The bottom stood empty for a number of years earlier than finally being demolished and became an property.
The stadium stood empty for a number of years earlier than finally being demolished (Picture: Google Maps)
A beloved UK soccer stadium that opened in 1907 has been demolished and became a housing property. Layer Street in Colchester, Essex, formally closed in 2008 after working for 101 years. The bottom was positioned simply over a mile south of Colchester city centre in a residential a part of town.
It first opened as the house of beginner facet Colchester City Soccer Membership, who performed there from 1907 till 1937. In 1937, Colchester United was fashioned and took over the stadium lease, with Colchester City folding shortly afterwards.
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Layer Street was the house of Colchester United for 71 years (Picture: Google Earth)
The ultimate first-team match at Layer Street occurred on April 26, 2008 (Picture: Geograph)
Layer Street then turned the house of Colchester United for the following 71 years.
The bottom was fairly distinctive as a result of it saved its tight terraces and old style structure till it was demolished. It additionally had homes surrounding it.
But it surely was solely a matter of time earlier than that wanted to alter. That began to occur within the early 2000s when the stadium began changing into outdated.
Giant components of the bottom have been nonetheless made up of previous standing terraces, and the general capability had fallen to round 6,320 due to security restrictions.
On the identical time, Colchester United had reached the Championship and wanted an even bigger and extra trendy stadium.
The stadium became a residential property made up of homes and flats (Picture: Google Earth)
The principle street by the property was named Turnstile Sq. (Picture: Google Maps)
The ultimate first-team match at Layer Street occurred on April 26, 2008. Colchester United misplaced 1-0 to Stoke Metropolis within the stadium’s final sport earlier than shifting to a brand new house later that 12 months.
The membership relocated to a brand new 10,000-seat stadium close to the A12 on the outskirts of Colchester.
The venue opened in August 2008 because the Colchester Neighborhood Stadium and is now often known as the JobServe Neighborhood Stadium.
After the transfer, Layer Street stood empty for a number of years earlier than finally being demolished in 2012.
The positioning was later bought to builders for round £1.5million and became a residential property made up of homes and flats.
Colchester United moved to the JobServe Neighborhood Stadium (Picture: Getty)
Regardless of the redevelopment, a number of reminders of the previous soccer floor have been saved. The principle street by the property was named Turnstile Sq. as a tribute to the stadium entrances.
A strip of grass was additionally left undeveloped precisely the place the previous pitch as soon as stood. The world was saved partly as a result of many supporters had their ashes scattered on the pitch through the years.
One other reminder is a six-foot bronze statue of Colchester United legend Peter Wright, which was unveiled in 2015.
Wright signed for the membership in 1951 and scored 96 targets earlier than later being voted Colchester United’s “Participant of the Century”.
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