Belmore Sports Ground

History

In 1920, the local council took steps to acquire park areas around the Belmore 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 the Sydney 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 and rugby league was given priority.

Ground Use

Soccer

The ground is currently (and mainly) used for soccer as the home ground for former Australian National League club Sydney Olympic FC, which now competes in the New 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 join Endeavour 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 32 Australia Cup game between Sydney Olympic and A-League side Sydney FC with Sydney FC winning 4–2.

Rugby league

The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs NRL 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 (currently Accor Stadium at Sydney 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. In 2011, Canterbury's NSW Cup, SG Ball and Harold 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 legend Terry Lamb.

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

Canterbury-Bankstown returned to playing NRL games at Belmore with two home games during the 2015 NRL season against Melbourne and Cronulla as part of its 80th anniversary celebrations. Canterbury-Bankstown played the premiers, North Queensland Cowboys, and Canberra 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 their 2004 premiership team.

In 2016, it held an International rugby league match between the Cook Islands and Lebanon.

At the end of the 2016 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 and Brookvale Oval have hosted more games.

In 2023, the ground hosted its first NRLW matches with the Newcastle Knights taking on the North Queensland Cowboys in the first game, followed by the Wests Tigers taking on the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in the second game.

Melanesian Cup

Back to Belmore

NRL pre-season trials

NRL season games

World Club Championship games

Ground record

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

References

References

1. "Belmore Sports Ground". Austadiums.
2. (1993-04-12). "Rugby League Tables / Canterbury 42 v Parramatta 6 / Round 5, 1993". Stats.rleague.com.
3. (8 July 2021). "Sydney Olympic FC v Sydney FC - Australia Cup Match Centre".
4. Walter, Brad. (21 May 2010). "Bulldogs moving home base back to beloved Belmore Sports Ground".
5. NRL. (28 September 2014). "Belmore to Host Match in 2015".
6. (13 December 2014). "Bulldogs confirm Belmore match against Sharks".
7. Brady, Jack. (26 August 2016). "Bulldogs faithful buoyed by Thurston's Belmore return". Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs.
8. (3 April 2016). "Belmore to host Cook Islands v Lebanon clash". asiapacificrl.com.
9. "NRLW: Knights v Cowboys Tigers v Sharks {{!}} Austadiums".
10. "NRL Trial: Bulldogs v Roosters {{!}} Austadiums".
11. "NRL Trial: Bulldogs v Newtown Jets {{!}} Austadiums".
12. "NRL Trial: Bulldogs v Rabbitohs {{!}} Austadiums".
13. "NRL Trial: Bulldogs v Storm {{!}} Austadiums".
14. "NRL Trial: Bulldogs v Panthers {{!}} Austadiums".
15. "NRL Trial: Bulldogs v Panthers {{!}} Austadiums".
16. Ferguson, Shawn Dollin and Andrew. "NRL 2015 – Round 16 – Rugby League Project".
17. Ferguson, Shawn Dollin and Andrew. "NRL 2015 – Round 20 – Rugby League Project".
18. Ferguson, Shawn Dollin and Andrew. "NRL 2016 – Round 5 – Rugby League Project".
19. "NRL: Bulldogs v Cowboys – Austadiums".
20. Wigan Rugby League Old Matches. (20 January 2012). "Canterbury v Wigan – 1997 World Club Challenge Tournament".