Calder Park | |
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  Balmoral Stadium Location in Aberdeen | |
| Location | Cove Bay,Aberdeen, Scotland |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 57°06′47″N2°05′49″W / 57.113°N 2.097°W /57.113; -2.097 |
| Capacity | 2,602 (410 seated) |
| Record attendance | 1,955 v Berwick Rangers11 May 2019 |
| Field size | 105 x 68 yards[1] |
| Surface | Artificial 4G Turf |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 2015 |
| Opened | July 2018 |
| Tenants | |
| Cove Rangers F.C. (2018–present) Aberdeen F.C. Women (2021–present) | |
Balmoral Stadium is afootball ground located in theCove Bay area ofAberdeen, Scotland. Opened in 2018, it is the home ground ofScottish League One clubCove Rangers. From 2021, it is being shared byScottish Women's Premier League teamAberdeen.
Cove Rangers started planning to move from their oldAllan Park ground in the mid-2000s, as this formed part of their unsuccessful pitch forScottish Football League membership in 2008.[2] Initially, the move was tied in with theNew Aberdeen Stadium proposals, as Calder Park would also have served as a training facility forAberdeen FC.[3] Planning permission for this project was refused in August 2012, as Aberdeen City Council opted to examine other possibilities for development in the area.[4]
Cove Rangers then decided to press ahead with a new stadium by themselves,[5] as Allan Park did not meetScottish Football Association licensing criteria.[6] Aberdeen City Council accepted the first stages of planning permission for Calder Park in November 2014.[7] The new stadium was originally planned to be ready for the start of the 2016–17 season. Cove Rangers left Allan Park in April 2015, having sold the ground to a housing developer. The club reached agreements to ground-share with four other clubs during the 2015–16 season.[8]
The club submitted a planning application in March 2016.[9] The plans included a stand with 312 seats, an "all-weather" 3G (artificial) pitch and 110 car parking spaces.[9] A sponsorship deal with the Aberdeen-based Balmoral Group in December 2016 included naming rights for the Calder Park ground, which will be known as the Balmoral Stadium.[10] Construction work was being undertaken in October 2017, with a target date for completion of February to March 2018.[11] Cove continued to ground-share during the2017–18 season, with theirScottish Cup tie againstFalkirk[12] andSPFL promotion playoff matches being played atHarlaw Park inInverurie.[13]
Balmoral Stadium was officially opened in July 2018, with a friendly match between Cove Rangers andAberdeen which had to be abandoned after Cove playerJordon Brown suffered a serious injury.[14]
From the 2021–22 season,Scottish Women's Premier League teamAberdeen are also playing their home matches at the stadium.[15]