Location of the Lillie Bridge Athletic Ground, adjacent to the railway line close to West Brompton station. (Click to enlarge). The then newly opened Stamford Bridge can be seen a little to the south ("London Athletics Club"). Detail from Charles Booth's 1889 descriptive map of London.
The Lillie Bridge Grounds was a sports ground on the Fulham side of West Brompton, London. It opened in 1866, coinciding with the opening of West Brompton station.[1][2] It was named after the local landowner, Sir John Scott Lillie (1790–1868) and the Lillie bridge over the West London Line, that links Old Brompton Road with Lillie Road. The grounds were adjacent to the railway on the south side of Lillie Road. Although geographically near to present day Stamford Bridge, there was never direct access, there being the 13 acre now defunct Western Hospital site between the two.[3] The ground was the scene in its day of many sports including athletics, boxing, cricket, cycling and football, and hosted the FA Cup Finalin1873. It closed in 1888 following a riot reported in The Times.[4]
Lillie Groundssteps to the old canal basin to the North of Lillie Grounds
The London Athletic Club, founded in 1866, moved to the Grounds in 1869 where it stayed until 1876, prior to its transfer to Stamford Bridge.[5] Meanwhile, the venue began hosting other sports including: bicycle racing, football, cricket and wrestling.[6] There were also hot air balloon festivals and county fairs. It fell into disuse after a riot on 18 September 1888 following the cancellation of an athletics meeting at which 6,000 to 7,000 people had paid to watch and placed their bets. The ensuing riot destroyed the track and grandstand, leading to closure the following year. This coincided with the development on the north side of Lillie Bridge, of John Robinson Whitley's 1887 Earl's Court Exhibition Grounds.[7] This was transformed in 1937 into the internationally famous venue, which hosted the indoor Volleyball competition of the 2012 Olympics before itself being consigned to demolition.
The Wanderers, after winning the first FA Cup final in 1872, were allowed to defend the cup in the second final of 1873 with choice of venue. Not having a ground of their own, they chose Lillie Bridge and Oxford University were defeated 2–0. The attendance was over 1,000 higher than the previous final.
Middlesex County Cricket Club moved to Lillie Bridge in 1869. WG Grace scored several centuries here before the MCCC left in 1872 to find better quality turf at Lord's.[9] The club nearly folded at this time, a vote for continuing being won 7–6.
The LNWR opened its Brompton and Fulham Goods and Coal Station on the site in 1892.[10] This was closed in the 1960s and the site was used for many years as a car park serving the Earls Court Exhibition Centre.[11] From 2012–2017 the site was being redeveloped as part of the Lillie Square housing scheme.[12]
^Denny, Barbara (1997). Fulham Past. London: Historical Publications. p. 126. ISBN0-948667-43-5.
^'The Kensington Canal, railways and related developments', in Survey of London: Volume 42, Kensington Square To Earl's Court, ed. Hermione Hobhouse (London, 1986), pp. 322–338. British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-london/vol42/pp322-338, fn55 [accessed 15 October 2016].
^'Sport, ancient and modern: Athletics', in A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 2, General; Ashford, East Bedfont With Hatton, Feltham, Hampton With Hampton Wick, Hanworth, Laleham, Littleton, ed. William Page (London, 1911), pp. 301–302. British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/middx/vol2/pp301-302 [accessed 15 October 2016].
