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Broadhall Way

Coordinates: 51°53′23.42″N 0°11′36.99″W / 51.8898389°N 0.1936083°W / 51.8898389; -0.1936083
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(Redirected from The Lamex Stadium)

Lamex Stadium
Map
Full nameLamex Stadium
LocationStevenage, Hertfordshire
OwnerStevenage F.C.
OperatorStevenage F.C.
Capacity7,300[1]
Field size110 x 70 yards[2]
SurfaceGrass
Construction
Built1961
Opened1961
Renovated2001
Expanded2019
Tenants
Stevenage Town F.C. (1961–1968)
Stevenage Athletic F.C. (1968–1976)
Stevenage F.C. (1980–present)

Broadhall Way, known as the Lamex Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is a football stadium located in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, England. It has served as the home ground of Stevenage Football Club (formerly Stevenage Borough) since 1980. Prior to this, the stadium was home to the town's former clubs: initially Stevenage Town from its opening in 1961 until 1968, and subsequently Stevenage Athletic, who used the stadium for eight years until the club folded in 1976.

Following Stevenage's 1995–96 Conference winning season, the stadium was deemed inadequate to meet Football League standards due to insufficient capacity and facilities. The stadium underwent significant renovations in 2001 and again in 2019 as Stevenage progressed through non-League football into the English Football League. The stadium holds a capacity of approximately 7,300 spectators.

History

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Panorama view from the East Terrace

The club plays at Broadhall Way, which was previously the home to Stevenage Town and Stevenage Athletic. Following the bankruptcy of the town's former club, the stadium remained unused for three years.[3] The newly formed Stevenage Borough had planned to play a fixture against Hitchin Town Youth at Broadhall Way in November 1976 as a "curtain-raiser" for the new venture.[4] Volunteers prepared the pitch in anticipation; however, their plans were thwarted when the former chairman of Stevenage Athletic, and stadium lease-holder, vandalised the playing surface by digging a trench along the full length of the pitch.[4] The club eventually moved into Broadhall Way in 1980, following the local council's repurchasing of the stadium, and allowed the football club to become its tenant.[5][6][7]

Stevenage were denied promotion to the Football League after winning the Football Conference in the 1995–96 season because of insufficient ground capacity and inadequate facilities.[3] Consequently, in the early 2000s, the ground underwent upgrades, including the construction of a £600,000 stand,[3] and work on a £5million training facility was announced for nearby Shephalbury Park, which subsequently opened in autumn 2002.[7] In June 2011, the club secured a 42-acre former sports ground in Bragbury End[8] with the intention of developing the site into a new training complex.[8] Construction commenced in the summer of 2011,[8] and club staff began using the complex towards the latter stages of the 2012–13 season.

In January 2009, Stevenage announced a seven-figure sponsorship agreement with the Lamex Food Group, resulting in the renaming of Broadhall Way to the Lamex Stadium.[7] Following the club's promotion as league champions during the 2009–10 Conference National season, Broadhall Way hosted Football League matches for the first time in the 2010–11 season.[9] Prior to the construction of the new North Stand the stadium had a capacity of 6,722 people, including 3,142 seats [10] reduced from 7,100 following the club's promotion to the Football League.[11] The capacity increased to approximately 7,300 following the construction of the North Stand in December 2019.[1]

Structure and facilities

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The stadium's pitch has four stands: the East Terrace, the North Stand, the West Stand, and the South Stand.[7] The West Stand is fully seated and covered, extending the full length of the pitch with open corners to either side of the stand. It has a capacity of 1,800.[1] At the back of the stand are a number of glass-fronted areas, housing club offices and executive boxes.[3] The club shop is situated next to the West Stand, opposite the club's official car park.[12] Opposite the West Stand is the East Terrace, a covered terrace, which can hold approximately 2,700 home supporters.[7] The terrace features a gable with a clock positioned on its roof above the halfway line,[3] and also supports a television gantry on the roof.[5]

View from the South Stand prior to the 2019 renovation

The former North Terrace, located at the north end of the ground, was just seven steps deep.[3] Three-quarters of the terrace was covered, whilst the remaining quarter was left uncovered.[5] The stand had a capacity of 700,[13] and provided facilities for disabled fans.[3] In January 2013, the club announced plans to replace the existing North Terrace with a new £1.2 million, 1,700-seat stand,[14] although this did not materialise due to "numerous obstacles".[15] In July 2017, the club launched a mini-bond investment scheme through the sports investment platform Tifosy, in an effort to raise the remaining £500,000 required to fund the new stand.[15] The £500,000 target was met within five weeks, following investment from over 200 supporters.[16] A further £100,000 was raised in the days that followed.[17]

The North Terrace was demolished in January 2018.[18] Construction of the new North Stand was halted in June 2018, after UK Power Networks refused the club permission to build around the existing electrical substation.[19] Work resumed in February 2019, following the installation of a new substation.[20] The 1,428-seat, all-seater stand was officially opened in December 2019.[20][21]

Situated opposite the North Stand, the South Stand is a single-tiered, all-seated, covered stand. Constructed in 2001 at a cost of £600,000,[5] it is designated for away supporters and has a capacity of 1,390.[1][7] An electronic scoreboard is mounted at the centre of the roof, originally installed in 2001 and positioned to be clearly visible to home supporters.[3] This scoreboard was replaced in October 2011.[22] Behind the stand is the supporters' club.[7] A new set of floodlights were installed ahead of the club's 2007–08 season.[2]

Other uses

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The stadium hosted the England C team, who represent England at non-League level, in January 2003, for a friendly match against an Italy XI.[23] The stadium was subsequently used for an England under-20 fixture against the Czech Republic under-20 team in October 2003.[24] The match ended 2–0 to England.[24] In July 2012, the stadium hosted a warm-up match between the Senegal under-23 and South Korea under-23 teams ahead of the 2012 Summer Olympics, with South Korea winning 3–0.[25][26] For a five-year period, the ground also hosted the Tottenham Hotspur reserve team,[27] with the North London club opting to use Leyton Orient's Brisbane Road for the start of the 2007–08 season due to its more convenient geographical location.[28] Since September 2014, the stadium has again hosted a number of Tottenham under-21 matches each season.[29]

At the end of the 2005–06 season, Broadhall Way also hosted the Conference South play-off final between St Albans City and Histon, a match that St Albans won 2–0 in front of 3,284 spectators.[30] The following year, the stadium hosted the play-off final once more, with 3,167 in attendance to watch Salisbury City defeat Braintree Town 1–0, thereby securing promotion to the Conference Premier.[31] It hosted the final for the third and final time in May 2008, when Eastbourne Borough beat Hampton & Richmond Borough 2–0.[32] In addition to football, the stadium has also hosted other sporting and community events, including charity matches and a professional boxing event on 18 May 2019, when Billy Joe Saunders defeated Shefat Isufi to win the WBO super-middleweight title.[33]

Records

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Stevenage's average league attendance at Broadhall Way since 1987.

The highest attendance recorded at the stadium was 8,040 for a match against Newcastle United in the FA Cup fourth round on 25 January 1998.[34] A temporary stand was erected to increase the stadium capacity to 8,100 in order to meet the Football Association's requirements.[35] The record attendance for a league match at Broadhall Way is 7,024, achieved during a Conference Premier fixture against Luton Town on 3 April 2010. The club's lowest attendance whilst playing in the highest tier of non-League football is 879 for a match against Stalybridge Celtic in March 1995.[36] The lowest attendance recorded at the ground for a first-team match is 152 for an Isthmian League match against Billericay Town in August 1987.[37]

Since Stevenage's promotion to the Football Conference in 1994, average attendances at Broadhall Way have demonstrated a steady overall increase.[38] The club's first season in the Football League saw an average attendance of 2,897, surpassing the previous high of 2,855 set during the 1996–97 season.[38] This figure rose significantly in the following season, with an average of 3,559 recorded during the club's first season in League One,[38] marking the first time Stevenage had averaged over 3,000 spectators and exceeding a cumulative home attendance of 100,000 across the season.[39] Attendances fluctuated during subsequent years, correlating with changes in league position and division.[38] Following the COVID-19 pandemic, which prevented supporters from attending matches in the 2020–21 season, figures began to rise again.[38] A new record seasonal average was established in the club's 2023–24 season, with 4,660 spectators attending League One fixtures on average.[38] Although this slightly declined to 3,989 during the 2024–25 season, it remained well above historical averages.[38] The club's lowest average attendance during their time in the top five tiers of English football was recorded in the 1994–95 season, their first in the Conference, with an average of 1,440.[38]

Transport

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Main article: Stevenage railway station

The ground is located just over a mile away from Stevenage railway station, which is adjacent to the town centre,[40] the station lies on the East Coast Main Line north of King's Cross station.[2]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "The Lamex Stadium – Stevenage FC". Stevenage F.C. Retrieved 15 July 2025.
  2. ^ a b c "Conference Grounds – Stevenage". Conference Grounds. Archived from the original on 25 July 2009. Retrieved 23 August 2009.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h "Ground of the Week: Broadhall Way". BBC - London. Retrieved 22 August 2009.
  4. ^ a b "A short history of the club". Stevenage F.C. Archived from the original on 5 October 2012. Retrieved 23 August 2009.
  5. ^ a b c d "Broadhall Way Football Ground". BBC - Beds, Herts and Bucks. Archived from the original on 29 June 2011. Retrieved 21 August 2009.
  6. ^ Stevenage Borough v Ebbsfleet United matchday programme. Stevenage F.C. 2009. p. 36.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g "The Lamex Stadium". Stevenage F.C. Archived from the original on 3 March 2011. Retrieved 22 February 2011.
  8. ^ a b c "Wallace building for the future". The Comet. 6 June 2011. Archived from the original on 22 March 2016. Retrieved 21 July 2012.
  9. ^ "Kidderminster 0–2 Stevenage". BBC Sport. 17 April 2010. Retrieved 17 April 2010.
  10. ^ "Important ticket info for Sheffield United clash". Stevenage F.C. 11 May 2012. Retrieved 22 May 2012.[permanent dead link]
  11. ^ "Stevenage – The Lamex Stadium". Football Ground Guide. Archived from the original on 8 November 2011. Retrieved 23 August 2009.
  12. ^ "Football Ground Guide – Stevenage". Football Ground Guide. Archived from the original on 8 November 2011. Retrieved 12 April 2013.
  13. ^ "Boro' Information". FCBoro. Archived from the original on 21 July 2009. Retrieved 24 August 2009.
  14. ^ "Boro press forward with new North Stand". Stevenage F.C. 29 January 2013. Retrieved 29 January 2013.
  15. ^ a b "Standing Shoulder to Shoulder for Stevenage". Stevenage F.C. 17 July 2017. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
  16. ^ "We are getting a new North Stand! £500,000 raised – opportunities to invest still available". Stevenage F.C. 24 August 2017. Retrieved 4 September 2017.
  17. ^ "Stevenage raises £600,000 in six weeks to fund stand renovation". TheStadiumBusiness. 1 September 2017. Retrieved 4 September 2017.
  18. ^ "Saturday's FA Cup game is final chance to watch from the North Terrace". Stevenage F.C. 3 January 2018. Retrieved 7 January 2018.
  19. ^ "North Stand update from the Chairman". Stevenage F.C. 14 September 2018. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
  20. ^ a b "North Stand work restarts as Stevenage FC chairman reveals hopes for investment". The Comet. 26 February 2019. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
  21. ^ "North Stand Open to Season Ticket Holders this Saturday". Stevenage F.C. 6 December 2019. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
  22. ^ "The end of an era". Stevenage F.C. 22 October 2011. Retrieved 28 November 2011.[permanent dead link]
  23. ^ "England Under 23s & England C". Non-league Paper. Archived from the original on 17 July 2011. Retrieved 24 August 2009.
  24. ^ a b "England U20 Match Results". England Football Online. Retrieved 12 April 2012.
  25. ^ "The Lamex to host Olympic warm up game". Stevenage F.C. 2 July 2012. Retrieved 19 July 2012.[permanent dead link]
  26. ^ "Arsenal and Celtic stars on target in Korea win". The Comet. 20 July 2012. Retrieved 20 July 2012.
  27. ^ "Reserve Team Fixtures and Results – 2007–2008 season". The Independent. Retrieved 2 September 2009.
  28. ^ Lee, Marcus (12 May 2002). "Stevenage seek to make most of grand stage". London: Spurs Odyssey. Archived from the original on 15 April 2008. Retrieved 2 September 2009.
  29. ^ "The Lamex Stadium". Stevenage F.C. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
  30. ^ "St Albans and Stafford promoted". BBC Sport. 7 May 2006. Retrieved 24 August 2009.
  31. ^ "Conference North/South play-offs". BBC Sport. 15 May 2007. Retrieved 24 August 2009.
  32. ^ "Conference North/South play-offs". BBC Sport. 11 May 2008. Retrieved 24 August 2009.
  33. ^ "Billy Joe Saunders: WBO super-middleweight title fight moved to Stevenage". BBC Sport. 25 March 2019. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
  34. ^ "Stevenage 1–1 Newcastle". Soccerbase. Archived from the original on 9 September 2005. Retrieved 23 August 2009.
  35. ^ "Football: FA will rule today on Stevenage tie". The Independent. London. 9 January 1998. Retrieved 23 August 2009.
  36. ^ "Stevenage Borough 1994-5: Results, rollcall and league table". BoroGuide. Retrieved 13 July 2016.
  37. ^ "Stevenage Borough 1987-8: Results, rollcall and league table". BoroGuide. Retrieved 13 July 2016.
  38. ^ a b c d e f g h "Stevenage seasons". BoroGuide. Retrieved 15 July 2025.
  39. ^ "Boro Attendances on the Rise Again!". Stevenage F.C. 22 May 2012. Archived from the original on 25 May 2012. Retrieved 22 May 2012.
  40. ^ "Club Profile: Stevenage". BoroGuide. Retrieved 13 July 2016.
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