Bob Lucas Stadium: Weymouth FC

Credit: Finnbarr Webster

It is probably fair to say that there aren’t many football stadiums that were formally the location of greyhound and speedway racing, but that is exactly the case with the Bob Lucas Stadium. It was originally built for that purpose in the 1950s, being re-built in 1986 prior to the arrival of Weymouth Football Club a year later. The ground was given its current name in the July of 2010, in order to honour the club’s longest-serving President and former goalkeeper as he was fighting cancer. Sadly, Bob Lucas died just a month later at the age of 85, but a decision was taken to leave the name change in place, which is exactly what happened.

Weymouth Football Club was founded in 1890, making it an older club than some well-established sides such as Liverpool. The club’s first fixture was played on the 26th of August 1890, taking on a Mr Popes XI and winning the match 2-0. It is fair to say that the side’s ambitions improved somewhat in the years that followed, joining the Dorset League as one of the founding members in 1896. The club won the final Dorset League title before football was suspended following the outbreak of the First World War. As you can imagine, the side has enjoyed some ups and downs over the years, as well as some relative successes.

Stats

Bob Lucas Stadium Photos

Bob Lucas Stadium, Main Stand Seating

Bob Lucas Stadium, Away End

Bob Lucas Stadium, Speedway End

Bob Lucas Stadium, Tony Hobson Stand

Bob Lucas Stadium Seating Plan and Where to Sit

For anyone looking to head to the Bob Lucas Stadium on a match day, there are effectively four areas that you’re likely to be located. The only area with seating specifically is the Main Stand, which runs along about a third of the pitch on one side. Opposite it is the LLP Stand, also known as Bab’s Stand, which is a terraced area. Behind one of the goals is the Windowman Stand, whilst The Speedway End is behind the other one. These are both terraces, with pillars making it tricky to see if you’re behind them.

Weymouth FC Ticket Prices

The good news for supporters is that Weymouth make buying tickets a relatively simple exercise, having the same price on offer regardless of whether you’re looking to sit down or stand in one of the terraces. Here were the prices during the 2023-2024 campaign, which should give you some sense of what you’ll be expected to pay:

• Adult – £16
• Concession – £12
• Youth (13-17) – £6
• Junior (7-12) – £4
• Under-7 – Free

There is a 10p fee charged for tickets online, which means that both Under-7 tickets and those for carers are technically 10p if bought that way, as opposed to completely free. In terms of what counts for a concession, it is anyone over 65, members of the Armed Forces, students in full-time eduction, disabled people and those with a Dorset Carers Card.

How To Get Weymouth FC Tickets

Lower league clubs are always fighting against the odds, given that most people would prefer to watch some Premier League or even Championship football if they can. As a result, the likes of Weymouth work hard to ensure that their websites make it easy for people to choose to watch them if they want. As a result, that is the best place to head to if you want to buy tickets to see the Terras play. If you consider yourself to be a bit of a Luddite, however, then you can instead buy your tickets at the turnstile on the day.

Where to Buy

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Getting To Bob Lucas Stadium

Train – In terms of getting to the Bob Lucas Stadium on train, you’ll be heading towards Weymouth Railway Station. That is located about two miles from the ground, so most people will look to jump a taxi from there.

Bus – If you’re the sort of person that looks to use public transport whenever possible, you might want to get the bus. You’ll get it from King Street Roundabout, which is just a couple of minutes from the station and is served by the Number 3 in the day time and the Number 8 in the evening.

Car – Where you’re coming from will be the deciding factor in terms of how you get to the ground by car. If you’re heading from the North and the East then you’ll want to take the A35 Dorchester By-pass, getting onto the A354 towards Weymouth and follow the signs. If you’re arriving from the West, meanwhile, then you’ll be taking the A35 until you can get onto the B3157 and travel along the picturesque Jurassic Coast Road. When it comes to looking out for the signs, by the way, you’ll need to follow those for Wessex Stadium as the name hasn’t been changed.

By Air – Around 30 miles from Weymouth is Bournemouth Airport, so that is the one you’re most likely to head to. It might be more convenient to fly into Southampton Airport, Bristol Airport or even one of the London ones, but you’ll obviously have further to travel.

Taxi – You’ll probably be asked to pay between £7 and £8 if you choose to get a taxi from the train station out to the ground, though that will largely depend on traffic.

Parking Near Bob Lucas Stadium

Anyone driving to Bob Lucas Stadium will be pleased to know that there is a car park available. That being said, a lot of people still like to park on the streets nearby in order to facilitate a quicker getaway after the full-time whistle, so if you are going to do that then make sure to check for any parking restrictions that may be in force.

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Useful Resources

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Pubs and Bars Near Bob Lucas Stadium

About Weymouth FC

Having been founded in 1890, Weymouth Football Club looked to establish itself in the lower leagues of the English Football League pyramid. Part of that involved embracing full-time professionalism after winning the Western League for the first time in 1923, but mounting debts saw Weymouth return to being amateur by 1929. The period of time between 1939 and 1987 is considered to be ‘the glory years’ by many Weymouth supporters, not least because they became semi-professional when football resumed following the conclusion of the Second World War, making it the fourth round of the FA Cup in 1962.

In 1987, Weymouth opened their new stadium with a 1-0 win over Manchester United in a friendly match, but it was not a sign of what was to come. Results dipped, meaning that changes needed to be made. One of the biggest issues for Weymouth came in 2009 when it was announced that the club was in a ‘critically poor’ situation financially. The club managed to avoid being liquidated, but there were relegated in 2010. The club was taken over in February of 2012, with the new owner moving to set up a trust that would stop the football club being owned by one sole person ever again, theoretically safeguarding its future.

Bob Lucas Stadium History

In the early part of the 1950s, Wessex Stadium was built on the west side of East Chickerell Court Lane, standing opposite East Chickerell Race Course. Greyhound racing took place there for the first time in 1954, although it was independent racing and therefore not licensed. A galloping track that used an inside Sumner hare system, it was popular with the locals. Speedway racing also took place at the ground, which was converted to host football matches in 1987. That was three years after greyhound racing had stopped taking place there, with the new capacity extended to 10,000 after numerous changes were carried out.

The first match saw Weymouth taking on Taunton Town on the 18th of August 1987, with more 1,000 people turning up to watch the Western Counties Floodlight Cup match. It was officially opened as a football ground on the 21st of October 1987 by Ron Greenwood, with more than 4,000 turning up to see the Terras defeat Manchester United 1-0. Speedway racing took place between 1954 and 1985, but the ground has been exclusively for football since the Terras moved in in 1987. The name change to become the Bob Lucas Stadium took place in 2010, with the club’s former President battling cancer at the time.