Baseball Ground

The Baseball Ground stood in Derby, England, on a site bordered by Shaftesbury Crescent, Vulcan Street, the Ley foundry and Cambridge Street. Originally Ley’s Baseball Ground, it opened in 1890 as part of Sir Francis Ley’s recreation complex for workers at his Vulcan Ironworks. The diamond was set in the southwest corner, with stands along Vulcan Street and standing areas elsewhere. Stands were named after streets and nearby neighbourhoods such as Normanton and Osmaston. The ground hosted Derby Baseball Club, which won the first British professional baseball championship in 1890 before resigning from the league. Derby County Football Club moved to the ground in 1895 and renamed it the Baseball Ground. The club bought the freehold in 1924 for £10,000 from Ley’s heirs. It reached its peak with a capacity of around 42,000 and a record crowd of 41,826 for a match against Tottenham Hotspur in 1969. Under Brian Clough the club won the league title in 1972 and again in 1975 under Dave Mackay. The ground also hosted an England international in 1911 and later saw perimeter fencing removed after the Hillsborough disaster. Visitors to the site now find 150 new homes built on the former playing area. A commemorative statue stands nearby, a 4.6-metre metalwork featuring three footballer silhouettes dribbling and shooting. The last goal was scored by a fan named George Glover in a game between supporters. The stadium’s final league match was a Premier League fixture against Arsenal in 1997, after which it hosted reserve and youth games until demolition in 2003.