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Summary

Description

J Young, 1934. Symmetrical sports stand sited to W of University Playing Fields with distinctive oculi detailing. Flat-roofed projecting tiered boarded timber seating area supported by narrow iron columns with part-glazed harled splayed sides, moulded eaves cornice, central timber pediment with university crest. Low red brick wall with semicircular coping immediately in front of iron columns. Series of 5 blind oculi openings with raised surrounds to rear wall. Harled red tile piend-roofed narrow store attached to rear.

Statement of Special Interest

Dating from 1934 this distinctive sports stand remains largely unaltered and forms an important part of the University Playing Fields landscape. Its blind oculi detailing to the back of the stand is particularly unusual and adds to its character. Unaltered sports stands of this era are becoming increasingly rare and this example is a good illustration of the type. A clock within the pediment, where the university crest is now, is shown on the Dean of Guild Plans. It is not currently known if a clock was formerly located here.

The University of St Andrews Rugby Football Club was founded in 1858. In 1903 the club moved from Station Park to University Park, also known as the Carnegie Playing fields, which were gifted to the University in 1904 by the renowned philanthropist, Andrew Carnegie, then Rector of St Andrews University.

The first rugby match in Scotland took place at Edinburgh Academy in 1854 and was soon popularised by the fee-paying (public) school system. The game was known as Rugby Union and affectionately called 'foot ball'. The first international match was played at Raeburn Place in 1871 between Scotland and England and this was the first international of any form of football. As its popularity increased to other communities around Scotland, in 1901 five established rugby clubs from the Scottish Borders formed the first competitive rugby league in the world, known as the Borders League. Soon after, the League achieved another milestone by creating the third oldest rugby union competition in the world after University Match (1872) and the Calcutta Cup (1879). Rugby remains a popular sport and Scotland performs on the world stage of rugby competition, including the prestigious 6 Nations and World Cup.

List description updated as part of the sporting buildings thematic study (2012-13).

References

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