Key information about Energy Check County Ground

The Energy Check County Ground was built in 1890 and now houses League Two’s Swindon Town. The ground is located near the centre of the town and has been the club’s home since 1896.

Its current capacity stands at 15,728 and it has a pitch that measures 101m by 64m. The surface is covered with grass and it has no running track surrounding it nor undersoil heating installed.

The record attendance at Energy Check County Ground was set on 15 January 1972 when 32,000 people watched Swindon Town take on Arsenal in the FA Cup third round.

A history of Energy Check County Ground

The development of a new stadium that would eventually host Swindon Town was started when Thomas Arkell donated £300 to finance the erection of a brand new stand on a ground that was known as Wiltshire County Ground back then. Even though the stadium was built in 1890, it wasn’t until two years later that it would be open and not until 1896 that Swindon Town would actually fully settle there and call it home.

Interestingly enough, from 1893 until 1896, they were playing their football at a cricket pitch, which was also named County Ground, same as the football ground, sharing it with Swindon Cricket Club. Still, upon finally moving to Energy Check County Ground, as the stadium is called now due to sponsorship reasons, improvements and redevelopment soon followed.

In 1932, they constructed a covered stand on the Shrivenham Road side but that would subsequently get replaced by a new one acquired from Aldershot Military Tattoo in 1960. During the events of the second World War, the ground was also used to house prisoners of war in tents that were placed across the pitch. The club was, of course, compensated for that.

In 1951, they added floodlights and in 1963, the famous Pier Luigi Nervi, an architect responsible for designing stadia in Florence and Rome, was hired to design a new stand that would replace the North stand. However, relegation and financial issues meant the plan was never really carried out.

Following the Hillsborough disaster, the Energy Check County Ground was converted into an all-seater with extra seats added to the existing stands and the erection of the brand new one, to be named the Intel Stand, then the Nationwide Stand, and finally, the Don Rogers Stand.

Interestingly, in 1963, the club also built a Rolex clock at the rear of the Stratton Bank stand, and that is indeed the only Rolex clock to be found at any football ground on the planet. The stadium is also owned by the Swindon Borough Council, and the club pay them rent.

There were some initiatives to refurbish the ground following the arrival of new owners in 2008 and they are still in the process of fully planning out the future of the stadium. At the moment, they are doing little improvements until a new stadium becomes a reality.

New plans were once again outlined in 2011 with further expansions in place but the club’s relegation also meant most of the bigger projects had to be put on hold.

Tickets to watch Swindon Town at Energy Check County Ground

All tickets to watch Swindon Town play at Energy Check County Ground can be found and purchased on the club’s official website. The price varies between £19 and £22 for adults, depending on the stand chosen.

The club also offers season tickets and bundles that can get you discounts to watch their home clashes.

https://www.swindontownfc.co.uk/ - Official website of Swindon Town