Belmore Sports Ground

Belmore
Interactive map of Belmore Sports Ground
Former names	Belmore Oval
Location	Belmore, New South Wales, Australia
Coordinates	33°55′0″S151°5′41″E / 33.91667°S 151.09472°E /-33.91667; 151.09472
Capacity	17,000[1]
Record attendance	27,804
Surface	Grass
Opened	1920
Tenants
Sydney Olympic (NPL NSW) (1996–2001, 2004–present) Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs (NSWRL/ARL/NRL) (SL) (1935–1994, 1996–1998, 2015–present)

Belmore Sports Ground, formerly known asBelmore Oval, is amulti-purpose stadium inBelmore, New South Wales,Australia. The park covers 22 acres (89,000 m²) and from 1951 has contained the Belmore Bowling Recreation Club green. It is close toBelmore railway station.

The stadium has a capacity of 19,000 people and was built in 1920, with the grandstand itself having the capacity to seat 10,000 people. The ground record crowd for Belmore was set on 12 April1993 when 27,804 fans saw Canterbury defeat local rivalsParramatta 42–6.^[2] The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs and Sydney Olympic Football Club are the current co-tenants of the ground.

In 1920, the local council took steps to acquire park areas around theBelmore area. The park was named after the suburb it was located: Belmore Park. Belmore Park was eventually purchased in three sections between 1918 and 1921. The first two parcels were purchased by the State government and the third by Council. The park was opened around the early 1920s, the land was formerly known as Gunn's Paddock. In 1936, council purchased a large stand from theSydney Cricket Ground and had it re-erected at the park as part of unemployment relief works. This stand was opened on 14 March 1936 by Mayor SE Parry and was named after him. Around 1967, council moved other sports played at the park to grounds elsewhere andrugby league was given priority.

The ground is currently (and mainly) used forsoccer as the home ground for former Australian National League clubSydney Olympic FC, which now competes in theNew South Wales Premier League.

Sydney Olympic competed in the ground from 1977 to 2001 during the National Soccer League. In 2001 they left the ground to joinEndeavour Field. Once the league ceased in mid-2004, the team returned to Belmore where they currently compete.

In 2021, the ground hosted a Round of 32Australia Cup game between Sydney Olympic andA-League sideSydney FC with Sydney FC winning 4–2.^[3]

TheCanterbury-Bankstown BulldogsNRL team played their home games at Belmore Sports Ground from 1936 until 1998, after which time the club moved its home games to a series of more modern stadiums (currentlyAccor Stadium atSydney Olympic Park). The club still used Belmore for training and administration, but subsequently moved these functions to a facility at Olympic Park in early 2008, leaving the club with no connection to the Sports Ground for the first time since the 1930s. However, the club subsequently announced its intention to redevelop the facilities at Belmore and move training and administration back to the ground. The Canterbury-Bankstown club relocated their offices and resumed training at the ground.^[4] In 2011, Canterbury'sNSW Cup,SG Ball andHarold Matthews teams began playing most home games at Belmore once again.

The spectators' hill on the eastern side of the ground is named after Canterbury legendTerry Lamb.

From 1982 until the end of 1985, Canterbury's arch-rivals theParramatta Eels used the ground as their temporary home ground whileParramatta Stadium was under construction. TheSt. George Dragons also used the ground for one season in 1988 whileKogarah Oval was re-developed.

Canterbury-Bankstown returned to playing NRL games at Belmore with two home games during the2015 NRL season againstMelbourne andCronulla as part of its 80th anniversary celebrations.^[5][6] Canterbury-Bankstown played the premiers,North Queensland Cowboys, andCanberra Raiders in the 2016 season at Belmore Sports Ground. The match against the Cowboys was notable as it marked a homecoming for their co-captain,Johnathan Thurston, who debuted with the Bulldogs in 2002 and was part of their2004 premiership team.^[7]

In 2016, it held an International rugby league match between theCook Islands andLebanon.^[8]

At the end of the2016 NRL season, Belmore Sports Ground will have hosted 661 games of first grade rugby league since the first game on 13 April 1936. Of the active and semi-active grounds used by the NRL, only the SCG,Leichhardt Oval andBrookvale Oval have hosted more games.

In 2023, the ground hosted its firstNRLW matches with theNewcastle Knights taking on theNorth Queensland Cowboys in the first game, followed by theWests Tigers taking on theCronulla-Sutherland Sharks in the second game.^[9]

The ground record attendance was set on 12 April 1993 during Round 5 of the1993 NSWRL season when 27,804 saw Canterbury-Bankstown defeatParramatta 42–6.

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