Ayresome Park

Ayresome Park was a football stadium in Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire. It stood in the Ayresome area, near the old Paradise Ground of Middlesbrough Ironopolis. The ground opened in 1903 to replace a cricket pitch where the club had played. Middlesbrough moved there when they joined the Football League. The stadium hosted top-flight football for over ninety years before closing in 1995. The ground holds a record attendance of 53,802 for a match against Newcastle United in 1949. In 1966 it became one of England’s World Cup venues, hosting three games. North Korea’s surprise win over Italy there remains a famous upset. The club nearly folded in the 1980s but recovered after a takeover. A £1.2 million sports centre opened at the stadium in 1986 after long delays. Visitors now find a park and garden on the former pitch site. The stadium’s entrance gates stand outside the Riverside Stadium as a memorial. A sports centre once operated where fans once stood on terraces. The slope of Paradise Field can still be traced along the edges of the new green space. The area offers quiet paths where match days once drew thousands.