top of page
Gayfield Park
(Arbroath)
Address: Gayfield Park,
Arbroath,
Angus,
Scotland,
DD11 1QB
Capacity: 6,600 (861 Seated)
A literal seaside football ground that will of course make you feel a literal seaside breeze, regardless of where you go.
First opened in 1880, it has been the home of Arbroath Football Club ever since.
Arbroath were formed two years previously in 1878 and initially played at Woodfield Park and Hospitalfield. The club would later acquire a former rubbish tip on the seafront which has become the site Gayfield is based on today. Arbroath’s first game here was a Scottish Cup tie against Rob Roy Football Club.
The ground initially had a very cramped design with limited room for spectators, so much so that Rangers claimed the pitch was too small when they were beaten by Arbroath in a Scottish Cup tie. They ended up getting a replay and won.
History was made in September 1886 when Arbroath hosted Aberdeen-based side Bon Accord Football Club in the Scottish Cup and won 36-0. It remains a British record for the highest score in a senior football match.
Arbroath became a Scottish Football League side in 1921 and plans to construct a ‘Greater Gayfield’ led to the pitch being moved 60 yards from where it once stood so that a new stand could be built to the north. Gayfield Park would reopen in August 1925 with a game against East Fife Football Club.
Floodlights were installed in 1955, the Main Stand had to be rebuilt following a fire in 1958, and further work has created the Gayfield Park that is in place today.
Location and Getting There
Gayfield Park gets its name from the neighbourhood of Arbroath it is based in, around 0.5 miles south of the Town Centre. The ground is housed right on the coast of the North Sea, with its southern side less than 40 metres away from the sea. This makes it not only the closest football ground to the sea in the United Kingdom, but the closest football ground to the sea in the whole of Europe.
Rest assured that coastal breeze can certainly hit Gayfield Park hard at times.
Coming to Gayfield Park by car is certainly possible, with the ground located right next to Dundee Road (A92) which passes through Arbroath.
There are no car parking spaces around its vicinity, but street parking is often available along the sea front.
Arbroath Station, served by ScotRail services from Glasgow, Edinburgh and Dundee, is located near to the Town Centre and walking from here to Gayfield Park takes between 10 and 15 minutes.
The route takes you onto Keptie Street slightly south of the station, southeast onto West Port, and at the end of this road you turn right onto Millgate Loan. Follow this road south and you will come to Dundee Road (A92). Gayfield Park is on the far side of the road from here.
Outside the Ground
Heading to Gayfield Park from Arbroath Station will bring you across Dundee Road (A92) and to the ground’s Main Stand on the northern side of the pitch.
Possessing a mostly brick and concrete exterior, it has a white perimeter fence in front of it which runs alongside Queens Drive and part of Dundee Road (A92). This wall has a couple of vehicle gates in place along it, as well as the main turnstiles that lead inside.
The Main Stand itself houses the Main Reception, a Supporters Lounge and Bar, and the Matchday Hospitality and Events Entrance.
In a clockwise direction from the Main Stand is the East Stand, otherwise known as the Harbour End.
You can get round to here by following the white perimeter wall, although the wall directly behind the Harbour End is brown in colour with a barbed wire fence perched upon the top to prevent people climbing over it. The Harbour End itself has a concrete back wall and corrugated iron roof.
There is no footpath outside this brown perimeter wall, with the space outside instead taken up by grass that forms part of Inchcape Park.
There is a turnstile door and exit door along the white perimeter wall and in line with the ground’s northeast corner. Many fans though will make use of the main turnstiles outside of the Main Stand instead.
Heading either round or across Inchcape Park outside the Harbour End brings you in line with the seafront and the South Terrace.
Like its adjacent neighbour, the stand has a brown perimeter wall running along outside it that looks rather worn in colour and has a single exit gate in place part-way along it. The South Terrace itself has a brick back wall and corrugated iron roof.
You can head long the seafront road outside the stand if you wish, but there are no turnstiles for the South Terrace along its exterior. Entrance instead comes from the main turnstiles outside the Main Stand.
The West Stand at Gayfield Park is otherwise known as the Seaforth End.
The perimeter wall continues outside this stand, being brown in colour down by the southwest corner and white in colour up towards the northwest corner.
The main feature on this side of the ground however is the large concrete building immediately outside the exterior. Inside here is Pleasureland, an indoor fun far and amusement arcade.
There are turnstiles right outside the Seaforth End as a result, and entrance instead comes from the main turnstiles outside the Main Stand.
Inside the Ground
The Main Stand consists mostly of a covered seating area which runs along approximately half the length of the pitch and is in line with the half-way line.
Every seat inside here is maroon in colour, with a walkway up behind the back row and a tall floodlight in place atop the stand’s roof. The central seating block is typically in use by executives. Gayfield Park’s dugouts and tunnel are based down at the front of the stand, with the changing rooms located inside.
There are four supporting pillars coming down towards the front of the Main Stand, and these will restrict the view of those sat behind them. There are seating rows that are in front of these pillars however and you can get perfectly clear views of the pitch from here.
There are no windshields in place at either end of the Main Stand so as to aid visibility of the whole pitch. Just small walls are in place at either end to offer protection.
The space immediately behind the Main Stand is treated as an outer concourse.
The remaining space on the northern side of the pitch is taken up by uncovered standing terrace. There is no terracing area right in the ground’s northeast corner but there is terracing in place in the ground’s northwest corner. There are metal bars in place part-way up these terraced areas for fans to lean on.
Views from most of here are clear, though the presence of floodlight towers down towards the front will restrict the view of those stood behind or near them. They should not get in your way if you are stood in the terracing next to either corner.
An access road in the ground’s northeast corner divides the Main Stand terracing from the Harbour End.
This stand consists of several rows of standing terrace, uncovered at the ends and covered by a roof in the centre which runs along approximately half the width of the pitch. There is a row of silver metal bars running underneath the covered section which fans can lean on, and there are also small sets of maroon-coloured bars in the uncovered sections.
Supporting pillars come down regularly towards the front of the covered section and these will restrict your view if you are stood behind them. There are rows in front of these pillars however and they will provide clear views of the action on the pitch.
There are no windshields in place at either end however so that fans can easily enter and exit the covered section of the Harbour End.
It is possible to walk behind the back of the Harbour End, though there is nothing of real note here.
The uncovered standing terrace continues round the ground’s southeast corner, and the South Terrace is in place next to this.
Much like the adjacent Harbour End, it consists of several rows of standing terrace, uncovered at the ends and covered by a roof in the centre which runs along approximately half the length of the pitch. There are sets of silver and maroon metal bars running underneath the covered section which fans can lean on, and there are also small sets of bars in the uncovered sections, including a row of silver metal bars down towards the front of the stand at one end.
Metal fences are in place in the centre of the covered section, used as part of segregation between home and away supporters when needed. The gantry holding the matchday camera is in place at the front of these fences, not too far away from the pitch.
Supporting pillars come down regularly towards the front of the covered section and these will restrict your view if you are stood behind them. There are rows in front of these pillars however and they will provide clear views of the action on the pitch.
There are no windshields in place at either end however so that fans can easily enter and exit the covered section of the South Terrace.
Views from the uncovered terracing sections can have their view restricted by floodlight towers on either side of the covered section. They should not get in your way though if you are stood right by the southeast or southwest corners.
It is possible to walk behind the back of the South Terrace, though there is a metal fence in place here which is normally left closed when segregation is in use.
The uncovered standing terrace continues around the ground’s southwest corner, and the Seaforth End is in place next to this.
It looks similar to the Harbour End opposite, consisting of several rows of standing terrace, uncovered at the ends and covered by a roof in the centre which runs along approximately half the length of the pitch. There are sets of maroon metal bars running underneath the covered section which fans can lean on, and there are also small sets of bars in the uncovered sections.
Supporting pillars come down regularly towards the front of the covered section and these will restrict your view if you are stood behind them. There are rows in front of these pillars however and they will provide clear views of the action on the pitch.
There are no windshields in place at either end however so that fans can easily enter and exit the covered section of the Harbour End.
A grass bank is in place right behind the Seaforth End, with Pleasureland in place beyond here. There is no need to walk behind the stand at all as a result.
Uncovered standing terrace continues round the ground’s northwest corner and onto the same side as the Main Stand.
Away Fans
Away fans are housed behind the goal in the Seaforth End to the west.
This consists of several rows of standing terrace, uncovered at the ends and covered by a roof in the centre which runs along approximately half the length of the pitch. There are also metal bars in place within the stand for fans to lean on.
Supporting pillars are in place towards the front of the covered section which can restrict your view, though there are rows in front of these pillars that are not affected by them. Views are of course clear from the uncovered terracing sections.
When necessary, Arbroath can offer a section of the South Terrace to away fans as well, which is already segregated from home supporters by metal fences running down the middle.
Much like the Harbour End, views can be restricted by pillars towards the front of the covered section.
Fans will enter this away section at Gayfield Park by making use of the turnstiles outside the Main Stand that are based off Queens Drive.
Given Gayfield Park’s location right on the coast of the North Sea, you can fully expect that sea breeze to hit this place hard. Regardless of where in the football ground you are going, I strongly recommend wrapping up warm and expecting the worst in terms of wind and cold.
Matchday Pubs
Pubs available to supporters on a matchday include*:
-The Bar behind the Main Stand at Gayfield Park itself (Away Supporters Welcome when Segregation isn't in use)
-The Commercial Inn (13 Old Shore Head, DD11 1BB) (Typically Home and Away Supporters) (Located near the Arbroath Inner Harbour and Marina)
-The Corn Exchange (Market Place, DD11 1HR) (A JD Wetherspoon Pub, Typically Home and Away Supporters) (Located in more central Arbroath)
-The Foundry Inn (5-7 East Mary Street, DD11 1PR) (Typically Home and Away Supporters)
-The Station Bar (38 Keptie Street, DD11 3AF) (Typically Home and Away Supporters) (Located very close to Arbroath Station)
-The Tutties Neuk Inn (Dundee Road, DD11 1QJ) (Home and Away Supporters) (Located very close to Gayfield Park itself)
*The location of Gayfield Park means that there are few pubs within close range of it. It may be better to find a drink in more Arbroath before making your way to the ground.
Overview
Gayfield Park is a decent, fairly-balanced football ground. It possess one stand of seating to the north, with covered terracing along the other three sides and uncovered terracing in the corners.
Its literal seaside location is what you’d perhaps see is its unique feature, but with that comes a sea breeze which can hit the open layout of the ground very hard.
This is the kind of venue I would probably be bringing a coat to regardless of what month it was.
bottom of page