FELLOWS PARK
Fellows Park was a League ground for 75 seasons
from 1 Jul 1921 to 18 Aug 1990
and from 1 Jul 1896 to 31 Dec 1900
The 52nd ground used for a League game
Opened: 1896 • Closed: 1990
TENANTS
Teams that have used this ground as a home
| Team | From | To | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Walsall | 1 Aug 1896 | 25 Dec 1900 | ||
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Walsall | 1 Sep 1903 | 31 Jul 1990 | The club was re-elected to the Football League Division 2 in 1896 as Walsall FC and moved here from West Bromwich Road. In December 1900 the club was temporarily evicted and returned to West Bromwich Road to play the final seven home games of the season. Walsall FC failed to gain re-election in 1901 and was elected as an original member of Division 3 [N] in 1921. In 1970 ten successive home games were postponed due to the waterlogged state of the pitch and, to relieve the backlog, the fixture v. Brighton & Hove Albion was played at The Hawthorns. In 1990 the club moved to Bescot Stadium. |
LEAGUE EVENTS
Promotions, relegations and ground moves associated with this ground
| Date | Team | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Jul 1896 | Walsall | Moved from West Bromwich Road to Fellows Park |
| 1 Jul 1896 | Walsall | Elected into the League |
| 31 Dec 1900 | Walsall | Moved from Fellows Park to West Bromwich Road |
| 31 Aug 1903 | Walsall | Moved from West Bromwich Road to Fellows Park |
| 1 Jul 1921 | Walsall | Founder member of Division 3 North |
| 18 Aug 1990 | Walsall | Moved from Fellows Park to Bescot Stadium |
GROUND HISTORY
adapted from "The Ultimate Directory of English & Scottish Football League Grounds"
The ground was known as Hillary Street when Walsall FC moved here in 1896 and an unusual feature was that a laundry occupied the south east corner of the site and its perimeter wall, stretching beyond the goalmouth, was immediately adjacent to the east end of the pitch.
By WWI the facilities included a stand on the south side and, with the exception of the south east corner, embankments around the remainder of the ground. The name of the ground was altered to Fellows Park in the 1930s and, during this decade, a new main stand built on the south side and a roof erected over the north side.
Apart from the construction of terracing on the north and west sides the ground remained basically unaltered until the 1960s when further improvements were made. A roof was installed at the west end and, more significantly, the laundry site acquired, the ubiquitous wall demolished and replaced with a narrow bank of concrete terracing. The laundry itself was converted to the βSaddlers Clubβ whilst the terracing was only narrow as it was originally planned that it would form an enclosure in front of a new stand which in the event never materialized.
An extension to the main stand in 1975 was the last major alteration before the club moved out to Bescot Stadium in 1990. The site is now in use for a supermarket.
MAP
Fellows Park