Rugby club blaze was not the first
STAND WAS GUTTED IN HALF AN HOUR 113 YEARS AGO
NEWS that Burton’s former rugby club site was the scene of a serious fire has led to details emerging that the venue was hit by another blaze that ripped through the site more than 100 years ago.
The rugby club moved out of the Peel Croft site, in Lichfield Street, in the town centre after more than 130 years to set up its new purpose-built facility, in Tatenhill.
The club held their last game at Peel Croft in March.
However, on October 15, more than 40 firefighters spent more than three hours tackling a large fire which started in the bar area of the old club.
It was the bar area, albeit in a different part of the club, in which the fire started 113 years ago on March 29, 1907.
A newspaper report from the time detailed how the dramatic events unfolded in an article entitled ‘Football grandstand burned down’.
The article said: “Shortly before 9pm on Good Friday evening exciting scenes were witnessed on the Peel Croft football ground, the grandstand being discovered to be on fire.
“The structure, which was entirely of wood, was soon alight from end to end, and was completely gutted within half an hour of the outbreak being discovered.
“The flames could be seen from all parts of the town, and a large crowd flocked onto the ground to witness the scene.
“The fire seems to have originated in the bar, and at the back and underneath the stand, and materials and liquor stored therein stored abundant fuel. At length two more hoses were got working, and it was not long before all danger was at an end.
“By the time, however, the structure was a ruin. The damage estimated at about £250. The stand had seating accommodation for 500 people.”
A similar newspaper reported said the fire burned “furiously”. The reports did not reveal how the fire started. The latest fire was started deliberately and no-one was injured.
Following similar scenes recently, it is understood that the old club will be bulldozed sooner than thought. Plans have already been approved to build Lidl supermarket on the grounds, bringing to an end more than 130 years of sporting history on the site.
Peel Croft was originally the home ground of Burton Rugby Football Club before being bought by the Burton Swifts football club in 1890.
In 1901 Swifts and Wanderers merged to form Burton United, with the new club using Peel Croft as their home ground.
Following the fire a new 600-seat grandstand was built and opened on September 21, the same year.
Burton United eventually folded in 1910, after which the ground was taken over again by the rugby club.