Links Park
Links Park is a football stadium in Montrose, Scotland. It has been the home ground of Montrose F.C. since 1887.
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  Links Park Location in Angus | |
| Location | Montrose, Scotland |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 56°42′50.17″N 2°27′32.70″W |
| Owner | Bryan Keith[1] |
| Capacity | 4,936[2] |
| Surface | Artificial turf[3] |
| Opened | 1887[1] |
| Tenants | |
| Montrose F.C. (1887–present)[1] Montrose Roselea F.C. (2018–present) | |
Links Park was opened in 1887.[1] To help finance the new ground, Montrose F.C. rented the pitch out for circuses and livestock grazing.[1] The club was eventually able to raise £150 in 1920 to buy a stand, that had been previously used by the Highland Games.[1] A roof was built over the Wellington Street end of the ground in the 1960s.[1] Floodlights were installed in 1971 and first used in a match against Stranraer.[1] The record attendance at the ground was 8,983, for a Scottish Cup quarter-final tie against Dundee in March 1973.[1]
Links Park was significantly improved in the 1990s, after the club was taken over by Bryan Keith.[1] The wooden Main Stand was replaced by a cantilevered stand, seating 1,258 people.[1] Other improvements brought the total investment to nearly £1 million, of which the Football Trust provided £400,000.[1] Keith bought the ground in 1995 for £500,000 and granted the club a 25-year lease, without rent.[1] GlaxoSmithKline provided a £250,000 grant in 2006 for the club to install an all-weather surface at Links Park.[4] This pitch was replaced by another artificial surface during the 2015 close season.[3]
The current stadium capacity is 4,936. The all-seated Main Stand (South) has a capacity of 1,338 with the West Stand terrace holding a maximum of 1,582 spectators. There is also uncovered standing areas on the North and East sides off the ground. The pitch at the stadium measures 113 x 70 yards.
For the 2018–19 season, local junior football club Montrose Roselea will share Links Park, with a view to a longer-term grounsharing arrangement.[5]
References
- Further Reading
- Inglis, Simon (1996). Football Grounds of Britain. Collins Willow. ISBN 0-00-218426-5.
- Citations
- Inglis 1996, p. 456
- "Montrose Football Club". Scottish Professional Football League. Retrieved 11 June 2015.
- "Montrose to replace Links Park pitch". www.spfl.co.uk. Scottish Professional Football League. 5 June 2015. Retrieved 6 June 2015.
- "Club receives new pitch donation". BBC News. BBC. 20 December 2006. Retrieved 6 November 2011.
- "Montrose Roselea reach Links Park groundshare agreement". Montrose F.C. Retrieved 30 June 2018.