Liverpool legend Bill Shankly cut his teeth in management at Workington Borough Park before his famous spell at Anfield – and the historic ground is now set for demolition to make way for Cumberland Sports Village
Nathan Ridley
08:40, 29 May 2026
Workington's Borough Park will be demolished
Workington's Borough Park will be demolished(Image: Getty Images)
A historic stadium where Bill Shankly once patrolled the sidelines is set to be demolished and replaced with a new venue.
The iconic manager took charge of Workington from January 1954 to November 1955, before moving on to lead Huddersfield, and most notably Liverpool. However, the 89-year-old Borough Park will make way for the new multi-purpose Cumberland Sports Village on the same location. The facility will serve as the home ground for both Workington's soccer team and the town's rugby outfit.
Originally planned to cost £12 million ($16 million) and have a capacity of 3,700, Wednesday's announcement revealed the capacity has now been expanded to 5,000 following an injection of £4.5 million ($6 million) in additional funding.
The venue will also feature a sports bar, an outdoor supporter zone, a media suite and four additional changing facilities.
Cumberland Council will oversee the project's delivery. Council leader Mark Fryer said: "The Cumberland Sports Village project presents a fantastic opportunity to create a modern, fit-for-purpose stadium facility for both Workington AFC and Workington Town RLFC.
"As well as sport, the stadium would also act as a focal point for both the community and businesses within the area. An improved hospitality offer means the stadium could also be used for meetings, conferences, functions, events and community activities."
Bill Shankly (left) is one of Liverpool's greatest ever managers
Bill Shankly (left) is one of Liverpool's greatest ever managers(Image: Getty Images)
Borough Park accommodated 3,101 supporters, with 500 seated places available. During the stadium's construction, Workington will stage its home games at the adjacent rugby venue Derwent Park.
Billy Barr's players contested their final ever match at Borough Park in April before an impressive attendance of 2,387, with numerous club legends participating in the poignant send-off. The previous weekend, Workington guaranteed its Northern Premier League Premier Division survival for a third consecutive campaign following an extraordinary recovery.
The Reds claimed victory in seven of their closing 13 fixtures to climb from the foot of the standings and finish a single point clear of the drop zone. Barr, 57, was brought in during November, accepting his maiden head coach position after spells at clubs including Sheffield Wednesday, Preston and Blackburn post his playing days.
The former Halifax full-back occupied the same position Shankly once held, with the iconic Liverpool manager establishing his reputation in the dugout.
During that period, Workington competed in the Football League's former Third Division North. Until 1958, the top four divisions of English soccer were the First Division, Second Division, Third Division North and Third Division South. So, the Third Division North would be the equivalent of League One/League Two standard today.
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Workington's club historian, Steve Durham, revealed to the Times and Star in 2021: "He (Shankly) was an inspirational leader but always treated people as equals, and his motivational methods always got the best response from players.
"The club was at a low ebb when he arrived, but there was all-round improvement, on and off the pitch, during his time in the town (Shankly lived on Harrington Road).
"I had the pleasure of meeting him when he returned to the club in 1980, and it was a proud moment for me, obviously, but he was so humble and equally proud of the fact that the club hadn't forgotten his time at the club."