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Elgin City

Borough Briggs

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Capacity: 3,927 (478 Seated)
Club Nickname: Black and Whites
Year Opened: 1921
Pitch Size: 110 x 75 yards
Address: Borough Briggs Road, Elgin, IV30 1AP
Phone: 01343 551 114
Pitch Type: Grass
Fax: 01343 547 921
Undersoil Heating: No
Home Kit: Black and White Stripes
Last Update: November 28, 2024

On one side of the ground is a small, covered Main Stand. This all seater stand runs for only about half the length of the pitch and straddles the half way line. There is terracing to one side of this stand. On the other side of the ground is a small covered terrace, which is divided between home and away supporters. This enclosure looks quite old and has a number of supporting pillars. Both ends have newish open terraces that are set back from the pitch. These were opened in the year 2000. An unusual aspect of the ground is the odd looking floodlights running down each side of the pitch, the bases of which, on the enclosure side go down through the roof and onto the terrace, further hindering the spectators view of the playing action. Borough Briggs is the most northerly professional club ground in the UK.

Away fans are located on the Western side of the covered enclosure. This stand is a little grim and the views of the action, unless you are right of the front of the stand can be quite poor, as there are a number of supporting pillars to contend with. The facilities in this area are quite basic, but at least it is covered and even a small number of away fans can really make some noise from this terrace. You will normally find a warm welcome at Borough Briggs and this makes for a good day out.

There is a supporters social club which welcomes away fans, the entrance to which is located behind the Main Stand. The social club is quite comfortable, so much so that the barman was telling me that on one occasion, two supporters from Stranraer never left the bar all Saturday afternoon and didn’t get to see the game! Otherwise if you take a 15 minute walk into the town centre, then on the High Street there is a Wetherspoons outlet called the Muckle Cross, as well as the Droughy Cobbler pub. Both of these are listed in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide.

Coming from the East or West along the A96, continue into Elgin until you reach the roundabout that has Elgin Town Hall situated on one corner. Turn at this roundabout onto the A941 (North Street) towards Lossiemouth. After a short distance down this road, take the second road on your left (Borough Briggs Road) and the ground is situated down this road on your right. There is plenty of street parking around the ground.

Elgin Railway Station is about a mile from the Borough Briggs ground and should take about 15 minutes to walk. Kevin Craig provides the following directions; ‘As you leave the station turn left and continue up a steep hill. Continue straight on this road crossing two roundabouts and at the third roundabout turn left. Go up this road for some 500 yards and you should see the ground on your left hand side’.

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 £14, Concessions £9

Terrace
Adults £12, Concessions £7

Official Programme £2

Elgin City FC fixture list (takes you to the BBC Sports Website)

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.

Record Attendance

12,608 v Arbroath
Scottish Cup, 17th February 1968.

Average Attendance
2018-2019: 623 (League Two)
2017-2018: 607 (League Two)
2016-2017: 687 (League Two)

If you require hotel accommodation in Elgin 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.elgincity.net
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.

Ground Layout

Ground Layout of Elgin City

Reviews

Avatar of Tony Smith (Doing the 134) Tony Smith (Doing the 134)

Elgin City v Alloa Athletic
Scottish Cup 3rd Round
Saturday 23rd November 2019, 3pm
Tony Smith (Doing the 134)

Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the Borough Briggs Ground?
 
Although remote and poorly served Elgin at least has a railway station unlike the three other Scottish grounds I have yet to visit. Consulting this site and having passed through the town whilst holidaying I also knew it would not be a dreadful ‘meccano’ stadium with plastic pitch.
 
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
 
Because of Sunday railway options, I stayed in Aberdeen which on Friday allowed me to take in a Carole King Tribute show. This was unfortunately interrupted by illness in the audience which I hoped was not an omen for the match. ScotRail ran smoothly on the Saturday morning leaving considerable spare time. I did not venture to the Duke of Gordon’s Monument but a Dandy Lion and other statues are in the town centre plus an unvisited Wetherspoons. I ate there rather than alfresco from the Christmas Market. Haggis, neaps & tatties plus cola proved the ideal fare for someone currently with dental issues and thus also on antibiotics which react badly with alcohol.
 
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
 
The approach road to the Main Stand and turnstiles features a Job Centre Plus and Gordons & MacPhail bonded warehouse. I had no need or the obligatory appointment to visit them nor the Tesco Extra beyond. A few fans were outside the ground before 2pm apparently keen to claim their normal (season ticket holder) seats. As this was an all pay at the gate cup tie, this was not guaranteed and I sense a bone of contention but not meriting allocated seating and/or computerised ticketing.
 
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the Borough Briggs Ground?
 
Senior concessions were £7 for age 60+ as opposed to 65+ at many venues (Spurs even have a 10 Aug 2019 criteria). Like my own club the former was presumably equally applied when the female state pension age was 60. I await to see if the recent ‘harmonisation’ to 66 tempts avaricious change elsewhere! The paper ticket issued included ground regulations and schematic with the West End Terrace marked for away supporters. There was however no segregation and some I spoke to were happy to pay the adult £12 plus £2 stand transfer which is the standard Elgin tariff but presumably somewhat less than Alloa fans are used to. 
 
I bought a programme (£2, 32 pages), 50-50 ticket (£1) which was 22 adrift from winning and grabbed a team sheet (free). Staff were very friendly and as a declared ground-hopper I was invited to perhaps have a drink and look behind the scenes at the end of the match, but this would have been impractical. I thus only used the spacious club bar ahead of the game for access to very clean toilets. From an adjacent catering hut I grabbed a welcome cuppa (£1) but there were plenty of food & drink options too. After paying the Main Stand upgrade (no ticket) I noted considerable season ticket and gold member labels so sat clear of these but with a good central view of the (not quite flat) pitch and covered ‘North Enclosure’ terrace on the far side. The photo on this site does not do full justice to moss and 1 seagull on its roof or that the 18 bulbs on 4 unusual pylons could provide adequate illumination on quite a dank day. Some of the 40? or so Alloa fans who stood on the small open East End Terrace had put a large flag on the grass bank behind the goal they were attacking. (A group of local young lads spent a large part of the game kicking a ball on another part of this). In the second half migration to the NW corner near the second catering hut meant their chanting was under a roof and more effective. Perhaps recent additions and set back either side of the Main Stand on old terracing, sit large plastic dug-outs. (The original brick ones very close to the pitch and halfway line seemed to have been commandeered by photographers). I approve of this arrangement but it still encourages standing and some straying from the pitch-side technical area.
 
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
 
A minute of silence honouring a club stalwart was impeccably observed before kick-off. In a different cup competition earlier in the season the home side had triumphed via a bonus point penalty shoot-out. Home fans were thus cautiously optimistic but bemoaning a weakened team through suspension, loan player eligibility etc. They did, however, name a full 7 on the bench and relatively low squad numbers of the opposition is not necessarily an indication of strength or ambition. Whilst Alloa mostly through Flannigan looked the most fluid Elgin deserved to be in front at half time with a good goal from MacEwan. In the English Premiership VAR would have been obligatory and scrutiny of the way the ball was initially won. 
 
The game went to form in the second half with three Alloa goals. One of these was an unfortunate mishandling by the keeper but the other two seemed to involve decent saves that were not subsequently cleared. Some home fans were critical of the defending in general and the wisdom of the substitutions plus nervous of trying to play out from the back rather than route one to a target man. They no doubt consoled themselves to future “concentrating on the league” but without a substantial pay-day that cup progress can bring.
 
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
 
I was as away from the ground promptly and it is less than 15 mins walk to the railway station. This includes an underpass near Aldi that leads to the 6 bay bus station which presumably some of the 668 attendees were headed for.
 
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
 
It was pouring with rain back in Aberdeen at 19:40 and I was largely ‘twiddling my thumbs’ until 09:47 train on the Sunday ahead of an 8 hour trek home. Nevertheless as expected I enjoyed my trip to Borough Briggs and anyone deterred by its location relative to them should rethink. The ground has been in use since 1921, the club formed 126 years ago, the natives are very friendly and deserve support.
Avatar of Brian Scott (Neutral) Brian Scott (Neutral)

Elgin City v Alloa Athletic
Scottish League Cup Group Stage
Tuesday 24th July 2018, 7.45pm
Brian Scott (Neutral fan)

Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the Borough Briggs Ground?
 
The fourth and final game of my trip to Scotland.
 
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
 
I stayed for two nights in Elgin at Heather Glen Guesthouse, 1 North Guildry Street. One of the Alloa players had a night there also, but I didn’t meet him. The Borough Briggs ground is an easy 5 minute walk north through the town centre.
 
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
 
I had a meal at the Granary, a pub a 100 yards from my b&b. I can highly recommend it, much better than a Wetherspoons.
 
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the Borough Briggs Ground?
 
Borough Briggs has that old-type charm with the two stands and the neat and tidy open ends. As I had my customary walk around I met another groundhopper called Jack from Nuneaton. He’s done about 800 grounds, many in Australia. I noticed a lot of white feathers on the pitch and he told me that the club has a problem with seagulls. There did seem to be a lot around the town and they make a lot of noise at night! The home trainers bench has two exercise machines, a feature that I’ve not seen before.
 
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
 
The teams lined up with one in white and black and one in red and blue. Given that Elgin’s colours are black and white, I can be forgiven in thinking that it was 1-0 to Elgin in the second minute! No one around me cheered! Confused I asked a couple of locals why Elgin were in red and blue, but they didn’t know. Anyway the team in white (Alloa), were much better than Elgin. When they scored again in the 11th minute the result was almost certain. The first goal was a defensive error and so was the third which came in the 53rd minute. The game finished just after 9.30 pm, and it is significant that the floodlights were not needed. This is the first evening game that I’ve attended with no floodlights. The attendance was 417.
 
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
 
It was an easy five minute walk back to my b&b.
 
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
 
Elgin is a nice place and I enjoyed my stay. Including getting locked into the grounds of Elgin Cathedral at closing time! The spiked railings weren’t that hard to climb, thankfully!
Avatar of Arthur Morris (Neutral) Arthur Morris (Neutral)

Elgin City v Berwick Rangers
Scottish League 2
Saturday 25th November 2017, 3pm
Arthur Morris (Neutral Visiting Chester fan)

Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the Borough Briggs?
 
My mate Ian and I have embarked for a number of years on an annual footy trip to Scotland. In the summer Ian met an Elgin City supporter in a pub in Great Yarmouth and the decision for this season's journey was made!
 
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
 
We stayed in Aberdeen and caught a train to Elgin on the day of the game. The Borough Briggs ground was easy enough to find once we asked two or three people for directions.
 
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
 
We visited a number of pubs and ended up at the Victoria which was showing my team Chester v Dagenham and Redbridge, a lunchtime kick off on BT Sport. I saw the final three goals of a 0-4 home defeat which left me somewhat deflated. A diplomatic understatement here!
 
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the Borough Briggs Ground?
 
Borough Briggs is a well kept and tidy ground, Both "ends" consist of open terracing and backed by well kept grass banks. We stood on a covered terrace opposite the Main Stand. As stated in another review, although the base of the floodlight pylons intrude on to the terracing you can easily avoid them detracting from the overall view of the pitch. The Main Stand was typical lower league stand. This is a neat and tidy stadium with pleasing symmetry.
 
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
 
Although Elgin City ended up as clear 5-1 winners this was an attractive game to watch, both sides played with energy and purpose. The game was not as one sided as the scoreline suggests although, as the result would indicate, Elgin City were worthy winners. The supporters were friendly and good-natured.
 
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
 
On the train back to Aberdeen we enjoyed an impromptu train party. A number of younger people on nearby seats were "pre-loading" prior to a night out in Aberdeen and, as Ian had taken the precaution of buying some "tinnies" before we got on the train, we were able to join in and have a good laugh.
 
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
 
This was another enjoyable trip to Scotland. Elgin City is well worth a visit, it was a good game of football, a good train party so the only downside for me was watching Chester's drubbing on television prior to the Elgin game.
Avatar of Matthew Wilmot (Neutral) Matthew Wilmot (Neutral)

Elgin City v Heart of Midlothian
Football League Cup Group Stage
Tuesday 18th July 2017, 7.45pm
Matthew Wilmot (Neutral fan)

Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting Borough Briggs ground?
It was a rare chance to ground hop on holiday and the "Northernmost professional football ground" in the UK seemed a very good option.
 
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
We were advised to purchase tickets ahead of the game from the offices at the club, which meant we arrived early in Elgin. We were very fortunate to park literally opposite the turnstiles. Once our tickets were bought, we walked into town for some food.
 
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
At the recommendation of this guide, we headed into town and the Wetherspoons, although difficult to find at first, it was very pleasant and friendly.
 
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the Borough Briggs Stadium?
The efforts that have gone into modernising an older ground are clear. The terraces behind each goal look very new and well kept. The main terrace reminded me a lot of some other grounds I have been to (notably Underhill, Barnet – where I grew up) We didn't go into the Main Stand. This guide's comments about poles and roof supports in the main terrace are correct but do not hinder or impede sight lines too much.
 
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
Given the obvious disparity in terms of league standing between the clubs and the time of year that the game took place, it did have a feel of a friendly. The pace was very pedestrian and Hearts were obviously the better side, but couldn't create clear chances. Elgin should've had a penalty toward the end to level the scores, but none was given. Still, the Edinburgh team went away with a 1-0 win.
 
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
Having parked across the road from the ground, it was easy to get back to the car. We waited for the crowd to disperse slightly before pulling away. The road signs to get back to where we were staying were not always clear and we didn't have to rely on the map to get out of the city.
 
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
Elgin City is a very friendly club.Borough Briggs is a quaint older ground that is being revamped slowly but without losing its character.