A historic football ground where legendary manager Bill Shankly once patrolled the touchline is set to be demolished and replaced with a new £16 million multi-purpose stadium. Shankly managed Workington between January 1954 and November 1955 before moving on to Huddersfield Town and eventually achieving legendary status at Liverpool.
Borough Park, which has stood for 89 years, will be redeveloped on its current site to make way for the Cumberland Sports Village. This new facility will serve as the home for both Workington AFC and the town's rugby league side, Workington Town RLFC.
Initially estimated to cost £12 million with a capacity of 3,700 spectators, the project received an additional £4.5 million in funding, allowing the capacity to be increased to 5,000. The new stadium will feature a sports bar, external fan zone, media suite, and four new changing rooms.
The redevelopment is being managed by Labour-led Cumberland Council. Council leader Mark Fryer commented: "The Cumberland Sports Village project presents a fantastic opportunity to create a modern, fit-for-purpose stadium facility for both Workington AFC and Workington Town RLFC. As well as sport, the stadium would also act as a focal point for both the community and businesses within the area. An improved hospitality offer means the stadium could also be used for meetings, conferences, functions, events, and community activities."
Borough Park previously held 3,101 spectators, including 500 seated. During construction, Workington will play their home matches at the neighbouring rugby ground, Derwent Park.
The club played its final game at Borough Park in April, drawing a bumper crowd of 2,387. The match featured a host of club legends in an emotional farewell. Just a week earlier, Workington had secured their Northern Premier League Premier Division status for a third consecutive season after a remarkable turnaround.
Under manager Billy Barr, who took charge in November, the Reds won seven of their final 13 games to rise from the bottom of the table and finish one point above the relegation zone. Barr, 57, took on his first head coach role after working at clubs such as Sheffield Wednesday, Preston North End, and Blackburn Rovers following his playing career.
Barr now stands where Shankly once did, with the soon-to-be Liverpool boss having made his name in management at Workington. At the time, the Reds were in the old Third Division North of the Football League.
Workington club historian Steve Durham recalled Shankly's impact: "He was an inspirational leader but always treated people as equals, and his motivational methods always got the best response from players. The club was at a low ebb when he arrived, but there was all-round improvement, on and off the pitch, during his time in the town. Shankly lived on Harrington Road. I had the pleasure of meeting him when he returned to the club in 1980, and it was a proud moment for me. He was so humble and equally proud that the club hadn't forgotten his time there."
