Isle of Man
Floodlights
enclosed grounds with clubhouses but with little or nothing else for spectators, few as they are.
Only a couple have rudimentary covered dug outs but that should detract from what is a well-run
and fiercely independent league and FA.
The only other stadium on the island is at Onchan, north of Douglas, again built in the late 50’s for
cycle racing and later stock cars, which it is used for today. The velodrome shape and derelict
cycle track around the centre green is enclosed by grass banking with a seated stand stretching
down one side which has, or had various meeting rooms. The stadium was used by Onchan FC at
St Georges AFC in Douglas
one point, but they now appear to use a pitch within the park outside the stadium.
With no floodlights on the island, save those for the athletics, mid-week football on the island in the
darker months is non-existent, so the best times to incorporate a visit with a holiday are either for
the tournament itself, which uses three or occasionally four grounds, or the first three weeks of the
season in August and September, when there is football on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
Island football came of age in July when the National XI defeated Burnley 1-0 at the Bowl, a result
which was greeted with great glee in the local sporting press. Whilst the short-lived ground building
boom of the 50’s is long gone and will never come back, it has left one or two gems on which the
committed football ground devotee can feast in the barren few weeks of summer.
Groundtastic
page 24
Issue 23