The original Liverpool Stadium was on Pudsey Street off
London Road it was revered as one of the great boxing arenas of the early 20th
century. This was the venue in which Merseyside boxing enjoyed a tremendous
revival after several lean decades, and where some of the city’s most
illustrious home-grown fighters gained their reputations.
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| London Road 1913 fromWellingtons Column, showing the Stadium behind the Empire Theatre. |
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| Stadium Souvenir Programme |
The building was originally designed as stables for the
Liverpool United Tramways Omnibus Company. It was taken over by the Council in
1897, and for a short while used as a roller skating rink. In 1911 it was
converted into a 4,000 seat boxing arena under the control of a promoter, Major
Arnold Wilson. At that time there were only two purpose-built boxing venues in
Britain, in London, the National Sporting Club and in Newcastle, St James’s
Hall. The Stadium opened in July 1911 in
Pudsey Street and staged bouts every Thursday night. This tradition continued
until its demolition to make way for the Odeon Cinema on London Road. Its
successor, the new Liverpool Stadium, was opened on the other side of the city
centre.
A New Stadium for Liverpool
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| The new Stadium in Bixteth Street |
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| Stadium Opening Night Programme |
Built in just three months on the site of the former
graveyard of St Paul’s Church, at the north end of Bixteth Street, the £15,000
Liverpool Stadium, successor to Pudsey Street, was the most advanced boxing
arena in Britain. Backing the Stadium venture was a consortium of boxing
enthusiasts known as the Harmony Six, led by an official of the Amateur Boxing
Association, Major J Bennett, and Arnold Wilson’s successor as promoter at Pudsey
Street, Johnny Best. In the programme for the opening night, architect Kenmure
Kinna offered this description:
"The new Stadium, unique in conception and design, is
an example of the modern style building. steel framed (of British Steel) and
clothed with brickwork of a pleasing grey colour, with a large central feature
faced in Terra Cotta. The roof is supported on steel trusses, and is the
largest span of its kind in Liverpool, being 120 ft between supports. The
levels of the main hall have been decided so that everyone has a clear view of
the ring from any part of the building, and thus has arisen the saucer shape
which was prevalent in the days of the gladiators."
Of special note, added Kinna, was the 35,000 candle power
lighting rig above the ring; its glare shielded from spectators by a suspended
board showing the number of the round being fought. Also innovative was the
actual ring Instead of ‘the usual
buckets’, sinks were plumbed in under each corner, while the ring
structure was designed to be easily dismantled so other events might take
place, In the 1950s these included circuses, religious meetings, political
rallies addressed by Winston Churchill and Clement Attlee. and informal
classical concerts, aimed at workers deemed unlikely to attend the
Philharmonic. During World War boxing shows were staged there to maintain
morale, in 1944 there was a guest appearance by the US Army’s ambassador, world
heavyweight champion Joe Louis (who, as a publicity stunt during his visit,
signed for Liverpool FC).
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| Johnny Best Liverpool Stadium |
After Johnny Best’s death in 1956, his son, also John, took
over as managing director. He was followed by John Moores, the Littlewoods
chairman. Later, the Stadium staged wrestling bouts with some of the famous
names of the day like, Adrian Street and Jackie Pallo. It also became a
rallying centre for workers at the docks and at Ford’s Halewood plant during
the protracted union battles of the 1970s. In addition it was a popular music
venue, hosting concerts by Gene Vincent, David Bowie, Lou Reed and many others.
Goodbye to the stadium
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| Members of the Merseyside Former Boxes Association in Bixteth Street on the eve of the Stadium demolition in February 1987. |
As British Wrestling’s popularity waned however and the
building began to look forlorn after fifty years of extremely heavy usage, the
final boxing match was staged at The Stadium in 1985. Following this the
building closed for good and was eventually demolished two years later.
Sources
Liverpool Central Library
Liverpool Records Office
English Heritage
Wikipedia
Robert F Edwards
