Firs Park
Firs Park shortly after closure
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| Location | Firs Street, Falkirk, Stirlingshire, Scotland |
|---|---|
| Owner | East Stirlingshire F.C. |
| Capacity | 1,800 (200 seated) |
| Record attendance | 12,000 v Partick Thistle 21 February 1921 |
| Field size | 112 x 72 yards |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1921 |
| Closed | 2008 |
| Demolished | 2012 |
| Architect | Archibald Simpson |
| Tenants | |
| East Stirlingshire F.C. (1921–64 and 1965–2008) | |
Firs Park was a football stadium in Falkirk, Scotland, which was the home of East Stirlingshire F.C. between 1921 and 2008. It was located on Firs Street, 0.3 miles north-east of the town centre. At the time of closing the ground had a capacity of 1,800 with 200 seated.
East Stirlingshire F.C. was formed in 1880 when a group of friends from a cricket team called Bainsford Blue Bonnets formed a football team under the name Britannia. At the end of the club's first year of existence it found a home at Randyford Park in the east of Falkirk. At the time, the ground's previous tenant was a cricket team called East Stirlingshire Cricket Club and in 1881, Britannia also adopted the East Stirlingshire name, which stands to this day. By the time the club was admitted to the Scottish Football League in 1900, the club was playing some home games at Merchiston Park in Bainsford and from 1907 onwards it became permanent. The club's first ever league game at Merchiston Park was a 3–2 defeat to Airdrieonians in August 1900 in front of a crowd of 2,500.
In 1920, the club was forced to move from Bainsford when a railway line was built across Merchiston Park. The club set about looking for a new site to play its home games and a derelict factory site on Firs Street in Falkirk was chosen. The site was named Firs Park after the street in which it was located and was officially opened in 1921 and would be the club's home for the next 87 years. The first ever opposition at Firs Park was Heart of Midlothian F.C..
Shortly after opening, the club's record attendance was set on 21 February 1921 in a Scottish Cup third round tie against eventual champions Partick Thistle F.C., when 12,000 people watched the match. This remained the record attendance for the club during its entire tenure at Firs Park as crowds became smaller due to crowd regulation. In 2007, a limit of 750 was set by police during a Challenge Cup tie with Greenock Morton F.C.. This was due to the small number of turnstiles and there only being one main exit gate.
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