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Peterhead

Balmoor Stadium

Capacity: 4,000 (seated 998)
Address: Balmoor Terrace, Peterhead, AB42 1EQ
Telephone: 01779 478 256
Fax: 01779 490 682
Pitch Size: 105 x 70 yards
Pitch Type: Grass
Club Nickname: The Blue Toon
Year Ground Opened: 1997
Undersoil Heating: No
Home Kit: Blue and White

See 6 Reviews

What Is The Balmoor Stadium Like?

Balmoor Stadium has two virtually identical stands that run down each side of the ground. Both these all seated stands are roughly of the same height and are covered. The seating areas are raised above pitch level, which means that supporters need to climb a small set of stairs at the front of the stand to access them. The West Stand has windshields at either side of it. Both ends of the ground are open and don't have any formal terracing.

Peterhead, joined the Scottish Football League at the beginning of the 2000/2001 season. One of the reasons why they were invited to join the league, was certainly their move to the Balmoor Stadium, which was opened in 1997. Previously the Club played at Recreation Park, which was sold for re-development to a supermarket chain.

What is it like for visiting supporters?

David Gray informs me; 'The Balmoor Stadium is a friendly place where away fans are always made welcome. There is normally no segregation, so opposing fans are always able to mix with each other'. Fred McIntosh a visiting Forfar fan adds; 'On my last visit there was a form of segregation in force, as Forfar fans were directed to far side of one stand but it was not very strictly enforced. Food now includes a fish pie at £2, which was very good!'. However, remember to wrap up well, as the ground itself is quite exposed and there is normally a cold biting wind coming off the North Sea.

Where to Drink?

There is a Social Club located in the rear of the Main Stand, which welcomes away supporters. Otherwise there are plenty of bars to be found in the centre of town, which is around a 15minute walk away. These include a Wetherspoons Pub called the Cross Keys on Back Street. This pub is also listed in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide.

Directions and Car Parking

The ground is located just out of town on the A982 Peterhead to Fraserburgh Road. 

From The South From the A90 you can take the first exit for Peterhead (the A982). This will take you to the town centre where you continue following the A982 towards Fraserburgh. You will go past a swimming pool and will reach the ground on your left. There are around 200 car parking spaces at the ground which are free.

By Train

The nearest railway station is in Aberdeen, which is some 32 miles away! Therefore this ground has the record of being furthest from a station than any other Professional League team in Britain.

Iain Badger adds; 'Bus services 260/261/263 and the X60 all run to Peterhead Interchange from Aberdeen Union Square around every 30 minutes on Saturdays. Journey times vary from around 1 hour 5 minutes to 1 hour 26 minutes depending on time of day and which number bus you catch as some stop more frequently than others along the route. It is then a walk of just under a mile from Peterhead bus station to the ground and is fairly straight forward:   On leaving the Bus station head along Windmill Street, in the direction going away from the Harbour. Turn left onto King Street and then right onto the A982 (Queen Street). Continue along this road which becomes Balmoor Terrace and you will reach the stadium on the left hand side.' Visit the Stagecoach website for bus timetables.

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:

Ticket Prices

Adults £12
Over 65's, Students, Under 16's £6

Programme Price

Official Programme £2.50

Local Rivals

Elgin City.

Fixture List

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

Record and Average Attendance

Record Attendance

At Recreation Park:
8,643 v Raith Rovers, 1987

At Balmoor Stadium:
4,505* v Glasgow Celtic
Scottish Cup, 4th Round, 8th January 2012.

Average Attendance
2018-2019: 668 (League Two)
2017-2018: 641 (League Two)
2016-2017: 505 (League One)

* Please note that additional temporary terracing was brought in for this fixture, hence the figure being higher than the normal stadium capacity.

Find Hotels and Guest Houses In Peterhead

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. 

Peterhead Hotels - Find and Book Yours And Help Support This Website

If you require hotel accommodation in Peterhead 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. 

Club website links

Balmoor Stadium Peterhead Feedback

If anything is incorrect or you have something to add, then please e-mail me at: contact@footballgroundguide.com and I'll update the guide.

Reviews

  • Peterhead v Stenhousemuir
    Scottish Football League One
    Monday 26th December 2016, 3pm
    Welsh Exile (Neutral fan)

    Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the Balmoor Stadium?

    We ended up at this game as the match my friend was due to referee at in Fraserburgh was called off due to very high winds. So we opted to go and see the nearby Peterhead game. Although I was a neutral I wanted Peterhead to win, as Scott Booth now playing for Stenhousemuir, scored the winner against my team Clydebank years ago in a Scottish Cup Quarter Final.

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

    The Balmoor Stadium was easy to find as we had the sat nav. Although we arrived 20 minutes into the game, we still found parking available outside the ground.

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

    It was a last minute thing so didn't have have time to explore. The fans in the ground were friendly enough and left us to it.

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

    From what I seen then the Balmoor Stadium is a modern small compact ground. On both sides of the pitch you have almost identical looking stands, with raised seating at the back. Whilst both ends are open to the elements with only hard standing. It was a very windy day with heavy rain. Even at the back of the stand the wind was pretty strong. Being so close to the North Sea then the wind from there goes right to the bone.

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

    The game was a very scrappy affair. The wind and rain made the pitch heavy and hard to play a direct style, which Stenhousemuir tried to play. Peterhead played good football considering the weather and ran out easy winners 2-0 (should have been more). There wasn't any real atmosphere within the stadium I think as everyone was froze! The food hut was outside the stand and exposed even more to the elements so I didn't attempt to get anything.

    Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:

    There was a little congestion but was fairly easy to get out. Be warned though that there is no railway station in Peterhead, so it only accessible by public transport via bus and so can be hard to reach.

    Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:

    Cold, wet and miserable day. But I love football in that weather. Next time I plan to visit properly to enjoy the area fully.

  • Peterhead v Stenhousemuir
    Scottish League 2
    Saturday 11th November 2017, 3pm
    Brian Moore (Stenhousemuir fan)

    Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the Balmoor Stadium?
     
    The Balmoor Stadium is the furthest ground away from a railway station in the Leagues, so a challenge getting there in itself, but I always try to get a couple of Stenhousemuir games in every year. The international break gave me the chance.
     
    How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
     
    Ironically I didn’t even get to Aberdeen by train as the flight from Birmingham was significantly cheaper. Then an easy 727 bus from the Airport into Aberdeen and then onto a Peterhead bound coach just a few steps away from where you get dropped off by the airport bus.
     
    What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
     
    There is a Wetherspoons opposite the Peterhead Travelodge (both recommended). Also there us a new microbrewery cafe locates next to bus station. I had an hour or so in the Peterhead FC Social Club which was also very good. The home fans were fine!
     
    What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the Balmoor Stadium?
     
    The Balmoor Stadium is a decent ground for this level and has a superb playing surface. You must purchase a ticket from the office first and away seating is opposite the Main Stand at £14. All 12 of us had plenty of room!
     
    Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
     
    Excellent game 0-1, 1-1, 1-2, 2-2 and then a late penalty giving Stenhousemuir a deserved away win and only my second in over 40 years! The stewards were relaxed, the pies fine, tea as weak as the rain that fell most of the time!
     
    Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
     
    It was an easy walk back into town but car park cleared easily as I left. I stopped to celebrate at the Station Bar on way back into Town (named somewhat ironic as it 30 odd miles from the closest Train Station in Aberdeen).
     
    Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
     
    It was a brilliant weekend, easy travel, good room, decent beers. The hotel even had a 15% discount deal with the curry house around the corner!

  • Peterhead v Stirling Albion
    Scottish League Cup Group Stage
    Saturday 21st July 2018, 3pm
    Steven Roper (Neutral fan)

    Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the Balmoor Stadium?
     
    Having visited Aberdeen the previous evening I had planned to visit Peterhead for this match as I wasn't going to be in North East Scotland again anytime soon, and Peterhead is one of the most awkward grounds to get to having no rail links.
     
    How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
     
    I drove the thirty-odd miles from Aberdeen. The ground is easy to get to off the main A90, and there is a free car park at the stadium.
     
    What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
     
    Initially, I went into the town centre where there are a few bars. The Station Bar between the ground and the town centre was okay. There is a bar at the ground, accessed from the car park, which had home and away supporters inside.
     
    What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the Balmoor Stadium?
     
    The ground was much as I had expected. Two stands along each side of the ground and two open ends. The away fans are seated in one side of the east stand, though there is no segregation so most fans tend to stand wherever they like. A seat in the stand is £14 for an adult, or it is £12 to stand, though there is no cover for standing supporters.
     
    Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
     
    Stirling Albion won the game 2-0 though Peterhead had most of the possession, it wasn't a bad game for the neutral. The stewards were friendly enough but don't have a lot to do. There is one food bar, which sells fairly cheap food and drinks eg chips £1.50, burgers £2.25. And unlike most grounds, the food bar stayed open during the second half. There is a small club shop inside the ground.
     
    Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
     
    Getting away from the ground was easy and I was back on the A90 back to Aberdeen within a few minutes.
     
    Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
     
    Peterhead provides a nice easy going day of football. It seems very much family orientated with quite a few young supporters. There's little or no bad language from supporters. All in all it was a pleasant day's football.

  • Peterhead v Berwick Rangers
    Scottish League 2
    Saturday 22nd September 2018, 3pm
    Andrew Wood (Neutral)

    Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the Balmoor Stadium?
     
    I'm trying to do all Scottish league grounds, having done all 92 English league clubs. Peterhead is the most difficult due to the length of the journey involved and it's 32 miles from the nearest train station. I was never going to risk going in winter, so had to find a home game when I wasn't working in the summer/autumn months. So, with a hotel in Aberdeen booked, and here we go!
     
    How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
     
    It's a long old journey from the South coast of England to Northeast Scotland, and my train from London to Aberdeen on the Friday ran over an hour late, due to the aftermath of a recent storm. Thankfully, by the time I reached Aberdeen, all was calm. On the Saturday the weather was good. There are regular buses from Aberdeen to Peterhead (£13.50 for a day return) and it's a pleasant, scenic journey, with lots of cows, sheep and horses knocking about (in fields, not on the bus itself I might add). The ground is approx. 20 minutes walk from the town centre in a fairly straight line, so very easy to find, although not signposted from the direction I came from.
     
    What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
     
    I arrived in Peterhead at 11am and went for breakfast at the Morrison's café near the ground, before popping back to the town centre for a couple of pints in a Wetherspoon's pub. There's an excellent clubhouse at the ground, all welcome, so had another pint there.
     
    What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the Balmoor Stadium?
     
    Balmoor Stadium is quite modern, without suffering from the characterlessness so many new grounds seem to. That said, it was fairly bog standard, with two open ends (not terracing though) behind each goal, and two nice looking stands along each side of the pitch. It was £12 to stand, and £14 to sit. Not sure if you can transfer to the stand in the event of bad weather? I wouldn't fancy being stuck in the open ends if it started tipping it down!
     
    Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
     
    The game itself was dreadful. Berwick Rangers, even at this early stage of the season appeared to come for a point. Nothing of note happened in the first half, and Peterhead won it 1-0 thanks to a scrappy late goal. The only atmosphere generated was by a handful of children in one of the stands, repeatedly singing 'Peterhead', which was slightly embarrassing, I felt.that the catering at Balmoor was okay, if somewhat limited. Burgers, chips, chips and cheese, and that was it, apart from the most important item at any Scottish footy ground: The pie! There must have been a law passed years ago, that all Scottish grounds do better pies than English clubs, and Peterhead does not disappoint, with a mince pie at £2.30 that was ace. I had three! The programme was an oddity, in so far as for £2.50 it was a large format, covering the first three games. This would have been the third in the sequence, so obviously there was no information about the first two games. In fact, there was next to no info at all, but a look back at previous games with each of their opponents, and a bit of history about the club. Most of the programme was given over to advertising, but fair play to Peterhead for at least producing a programme when others aren't doing so. Team sheets were available from the pleasant folk in the club hut in the home end and there was also a posh, but tiny club shop next to the reception area. There were loos in three of the four areas of the ground, and all were in decent nick, plus you could pop out at half time and revisit the excellent clubhouse.so supporters here are well looked after.
     
    Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
     
    Extremely easy, 20 minute walk back to the bus station, regular buses back to Aberdeen, job done!
     
    Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
     
    So glad to have got this one out of the way, and pleased that I enjoyed the day, although the game itself was poor. If the ground, the pies, and the beer are good, then it's a decent day out. Peterhead ticks most of the right boxes.

  • Peterhead v Falkirk
    League One
    Saturday 3rd August 2019, 3pm
    Andy Carruthers (Falkirk)

    Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the Balmoor Stadium?
     
    Because it was the opening day of the season and we have never been to Peterhead before.
     
    How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
     
    Fantastic both my partner Susanne and I travelled up from Wigan to support Falkirk so stayed over in Peterhead. On the day we got a taxi to the ground.
     
    What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
     
    We called into the bar at the ground. It was a great place to mingle with supporters of both teams really made to feel welcome.
     
    What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the Balmoor Stadium?
     
    A good ground. We were in the away end and had a great view. The fantastic weather really helped too.
     
    Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
     
    Despite a goalless draw, I thought both teams had fair chances. However, it was always going to be 0-0 as both teams never looked like scoring. But nevertheless, I really enjoyed the day. 
     
    Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
     
    We called in for a couple of drinks before leaving. We loved the bar. Very friendly and helpful staff, with both sets of supporters mixing. Just how it should be.
     
    Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
     
    A fantastic day out and a great set up at Peterhead. All the staff worked hard around the ground and were great to get on. We totally loved the day well worth the trip from Wigan, a big thank you to everyone at Peterhead for making these two Falkirk fans welcome.

  • Game Attended

    Peterhead v East Fife

    Competition

    Scottish Challenge Cup 2

    Date

    04/09/2021

    Kick Off Time

    15:00

    Team Supported

    Doing the 134

    Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the ground itself?

    Everything was in place for the weekend of 28 March 2020 to attend my penultimate* of the 42 Scottish grounds. Covid put a stop to that but I got refunds and remain healthy. This first chance to actually visit Peterhead was thus most welcome and with the bonus of continuing the North East Lighthouse Statues Charity Trail. (*East Fife to become the last, but I now have to add new boys Buckie Thistle and Edinburgh City back at Meadowbank).

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

    I journeyed to Aberdeen on the Friday by train and added a few statues not seen on a trip three weeks earlier including at Stonehaven the home of the No1 Fish & Chip Shop Scotland 2020. On Saturday a Bluebird/Stagecoach Explorer Dayrider ticket (£14) allowed me to get to Fraserbrugh by luxury X67 coach for the Scottish Lighthouse Museum but no time for the Wetherspoons. However a decrepit 69 bus terminating Back Street Peterhead dropped me right outside the door of the one there. A quick curry, three lighthouse statues and then a walk to the ground via Queen Street – Balmoor Terrace passing a plaque outside the Community Centre noting Dr Beeching closed the railway station in the 1960’s.

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

    I had very little time until kick-off so after purchasing a Main (West) Stand £16 (£9 concession) ticket I looked in at the club shop for a pin badge (£3) for a friend and asked about a match programme. Apparently, they are only available on-line, but I was handed a complementary teamsheet. This also listed season stats including the line-up for the 3 – 0 away defeat at the home of the opposition in a league fixture the previous weekend (att. 379). Five players had retained their places with a further five promoted from the bench. To what extent this was reactionary/tactical I do not know nor the relative strength/changes for East Fife.

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

    Through the turnstile to the left I got a cuppa (£1.50) but didn’t need any chips, pies etc nor the £1 toffee from an internal ‘club shop’. The (clean) toilets under the stand and part of itself have some sort of metal sheeting. I took a seat on the back row that was unmarked with a (named) season ticket holder etc. It was disconcerting to see that the distant sea appeared to be at a higher level (not true). To the left of the opposite East Stand was a grass bank with a ‘Peterhead Prison Museum’ hoarding. (The cultural opportunities of this trip are seemingly endless.)

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

    Possibly Covid protocol, the teams appeared to be using dressing rooms on opposite sides of the field at half time but I think entered together to start the game sometime after an absolutely awful Peterhead song was played. The multiple black pattered squares upon amber looking like a kind of tartan shirt for East Fife. Along with a No. 99 (voted man of the match) the home side had 3 players with surname Brown, the away just 1 who was in the first pairing of their 4 subs used. It was a generally low quality game sponsored by Men United, which the announcer assured us had nothing to do with Alex Ferguson. The pitchside advertising boards behind the north goal were noisily bashed particularly in the second half when Peterhead were chasing the game to recover from a 10th minute goal arising from a defender/keeper error. Other than that, the 358 crowd were quiet enough to hear the home coaching staff seemingly advising on every pass to be made and instructing the ref to ‘speed up the game’. I was pleased to see the latter remains sponsored by Specsavers but I’m not sure which one of his assistants was Andy Gamble and whether he lived up to his name when awarded throw-ins etc. One such was thrown directly out for a goal-kick with no players anywhere near, eliciting a team mate to remark “ that was an unacceptable school boy error”.

    Comment on getting away from the ground after the game

    No electronic boards are used for substitutions or to indicate added-time but the ref did add a few 2nd half minutes so I wasn’t confident of making the 12 or so minutes rapid walk to the bus station. With a 90 minute journey ahead it also made sense to revisit the toilets too. In the event I could have caught the 5pm 61 coach (with toilet) to Aberdeen because I saw it leave 5 minutes late, which is apparently quite common as drivers know there is a lot of slack in the timetable. I don’t know if any of the estimated 40 away fans were on it but 2 joined me later. We left exactly on time at 5.45 and since the Scotland – Moldova match was not on terrestrial TV I had a quiet evening in the hotel.

    Summary of overall thoughts of the day out

    Perhaps I expected a bit too much for this level of football but it was pleasing to be watching again in uncharted territory. Combined with other activities it was a good weekend and a place best visited before winter. Despite ScotRail continuing their sequence of complete Sunday strike action, LNER transported me on-time the remaining 440 miles or so home.

    Images

Updated 29th September 2020