The Future of Somerset Park

Bestowed with charm and character, Somerset Park is a stadium which harps back to a bygone era in Scottish football, where people were free to roam the terraces, and stand so close to the touchline that players could almost taste the Bovril. For the last 100+ years, the ground has sat at the same location, at the heart of Ayr’s historical industrial centre, where it’s original character and identity has remained largely untouched. The stadium stands as one of the last bastions of its kind.

Following new management in 2020, the club entered a new era in which Denham Youd have been working closely with the club to design and implement a series of sensitive improvements to the infrastructure that embrace the spirit and heritage of Somerset Park, whilst improving the match-day atmosphere and bringing the stadium into the 21st century. In 2021, the first of these projects was realised in the form of The Hub – a 200 sq.m, new build facility – which provided a much-needed space for the club and community to gather. The building is modest in size and stature, but it consolidated the clubs services and marked a statement of intent from the new owner.

More recently Denham Youd completed the development of the new North Stand; a new stand which encloses the stadium and provides 748 new seats and a new hospitality facility behind the newly covered north terrace. In an era where the everyman is being priced out of their football clubs, and out of town owners are often out of touch, we are proud to be working with a club that understands the importance of its heritage, and has it’s community at the heart of its decision-making.

You can read more about our thoughts and involvement in the project in a recent interview with Ayrshire Magazine editor, Gill Sherry.

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