New Brighton Tower FC was formed by the Tower Company and played games here between 1897 and 1901 when they were wound up and resigned from the Football League. In subsequent years, although Harrowby AFC used the football pitch and a variety of motor sports and cycling events took place around the perimeter, the ground fell into decay. (This only mirrored the demise of the 567ft high tower which, for military reasons, was closed to visitors during WWI and consequently suffered from lack of maintenance. This lead to its dismantling in the 1920s, and left the derelict monolithic base to overlook the remains of the stadium).

To compound the problem, the advent of WWII saw the arena used as a depot and by the time that New Brighton FC moved here from Sandheys Park in 1946 the pitch was a morass of mud and bricks, the stands had fallen apart and weeds had taken over the terraces. The new club immediately made improvements, the pitch was re-turfed, a new stand installed on the south side, the west terrace partially renewed and later alterations included a couple of covered enclosures.

New Brighton failed to gain re-election to the Football League in 1951 and was forced to vacate the ground in 1954. A year later, along with Wallasey Borough FC, they were granted joint tenancy of the Tower Athletic Ground and the record attendance of 16,000 was set at the FA Cup 3rd Round tie v. Torquay United (2-1) on January 5th, 1957. The club bought the ground outright in 1958 and sold it to Wallasey Corporation for housing in 1977.