement: Stadium Update - 31 May 2012 - News - Clyde Football Club". Official Clyde Football Club Website.
  4. "RBS Finals Day moves venue - Scottish Rugby Union". scottishrugby.org.
  5. "Glasgow City move to Broadwood". BBC Sport. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  6. "Cumbernauld host first rugby match on 3G turf pitch". scotsman.com.
  7. "Broadwood to house BT Sport Scottish Rugby Academy - Scottish Rugby Union". scottishrugby.org.
  8. Willacy, Gavin (24 June 2014). "Looking forward to the Rugby League Commonwealth Championship 2014" via theguardian.com.
  9. "Rangers: Life in Scottish Division Three beckons". BBC Sport. BBC. 14 July 2012. Retrieved 17 July 2012.
  10. "Cumbernauld Colts F.C." cumbernauld-colts.com.
  11. "Clyde planning to leave Broadwood Stadium". BBC Sport. BBC. 10 December 2010. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
  12. "Rutherglen Approve Proposal - 17 Sep 2012 - News - Clyde Football Club". Official Clyde Football Club Website.
  13. Cameron, Neil (19 June 2015). "Clyde ready for a return to the east end of Glasgow almost 30 years after leaving Shawfield". The Herald. Herald & Times Group. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
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