The Wellesley Ground

In the late 1800’s both the North and South Denes areas of Great Yarmouth were undeveloped and used for sports of all kinds. In September 1885 the town council proposed that about seven and a half acres of the North Denes be set apart as a recreation ground.

The ground was opened on 6th August 1888 (a bank holiday) by the Town Mayor and the ceremony was followed by a sporting extravaganza: an estimated crowd of 3000 paid 1/- (5p) each for the privilege of watching various races.

It is probable that the first football match to be played at the ground occurred on Friday 11th April 1890 when a Yarmouth representative side met the County Captain's Team during their annual tour.

In September 1891 the Reception Committee of the council recommended the erection of a grandstand, dressing room and refreshment pavilion. The stand was duly opened on Whit Monday, 11th June 1892 when a combined Athletic and Cycle sports meeting was held, attended by a crowd of some 4200. This stand is now recognised as the oldest surviving football stand in the world.

Great Yarmouth Town Football Club came into being in 1897 but it wasn’t until the 1901/02 season that the club were granted permission to use the Wellesley.

In 1979 the Football Club received permission to erect a Clubhouse at the north east corner of the Wellesley; the building, which had an entrance onto Sandown Road and was granted a licence to sell alcohol, was constructed entirely by club members.

An initial request by the Football Club for floodlighting in September 1981 was turned down but after further consideration and the offer of grant aid to the sum of £10,000 from the Sports Council the town council finally agreed and the lights came on for the first time on 7th October 1983 when the Bloaters played an Ipswich Town XI.

September 1986 saw the opening of a floodlit artificial sports surface. In 1989 an all-weather athletics track was built at a cost of £21,000 – the largest single capital expenditure project at the ground to date; the track was opened on 5th August 1990 by Olympic sprinter John Regis.

Thanks to the efforts of David Tubby of the Great Yarmouth Archaeological Society and of David Holland, both Football Club supporters, an application was lodged for listed status in respect of the grandstand, the bowls pavilion and the gatehouse. The application eventually succeeded and in May 2002 the buildings were judged to be of special architectural and historic interest, and added to the Grade 2 list.

For a full acount of the Wellesley history please visit the Archive section >>