Cover Story : Leitch’s Stadiums
Disappearing Leitch
What has been happening to the old master’s stadiums?
A common criticism often levelled at new stadiums is that they are bland, characterless and are very
much clones of the first major stadium of the modern era, Middlesbrough’s Riverside. Very quickly
the conversation will turn to the classic ground of yesteryear as we all remember with dewy eyes the
architectural superiority of Roker, Highbury and Ibrox. Strange then, that when you look at these
ancient stadiums built by the stadium design king - Archibald Leitch, that they were all basically
designed around a central tried and tested model, just as the aforementioned Riverside has become
the reference point for new stadia today.
The classic Leitch latticed wall separating the upper and lower tiers of the main stand is a trademark
of his stadiums and one that is today fast disappearing. Over the last ten years a large proportion of
Leitch's stands and grounds have been pulled down and several more are to follow. Those that
remain have been radically altered to meet the stringent ground grading requirements of today.
Here we take a look at some of Leitch's stadiums, both past and present, and speculate on how
long any will remain standing.
ABOVE - Ibrox and the South Stand in the 1970s.
Note the press box perched on the roof.
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Leitch’s association with Stadium design
started from around the turn of the last
century up until his death in 1939. He
first used his architectural skills in his
native Scotland where he helped lay out
the first version of Ibrox, including the
wooden terraces that unfortunately
collapsed under the weight of a large
crowd in 1902, killing 26. This did not
deter Leitch or Rangers and he returned
several times to do work at Ibrox
culminating in the South Stand being
built in 1929. This stand boasted not
only his trademark two-tiers separated by
latticed wall but also a grand red brick
façade and impressive entrance. In later
life this grand old stand became a listed
building and when the Glasgow giants
undertook a rebuild in 1991 the Leitch
original was retained and enhanced by
some sympathetic styling along with a
third tier, new roof and retro red brick
stairways at either end (see cover picture
by Mike Floate).
Total Football Fanzine of the Year 2001 Special Award Winner
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