Gander Green Lane facts for kids
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Gander Green Lane
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| Full name | Borough Sports Ground |
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| Location | Sutton, England |
| Public transit |  West Sutton (0.1mi) |
| Owner | Sutton United |
| Capacity | 7,032 (765 seated) |
| Record attendance | 14,000 |
| Surface | Artificial turf |
| Construction | |
| Built | 1898 |
| Opened | 1912 |
| Tenants | |
| Sutton United (1912–1913; 1919–present) Sutton Common Rovers (2015–) AFC Wimbledon Ladies (2015–) |
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Gander Green Lane, officially known as the Borough Sports Ground, is a football stadium in Sutton, south London. It is the home ground of Sutton United. The most people ever to watch a game here was 14,000. This happened when Sutton United played Leeds United in the 1969–70 FA Cup and lost 6–0.
Today, the stadium also hosts games for the England C national football team and the FA Sunday Cup. The pitch is a special 3G artificial turf. It has FIFA's highest rating, which means it's top quality!
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History of Gander Green Lane
The area where Gander Green Lane now stands was once used for gardens and open fields. The stadium was first built a long time ago, around the early 1900s. An old map from 1913 shows it as a "Football Ground." It had a small building for players and a gate to enter.
Sutton United's first game at Gander Green Lane was in 1912. They played against Guards Depot F.C. in the FA Cup. Their first league match was against Redhill, which they won 1–0. Over 800 fans watched that game. Sutton United left the ground for a short time in 1913. They came back to Gander Green Lane in August 1919 and have played there ever since.
Stadium Upgrades and Changes
The main stand, also called the Grandstand, was built in 1951. It has been changed many times over the years. The red and blue seats in this stand were given by Chelsea. These colours are not the club's usual colours.
In the 1980s, two small wooden stands were replaced. A new covered standing area was built. This area is known as the "Rec Terrace." It has a special box on top for filming games for SUFCtv. A small part of an old wooden stand is still there. Fans call it "the shoebox." Next to it is a food hut called "Rose's Tea Hut." It is named after a lady named Rose who worked there for over 40 years.
In 1997, the end of the stadium called the Gander Green Lane end was made flat. New steps for fans to stand on were put in.
In 2014, the stadium got a big makeover. An old athletics track around the pitch was removed. New places for players to sit (dugouts) and tunnels were built. Some stands were moved closer to the pitch. New covered standing areas were built behind each goal. The curved shape of some standing areas reminds people that the stadium used to have an athletics track.
In 2015, a brand new artificial pitch was put in. This new pitch was officially opened by Alan Pardew, who used to manage Crystal Palace.
Famous Matches and Moments
On January 7, 1989, Gander Green Lane hosted a very famous FA Cup game. Sutton United played against Coventry City, who were a top team at the time. Sutton won the game, which was a huge surprise in FA Cup history! About 8,000 fans came to watch this exciting match.
On July 10, 2002, the stadium hosted the first game for AFC Wimbledon. This was after their old club, Wimbledon F.C., moved to a different city. Sutton beat the new Dons 4–0 in a friendly game. A large crowd of 4,657 people came to see it.
A special painting can be seen on the side of a terrace near Rose's Tea Hut. It celebrates Craig Dundas playing his 400th game for the club. This happened on January 23, 2016, when Sutton won 2–0 against Dartford. The painting shows Dundas celebrating a goal with the number "400" on it.
The record for a league match attendance at the ground is 3,541. This was set on April 28, 2018. Sutton beat Aldershot Town 2-1. This win helped Sutton get into the play-offs and finish third in their league, which was their best ever league result.
The main hall at the stadium is now called the Times Square Lounge. It is also home to a music place called the Boom Boom Club.
Stadium Names Over Time
In 2017, Gander Green Lane was officially renamed the Knights Community Stadium. This was part of a sponsorship deal with the Knights Foundation. They also ran Sutton United's youth academy until 2020. In 2020, the stadium's name went back to the Borough Sports Ground.
International Football Matches
Gander Green Lane has also hosted international football games. These games are for teams that are not part of FIFA.
| Year | Date | Team 1 | Result | Team 2 | Attendance | Part of |
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| 2016 | 25 August | .svg){kind=small} Barawa |
0–5 |  Tamil Eelam |
2016 World Unity Cup | |
| 2016 | 26 August | Barawa |
2–3 |  Chagos Islands |
2016 World Unity Cup | |
| 2016 | 28 August | Chagos Islands |
1–5 | Tamil Eelam |
2016 World Unity Cup |
On January 31, 2018, it was announced that Gander Green Lane would be one of the stadiums used for the 2018 ConIFA World Football Cup. It hosted six games, including two group stage matches.
| Year | Date | Team 1 | Result | Team 2 | Attendance | Part of |
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| 2018 | 31 May |  Ellan Vannin |
4–1 |  Cascadia |
2018 ConIFA World Football Cup Group A | |
| 2018 | 31 May |  Padania |
6–1 |  Matabeleland |
2018 ConIFA World Football Cup Group C | |
| 2018 | 5 June | Barawa |
0–8 |  Northern Cyprus |
2018 ConIFA World Football Cup Quarter-Final | |
| 2018 | 5 June |  Kárpátalja |
3–1 | Cascadia |
2018 ConIFA World Football Cup Quarter-Final | |
| 2018 | 7 June | Tamil Eelam |
4–3 |  Tuvalu |
2018 ConIFA World Football Cup Placement Round 2 | |
| 2018 | 7 June | Barawa |
0–5 |  Panjab |
2018 ConIFA World Football Cup Placement Round 2 |
