10th September 1884

Site for Springfield Stadium is selected

The site on which the 960-capacity Springfield Stadium now sits was originally owned by the Royal Jersey Agricultural and Horticultural Society. Having held its annual show at a variety of different locations since its inception, it acquired the land close to St Helier on 10 September 1884 and set about removing the gardens and cottages that occupied it.

The Society built a succession of halls on the site over the years, the first one appearing four years after its acquisition. It also increased the area from the original five vergees by acquiring neighbouring plots, eventually bringing it up to a total area of 12 vergees.

A site of many uses

It wasn’t destined to always be used solely for agricultural purposes, though. Since 1905 it has been the location where Jersey has played home games against either Guernsey or Alderney when hosting Muratti matches, and none other than Manchester United played there in 1971, attracting a record attendance. To this was added The Battle of Flowers, which was held at the site from 1928. A ballroom on the site hosted both the Beatles and Rolling Stones when their tours brought them to the Channel Islands.

In the 1990s, the Society decided that it was time to sell up. The States of Jersey itself completed the purchase on 9 December 1994 and it is now the headquarters of the Jersey Football Association.