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A Brief History

Linfield Football club was founded in March 1886 by workers of the Linfield Spinning Mill and was originally known as the Linfield Athletic Club. The club was given permission to play on ground at the back of the mill known as 'The Meadow.' Success and the need to accommodate more spectators brought about a move to Ulsterville Avenue in 1889. They were to remain for only four years as this ground was taken over for housing development. For a time, Linfield played all their home games at opponents' grounds.

Eventually the president of the club a Robert Gibson, who donated the Gibson Cup Trophy to the Irish League for the championship, along with others secured the lease of a ground at Myrtlefield, in the Balmoral area of the city. These three ground changes and the need to have 'an identity and a home' brought about the determination to purchase of a piece of land known as the 'bog meadows' just off lower Windsor Avenue in 1904. This ground was prepared and ready in 1905 for the first game on September 2nd against Glentoran. 'Windsor Park' as the ground became known has become the permanent home of Linfield FC.

There have been many developments to 'Windsor Park' over the years. 'Midgely Park' was purchased in 1951, the current office and boardroom complex completed in 1968, and the social club in 1970. The 6800 capacity North Stand, officially opened by the FIFA president Joao Havelange on Oct 20th 1984 was a joint venture with the government and the Irish Football Association and the most recent 4000 capacity Kop Stand was completed in the late 1990s.