Cricklefield Athletic Ground (Ilford)

 athletics (sport), football / soccer stadium, athletic club

Cricklefield Athletic Ground
(Home ground of ILFORD ATHLETIC CLUB: www.ilfordathleticclub.org.uk/)
(Home ground of Ilford Football Club)

High Road
ILFORD
Telephone: 020 8553 0639 (Ilford Swimming Pool), 020 8478 3020 (bookings, not at track)
Fax: 020 8478 9115 (not at track)
Type: Synthetic, 400m, 6 lanes, 6 lane straight
Capacity: 3,500

The first permanent track on the site of the current one was a 5 laps to the mile cinder track which cost £350 to build and opened on 20 August 1925. It was enlarged to a 440y track on 4 July 1933 by cutting a channel through the higher ground to the east of the track on which there is currently a DT/HT cage, SP fan and a synthetic JT runway. This raised area is known as 'redgra' because of the surface it once had for tennis courts. At some time a small dirt/cinder track was laid out in this area but was only ever used for training. This is the one which is still shown on the A-Z to the east of the main track but has now been grassed over. The 1933 track went out of use during the 2nd World War as the area was used as a balloon landing base. After the war, the track was rebuilt as a redgra 440y one and opened on 27 May 1950. It was altered to 400m in the 1970s and upgraded to synthetic in 1987 with the official opening on 27 May 1988. The track was laid by Dunlop Sports Surfaces. A brand new sports club facility opened trackside in the middle of January 2003. Managed jointly by Ilford AC & Ilford FC the building provides for changing rooms, refreshment kiosk, bar & social facility, boardroom, weights room and function suite (all for hire) with disabled athlete usage. A more detailed history of Cricklefield can be found in the 75th Anniversary History of Ilford Athletic Club 1923-1998 by Warren Roe which is available from the author. The main entrance to the track with a car park is off High Road by Ilford Swimming Pool, 468 High Road, ILFORD, IG1 1UE and users should pay in there. The iron gates are called the Sir Herbert Dunnico Memorial Gates and originally stood at the entrance to the old ground of Ilford FC on nearby Lynn Road who now use the infield of the track. There is another entrance on Green Lane although that is never used.