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TheLillie Bridge Grounds was a sports ground on the Fulham side ofWest Brompton, London. It opened in 1866, coinciding with the opening ofWest Brompton station.[1][2] It was named after the local landowner,Sir John Scott Lillie (1790–1868) and theLillie bridge over theWest London Line, that linksOld Brompton Road with Lillie Road. The grounds were adjacent to the railway on the south side of Lillie Road. Although geographically near to present dayStamford Bridge, there was never direct access, there being the 13-acre now defunct Western Hospital site between the two.[3] The ground was the scene in its day of many sports including athletics, boxing, cricket, cycling and football, and hosted theFA Cup Final in1873. It closed in 1888 following a riot reported inThe Times.[4]
TheLondon Athletic Club, founded in 1866, moved to the Grounds in 1869 where it stayed until 1876, prior to its transfer to Stamford Bridge.[5] Meanwhile, the venue began hosting other sports including:bicycle racing,football,cricket andwrestling.[6] There were alsohot air balloon festivals andcounty fairs. It fell into disuse after a riot on 18 September 1888 following the cancellation of an athletics meeting at which 6,000 to 7,000 people had paid to watch and placed their bets. The ensuing riot destroyed the track andgrandstand, leading to closure the following year. This coincided with the development on the north side ofLillie Bridge, ofJohn Robinson Whitley's 1887Earl's Court Exhibition Grounds.[7] This was transformed in 1937 into the internationally famous venue, which hosted the indoor Volleyball competition of the2012 Olympics before itself being consigned to demolition.
Lillie Bridge was the home of theAmateur Athletic Club whose moving spirit was theCambridge University athlete,John Graham Chambers[8] and who helped to organise the Amateur Championships before they were held under the auspices of the Amateur Athletic Association. From 1867 to 1887, the annual athleticsVarsity match betweenOxford andCambridge Universities were held here before moving toQueen's Club on the ground's closure. ManyWorld Records were set atLillie Bridge, including for example, 6' 2.5" in thehigh jump in 1876 byMarshall Brooks in front of a crowd of 12,000.
The person to codify theMarquess of Queensberry Rules wasJohn Graham Chambers.The ground held the first everamateur boxing matches in 1867, cups being supplied by theMarquess of Queensberry.
TheWanderers, after winning the firstFA Cup final in1872, were allowed to defend the cup in the second final of1873 with choice of venue. Not having a ground of their own, they chose Lillie Bridge andOxford University were defeated 2–0. The attendance was over 1,000 higher than the previous final.
Results of FA Cup Finals atLillie Bridge
| Year | Attendance | Winner | Runner-up | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1873 | 3,000 | Wanderers | 2 | Oxford University | 0 |
Middlesex County Cricket Club moved to Lillie Bridge in 1869.WG Grace scored several centuries here before the MCCC left in 1872 to find better quality turf atLord's.[9] The club nearly folded at this time, a vote for continuing being won 7–6.
TheLNWR opened its Brompton and Fulham Goods and Coal Station on the site in 1892.[10] This was closed in the 1960s and the site was used for many years as a car park serving theEarls Court Exhibition Centre.[11] From 2012–2017 the site was being redeveloped as part of the Lillie Square housing scheme.[12]
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link){{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link){{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)| Preceded by The Oval London | FA Cup Final Venue 1873 | Succeeded by The Oval London |
51°29′07″N0°11′39″W / 51.4854°N 0.1943°W /51.4854; -0.1943
