A century of Cowdenbeath at Central Park

Before that Cowdenbeath played for around 35 years at North End Park.

Tom Bernard, who was the honorary club president of Cowdenbeath FC, was the owner of North End Park as well the Crown Hotel across the road. Tom Bernard’s forebears were blacksmiths and they were the family that had Bernard’s Smithy out past Beverkae and the Cullaloe Cut.

Tom died in 1903 and Trustees took charge of his estate. They took a more commercial view and wanted more rent after Cowdenbeath began generating revenue by sub-letting the park for greyhound racing in 1908. A dispute arose and it culminated in a messy court case. Cowdenbeath got a new 5 year lease in 1912 but already knew they would then have to leave the North End on expiry.

The Town Council had at one time considered creating a Public Park in Cowdenbeath. The site considered comprised two fields behind the High Street and the Perth railway.

The Council had rejected the site due to its proximity to the railway and a burn. This area of land near Number 7 pit was known as Dick’s Park as DCI grazed cattle there and it was the home turf of Dick’s Cowdenbeath Cricket Club. In March 1911, Cowden began to put matters in hand for the acquisition of a park in the centre of the town. It was that triangular piece of ground, hemmed in by railway lines and Number 7 Pit, rejected by the Council. Dick’s Park though was splendidly suited for a football pitch, and when laid out and terraced was expected to be one of the finest in the district. Having been grazed for a long time, it already had a good surface. There was also plenty of space at the sides for the erection of stands and for housing a very large crowd of spectators. It was also nearer the railway station.

It was finally confirmed in November 1913 that Cowdenbeath had acquired Dick’s Park on a 15 year lease. A commodious new stadium would be built with entry from the High Street at the Level Crossing or from Chapel Street.

Then work began preparing Cowdenbeath’s new ground for use from late 1913. It took about 3 and a half years for the ground to be prepared due in part to Wartime conditions. A great quantity of redd from the neighbouring pits was laid down to bring the playing pitch to the level required. A waggon road was laid round the site and redd was also used to provide good standing accommodation for spectators.

Jimmy Robertson was then known as Scotland’s champion shoveller and he, along with his brothers, was brought in to help lay out the new Central Park by shovelling the tons of coal waste to build up the terraces.

The old stand was relocated from the North End. A newspaper report of the time confirmed: "There does not seem to be any apprehension re the future of football among the Fifers. Cowdenbeath are actually preparing their new ground and stand for next year. For an Eastern League club they are sparing no expense in order to make the ground a Fife Hampden.

"It has been estimated that the new ground, which, by the way, is about central as any other ground in Scotland, will hold more persons than any ground outside of Glasgow and Edinburgh when it is completed. It has long been felt by the directors of the Cowdenbeath club that their present ground North End was not commodious enough for a club with aspirations to be in the First Division of the Scottish League, and accordingly the new enclosure has been got under way.

"The contractors have now been at work on the ground for 16 months, and it should come up to the expectations of the supporters of the club. The enclosure is 143 yards by 80 yards, and is surrounded by an average of 37 yards of banking, though at one point it reaches 60 yards. Running east and west there will be a foot-racing track 220 yards long, the finish being immediately in front of the grand stand. The banking round the field is on average 40 feet high, and already many tons of earth have been laid down. The total cost of the ground alone will be over £3,000 and the stand is to be taken over by a separate company which is being formed".

The first match at Central Park was an Eastern League clash between Cowden and Armadale in October 1917. A good crowd turned up, albeit Central Park was opened with little if any ceremony. Currie of Armadale was the first scorer and Mick Gibbons scored Cowden’s first ever goal at Central Park as the game ended 1-1. After the Great War, Cowdenbeath focused their efforts on gaining the long desired accession to the SFL’s First Division.

This gave the impetus to the club to take the initiative to replace the old stand with a new Grandstand at Central Park in 1922 – part of which remains as the old stand at Central Park. At this time, Cowden were one of the best supported provincial clubs in Scotland. Cowdenbeath chairman Andrew Dick was determined to put Cowdenbeath FC on the map and masterminded the building of one of the finest stands in Scotland.

In 1922, contractors Redpath and Brown (Mr Brown was the Chairman of Hearts) of Edinburgh moved in to erect the new stand which was built on the steel girder principle. There were 11 steel supports with concrete foundations at the front joined at the top by a series of steel girders running the length of the stand. The roof was supported by 30 steel principals and the frame was covered in corrugated iron. The stand was 120 yards long and 30 feet high with 14 tiers to accommodate 3,500 spectators. It had 3 sections – a centre and two ends. Inside, in the centre there were dressing rooms each with adjoining bathrooms which could produce 4.000 gallons of hot water per hour, the boardroom (east side) and a referee's room (west side). Other sub-contractors involved were Bain and Brown (joiners), Steel and Wilson (plumbers) and the Fife Building Co. (cement). The stand was opened on August 19th 1922. Cowden beat Vale of Leven 1-0 with local lad Laurie Glancy (ex-Celtic) scoring the goal. More next week