Bootham Crescent

Bootham Crescent stood near York’s centre, a football and rugby ground built in 1932 on land once used by York Cricket Club. The site lay between a narrow track, barracks, a school and terraced houses, giving it an odd shape with limited space. Four stands surrounded the pitch: the Main Stand, the Popular Stand, the David Longhurst Stand and the Grosvenor Road End. During the Second World War the Popular Stand became an air-raid shelter for nearby schoolchildren. A bomb damaged houses at the Shipton Street End but left the ground itself largely untouched. The ground became famous for cup runs and record crowds. In March 1938, 28,123 watched York play Huddersfield Town in the FA Cup, the highest attendance ever recorded there. In 1954–55 York reached the FA Cup semi-final, playing two ties at Bootham Crescent including a fifth-round win over Tottenham Hotspur before 21,000 fans. Floodlights were fitted in 1959 after supporters raised most of the £14,500 cost, and were switched on for a friendly against Newcastle United. Visitors found a tight, enclosed ground where every stand felt close to the action. The Main Stand and Popular Stand faced each other across the pitch, while the Grosvenor Road End had steep terraces behind the goal. The David Longhurst Stand opened in 1991 in memory of the player who died during a match the year before. After York City left in 2021 the ground was demolished, but its history remains tied to York’s sporting life.