Victoria Road, Dagenham facts for kids
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Victoria Road
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Carling Stand at Victoria Road
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| Location | Dagenham, Greater London |
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| Public transit |  Dagenham East |
| Capacity | 6,078 |
| Surface | Grass (112 x 72 yards) |
| Opened | 1917 |
| Tenants | |
| Dagenham & Redbridge West Ham United Women West Ham United U23 |
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Victoria Road, also known as the Chigwell Construction Stadium, is a football stadium in Dagenham, Greater London, England. It's the home ground for Dagenham & Redbridge F.C.. The stadium can hold up to 6,078 people.
Contents
History of Victoria Road Stadium
The land where Victoria Road stands has been a football ground since 1917. Back then, it was used by Sterling Athletic, a football team from a nearby factory. Later, another factory team called Briggs Motor Bodies (which became Briggs Sports) used the ground.
Early Days and First Changes
The stadium wasn't fully fenced in until 1955. That's when Dagenham F.C. moved in. They worked hard to make the pitch better. They removed stones and made the seating areas bigger. At first, there was only a small wooden stand.
A main stand was built in late 1955 and opened in January 1956. More improvements followed, like turnstiles and toilets in 1956. In 1958, a cover was added over the far side of the ground.
The first game played under floodlights at Victoria Road was in 1957. The first official senior match was in 1958. The stadium's record for the most fans at a game was set in 1967. About 7,200 people came to watch a match against Reading F.C. in the FA Cup.
Modern Updates and Mergers
The stadium stayed mostly the same until 1990. That year, another team called Redbridge Forest started sharing the ground. They helped pay for a new stand to add more seats. They also replaced grassy areas with concrete steps for fans to stand on. These changes made the stadium good enough for the Football Conference, which is a higher league.
In 1992, Redbridge Forest and Dagenham F.C. joined together to form Dagenham & Redbridge F.C.. Improvements to the stadium continued. In 1995, they built a new wall around the pitch. Two years later, they rebuilt the toilet block.
A new 800-seat stand was built and first used in 2001. This brought the total seating to over 1,000. Also in 2001, new turnstile blocks were built, and the old floodlights were replaced with four new corner lights.
Sponsorship and Capacity Growth
In October 2001, a company called Bass Brewery sponsored the new stand. It was then named the Carling Stand. This money helped pay for more improvements, like new safety barriers in 2002. These changes helped fans move around the stadium more easily.
The biggest crowd for a Dagenham & Redbridge game was 5,949 fans in 2002. All these improvements helped the stadium meet the standards for the English Football League. Today, the stadium can hold 6,078 people.
In 2007, the stadium got a new name: the London Borough of Barking & Dagenham Stadium, thanks to a sponsorship deal.
New Stands and Facilities
A new stand called the Traditional Builders & Contractors Ltd Stand was built in 2009. It's at the west end of the ground and has 1,240 seats. This stand has special areas for disabled fans, a bar, a snack bar, and new club offices. Players now walk onto the pitch from a tunnel in this new stand.
In 2012, the floodlights were replaced again. This made sure the stadium met the latest rules for lighting in the Football League.
What the Ground is Used For
The Chigwell Construction Stadium is used for many important football matches. It has hosted international women's games, like England versus Sweden. It has also held semi-finals for the FA Women's Cup.
Young players from England, San Marino, and Cyprus have played UEFA Youth International matches here. The stadium is also used for various county and league cup finals.
Premier League club West Ham United uses the stadium too. Their under-23 team and women's team play their home games at Victoria Road.
Images for kids
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North Stand -
Bury Road End -
Goal and Scoreboard at Bury Road End
See also
In Spanish: Victoria Road (Dagenham) para niños
