Groundtastic GT82 | Page 6

REBELS SET UP AT BROADHURST played at Curzon Ashton's Tameside Stadium. With FC United fans being called upon to lend a helping hand, the finishing touches were put to Broadhurst Park just in time for the official unveiling of the stadium on 29 May 2015, when Benfica 'B' were the visitors for a match that drew an all ticket crowd of 4,232. The best small-scale stadium money can buy is presently on show a short distance away from Broadhurst Park at Sportcity, where Manchester City have just built the stunning 7,000 capacity Academy Stadium. Built at a fraction of the cost of the Academy Stadium, Broadhurst Park provides a realistic counterpoint to the opulent riches of the Premier League. The focal point at Broadhurst Park is undoubtedly the main stand, whose engaging design contains several eye-catching features. The timber-boarded fascia is much more than mere decoration, for the imitation railway sleepers pay tribute to railwaymen that originally formed Newton Heath. Across from the glass-fronted entrance is a full-scale floodlit 3G pitch, meaning that FC United's age group and women's team now have a centralised base for their activities. Above: Looking through the glazed entrance of Broadhurst Park, in the direction of the 3G pitch Below: The main entrance, with railway-sleeper effect boarding and club signage 6 Groundtastic - The Football Grounds Magazine