ARCHIVES | Old Grounds - Shawfield Stadium

Continuing our occasional look at Saints in action at lost football grounds, this time we head to Rutherglen in Glasgow.

Opened in 1898, Shawfield Stadium was the second home of Clyde FC (they originally played at Barrowfield Park) from that year through to 1986.

Greyhound racing was introduced in 1932 as alternative income streams were sought and apart from an eight month period in the mid-1980s when the stadium was closed entirely, racing has remained there and since 1997, Shawfield has been the only recognised licensed dog racing track in Scotland.

In 1908, a remarkable 52,000 fans framed into the stadium to watch a match between the hosts and Rangers – a figure which remains Clyde’s record attendance.

The racetrack left football fans to have a somewhat detached view of the games, separated as they were by the wide dog track and the prominent tote board dominated the trackside until its demolition in 2004.

In 1986, Clyde were given notice to quit the stadium ahead of a planned redevelopment and ground-shared with both Partick Thistle and Hamilton Academical before they moved to Broadwood in Cumbernauld in 1994.

Joe Reid and Gordon Scott are prominent in this action from October 1984.