Lillie Bridge Grounds

The Lillie Bridge Grounds was a sports ground in London near to present day Stamford Bridge, opened around 1867. The ground started to fall into disuse after the opening of Stamford Bridge, and after a riot on September 18, 1887 which destroyed the track and grandstand, it finally closed in 1888. Lillie Bridge is these days better known as a London Underground (LUL) maintenance depot, and the Earls Court 2 annex of the Earls Court Exhibition Centre complex was built over the railway lines. It is also now home to the Empress State Building completed in 1961. Sports contested at the venue included athletics, bicycle racing, football and cricket. The ground also hosted hot air balloon festivals and county fairs in the Victorian era. The...