Talk:Springvale Park

Gourlay

@In Vitrio: Gourlay Park and Springvale Park were separate grounds – the Smiths' book is quite clear they moved to Springvale from Gourlay in 1890 and left in 1895 (and includes a map from the 1890s showing the location of Springvale). This is supported by the Glasgow FA, which lists Cowlairs' grounds as Gourlay Park (1876–1890), Springfield Park (1890–1895) and Arrol Park (1895–96). I would guess that Gourlay Park was located close to Gourlay Road (this Celtic-related article suggests it was likely in Cowlairs Park).

The confusion might arise due to the trend for Scottish clubs at the time to keep the name of their ground when the moved (hence there being three Hampden Parks, two Celtic Parks and two Cathkin Parks)... Number 57 11:58, 10 December 2024 (UTC)

I'm not sure - I think they are the same ground as there is no room for another ground anywhere close by, other than maybe the patch to the east, and although there is a ref to the ground being minimum length, that patch would make it narrow rather than short. Gourlay St has a trig point in a possible gap.

The well-appointed ground on the OS maps matches the 1880s descriptions of being a 3 minute walk from the station and also the descriptions of the facilities being put up in the 1880s (fence, grandstand). It's also opposite Springvale Mills and I wonder if the media used Springvale as the name because the ground was not on Gourlay Street, and a more national audience needed greater precision. And both Gourlay and Springvale had rotten pitches...

Then again, trying to sort out Dalmarnock Park could take me till Doomsday. In Vitrio (talk) 12:49, 10 December 2024 (UTC)

Also would think it unlikely to be in Cowlairs Park - it's a 10 minutes walk from the railway, there's no tramline close by, and the dressing rooms for Gourlay Park were originally on Cowlairs Road. Omnibus passed Gourlay, apparently, but can't find a map for that. In Vitrio (talk) 13:00, 10 December 2024 (UTC)

I found this map from 1889, in which there is room for a football ground at the western end of Gourlay Road, to the south of the Cowlairs Works (which would be very close to the station) or between Gourlay and New Keppochill (both of which would be a not dissimilar distance to the tram line). If they are the same ground, it would seem odd how the name 'Gourlay Park' had arisen given it is not on Gourlay Road? Number 57 13:35, 10 December 2024 (UTC)

Note that the map does not include the Hyde Park ground despite it being in existence. The problem with the Keppochill area is there's a trig mark right in the middle of what would be the eastern half of the pitch. The bit to the north was a little hill at the time so impossible.

I thought the name was just generic for the distiller John Gourlay who owned Cowlairs House rather than geographical. But the West End club's Avenue Park ground was 100 yards from the station...is it fanciful to suggest that that was Gourlay/Springvale Park too? Everywhere else within 100 yards in the 1870s seems to be building.

Also Michael McDowell's "The origins, patronage and culture of association football in the west of Scotland" suggests Cowlairs Park was called Keppochhill Park in the 1870s, and that was where Petersfield played - although their first ground was Avenue Park.

Shame nobody seems to have taken pics of any of these grounds... In Vitrio (talk) 15:01, 10 December 2024 (UTC)