Somerset Park

Somerset Park is a football stadium in Ayr, South Ayrshire. It has been home to Ayr United since the club’s formation in 1910. Before that, it hosted Ayr Football Club, which later merged with Ayr Parkhouse to create Ayr United. The ground was designed by Archibald Leitch, the architect behind many famous British football grounds. It first opened in 1888 to replace Beresford Park after that venue was occupied by the Ayr Cattle Show. The stadium’s record attendance reached 25,225 in 1969 when Rangers visited for a Scottish League match. The ground has hosted international matches for Scotland’s under-17 and under-19 teams. In 2001 it became the first stadium in Britain to stage a UEFA Women’s Cup match. Somerset Park has also seen Ayr United Ladies compete in European competition after winning the SWFL title. The stadium’s Main Stand, built in 1920, once seated 2,592 and still contains a disabled section. Recent improvements include a rebuilt North Terrace stand completed in 2024 and a fully re-roofed Railway End terrace. Visitors find a compact stadium with four distinct stands. The Main Stand holds most of the seating, while the Somerset Road End terrace is covered and rebuilt after storms. The Railway End terrace is covered and mainly used for away supporters. The North Terrace now features a new stand with hospitality boxes named after club legends. Floodlights, installed in 1970 after a supporter fund-raising effort, were replaced in 2011. The ground lies a short walk from Ayr railway station and close to Ayr Racecourse on the A719 road.