Claggan Park

Claggan Park is a football ground in Fort William in the West Highlands of Scotland, which is the home ground of Highland Football League side Fort William. It is located on Achintee Road on the outskirts of the town and has a capacity of 1,800 with 400 seated.[1] The ground is often considered the most picturesque in Great Britain due to its proximity to the foothills of Ben Nevis, the highest point in the United Kingdom.[2][3]

Claggan Park
Claggan Park nestles in the foothills of Ben Nevis.
LocationAchintee Road, Fort William,
Highland, Scotland
OwnerFort William F.C.
Capacity1,800 (400 seated)
Record attendance1,500 v Stirling Albion
4 January 1986
Field size102 x 80 yards[1]
Tenants
Fort William F.C.

History

Fort William F.C. is one of the youngest members of the Highland Football League, joining in 1985, just over a decade after the club was founded.[1][2] The club's first ever Highland League match at Claggan Park was against Clachnacuddin of Inverness and resulted in the club's first league goal in a 1–0 win. The record attendance at ground came a few months later in early January 1986 when 1,500 spectators watched the club take on Stirling Albion in the second round of the Scottish Cup.[1][3] The match ended in a 0–0 draw but Fort William were thrashed 6–0 in the replay at Annfield Stadium in Stirling a week later.[4]

Since 1971, Claggan Park has been the start and finish of the annual Ben Nevis Race.

Structure and facilities

The ground has two stands that are able to seat 100 spectators whilst the whole ground can officially accommodate up to 1,800 with standees. The old 400 seater stand has been condemned and is fenced off. Despite Claggan Park being able to host this number of people, the record attendance only stands at 1,500 which came in 1986 during a Scottish Cup match against Stirling Albion.

Transport

The nearest railway station to Claggan Park is Fort William railway station, which is about a 20-minute walk of a mile (1600 m) from the ground. The station is located on the West Highland Line between Glasgow Queen Street railway station and Mallaig railway station. Trains from Glasgow Queen Street terminate at Fort William before reversing out the station and continuing on to Mallaig.

References
  1. Fort William F.C., The Scottish Highland Football League. Retrieved 21 May 2012.
  2. Fort William - Claggan Park, fanzone.co.uk. Retrieved 21 May 2012.
  3. Ground of the week: Claggan Park, BBC London. 13 February 2008. Retrieved 21 May 2012.
  4. Scottish FA Cup 1985-1986 : Second Round Archived 29 November 2014 at the Wayback Machine, statto.com. Retrieved 21 May 2012.

Media related to Claggan Park at Wikimedia Commons

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