Inver Park (Larne)

Inver Park is a football stadium in Larne, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is the home ground of Larne F.C.

General information

Arena capacity: 3,250 spectators

Address: 5 Inver Rd, Larne BT40 3BW, UK

GPS coordinates for the navigator: 54°50′59.29″N 5°49′34.53″W

Year of construction: 1918

Field: artificial 3G lawn with dimensions of 110 x 66 yards

Seating plan of Inver Park

Inver Park has seen some welcome investment, with a new stand being built at one end, the Main Stand being extended and a new artificial 3G pitch installed. On one side is the Main Stand. This covered stand was previously mostly covered terrace with a block of seating at the rear. The seating has been extended to fill most of the Main Stand area, with a portion of terrace on one side. Although it now contains a number of new shiny red seats the stand, still looks quite dated. This is due to the fact that the roof of the stand has a number of supporting pillars that run across the middle of the stand, as the roof doesn’t extend fully over the front rows.

Opposite the Church Road Side, doesn’t have any facilities for spectators, just having a narrow pathway running behind the pitch perimeter fence. On the halfway line is a tall scaffolded structure that serves as a television gantry.

At one end is a covered all-seated stand that was opened in 2019. This stand is called the Larne Port and P&O Ferries McKay Stand. This stand is comprised of 6 rows containing 800 seats and is normally given to the away fans. At the other end, the ground is overlooked by St Cedma’s Church and is aptly called the Church End. Directly behind the goal is a small portion of open terrace, that is five steps high. Towards the Main Stand at that end is a large rectangular two-storey building, that houses the club offices and team changing rooms. The stadium has a set of four tall modern floodlights.

Away fans are housed in the Larne Port and P&O Ferries McKay Stand at one end of the ground. This stand is all-seated and has a capacity of 800 fans. This modern structure offers reasonable views of the playing action and is free of supporting pillars. If there is a good away following then a fair amount of noise can be made from this stand. Refreshments are provided by the obligatory burger van. Bizarrely to get to this stand, away fans have to enter via turnstiles at the opposite end of the ground on Church Road and then walk along the side of the pitch to get to it! Normally a relaxed and friendly day out.

Where to buy tickets?

Tickets for the games at Inver Park can be purchased on larnefc.com/tickets or on the opponent’s portal. You can also come and buy your ticket at the stadium’s ticket office. Supporters are encouraged to purchase early for each game to avoid disappointment.

Tickets for the Danske Bank Premiership home games cost £12 for adults, £8 for concessions and £2 for U11s. Cup games may differ depending on the competition rules and stage.

How to get there?

Inver Park is less than thirty minutes from Belfast via the A8 and is easy to access. The Stadium is situated in the Inver area of Larne Town and is on Inver Road. Home supporters access the stadium via the Inver Road Entrance and are accommodated in the Church End and Main Stand.

Visiting Supporters will access the stadium via Church Road and will be accommodated in the McKay Stand.

Club Address: Inver Park Stadium, 5 Inver Rd, Larne BT40 3BW

By Car

Follow the A8 into Larne. As you go downhill on the A8 and with a large block of flats visible in front of you, take the left-hand filter lane towards Pound Street. Then at the next traffic light turn right onto the High Street.

After passing under a large bridge that carries the A8 above, immediately turn right onto Inver Road. Follow Inver Road around to the left (or for the away entrance turn right into Church Road where there is some street parking) and up the hill.

The main entrance to the ground is just around the bend on the right (look for the white walls on either side of the entrance).

By Train

Larne Town Railway Station is just under three-quarters of a mile away from Inver Park and is around a 15-minute walk. It is served by trains from Lanyon Place (previously called Belfast Central) and Belfast Great Victoria.

To get to the ground from the station, you need to walk straight out of the station and through the car park and go left over the roundabout.  Keep walking along this road (the A2) as it goes beneath the dual carriageway, and it will curve round to the right.

You’ll pass a retail park on the left.  Keep walking straight up this road as it becomes Station Road.

At the end of the road (with the school on your left-hand side) cross into Inver Road. Away fans need to go straight along Church Road to reach their turnstile, whilst home fans follow Inver Road up the hill and round to the right. The entrance to the ground is then on the right-hand side.

Parking

On non-matchdays, parking facilities are available within the grounds of Inver Park.

On Matchdays, parking within the stadium is not available to the public. Parking facilities are available at Laharna Retail Park, Riverdale, and First Larne Church, all of which are just a short walk to the ground.

Where to eat and drink?

There is a really excellent facility at the back of the Main Stand, called the 1899 Sports and Social Club.  It’s got plenty of seats, shows Sky Sports across 5 or so screens, and there was even a live singer on when I went.  It opens a good few hours before the match and remains open afterwards too.

For some matches where a large away support is expected then beer is sold by the club out the back of a van near the visitors entrance. At Larne Town Railway Station there is the Station Bar, which doesn’t look much from the outside but is fine inside. Around halfway, if walking from the station and ground is the Chekkers Winebar on Lower Cross Street.

Facilities

At Larne FC there are various award-winning packages, both pre-match and post-match, to ensure fans maximise their experience of a matchday at Inver Park.

To find out more information and pricing, please see below.

A View From The Agnew

The ‘A View From The Agnew’ hospitality package ensures that your matchday experience is delivered with first-class views of the on-field action, a high-quality buffet offering, and before live post-match entertainment, all from the modern and fresh surroundings of the Agnew Lounge.

Corporate Dinner Events

There are various corporate event nights, offering a high-quality catering service leading up to a selected home fixture, followed by post-match entertainment, with special guest appearances and music on offer, as well as an enhanced match viewing experience.

The Pitch

The pitch at the award-winning Inver Park is available for hire, whether you are looking for a full pitch hire, half pitch or a quarter of the pitch.

The 4G synthetic grass pitch can be used for a wide range of sports including football, rugby, Gaelic football, hurling, camogie and more. With free parking available within the stadium, the state-of-the-art floodlights and access to changing rooms and toilet facilities, there really is no better place to enjoy the sport.

Off The Pitch

Inver Park is home to more than just football. From Birthday Parties at 1889 Sports & Social Club to business meeting facilities at Inver Park, they can help to provide what you are looking for.

• 1889 Sports & Social Club;
• The Agnew Lounge;
• Larne Academy of Sport.

Accessibility

Larne FC is striving to ensure that everyone feels welcome at Inver Park, and is continually improving accessibility and inclusivity.

Venue facilities:

• Disabled Parking Spaces within Inver Park (limited availability and must be booked at least 24hrs in advance of the match. To reserve a disabled parking space within Inver Park please email [email protected]);
• Accessible toilets (5 x Unisex Disabled Toilets: locations listed below) A changing bed is available (upon request at least 24 hrs in advance of the match – please email [email protected] );
• Wheelchair spaces within the Main Stand and The McKay Stand;
• Storage of walkers/rollators / wheelchairs during the match (if ambulant and sitting within the Main Stand only);
• Assistance dogs welcomed;
• Sensory bags and ear defenders (upon request at least 24 hrs in advance of the match – please email [email protected] );
• Free ticket for a personal assistant (subject to availability).

History

In 2010 the club struck an agreement with property developers GML who agreed to build a new stadium on the site that would meet the Irish League’s domestic licence criteria to enable Larne to play senior football should they win the Championship One in the future in return for Larne’s agreement to give up an acre of land adjacent to a development site next to the ground. The deal, however, has been delayed due to the falling value of the property market, which has led GML to halve their initial bid of £6 million for the land. Under the ownership of Kenny Bruce, the stadium has received significant upgrades; in 2018, the Main Stand was lightly renovated, a new artificial pitch and floodlights were installed, while a new 600-seat stand at the Bleach Green end of the ground was built in advance of the 2019–20 NIFL Premiership season.