Boothferry Park

Boothferry Park stood on a plot near Gipsyville in Hull, beside Boothferry Road. Hull City bought the land in 1929 to build a new ground after plans to stay at Anlaby Road stalled. A £3,000 loan from the Football Association helped purchase the site, though the Great Depression delayed work until 1932. By 1939 only the pitch and some terracing were ready, and the Second World War halted further progress. The ground suffered damage during the Hull Blitz and was later used by the Home Guard and for tank repairs. The stadium opened unfinished on 31 August 1946 with a crowd of 25,586 watching Hull draw 0–0 with Lincoln City. A mounted officer, Sergeant J.T. "Tommy" Brooke, led the players onto the pitch as part of the ceremony. Over the next decades the ground grew, adding the North Stand, Kempton Stand and later the South Stand with its cantilever roof. Floodlights were installed in 1963, replacing earlier gantries, and a small railway halt was built behind the east stand to bring fans to matches. The record crowd of 55,019 came on 26 February 1949 for an FA Cup tie against Manchester United. After financial struggles in the 1990s, Hull moved to the KC Stadium in 2002 and Boothferry Park closed. Supermarkets moved in during the 1990s while the ground stood empty. Demolition began in 2008 and finished in 2011, clearing the site for new housing. The halt behind the east stand closed in 1989 after safety concerns ended its short life.