Abbs Field was a
football ground located in the
Fulwell area of
Sunderland. It was the home of
Sunderland A.F.C. between 1884 and 1886, the
fifth ground to host the club. Sunderland played their first game at Abbs Field on 27 September 1884, winning a
friendly
Friendly may refer to:
Places
* Friendly, West Yorkshire, a settlement in Calderdale, West Yorkshire, England
* Friendly, Maryland, an unincorporated community in the United States
* Friendly, Eugene, Oregon, a neighborhood in the United States
* ...
2 - 1 against
Birtley.
Abbs Field was the first ground in which spectators were charged an entrance fee to watch games and also the home of Sunderland when they changed their team colours to Red & White stripes.
On 14 March 1885, approximately 1,500 paying spectators watched holders Sunderland defeat Birtley 1 - 0 at Abbs Field in the Semi-Final of the
Durham Challenge Cup. Sunderland were beaten by
Darlington F.C. in the final. Sunderland had a good record at Abbs Field, including a comprehensive 23 - 0 victory over Castletown on 20 December 1884.
Sunderland lost only three games at Abbs Field, each time to touring sides from
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to th ...
- the biggest defeat came at the hands of Port Glasgow Athletic; a heavy 11 - 1 defeat on 3 January 1885.
The final game at Abbs Field came in March 1886; a 6 - 0 victory over Middlesbrough St. Johns.
Sunderland left Abbs Field to move to
Newcastle Road in 1886 after the landlord increased rent by 500%.
References
Defunct football venues in England
Home Grounds of Sunderland A.F.C.
Sports venues in Tyne and Wear
{{England-sports-venue-stub