Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors
Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors
Forfar Athletic

Station Park

Capacity: 4,602 (Seated 739)
Club Nickname: Loons
Year Opened: 1888
Pitch Size: 115 x 69 yards
Address: Carseview Road, Forfar, DD8 3BT
Phone: 01307 463 576
Pitch Type: Artificial 3G
Fax: 01307 466 956
Home Kit: Navy and Sky Blue
Last Update: May 16, 2024

Station Park is predominantly terracing, with terraces behind each goal and along one side of the pitch. The terraces at each end of the ground are not covered and are open to the elements. At one end is the small East Terrace, which is unusual in that it is slightly curved which means that spectators at the ends have a better view of the goal. There are 7 steps and various standing safety barriers. Opposite is the larger West Terrace, which has 20 steps and lots of standing safety barriers. The latter is unusual in being taller on one side than the other.

On the North side of the ground is the Main Stand, which is a traditional-looking covered, seated stand. The seating is raised above pitch level and there are a number of supporting pillars at its front. The seats are long wooden benches with backs. This stand only runs for around half the length of the pitch. The team dugouts are located in front of this stand. On the front wall of the stand is the Forfar Wall of Fame. There are flat bricks attached to the wall with peoples names on the bricks. On the other side, is a small covered terrace that runs the full length of the pitch. It arrived at Station Park in 1958 after previously being at the Ingliston Showground in Edinburgh. It has a number of small floodlights protruding from its roof. There is a quite a slope to the pitch that runs down across the ground from the West Terrace down to the East Terrace. In 2012 the Club installed a 3G artificial playing surface at Station Park.

Normally segregation of supporters is not in force, so most away fans tend to head for the covered South Terrace. If segregation takes place, then the open West Terrace is allocated to away supporters plus part of the Main Stand. The facilities are fairly basic around the ground, but as you would expect the bridies, for which the town of Forfar is famous, are pretty good!

Dave Mair informs me; ‘The nearest pub to Station Park is the Plough Inn, on Market Street. This pub which has been previously listed in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide. It is only a five minute walk away from Station Park.’

The ground is located right on the outskirts of town. In fact the Main Stand, backs onto fields. From the A90 take the A926 towards Forfar. At the T Junction turn right into Brechin Road, then turn left into Market Street and then 2nd left into Carseview Road for the ground. There is only limited parking available at the ground, otherwise there is the nearby Muir Street car park or street parking.

Post Code for SAT NAV: DD8 3BT

Even though the ground is called Station Park, there is in fact no railway station in Forfar itself. The nearest stations are in Dundee or Arbroath, that are both around 14 miles away!

John Aitken from the Wanderers Way Annual adds; ‘From Dundee Seagate Bus Station (which is 10-15 minutes walk away from Dundee Train Station) get the Number 20 bus to Forfar (the Royal Bank of Scotland stop on East High Street). From there walk up the hill till you get to crossroad at the end of East High Street take a left down North Street. Continue straight along this road (passing the North Street Fish & Chip shop on the right), which leads into Carseview Road and the ground is further up on the left’.

Booking train tickets in advance will normally save you money! Find train times, prices and book tickets with Trainline. Visit the website below to see how much you can save on the price of your tickets:

Seating:
Adults £15, Over 65’s £9, Under 17’s £5

Terrace:
Adults £14, Over 65’s £8, Under 17’s £5

Official Programme £2

Brechin City, Arbroath and Montrose.

Forfar FC fixture list (takes you to the BBC Sports Website).

Record Attendance

10,780 v Glasgow Rangers
Scottish Cup 2nd Round, 2nd February 1970.

Average Attendance
2018-2019: 665 (League One)
2017-2018: 619 (League One)
2016-2017: 654 (League Two)

If you require hotel accommodation in the area then first try a hotel booking service provided by Late Rooms. They offer all types of accommodation to suit all tastes and pockets from; Budget Hotels, Traditional Bed & Breakfast establishments to Five Star Hotels and Serviced Apartments. Plus their booking system is straightforward and easy to use. Yes this site will earn a small commission if you book through them, but it will go to help with the running costs of keeping the Guide going.

If you require hotel accommodation in Forfar then first try a hotel booking service provided by Booking.com. They offer all types of accommodation to suit all tastes and pockets from; Budget Hotels, Traditional Bed & Breakfast establishments to Five Star Hotels and Serviced Apartments. Plus their booking system is straightforward and easy to use. Yes this site will earn a small commission if you book through them, but it will help towards the running costs of keeping this Guide going.

Official Web Site:  www.forfarathletic.co.uk 
Unofficial Web Site:  Any recommendations?

If anything is incorrect or you have something to add, then please e-mail me at: [email protected] and I’ll update the guide.

Special thanks to Geoff Jackson the ‘Cumbrian Groundhopper ‘ for providing the photo of the East Terrace at Station Park Forfar Athletic.

Reviews

Avatar of Andrew Wood (Neutral) Andrew Wood (Neutral)

Forfar Athletic v St. Johnstone
Scottish League Cup Group Stage
Saturday 27th July 2019, 3pm
Andrew Wood (Neutral)

Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting Station Park?
 
Forfar have been my favourite Scottish team since they finished bottom of the heap in the early 1970's with about nine points. Despite this, I'd only visited Station Park once (in 1994) so it was high time for another visit.
 
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
 
The journey from London to Scotland was sheer hell. Because of the record-breaking hot weather from the day before, which had seen many trains cancelled, double the amount of people were on each train. I ended up sitting on the floor in a vestibule all the way from London to Edinburgh, after not risking the 1st two of my planned trains due to severe overcrowding. The train between Edinburgh and Dundee was then cancelled, and the one I did eventually get ran 30 minutes late Arrived in Dundee at 19.30. It was raining heavily! On the day of the game, I caught the bus from Dundee to Forfar with no problem.
 
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
 
Arrived in Forfar 12.30. Took a wander up to the ground so I knew where I needed to be (it's fairly straightforward, just at the top of the Upper High Street and turn left and you're there) and then looked for somewhere to get something to eat and drink. Not many pubs or cafes in Forfar, but 'Saddlers Tea Rooms' did a nice mince and chips which kept me going. Not many home fans about saw more St.Johnstone fans than Forfar fans.
 
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of Station Park?
 
I had a chat with a turnstile operator. I told him I hadn't been here for 25 years. He told me nothing much had changed. The lady in the club shop said the same thing, and it was pretty much as I remembered it. An open terrace behind each goal, one of which was occupied by the visiting fans (looks like segregation will be in force this season). A covered terrace along one side of the ground, part of which was for use by the visiting fans, and the Main Stand with terrace in front along the other side of the ground. Station Park seems to have become 'a temporary cabin city'. The loos were in a  temporary cabin, as was the club shop, and the optimistically titled 'public bar' just outside the ground. While it's nice of Forfar to provide this service, the only thing on draught was Guinness, and the only other things on offer were the usual bottles/cans of Tennants/Fosters/Budweiser etc, meaning I didn't bother with a pre-match tipple. Fans of both sides allowed in though!
 
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
 
St. Johnstone came out of the blocks like a Premiership team, all slick passing etc, but to Forfar's credit, they didn't give a toss about this, and with the first attack of the match, Callum Tapping scored for Forfar from a goalmouth scramble. There were less than two minutes on the clock. The rest of the first half was largely unmemorable. St.Johnstone came out in the second half looking like they meant business. Lots more slick passing looked good until Forfar got a free kick on the hour mark, which was superbly curled in by Ross Forbes. St.Johnstone pulled one back a few minutes later when Forfars keeper could only parry the ball straight to a St.Johnstone forward who gratefully nodded it in. You would have thought the Premiership outfit would now go for the jugular in the hope of winning it or at least taking it to penalties, but if anything, Forfar looked the more likely to score the next goal and ran out deserved winners. Several Forfar players celebrated like they'd won the game, the cup, the lottery, and 'Britains got talent'. And why not?
 
The atmosphere in a decent 1000 plus crowd was provided by a group of 20 or so young Forfar fans complete with drum, St.Johnstone bought about 350 supporters with them, but I didn't hear a peep from them all afternoon. The food at Scottish grounds is something I always look forward to. I attempted to get a pre-match Bridie (local meat and onion pasty) only to be told they'd sold out. 20 minutes before kick-off! At least some more had been ordered from the shop down the road. I had to content myself with a steak and gravy pie. It was delicious but fell apart in my hand, and there were no plastic forks or napkins available. As an experienced pie eater, I managed to salvage and eat most of it, but it was a close thing. Mercifully the second batch of bridies turned up, and I managed to get one just before half time. Utterly gorgeous, and I'm only sorry the snack bar closed just after half time, or I would have gone for another, assuming they had any left.
 
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
 
Easy. Walk back to Forfar town centre for a bus back to Dundee. They run approximately every 30 minutes and the journey takes 30 minutes also.
 
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
 
An enjoyable game of football to start my 2019/20 season, even if it seemed a bit like a friendly at times. Forfar is a friendly club, with nice staff working for them, and some of the worlds best catering. I shall have to ensure it isn't another 25 years before I go again.
Avatar of Tony Smith (Doing the 134) Tony Smith (Doing the 134)

Forfar Athletic v Montrose
Scottish League Cup Group Stage
Wednesday 25th July 2018, 7.45pm
Tony Smith (Doing the 134)

Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the Station Park Ground?
 
I was looking forward to kicking-off the 2018/19 season with one of my remaining less simple trips by public transport, whilst the prolonged hot weather still held. As described on this website the prospect of a traditional, old-style ground, albeit with a synthetic pitch, was a bonus. At the same time the Maggie’s Penguin Parade with 80 around the Dundee area represented another challenge to add to many charity trails I have enjoyed and to help justify travel and accommodation expenditure.
 
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
 
The railways shut in Forfar about 50 years ago with Station Park named long beforehand but presumably after the non-standard 5ft 6in gauge to Arbroath was converted in order to connect to the rest of the world. A number 20 bus from Dundee (£3.80) has to suffice these days and as a special bonus the only “roaming” penguin [Punnet Penguin] was sited, for that week, very close to my hotel.
 
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
 
There is no Wetherspoons in Forfar so I chose to have a haggis supper (£4:30) at the nearby chippy and topped up with a cuppa plus an excellent (Sadler’s) bridie (£2.85) once in the ground. The alcohol would have to wait for after the match.
 
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of Station Park Ground?
 
The gates did not open until 7:15 so I attempted to circumnavigate the exterior only to find myself trapped in what appeared to be a stockyard with the strange sounds of beasts in sheds. Brechin City fans with stickers seem to have made the journey too. Upon entry (reduced to £10) I purchased a £2 combined programme for this plus St Johnstone fixture (£15 entry). The weird mascot, odd floodlighting, plaques and other features mentioned on this website are still in place but I’m not sure why in addition to padded bench seating for directors there is a small area of the stand with artificial turf carpet. The many support pillars are sufficiently thin so as not to hinder views but unless you occupy the front few rows the near touch-line is invisible. The dour main terrace opposite is only brightened by the advertising boards including the puzzling “Sponsored by Simon & Andrea, Pontypool Wales”.
 
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
 
This local Angus derby attracted an attendance of 658 with approximately 100 away fans of which those on the terraces changed ends at half time. Several players and staff have featured for both teams but I’m not sure what effect that ought to have had on what was a generally quiet game. There were, however, bookings including a retaliation for a nasty looking challenge the ref deemed ok and the handball rule is clearly different in this tournament. The away team used unnamed squad numbered shirts in contrast to 1 to 11 for the starting home line up. Both wore white shorts and tried to play a passing game. Forfar scored from a somewhat dubious penalty, goalkeeping indecision and excellent solo effort in contrast to a well-worked header for Montrose. I don’t know if the penalty taker (Easton) was one who was successful in helping create the Eric Morecambe tongue-twister score of East Fife 4 Forfar 5 in the shoot-out of the previous group fixture. It is harder to say how these two teams might prosper this season but despite one wonder save I would have little confidence in the Montrose keeper on this performance.
 
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
 
An almost full moon was visible at the final whistle but perhaps the Loons will hold back two nights for the total lunar eclipse blue moon before celebrating in the traditional manner. Exit from the stand was slow and with my hotel only 10 mins walk away it was a mistake to try to use the toilets featuring 2 wc’s plus 2 urinals so close together that only conjoined twins would stand a chance.
 
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
 
The complication of a 40 minutes bus journey after six hours by train and associated expenses were merited. I love old grounds and the following day logged 51 penguins including those decorated in Dundee and Dundee United colours. The rail return on Friday, however, will remain etched in my memories as the weather broke with widespread lightning strikes paralysing signaling to the extent my journey took more than 12 hours.
Avatar of Brian Scott (Neutral) Brian Scott (Neutral)

Forfar Athletic v Stirling Albion
Scottish League Cup Group Stage
Saturday 22nd July 2017, 3pm
Brian Scott (Neutral Ipswich Town fan)

Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting Station Park?
 
I was on a six day trip to Scotland and able to see four matches. I chose Forfar Athletic for the Saturday game as it fitted in well with my train travel.
 
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
 
I was delayed by a points failure at Dyce and my train from Inverness to Aberdeen was late, meaning that I was later than planned into Dundee. I decided to take a taxi instead of the bus to Forfar. Taxi got me to my Bed & Breakfast by 2pm, even though the taxi driver missed the turning off the main road into Forfar! He had SatNav on as well, but didn't seem to know how to use it!
 
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
 
After a quick check in I walked the short distance to the ground, arriving at 2.15pm to find only three people about! Had the game been called off? I walked around the North side of the ground and thankfully saw one steward standing outside an entrance. Eventually a few more people wandered up. I had a chat with some fans in the queue at the turnstiles, both home and away. Very friendly and relaxed. The attendance was 441.
 
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of Station Park?
 
As this website says, this is a trip back in time! Station Park is not too dissimilar to some English National League grounds. Plenty of open spaces and a large open terrace at one end. Quite unusual to see that the terrace at the East End is slightly curved meaning that if there is ever a big crowd those fans at the corner flag can get a better view of the goal. I had a good wander around before sitting in the Main Stand. The whole ground could do with some investment, but I guess that money might be hard to find.
 
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
 
In the 7th minute after an excellent passing move on the edge of the penalty area, Stirling Albion's number 7 scored and just before half time he scored again. In the 75th minute Stirling scored their third. However, Forfar did get a consolation goal with the final kick of the game. On a personal note the Forfar number 14 was called Mark Scott, which is the same name as my son. From a distance, he looked similar.
 
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
It was an easy walk back to my Bed & Breakfast and it had just started raining. The following morning it was still raining and I walked into town to catch the bus to Dundee bus station. Then I had a good ten minute walk in the rain to the railway station crossing busy roads.
 
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
 
I enjoyed my trip to Forfar, leaving on the bus on the Sunday morning to Dundee to make my way down south to Stranraer. I could have taken in a game in Dundee on the Sunday had I wished but I wanted to explore the extreme South West of Scotland.
Avatar of Brian May (Neutral) Brian May (Neutral)

Forfar Athletic v Edinburgh City
Scottish Football League Two
Saturday 29th October 2016, 3pm
Brian May (Neutral fan)

Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting Station Park?  

This was my first visit to Station Park and I was ticking off number 32 of Scotland’s 42 league grounds. With Edinburgh City bottom of the table without a win all season and Forfar top but without a win in five – surely something had to give?

How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?

Station Park was easy to find just a few minutes off the main Dundee to Aberdeen Road on the edge of the town. There was a small car park in front and to the rear of the Main Stand and the area around the ground is mostly an industrial estate, so there was plenty of room for on-street parking.

What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?

The turnstiles didn’t open until half an hour before kick-off but there is a bar open at the back of the Main Stand which was open to all for this fixture. The home fans we met were friendly and the chat before the game was very good natured.

Main Stand

What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of Station Park?

Admission to the terrace was £12 for adults and £6 for kids (£1 extra for a seat) which I feel is a bit steep given the level of football on offer but par for the course compared with other Scottish League Two clubs. The turnstiles open straight out onto the terrace behind the goal and the first impression is that this is what many would consider as a ‘proper ground’ with standing areas all around the pitch and a few hundred seats in the main stand on one side – a friend commented that the ground hasn’t changed much since he last visited with Meadowbank Thistle in the 80's! The Main Stand did have quite a few pillars so I imagine the view from the seats isn’t the best and although the ground is largely open, the seats and main terrace offer adequate shelter from the sunny Scottish climate.

Station Park

Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..

On entering the ground we were greeted by the club mascot – a large walking bridie (that’s a type of pasty for anyone unfamiliar with the local delicacies!) and there is a small but well stocked club shop just after passing through the turnstile. The toilets are in a portakabin and were clean and fine for a very mild October afternoon, but will probably be an entirely different proposition in January. The catering queues moved quickly and you can’t argue with the price of £2.60 for a bridie and a cup of tea. There was a crowd of just under 500, with only a handful of away fans so atmosphere was pretty quiet. There was no segregation and no sign of any confrontation even with fans passing each other while migrating between ends at half time. Forfar started the game brightly but City took the lead on 25 minutes and could/should have been two up before Forfar equalised with a nice headed goal with around 20 minutes left. After that, Forfar piled on the pressure but apart from one disallowed effort in the dying seconds, couldn’t find the net and the game ended in a 1-1 draw.

Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:

There were no problems getting away from the ground and we were back in the car and on the road in no time at all.

Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:

Overall, a relaxed afternoon and an entertaining enough game. Station Park is a ground that older fans who long for the days prior to the all-seater era will love!