New Broomfield | |
 | |
  Excelsior Stadium Location in North Lanarkshire | |
| Location | Airdrie |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 55°51′35″N3°57′35″W / 55.85972°N 3.95972°W /55.85972; -3.95972 |
| Capacity | 10,101 (all seated)[1] |
| Field size | 115 × 75 yds |
| Surface | 3G artificial pitch |
| Opened | 1998 |
| Tenants | |
| Airdrieonians F.C. (1878) (1998–2002) Airdrieonians F.C. (2002–present) Queen's Park F.C. (2013–2014) Glasgow City F.C. (2014–2017) Motherwell F.C. Women (2020–2021) Glasgow University F.C. (2020–present) Celtic F.C. Women (2021–2024) Celtic F.C. B (2021–present) | |
TheExcelsior Stadium, officiallyThe Albert Bartlett Stadium for sponsorship reasons,[2] is afootball stadium inAirdrie, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is the home ground ofAirdrieonians of theScottish Professional Football League (SPFL). Since the 2021–22 season it has also been used byCeltic for the home matches of theirwomen's team in theScottish Women's Premier League (SWPL) andB team in theScottish Lowland Football League,[3] as well as byGlasgow University F.C. of theWest of Scotland Football League. It is anall-seater stadium with a capacity of 10,101, and has a3G artificial surface.
The stadium was opened in 1998 by the originalAirdrieonians F.C., who were returning to Airdrie four years after leaving their previous ground,Broomfield Park. The name of the stadium derives from Airdrieonians' original name, the club having been founded as Excelsior F.C. in 1878. For sponsorship reasons the venue was originally known as The Shyberry Excelsior Stadium (after Shyberry Design Ltd. who had sponsored the construction), from 2018 to 2022 as The Penny Cars Stadium and from 2024 as The Albert Bartlett Stadium. The stadium is also sometimes unofficially referred to asNew Broomfield, after the former Airdrie ground. Following the liquidation of the original Airdrieonians in 2002, the Excelsior Stadium became home to the new Airdrie United F.C.; they subsequently were permitted to revive the Airdrieonians name.
Other teams to have used the Excelsior Stadium in the past include SWPL teamsGlasgow City, as their main home ground between 2014 and 2017, and prior to that for matches in European competitions; andMotherwell, for the 2020–21 season. SPFL clubQueen's Park temporarily shared the ground from 2013 to 2014. BothQueen of the South (in 2008) andMotherwell (in 2009) have used the ground for European fixtures. It has also hosted the final of theScottish Challenge Cup three times.
Following the sale ofAirdrieonians' home groundBroomfield Park to supermarket chainSafeway in 1994, the club searched for several years for a suitable site, and planning permission for, a new home. Guidelines set by the football authorities in the period were for top division clubs in Scotland to have all-seater stadia with a minimum capacity of 10,000,[4] and having only been relegated from theScottish Premier Division in 1993, the club sought to comply with this. The building work on Excelsior Stadium was eventually completed in 1998, and Airdrieonians played here until the club went out of business due to heavy debts (caused in part by the burden of the construction cost of the new stadium, and made worse by a fall in supporter numbers in the four years based away from their home town) in May 2002.[5]
This left an opening in the Scottish League, which was filled byNorthern Premier League sideGretna. To attain a position in the league, Jim Ballantyne bought out the ailingClydebank, renamed the clubAirdrie United, changed the strip and relocated the club toAirdrie and Excelsior Stadium. Airdrie United are now known as 'Airdrieonians', the same name as the club dissolved in 2002.
The ground seats 10,101[1] and, as well as hostingAirdrieonians first and youth team games,Motherwell Under 20s games and various local amateur sides, it has also played host toScottish Challenge Cup finals in1999 and2005, as well asScotland under-21 fixtures andOld Firm reserve matches. The stadium has also hosted several charity events.
In 2003Falkirk enquired about groundsharing at the stadium for a season, as their former home,Brockville did not meetSPL criteria. This was later rejected in a meeting between SPL chairmen, meaning Falkirk were denied a place in the SPL. In August 2008 it played host toQueen of the South'sUEFA Cup 2nd qualifying round 1st leg againstNordsjælland.[6] The stadium also hosted all ofMotherwell'sEuropa League qualifying round ties in the 2009–10 season, againstLlanelli,Flamurtari andSteaua Bucharest.[7]
Queen's Park used the Excelsior Stadium as their temporary home ground whileHampden Park was being converted for use as an athletics stadium in the2014 Commonwealth Games.[8] In women's football, the stadium has been the home ground ofScottish Women's Premier League clubsGlasgow City between 2014 and 2017[9] andMotherwell during the 2020–21 season.[10]Glasgow University F.C. have also used the ground since joining the newWest of Scotland League in 2020.[11] From the 2021–22 season,Celtic F.C. use the ground as the home venue for both theirwomen's team in the SWPL and theirB team, who play in theScottish Lowland Football League.[12]
In January 2016,East Kilbride of theScottish Lowland Football League drewCeltic in theScottish Cup. As theirK-Park stadium was inadequate for the crowd expected, the match was held at Excelsior Stadium;[13] 7,767 fans attended.[14]
In June 2017 the stadium underwent refurbishment prior to hosting a concert by singerElton John.[15][16]
The record attendance at New Broomfield was 9,612 for the2005 Scottish Challenge Cup Final, played betweenHamilton Academical andSt Mirren on 6 November 2005.[17] The highest confirmed attendance for an Airdrieonians match was 9,044 for aScottish League One fixture againstRangers on 23 August 2013;[17] however, one of the first matches at the stadium, aScottish League Cup win for Airdrie over cup holdersCeltic in August 1998 was reported to have been played "before 10,000 ecstatic fans".[18]
In addition to the executive match-viewing boxes that look onto the pitch, the stadium boasts conference and banqueting facilities, with six separate spaces and a public bar being situated within the main (Jack Dalziel) stand. Disabled facilities are also provided in the North, East and South stands. A Sports Injury Clinic operates from the main stand and Crossfit have a fitness facility operating out of the North Stand.
Nine five-a-side football pitches were installed for community use in early 2010, adjacent to the stadium on the South stand side and to the East stand side. The car parks were resurfaced, and new fencing and gates were erected around the perimeter of the stadium and land.
At the end of the 2009–10 season, a new 3G artificial surface was installed.[19] Although due for completion prior to season 2010–11, in JulyAirdrie United played their opening Challenge Cup 1st Round game v Ayr United atAlloa Athletic's Recreation Park ground, as the work had been delayed due to heavy rain. The first competitive game played on the new surface was on 14 August 2010, as Airdrie entertainedAyr United.
