Redheugh Park 2.83

Redheugh Park, a football stadium in Gateshead, England, was built in 1930 when South Shields F.C. moved to Gateshead from Horsley Hill and became Gateshead AFC. It was their home for more than 40 years.The stadium offered terracing all round. The Main Stand was a two-thirds pitch length seated stand with covered standing extensions added on either side. Opposite the Main Stand was a large covered terrace that ran the full length of the ground. The North end of the ground had a small covered terrace, whilst the opposite Ropery Road End was a small uncovered terrace, which latterly included a large totalisator scoreboard introduced for greyhound racing.HistoryIn 1930 Gateshead Council set about finding a suitable site for Gateshead AFC to relocate to. Sites at Low Fell and Sheriff Hill were considered, but were deemed too far out of town. The chosen location was in the Teams area of Gateshead, a worked out clay pit (known as Johnsons Clay Hole) edged by Ropery Road and Derwentwater Road. The holes, tunnels and craters on the site were filled by lorries full of the town's refuse.Redheugh Park was officially opened by Mr Sutcliffe, the Football League's then Vice-President on 30 August 1930 when Gateshead AFC played their first-ever Football League game winning 2-1 against Doncaster Rovers in front of 15,545 spectators. Greyhound racing at Redheugh Park commenced in 1937, which brought a boost to the football club's financial position and subsequently eased the burden for the upkeep of the stadium. However the inclusion of the Greyhound track reduced the size of the playing area, the terracing at either end of the ground and subsequently the capacity.