Fellows Park was a football stadium located on Hilary Street in Walsall, England, that served as the home of Walsall F.C. for 94 years from 1896 to 1990. Originally known simply as Hilary Street, the ground was renamed in 1930 to honour H.L. Fellows, a longstanding club director who had played a pivotal role in the club’s development.
Characterized by its ramshackle charm — including a ‘cowshed’ terrace, an open brick-wall end backed by a local laundry for much of its history, and a patchwork of incremental improvements — Fellows Park became a beloved fixture in the West Midlands football landscape before the club relocated to the newly built Bescot Stadium. The old ground was demolished in early 1991 and replaced by a Morrisons supermarket.
Stats at a Glance
- Team: Walsall F.C.
- Location: Hilary Street, Walsall, England
- Opened: 1896 (as Hilary Street; renamed Fellows Park 1930)
- Closed: 11 May 1990
- Demolished: Early 1991
- Capacity: About 22,000 (later years)
- Record Attendance: 25,453 vs. Newcastle United, 29 August 1961
- Site Today: Morrisons supermarket
Nine Decades at Hilary Street
Walsall moved to Fellows Park in 1896, making it one of the longer-tenured football grounds in English league history by the time it finally closed. Over the decades the stadium grew incrementally: a Main Stand was built and extended, a roof was added to the popular terrace, and the Hillary Street End received cover in 1965. The ‘Laundry End’ — backed by the wall of Orgills Laundry — remained open to the elements for most of the ground’s life, only changing character after the laundry itself was demolished.
The ground’s peak moment came on 29 August 1961, when 25,453 supporters packed in for a Second Division clash against Newcastle United — a record that still stands as Walsall’s highest home attendance. Safety regulations in subsequent years brought the official capacity down to around 22,000.
The Final Whistle and Legacy
The last Football League match at Fellows Park took place on 1 May 1990, a 1–1 draw with Rotherham United as Walsall were relegated to the Fourth Division. The ground’s very last fixture came on 11 May 1990, a testimonial for retiring defender Peter Hart against local rivals West Bromwich Albion, also ending 1–1, with Gary Shaw scoring the final goal in the stadium’s 94-year history.
A brutal West Midlands winter had the last word: heavy snow in December 1990 caused the roof of the ‘cowshed’ terrace to collapse, weeks before demolition crews arrived. The H.L. Fellows Stand at the successor Bescot Stadium (now Banks’s Stadium) keeps the name alive, ensuring the director who gave Fellows Park its identity is not entirely forgotten.
Explore more: Explore more historic stadiums.
Fellows Park FAQs
Why was Fellows Park demolished?
Walsall F.C. left Fellows Park in 1990 to move into the newly built Bescot Stadium approximately a quarter of a mile away. With no further use, the old ground was demolished in early 1991 and a Morrisons supermarket was constructed on the site.
What was the record attendance at Fellows Park?
The record was 25,453 spectators, set on 29 August 1961 during a Second Division match between Walsall and Newcastle United.
Is anything left of Fellows Park today?
The physical stadium is gone, replaced by a supermarket, but the H.L. Fellows Stand at Walsall’s current home, Banks’s Stadium (formerly Bescot Stadium), preserves the name of the director for whom Fellows Park was renamed in 1930.
Get More from Fellows Park
Log the coasters, stadiums, and venues you’ve experienced, rate Fellows Park, and see what your friends thought. Get the ThrillZing app.
Photo: Steve Daniels / CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.