East End Park facts for kids
View of the ground
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 East End Park
Location in Fife
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| Location | Dunfermline, Scotland |
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| Coordinates | 56°04′31″N 3°26′31″W / 56.07528°N 3.44194°W |
| Owner | East End Park Limited |
| Capacity | 11,480 |
| Field size | 105 x 64 metres (pitch) |
| Surface | Grass |
| Opened | 1885 |
| Tenants | |
| Dunfermline Athletic F.C. | |
East End Park is a famous football stadium in Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland. It is currently known as KDM Group East End Park because of a sponsorship deal. This stadium is the home ground for the football team Dunfermline Athletic.
The stadium has a seating capacity of 11,480 fans. It has four main sections, called stands. These are the East Stand, the Main Stand, the North Stand, and the Norrie McCathie Stand. All seats are covered, and the pitch even has special heating under the ground to keep it in good condition.
Contents
History of East End Park
East End Park first opened its doors in 1885. This was the same year that the Dunfermline Athletic football club was started. The very first stadium was a little further west from where it is today.
Building the Modern Stadium
In 1920, the club bought some land to build the stadium we know now. They paid £3,500 for about 3 acres (12,000 square metres) of land. A wooden stand and a small building were put up on the south side.
By 1926, the stadium could hold 16,000 people. This was when the club moved up to the First Division. During tough economic times in the early 1930s, the stadium was also used for greyhound racing. This helped the club earn money to stay open.
In 1935, parts of the eastern stands were improved. They used wood from a famous ship called the Mauretania. This ship was being taken apart nearby.
East End Park During Wartime
During the Second World War, soldiers from Poland and Britain stayed at East End Park. After the war, the club received £329 to fix things up. It wasn't until 1951 that safety barriers were added, after a huge crowd of 20,000 people attended a match.
Stadium Upgrades and Records
Between 1957 and 1970, East End Park saw many improvements. This was a successful time for the club, as they played in European competitions several times. A new, bigger Main Stand was built in 1962. The money for this came from the club winning the 1960–61 Scottish Cup.
The biggest crowd ever at East End Park was 27,816 people. This happened on April 30, 1968, during a match against Celtic.
Modern Changes and Artificial Pitch
In the late 1990s, East End Park became an all-seater stadium. This means every fan has a seat. Its capacity was 12,509 at first, but it is now 11,480. The stadium has seen many sold-out games since then.
In 2003, an artificial playing surface was put in as an experiment. However, it was replaced with real grass two seasons later. In 2007, the 2006–07 Scottish Junior Cup Final was played here.
In November 2011, the club announced that the North Stand would close to save money. But by July 2012, they decided to reopen it.
New Name for the Stadium
In August 2022, Dunfermline Athletic made a business deal with a local company called KDM Group. As part of this agreement, the stadium was renamed KDM Group East End Park.
Images for kids
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View of the ground
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Interior of East End Park
See also
In Spanish: East End Park para niños
