Theatre of Greens | |
Location |
Plymouth, PL2 3DQ Devon, England |
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Coordinates | 50°23′17″N 4°09′3″W / 50.38806°N 4.15083°WCoordinates: 50°23′17″N 4°09′3″W / 50.38806°N 4.15083°W |
Owner | Plymouth Argyle |
Operator | Plymouth Argyle |
Capacity | 17,441 |
Field size | 105 x 70 m (114 x 78 yd) |
Surface | Fibrelastic Rootzone (Grass) |
Scoreboard | None |
Construction | |
Built | 1892 |
Opened | 1893 |
Renovated | 2001 |
Construction cost | £11m (2001) |
Architect | Barr Construction (2001) |
Tenants | |
Plymouth Argyle (1901–present) |
Home Park is an all-seater football stadium in the Central Park area of Plymouth, England, and is the home of Football League Two club Plymouth Argyle. The ground, given the nickname the Theatre of Greens by the club's supporters, has been Argyle's permanent residence since 1901. After undergoing considerable development in the 1920s and 1930s the ground suffered heavy damage during the Second World War. It was re-opened in time for the resumption of the Football League in 1945 and underwent further improvements in the 1950s, including the installation of floodlights and a new double-decker Grandstand. The ground remained relatively unchanged until 2001 when construction of three new all-seater stands commenced. The work was completed in February 2002, and after further work the stadium became all-seated in the summer of 2007.
The stadium's record attendance was recorded in 1936, when 43,596 spectators were in attendance to watch the club play a Second Division match against Aston Villa; this was actually discovered to have been beaten when 44,526 watched Argyle host Huddersfield Town 13 January 1934 in the FA Cup, although it is unclear if the source is reliable. The record average attendance for a single season, 23,290, came in the 1946–47 season. The stadium was selected as part of England's 2018 FIFA World Cup bid by the FA in December 2009. The ground has played host to England youth internationals in the past, and a UEFA Cup Winners' Cup match between Saint-Étienne and Manchester United in 1977. Aside from football-related uses, Home Park has played host to rugby and athletics in the past and now puts on live music during the summer, with Elton John, George Michael and Rod Stewart among the acts who have performed at the ground.