Gresty Road
Alexandra Stadium, more commonly known as Gresty Road is a football stadium in Crewe, Cheshire, England. The home ground of Crewe Alexandra, it has an all-seated capacity of 10,153.
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| Full name | Alexandra Stadium |
|---|---|
| Public transit |  Crewe (0.2 mi) |
| Capacity | 10,153 |
| Record attendance | 20,000 |
| Field size | 112 x 74 yards |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction | |
| Built | 1906 |
| Opened | 1906 |
| Tenants | |
| Crewe Alexandra (1906–present) | |
History
Crewe had initially played at the Alexandra Recreation Ground, also on Gresty Road and located just to the north of current site. After leaving the ground towards the end of the 1895–96 season the club played at a variety of venues, including in nearby Sandbach, before moving to the original Gresty Road ground in 1897.[1]
In 1906 the ground was demolished to make way for the construction of new railway lines, and a new Gresty Road ground was built directly to the west of the site.[1] The new ground initially had a stand on each touchline, one of which had been moved from the first Gresty Road ground, and some embankments around the remainder of the pitch.[2] After a fire, a new Main Stand was built on the south side of the ground in 1932. The record attendance of 20,000 was set on 30 January 1960 for an FA Cup match against Tottenham.[2]
In the 1990s Gresty Road was rebuilt, with all-seater stands constructed on all four sides of the ground.[2]
On 31 May 2015, the ground held an international friendly match between Northern Ireland and Qatar.
| 31 May 2015 International Friendly | Northern Ireland  | 1–1 |  Qatar | Crewe, England |
| 17:00 BST Match 601 |
Dallas  46' |
Report | Boudiaf 70' |
Stadium: Gresty Road Attendance: 3,022 Referee: Michael Oliver (England) |
Stands
- Air Products Stand (formerly the Railtrack Stand before a change in sponsorship) – built prior to the 1999–2000 season at a cost of £5.2 million. It accommodates 6,809 spectators, together with the club's office accommodation.
- The Rhino Safety Stand[4] – also known as the Gresty Road End, accommodates 982 spectators and 4 disabled spectators.
- Wulvern Housing Stand – also known as the Railway End, accommodates 682 spectators.
- Whitby Morrison Ice Cream Van Stand – formerly the Pop, originally the Popular Side, accommodates 1,680 away spectators.
References
- Paul Smith & Shirley Smith (2005) The Ultimate Directory of English & Scottish Football League Grounds Second Edition 1888–2005, Yore Publications, p13, ISBN 0954783042
- Smith & Smith, p62
- "Northern Ireland to play Qatar in Crewe friendly". BBC Sport. 16 March 2015. Retrieved 21 March 2015.
- "Crewe Alexandra Announce Rhino Safety Partnership (14 July 2020)". Crewe Alexandra F.C. Retrieved 14 September 2020.