Netherdale, with the football stadium in the foreground and the rugby stadium beyond
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Location within the Scottish Borders
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Location | Nether Road, Galashiels, Scottish Borders |
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Coordinates | 55°36′27″N 2°46′57″W / 55.607445°N 2.782545°WCoordinates: 55°36′27″N 2°46′57″W / 55.607445°N 2.782545°W |
Type | Stadium complex |
Capacity | 4,000 (rugby ground) 2,000 (football ground) |
Surface | Grass (rugby ground) Artificial (football ground) |
Construction | |
Opened | 1912 |
Renovated | 1961–62, 1964 |
Architect |
Peter Womersley (football stand) |
Tenants | |
Gala RFC Gala Fairydean F.C. Gala Rovers F.C. Border Reivers Gala Fairydean Rovers F.C. |
1912– 1929–2013 ?–2013 1996–1998, 2002–2007 2013– |
Netherdale is a sports complex in Galashiels, Scottish Borders, consisting of two adjacent stadiums used for rugby union and football. The rugby ground is the home of Gala RFC and was formerly used by the professional Border Reivers team. It hosted one match of the 1999 Rugby World Cup. It has also occasionally been used for rugby league matches. The football ground is home to Gala Fairydean Rovers and has a Category A listed grandstand.
The Netherdale complex is located on Nether Road towards the east end of Galashiels, near the River Tweed. The Gala rugby ground is in the north-west corner of the site, with the Gala Fairydean Rovers football ground in the south-west; the two grounds are joined end-to-end. The rest of the site is taken up by a number of undeveloped rugby and football fields known as the back pitches. Gala RFC moved to the area in 1912 from their previous ground at Mossilee, initially playing on what is now the football ground before the construction of their present ground – "New Netherdale" – in 1961-62.
Gala Fairydean F.C. arrived at Netherdale in 1929, initially playing on an undeveloped pitch called Raid Stane Park, before taking over the old rugby ground. Local amateur club Gala Rovers F.C. also played at the Netherdale complex before the two clubs merged to form Gala Fairydean Rovers in 2013. Since the installation of a 3G pitch in 2011, the Fairydean ground is officially known as the 3G Arena Netherdale and is also used as a community football and rugby facility.
Gala RFC had previously played at the Public Park and Mossilee before moving to Netherdale in 1912, where their new ground incorporating a pavilion and grandstand was built at a cost of £1,150. The first rugby match took place in September 1912, against local rivals Hawick. The rugby club continued to play on this part of the ground until the construction of the adjacent "New Netherdale" in 1961–62.