Boothferry Park, Hull

This afternoon, Hull City FC are playing Manchester City two miles away at the KC Stadium. The game will eventually end in a 2-2 draw. Incredibly, as we arrive in the staduim, you can hear the roar of the crowd up the road as they kick off. Throughout the whole of the visit, the ebb and flow of crowd noise is there, which adds to the experience. Today sees intrepid explorers Trouser Cowboy and myself visiting the remains of their former ground.
The club are now known as the Tigers. For a while they were known as the Bothferry's, due to the missing 'O'. They were also known as FER ARK, again due to the lack of bulbs lighting up the lettering.



I love this shot. Anyone who has ever been to a football match will recognise the feeling as you go up and over and see the pitch before you.


The stands on three sides of the ground are gone. All that remains is terracing and rubble.


This walkway should be kept clear at all times


The last remaining stand. Alas, no access was on. It looked trashed.


View of the pitch from behind the goal, then.


View of the pitch from behind the goal, now.


There was much concern at the club it would be ready for it's first game against Lincoln City here at Boothferry Park in 1946. The club had had to play the previous season at a ground on the nearby Boulevard as the ground was not ready. It was prone to waterlogging, and the repairing of tanks here during the second world war by the Home Guard hadn't helped. This is the spot of the pitch I believed to be within the centre circle.


55,019 supporters were here in 1949 to see Manchester United play. To this day, this remains the club's record attendance.



Hull City FC, until last August held the dubious claim of being the largest city in Europe without a football team in the top division. For over 50 years, they called Boothferry Park their home. Although the last game was played here in December 2002, the reserves played on for a further year. Demolition started in January 2008. The burnt out turnstiles.


These ticket stubs were everywhere on the north stand terracing.


How cool is this? The concrete which would have supported the goal posts. Both of them were there at the North Stand end.

hey, great report, very comprehensive...

you tried to explore KC yet!!!!?

Nice report there mate, thanks.
Nice to see you guys doing well in the premiership (I'm Tottenham).

This is still there! I was told it had gone and so not bothered going up to Hull.

I remember Hull’s “last game” against Scarborough there back in 1998/99. Part of the ground was closed due to safety and Hull were expected to go out of business after the game. They’d been having trouble paying the grounds owner ex-tennis player David Lloyd and he’d tried to lock them out. I hope the **** still owns this site and it’s losing him a ton of money.

As it happens Hull survived and Scarborough went out of the league. 10 years later Scarborough have gone out of business and Hull found themselves in the Premier League - didn't see that coming back then!

Christ! That looks worse than when we drove past it a few years ago en route to the KC, even the Aldis has gone!!

Not quite as bad as the Scarborough situation but in 2004 we (Torquay) & Hull were both automatically promoted to league 1, 4 years later Hull are playing in the Premiership & we are now playing in the Blue Square Premier having been relegated from league 1 in 2005, nearly getting relegated out of the league in 2006 & following a nightmare season being run by a "Walter Mitty" type fantasist (Whose Mother incidentally is the woman accused on Sunday of being a Soviet Cold War Spy!) & then us playing musical chairmen (5 changes in 1 season!) saw us going through a club record run of 19 games without a win, morale completely destroyed, our clubs finances completely destroyed, bills not being paid & a protest against Chris Roberts escalate into violence between our fans & stewards, we fell out of the league for the first time in 80 years in 2007!

great explore!does any1 know what is going to happen with this site when it is eventually all torn down?

thats a bit of history but would of been cool if you could of got in the last stand

I didn't realize this was still here. I'm surprised it hasn't been built on with houses. Like most stadiums instantly get demolished and building commences on them asap.. Like Sunderlands Roker Park and Highbury!

Also if i had a sunday league team in Hull. I'd totally contact the owners about using the pitch... A good cutting of the grass and some relaying... Would be class! haha!

Cheers guys. No access into the main part of the last stand. I did get into the toilets, but not really reportable. Or any good. I was surprised it was still here. The pitch was in very bad condition though, drains had collapsed and I guess all the heavy plant that they used to rip out all of the stands just drove over it. Would be cool to play Sunday league there though.

I've never really agreed with the moving of clubs away from their "homes" where they existed for tens if not more than 100 years as a child or product of the community.